Evil Intent is an engrossing read, a solid police procedural / mystery in dual-narration format. Although I haven't yet read any of the preceding books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this fourth instalment and will be returning to the earlier books to familiarise myself with the character backstories.

The book opens with the harrowing scene of a young woman, Shauna, being pursued through a dark wood by an unknown predator, desperately searching for a place in which she can seek cover. Immediately, the scene is set and the reader immersed in the gritty crime-mystery. Our attention and sympathies are also focussed upon the impact of violent crime on victims and their loved ones.

The remainder of the narrative shifts between the perspective of the senior investigating officer, Acting Detective Superintendent Helen Lavery, and that of Marnie O'Hennessey, Shauna's mother. We follow Lavery's investigation into the attack on Shauna as she balances the administrative pressures of her current more senior role with her own home life and the appearance in Hampton of a close relative of a notorious gangster who's previously threatened Lavery and her family. Meanwhile, Marnie and her husband Darren must deal with the devastating loss of their only surviving child, while ensuring the wellbeing of Shauna's young children and confronting some challenging realities uncovered by Lavery's investigation into Shauna's death.

As the action races towards the dramatic conclusion, the book enters thriller territory, as Lavery puts her own safety on the line in a last-ditch effort to stop a clever and vicious villain.

I felt that Evil Intent was a step up from the usual run of police procedural mysteries, in the sensitive handling by author Jane Isaac of issues surrounding the impact of violent crime on those left to pick up the pieces. In DSupt (Acting) Lavery, she has created an intuitive and relatable main protagonist and an evocative, though fictional, setting in the central midlands county of Hamptonshire. The supporting cast, comprising Lavery's police colleagues, her mother and two sons, and the witnesses and family members with whom she comes into contact, are all convincingly depicted. The mystery itself is twisted, throwing up several unexpected developments as the plot unfolds. Isaacs explores some confronting issues surrounding the challenges facing young single mothers and others who struggle to make ends meet. Short chapters and punchy dialogue make this a read that is hard to put down once started.

I'd recommend Evil Intent to any reader who seeks well-written and complex crime-mysteries. Helen Lavery is a strong female protagonist, whose demanding work and family responsibilities enhance a realistic and stimulating reading experience. I look forward to reading further titles from the series.