Kidnap and ransom, crimes of passion and jealous revenge, cold-blooded murder and pure evil; DCI Croft has his hands full. When you find yourself rooting for a kidnapper and hoping DCI Croft won't catch him, you know you're hooked into a great book with realistic and vulnerable characters. Surprise twists, satisfying comeuppance, and good detective work. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Recommended read.

A well-written and entertaining read.

A policeman's lot is not a SIMPLE one...

He can’t choose an interesting case and ignore the rest! DCI Croft faces a rash of crimes from kidnapping to murder. Sarah Stuart takes the reader deep inside the minds and hearts of the criminals. The root of their numerous ill-doings? Envy... and envy is deadly.
Does knowing what is happening and why spoil the story? Absolutely not! The plot is as twisted as a corkscrew and the end a shocking surprise.

Not one, not two, not three but four storylines and the reader has all the answers. But the mystery is whether DCI Croft and his team can succeed in charging the perpetrators of the various murders and kidnappings with their crimes. So plenty of action to keep you wanting to know how it all comes to a satisfactory ending - for the police, if not the evil-doers!

I’ll get straight to the point. This is my first time reading one of Sarah Stuart’s thrillers and ……… well let’s say that when I thought I had worked it all out because I’m a ‘clever clogs’, got the plot as they say; Sarah brilliantly turned my whole world upside down. I simply DID NOT see that coming.
From the very first few pages reading ‘Deadly Envy’ (A DCI Gerald Croft Thriller), it was like, OK, alright’ loving how Sarah was introducing the cast, the players to the point where I was a part of their world, invited into their lives and through her writing deciding if I liked them or not even before I knew if they were innocent or guilty of some pretty heinous crimes.
At times, as there where a number of sub plots, I thought where’s this going; how does it all come together but ……. well you’re going to have to read it for yourself to find out but believe me YOU WILL NOT be disappointed and I suspect, like me, the suspense was killing me, you’ll find it hard to put down this thriller until the final two words, THE END.

This is a great read. Twisted every which way. I found myself rooting for a mild-mannered crook!

This is the second book about D.I Croft I've enjoyed. He deals with a number of cases of crime, including kidnap and murder. I like this book even better than the first. One of the main characters, a particularly prolific kidnapper, has a good side and you find yourself sympathizing with his point of view, at times. I think that shows the particular skill of the writer, to get the reader to empathize with a ‘baddie’ character. This book shows the best and worst of human nature, with the underlying theme of ‘that person has what I want’. If you like detective stories, you’ll really enjoy this book, especially how close the action comes to DCI Croft’s family. I couldn’t put the book down.

This is the second book I have read in this series and it was again a good read. I like DCI Gerald Croft and find him a very believable character. He is faced with a serious crime wave, including the strangest series of kidnappings I've ever read about! Additionally, there are murders, which put Croft's career at risk and need solving before further people die. (p.s. Garton seems even less safe a place to live than Midsomer!) There are surprises along the way and an interesting mix of criminals from the rather inept to very calculating. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I read and enjoyed Ms Stuart’s Shattered Lives, so I grabbed the next DCI Croft thriller when I spotted it! As with the first novel, the reader is privy to who the criminals are (yes, plural, criminals) right from the beginning. The tension and pace emanate from the reader working along with Croft to uncover who the antagonists are, what their motives are, and what he can do to stop them as it is clear their acts are not a “one and done” set of incidents. There is not one, not two, not three, but ultimately four criminal minds at work! And all fall within DSI Croft's jurisdiction! Not wanting to give away any more of the story, all I will say is “Deadly Envy” is a great read. Highly recommended.

Kidnap and ransom, crimes of passion and jealous revenge, cold-blooded murder and pure evil; DCI Croft has his hands full.

My Book of the Month Club winner!

The Borough of Garton might be the most crime – ridden place in London, at least where murders and kidnappings are concerned. Fortunately it is protected by DCI Gerald Croft. In DEADLY ENVY author Sarah Stuart has Croft dealing with robberies, multiple murders, and a rash of kidnappings. The murders are fairly standard. Nasty, and in some cases rather cleaver, but done by bad people for bad reasons. The kidnappings, not so much. What does it mean when the victims of the kidnappings, all children, have nothing but good to say about the man who abducted them? Stuart introduces some unusual twists and turns to the plot, making DEADLY ENVY a great read and slightly different from most crime stories.

This is a great read. Twisted every which way. I found myself rooting for a mild mannered crook.

This is the second in the DCI Gerald Croft detective series, and in this one Gerald has his work cut out for him with cases involving kidnapping and murder, plus a touch of evil in the mix. The detective work is well thought out with good surprises and clever twists that kept me turning the pages. The characters are well drawn with good insights into their thinking and behaviour, which add depth to an entertaining story. Everything is resolved in the end to give the reader a content sense of satisfaction. Recommended.