Dead Real
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-30 02:41:49
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Helen H. Durrant
- ISBN：B0B57HDC15
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Summary
SOMETHING BAD’S GOING DOWN — AND NO ONE WILL TALK。
One of the Hobfield estate’s newest tenants is horrified when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。
The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and had a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn’t robbery。
But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？
The post-mortem reveals that the letter X has been carved into Noah’s skin。 The signature of a killer known as the Shadow， who plagued the estate more than twenty years before。 A killer who was never caught。
Could the Shadow be back at large？
Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are finding it difficult to make headway。 People are scared。 No one will talk。
At the same time， Tom’s new girlfriend’s shop is targeted — and it’s clear she’s not telling him the whole truth about the attack。 Just what is Kitty hiding？ And when an old flame returns to Leesdon， Tom senses trouble ahead 。 。 。
One of the Hobfield estate’s newest tenants is horrified when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。
The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and had a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn’t robbery。
But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？
The post-mortem reveals that the letter X has been carved into Noah’s skin。 The signature of a killer known as the Shadow， who plagued the estate more than twenty years before。 A killer who was never caught。
Could the Shadow be back at large？
Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are finding it difficult to make headway。 People are scared。 No one will talk。
At the same time， Tom’s new girlfriend’s shop is targeted — and it’s clear she’s not telling him the whole truth about the attack。 Just what is Kitty hiding？ And when an old flame returns to Leesdon， Tom senses trouble ahead 。 。 。
Reviews
Bonnye Reed
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JoffeNooks99
Amanda
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I have been a fan of Helen’s work for quite a while now。 I have read and loved every book that she has written to date。 I am a particular fan of the series featuring Detectives Calladine and Bayliss。 When I heard that Helen was due to release another book in the series， I knew that I had to grab a copy at the earliest opportunity and squirrel myself away until I had finished reading。 Well ladies and gents， the wait is over because ‘Dead Real’， which is the twelfth book in the ‘Calladine & Baylis I have been a fan of Helen’s work for quite a while now。 I have read and loved every book that she has written to date。 I am a particular fan of the series featuring Detectives Calladine and Bayliss。 When I heard that Helen was due to release another book in the series， I knew that I had to grab a copy at the earliest opportunity and squirrel myself away until I had finished reading。 Well ladies and gents， the wait is over because ‘Dead Real’， which is the twelfth book in the ‘Calladine & Bayliss’， was released on 26th July 2022。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Dead Real’ but more about that in a bitThe fact that there was a book with Helen’s name on that I hadn’t read， was enough to grab my attention and draw me in。 As soon as I started reading， I knew that there was a fair chance that I wouldn’t be doing anything other than reading for the rest of the day because I wouldn’t be able to put the book down。 I must be psychic because that’s exactly what happened。 I had picked the book up with the intention of reading a chapter or two to say that I had made a start on the book。 I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to stick to just a chapter or two。 I became so wrapped up in the story that I was still sat there reading several chapters and over an hour later。 I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered in the opposite direction。 This was one of those stories that stayed with me whether I had the book in my hand or not。 All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Dead Real’ and I had to say goodbye to Detectives Calladine and Bayliss。 I found ‘Dead Real’ to be a gripping， tense and dramatic read， which certainly kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout。‘Dead Real’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Helen H。 Durrant。 Helen has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used and easy to get along with。 She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story。 For me， the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout。 I love the way in which Helen makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action。 Reading ‘Dead Real’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way。 The series featuring Detectives Calladine and Bayliss goes from strength to strength and just gets better and better with each book that is released。In short， I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Dead Real’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers。 I will certainly be reading more of Helen’s work in the future。 The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*。 。。。more
Kath
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So， here we are。。。 book 12 in another of my favourite series。 Usual series rules apply， you know what they are by now so I don't need to spell them out again。。。Things are hotting up on the Hobfield estate when a cat shocks its owner by bringing home a present。 Not a bird， nor a mouse， no， not this time， this time it's a human foot！A foot that is the catalyst for a whole host of pain for both the Police and the residents when the owner of said foot is found， complete with a brand new watch and br So， here we are。。。 book 12 in another of my favourite series。 Usual series rules apply， you know what they are by now so I don't need to spell them out again。。。Things are hotting up on the Hobfield estate when a cat shocks its owner by bringing home a present。 Not a bird， nor a mouse， no， not this time， this time it's a human foot！A foot that is the catalyst for a whole host of pain for both the Police and the residents when the owner of said foot is found， complete with a brand new watch and brand new trainers， both high end， both not yet released。。。 The owner also being a scrote rather than being able to afford such riches。 Enter our crime-busting duo to investigate - Calladine and Bayliss - who most definitely have their work cut out for them with the shenanigans herein。 But they have a crack team behind them so it should just be a walk in the park for them。。。 Until it all goes darker as the whole truth start to come out。。。！I do love this series。 Every time I start a new book I reconnect with old friends， eager to catch up with what they have been doing since we last met。 Catch up with Tom's love life - lol！ Characters are well described and are developing nicely as the series progresses。 As do the newbies herein。 The story is well plotted and that plot ably executed。 Pacing follows the narrative well and there is no superfluous waffle or padding to interfere with things。 It all ramps up nicely as more is exposed until we get to the crux of the matter and the fallout thereafter。 All leaving me wholly satisfied。 Well， apart from wanting the next book sooner rather than later。My thanks go to Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Rekha Rao
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4。5/5https://thebookdecoder。com/2022/07/27。。。 4。5/5https://thebookdecoder。com/2022/07/27。。。 。。。more
Doreen
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Great Story！Another good investigation with Call a dine and Bayliss！ Very complicated and good plot。 I rated it a 4 ， however， because of all the grammar mistakes。 Someone who understands pronouns and sentence structure needs to edit and proofread this text。
Gill Appleyard
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Another excellent addition to the Calladine and Bayliss series with the notorious Hobfield estate front and centre as always。This one is a difficult one for them， it seems to have links to an old case， no-one is talking， Calladine’s current girlfriend is targeted and then one of his old flames turns up！ There’s lots of twists and turns， believable villains and a few red herrings and for me， a couple of surprises in there too。All in all， a good read。Thank you to Joffe’s Books for the ARC of this Another excellent addition to the Calladine and Bayliss series with the notorious Hobfield estate front and centre as always。This one is a difficult one for them， it seems to have links to an old case， no-one is talking， Calladine’s current girlfriend is targeted and then one of his old flames turns up！ There’s lots of twists and turns， believable villains and a few red herrings and for me， a couple of surprises in there too。All in all， a good read。Thank you to Joffe’s Books for the ARC of this book。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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Calladine & Bayliss #12One of the Hobfield estate's newest tenants is horrified when her car returns home with a human foot in its mouth。 The foot belongs to sixteen year old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn't robbery。 But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？This is a Calladine & Bayliss #12One of the Hobfield estate's newest tenants is horrified when her car returns home with a human foot in its mouth。 The foot belongs to sixteen year old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn't robbery。 But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？This is a cleverly crafted story that's well written with a fast pace。 Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss are investigating the death of sixteen year old Noah Crosby。 Noah has a X carved on his body which was reminiscent of the crimes The Shadow had made a few years ago。 The story has lots of twists and the plotline is gripping。 As always， this book is well written， I was pulled in straight away， and I was guessing throughout。 I never saw the last twist coming。I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #HelenHDurrant for my ARC of #DeadReal in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
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EXCERPT: Tuesday - Over the years the alleyway that ran between two of the tower blocks had become a dumping ground for rubbish。 It was littered with old mattresses， fridges， anything the tenants didn't want and couldn't afford to have disposed of properly。 Lisa Woodley， single mum of two and new to the area， lived in a ground floor flat in Heron House， one of the pair of towers。 A week ago she'd complained about the smell。 The council promised to send a team around to shift everything within a EXCERPT: Tuesday - Over the years the alleyway that ran between two of the tower blocks had become a dumping ground for rubbish。 It was littered with old mattresses， fridges， anything the tenants didn't want and couldn't afford to have disposed of properly。 Lisa Woodley， single mum of two and new to the area， lived in a ground floor flat in Heron House， one of the pair of towers。 A week ago she'd complained about the smell。 The council promised to send a team around to shift everything within a couple of days。 All very well， but the days were passing by， the weather was warm and the smell got no better。 The Hobfield Estate was not an easy place to live in。 After dark the kids were noisy。 They let off fireworks late into the night and screamed obscenities at everyone who walked past。 They kept the children awake and made Lisa flinch。 The smell was the final straw。 She'd had enough。 Lisa planned to visit the council offices in Leesdon that afternoon， give them a piece of her mind。 She was all fired up and ready to take them on when Bobbin'， her cat， came home with a human foot in his mouth。 The animal dropped it on the kitchen floor， looked up at Lisa and went to his basket where he began to lick his paws。 ABOUT 'DEAD REAL': One of the Hobfield estate’s newest tenants is horrified when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and had a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn’t robbery。But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？The post-mortem reveals that the letter X has been carved into Noah’s skin。 The signature of a killer known as the Shadow， who plagued the estate more than twenty years before。 A killer who was never caught。Could the Shadow be back at large？Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are finding it difficult to make headway。 People are scared。 No one will talk。At the same time， Tom’s new girlfriend’s shop is targeted — and it’s clear she’s not telling him the whole truth about the attack。 Just what is Kitty hiding？ And when an old flame returns to Leesdon， Tom senses trouble ahead 。 。 。MY THOUGHTS: I never thought the day would come when I abandoned a Helen H。 Durrant book。 I have loved this series with it averaging 4⭐ in my ratings。 I was looking forward to more adventures with Calladine and Bayliss。 So what went wrong？Bad decisions on the part of the police investigating the crimes。 There are various threads to this story including current murders， historic murders and an abundance of top end trainers，handbags and watches that have obviously been stolen from somewhere， but don't seem to have been reported stolen。 There was a clear course of action they should have taken and they just didn't。 At 46% I remarked， 'in this particular book Calladine is being an absolute walkover！' What I was thinking was another word altogether。 At 53% I felt like throwing my Kindle across the room， but instead said 'enough' and closed the cover。 I am aware that I am very much on my own with my thoughts on Dead Real， #12 in the Calladine and Bayliss series， so please do check out the many more favourable reviews。 Will I read more in this series。 Right now， I don't think so。 But by the time the next book is ready for publication I will probably be remembering only the fun I previously had with these books。 ⭐#DEADREAL #Netgalley I: @hhdurrant_author @joffebooksT: @JoffeBooks#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #mystery #policeproceduralTHE AUTHOR: Helen H。 Durrant is a British author who sets her novels in the area she has lived for many years， the towns and villages that sit in the shelter of the Pennine hills。 The area offers an interesting mix of the industrial and the countryside and makes for a great setting for a crime novel。DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Joffe Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Dead Real by Helen H。 Durrant for review。 All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions。For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads。com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday。wordpress。comThis review and others are also published on Twitter， Amazon， Instagram and my webpage 。。。more
Jeannie Bee
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I received an ARC via Joffe Books in return for an honest review。 I’ve read all the previous books in this detective series and this one didn’t disappoint！ I love the interaction between the main characters and the fact that characters from the author’s other series are brought into play eg Greco。 Recommended
Sue Hayward
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Another great read from Helen Durrant featuring Calladine and Bayliss， after a series of murders on the Hobfield Estate the 2 Detectives investigate， it's a story full of twists and turns with every page， from gangland style murders to stolen goods this story has it all。。！！ Another great read from Helen Durrant featuring Calladine and Bayliss， after a series of murders on the Hobfield Estate the 2 Detectives investigate， it's a story full of twists and turns with every page， from gangland style murders to stolen goods this story has it all。。！！ 。。。more
Joyce
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258 pages4 starsDI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss have a very confusing case on their hands in this installment in the series。 A young， mouthy lad named Noah is killed on the Hobfield Estate。 The Hobfield is a housing estate that is rife with crime。 Word on the street is that Noah was working for one of the drug dealers who run the place。 There is an ongoing underground war between the two men， or so the gossip goes。 When found， Noah was wearing an expensive watch and trainers。 Wh 258 pages4 starsDI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss have a very confusing case on their hands in this installment in the series。 A young， mouthy lad named Noah is killed on the Hobfield Estate。 The Hobfield is a housing estate that is rife with crime。 Word on the street is that Noah was working for one of the drug dealers who run the place。 There is an ongoing underground war between the two men， or so the gossip goes。 When found， Noah was wearing an expensive watch and trainers。 Where did such a young kid get those？ Investigating this case is a real nightmare。 No one wants to talk for fear of reprisals。 The search for the killer or killers hardly moves。 Everyone is too afraid to talk。 Another consideration for Calladine is that his girlfriend Kitty is being targeted for some reason， but she is not taking either。 This book is not Ms。 Durrant’s best。 It moves too slowly。 I thought all the surmising and side trips were a little tedious。 The writing and plotting， as usuals with Ms。 Durrant’s novels are very good。 I like Ruth， she speaks her mind。 Tom is okay， I dod dislike his string of girlfriends。 He needs to work on that。 I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read， enjoy and review。 The opinions expressed here are solely my own。 。。。more
Vanessa
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Dead Real by Helen H。 Durrant is the WoW 12th book in the brilliant D。S。 Ruth Bayliss and D。I。 Tom Calladine series and this has been an excellent series especially as I have not read all these books within this series and in order， but i never found it hard to find my way around these book， Helen is an excellent author and has a way of drawing in new and old fans into the story I've always found her books interesting and always gripped at the beginning till the end。 All the characters are brill Dead Real by Helen H。 Durrant is the WoW 12th book in the brilliant D。S。 Ruth Bayliss and D。I。 Tom Calladine series and this has been an excellent series especially as I have not read all these books within this series and in order， but i never found it hard to find my way around these book， Helen is an excellent author and has a way of drawing in new and old fans into the story I've always found her books interesting and always gripped at the beginning till the end。 All the characters are brilliant and i love the 2 main characters D。S。 Ruth Bayliss and D。I。 Tom Calladine。 I highly recommend this series and looking forward to the next instalment。。 Big Thank you to Netgalley， Joffe Books and the author for my ARC。 I loved it x 。。。more
Mary Ryan
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This is a very enjoyable read。 This time Tom and Ruth have the death of a young boy to investigate。 He has a X carved on his body， reminiscent of the old crimes of The Shadow from years before。 This detail was never made public so this makes things more interesting。At the same time， there are high-end stolen goods to investigate and someone has also shot into the office of Kitty， a local PI and Tom's latest girlfriend。 This is a compelling police procedural which keeps you totally gripped due to This is a very enjoyable read。 This time Tom and Ruth have the death of a young boy to investigate。 He has a X carved on his body， reminiscent of the old crimes of The Shadow from years before。 This detail was never made public so this makes things more interesting。At the same time， there are high-end stolen goods to investigate and someone has also shot into the office of Kitty， a local PI and Tom's latest girlfriend。 This is a compelling police procedural which keeps you totally gripped due to the different crimes involved and trying to figure out who knows what and how things fit together。 There was a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming。 I enjoy these surprises in a book especially when you think you know what has happened and then suddenly you don't。 However， when you look back at it， the clues were there。 I have previously read the first in this series and also enjoyed it so must go back and read the rest of the series。My thanks to Joffe Books for an advance copy and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dead Real， the twelfth novel to feature DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss， set in the fictional northern town of Leesworth。16 year old Noah Crosby was murdered on the Hobfield estate。 When his body is discovered weeks later he is wearing high end trainers and an expensive watch with a top of the range smartphone in his pocket。 How could he afford them？ When an X is found carved on his skin Calladine fears the return of a s I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Dead Real， the twelfth novel to feature DI Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss， set in the fictional northern town of Leesworth。16 year old Noah Crosby was murdered on the Hobfield estate。 When his body is discovered weeks later he is wearing high end trainers and an expensive watch with a top of the range smartphone in his pocket。 How could he afford them？ When an X is found carved on his skin Calladine fears the return of a serial killer from 20 odd years ago， a man they never caught。I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Real， which is a non stop police procedural with twists galore and so many crimes to sort through。 It is told from the investigative point of view， mostly Calladine， so what he knows the reader knows until the end when he refuses to reveal his thinking and， more importantly， suspect until he makes the arrest。 This last bit is rather pointless as it is all fairly obvious by then。 I guessed some of it in advance， but not all and was thus surprised by some of the last minute twists。 The plot never seems to stop with developments at every turn， although making sense of where they fit in the big picture is another thing entirely。 It’s busy and convoluted in how it plays out and I don’t think Calladine， after a couple of months on the sick， is really thinking straight。 He gets bogged down in rumour and can’t see the wood for the trees。 That’s a bit vague but I don’t want to issue spoilers and any discussion of the actual content would do so。 Still， it holds the attention and is highly entertaining。Needless to say Calladine’s love life is not going smoothly- when did it ever？ One of his old flames is back in town and making him question his current relationship。 The man needs to find some emotional maturity。Dead Real is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
CJ Eve
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This is book twelve in the Calladine & Bayliss series and another fantastic edition to a well established series。I've read more of the later books in the series and have enjoyed everyone that I have read。 This book draws you in has you spinning and reeling and then spits you out with a satisfying ending。 Helen has a talented for written engaging and interesting characters and intense suspenseful plots look forward to the next edition。 This is book twelve in the Calladine & Bayliss series and another fantastic edition to a well established series。I've read more of the later books in the series and have enjoyed everyone that I have read。 This book draws you in has you spinning and reeling and then spits you out with a satisfying ending。 Helen has a talented for written engaging and interesting characters and intense suspenseful plots look forward to the next edition。 。。。more
Mandy
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This book is #12 in the ‘Calladine and Bayliss’ series but can easily be read as a standalone。DI Tom and DS Ruth work really well together， and the partnership is believable。 There’s enough of their private lives to be interesting without detracting from the main storyline。 On their patch is the Hobfield estate， known well to the local police force。 A new tenant’s cat presents her with a human foot which turns out to belong to Noah Crosby， the rest of whom is discovered in an alley。 He wasn’t ki This book is #12 in the ‘Calladine and Bayliss’ series but can easily be read as a standalone。DI Tom and DS Ruth work really well together， and the partnership is believable。 There’s enough of their private lives to be interesting without detracting from the main storyline。 On their patch is the Hobfield estate， known well to the local police force。 A new tenant’s cat presents her with a human foot which turns out to belong to Noah Crosby， the rest of whom is discovered in an alley。 He wasn’t killed for his possessions， as there are expensive trainers， a gold watch， and a high-end mobile still with him。 But how could a 16-year-old from a sink estate own them？The post-mortem reveals a cross cut into Noah’s body， which was the signature left by a murderer from years ago called The Shadow。 Is The Shadow back after a long break？This book hooked me in and kept me guessing， and I’ll definitely be reading more from this series。Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Sue
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DEAD REAL by author Helen H。 Durrant is book 12 of a new series of detective thrillers featuring D。S。 Ruth Bayliss and D。I。 Tom Calladine。 Having read all the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them and the characters， it was like old home week， touching base with some of my old friends。 I looked forward to starting the next crime thriller in the series。 The books work great as a standalone， but I would recommend reading the complete series to really get the most out of them。This b DEAD REAL by author Helen H。 Durrant is book 12 of a new series of detective thrillers featuring D。S。 Ruth Bayliss and D。I。 Tom Calladine。 Having read all the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them and the characters， it was like old home week， touching base with some of my old friends。 I looked forward to starting the next crime thriller in the series。 The books work great as a standalone， but I would recommend reading the complete series to really get the most out of them。This book will have you turning the pages until the shocking conclusion。 This is a crime thriller with an ending with a huge twist。The DetectivesDetective inspector Tom Calladine is a workaholic， totally devoted to his job。 He is a hands-on copper that does investigations and solves crimes。 He is back at work full-time now， after two months ago he collapsed at work， a possible heart attack。 But his personal life has not been so rewarding， being married and divorced before he was twenty-one。 He now has a girlfriend， Kitty， and an old flame， Amy， that has just moved back to town， wanting to get back together。Ruth Bayliss is in her mid-thirties， plain-speaking but loyal。 She is balancing her professional life with looking after a small child。The setting is the fictional village of Leesdon on the outskirts of an industrial northern English city。 There is little work and a lot of crime。 The curse of Calladine’s life is the Hobfield housing estate， breeding ground to all that is wrong with the area that he calls home。THE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIESBook 1: DEAD WRONGBook 2: DEAD SILENTBook 3: DEAD LISTBook 4: DEAD LOSTBook 5: DEAD & BURIEDBook 6: DEAD NASTYBook 7: DEAD JEALOUSBook 8: DEAD BADBook 9: DEAD GUILTYBook 10: DEAD WICKEDBOOK 11: DEAD SORRYBook 12: DEAD REALThis is my review of Dead Real。A single mum and a new Hobfield estate tenant， is disturbed when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， who had been dumped in the alleyway on the grounds of the Hobfield estate， among bags of discarded rubbish。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and an expensive cell phone on him when he died。 How could he have afforded these items？ There is currently a battle going on between two different gangs dealing dope on the estate…one run by a newcomer， Ricky Spooner， aka “Spook”， and the other， a local， Luke Barton。 The post-mortem reveals that the letter X has been carved into Noah’s skin。 The signature of a killer known as the Shadow， from twenty years before…a killer who was never caught。But no one is willing to talk to Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss。Also。 Tom’s new girlfriend’s business shop is attacked， and even Kitty is not talking。 What does she know？ This is a great series to follow， and in this novel the focus is on murder and robberies of high-end trainers， expensive watches and bags。 Lots of action， and great relatable detectives。 I will continue to follow this series。 Highly recommend！Many thanks to the author， Joffe Books and Netgalley for my digital copy。 。。。more
Martha Brindley
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Book 12 in the Calladine and Bayliss series and it's still as fresh as the first one。 I really like the writing style in this fast paced and cleverly plotted thriller， and the plot topic is bang up to date。 The characterisation is excellent and apart from Kitty， I could empathise with them！ Tom can certainly pick the girlfriends！ It's an easy 5* from me for this read and I can recommend the series。 Thanks to Net Galley， Joffe Books and the author for my ARC。 Book 12 in the Calladine and Bayliss series and it's still as fresh as the first one。 I really like the writing style in this fast paced and cleverly plotted thriller， and the plot topic is bang up to date。 The characterisation is excellent and apart from Kitty， I could empathise with them！ Tom can certainly pick the girlfriends！ It's an easy 5* from me for this read and I can recommend the series。 Thanks to Net Galley， Joffe Books and the author for my ARC。 。。。more
Diane
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Dead Real by author Helen H。 Durrant is number twelve in the Calladine & Bayliss mystery series。 The book starts with sixteen-year-old Noah Crosby of the Hobfield estates being questioned and intimidated by an unknown male。 Later Noah's remains are found in a trash pile at a local dumping area。 His phone and watch were found so his death was not due to robbery。 There is one clue left on the body that refers to a person from the past who is called Shadow。 DI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Dead Real by author Helen H。 Durrant is number twelve in the Calladine & Bayliss mystery series。 The book starts with sixteen-year-old Noah Crosby of the Hobfield estates being questioned and intimidated by an unknown male。 Later Noah's remains are found in a trash pile at a local dumping area。 His phone and watch were found so his death was not due to robbery。 There is one clue left on the body that refers to a person from the past who is called Shadow。 DI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are investigating the case and trying to figure out who would want to kill Noah。 It is hard to solve a case when there seem to be no witnesses and no one in the neighborhood will talk to the investigators。 The case takes a twist when Tom's girlfriend becomes a target for danger。 Read and Enjoy！Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 Publication date: July 26， 2022 。。。more
Carol
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Helen Durrant never disappoints with her superb characters and plotting。 I like her realistic writing style。 Everything is so believable and down to earth。 Murder and robberies of designer sportswear， watches and bags。 It all happens at a gripping pace。I love how its all set within two tightly knit communities - that of the police alongside the one of the residents living on the Hobfield estate。Well worth reading， I thoroughly enjoyed it。
EILEEN
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DEAD REAL opens with a brutal act leading to a gruesome discovery。 Violence， unrest and turmoil creates a myriad of mysteries。 Trying to solve the baffling conundrums keep the pages flying by。 Riveting chapters will have you so absorbed you'll finish in one sitting right up to an ending you'll never see coming。 DEAD REAL opens with a brutal act leading to a gruesome discovery。 Violence， unrest and turmoil creates a myriad of mysteries。 Trying to solve the baffling conundrums keep the pages flying by。 Riveting chapters will have you so absorbed you'll finish in one sitting right up to an ending you'll never see coming。 。。。more
Sue Wallace
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Dead real by Helen H Durrant。 Calladine and Bayliss book 12。One of the Hobfield estate’s newest tenants is horrified when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and had a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn’t robbery。But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks aff Dead real by Helen H Durrant。 Calladine and Bayliss book 12。One of the Hobfield estate’s newest tenants is horrified when her cat returns home with a human foot in its mouth。The foot belongs to 16-year-old Noah Crosby， whose decomposing remains are found in a rubbish-strewn alleyway。 He was wearing an expensive gold watch， high-end trainers and had a top-of-the-range mobile phone on him when he died。 The motive clearly isn’t robbery。But how could a young lad from the wrong side of the tracks afford such expensive gear？The post-mortem reveals that the letter X has been carved into Noah’s skin。 The signature of a killer known as the Shadow， who plagued the estate more than twenty years before。 A killer who was never caught。Could the Shadow be back at large？Detective Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are finding it difficult to make headway。 People are scared。 No one will talk。 At the same time， Tom’s new girlfriend’s shop is targeted — and it’s clear she’s not telling him the whole truth about the attack。 Just what is Kitty hiding？ And when an old flame returns to Leesdon， Tom senses trouble ahead 。 。 。Another brilliant read in this non stop series。 I loved it。 Couldn't put it down。 Had my theory。 Partly right。 Definitely recommend。 5*。 。。。more
Misfits farm
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Tom Calladine is back after his illness and there is soon a call about a cat having found a foot- sadly a human one。 Tom and his sidekick Bailey soon find the rest of the body when there is a report of a smell。 for some reason the victim who was off the Hobfield estate- not known for anything high end， was wearing some rather expensive trainers。 He also has an X carved into his skin- something Tom remembers from a perpetrator many years before who was never caught。 Could the shadow be back and w Tom Calladine is back after his illness and there is soon a call about a cat having found a foot- sadly a human one。 Tom and his sidekick Bailey soon find the rest of the body when there is a report of a smell。 for some reason the victim who was off the Hobfield estate- not known for anything high end， was wearing some rather expensive trainers。 He also has an X carved into his skin- something Tom remembers from a perpetrator many years before who was never caught。 Could the shadow be back and what is the link to the trainers and Kitty ， a PI who is Tom's other half， who is being coy about the whole thing？Although one of a series this happily stands alone。I really enjoy Helens books and find myself racing through them。 There are very likeable characters and an excellent plot line which keeps me intrigued and buried between the pages。 I like characters with a little back story to give them depth and Helen always does this very well without it detracting from the main plot line。 A wonderful read that I really enjoyed and very much look forward to the next in the series。 。。。more
Booklover BEV
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Fantastic read I love this series of books and characters。Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss are back with a dead real book Twelve。Sixteen years old Noah Crosby is found on the Hobfield estate after Lisa Woodley complains of a awful smell and her cat Bobbin brings home a human foot， the poor lad has been in the alley for three weeks with his throat slit， is this anything to do with Spooner and Barton gangs running a drug ring who was Noah working for。Oh my this is full of twisted chapters， that you Fantastic read I love this series of books and characters。Tom Calladine and Ruth Bayliss are back with a dead real book Twelve。Sixteen years old Noah Crosby is found on the Hobfield estate after Lisa Woodley complains of a awful smell and her cat Bobbin brings home a human foot， the poor lad has been in the alley for three weeks with his throat slit， is this anything to do with Spooner and Barton gangs running a drug ring who was Noah working for。Oh my this is full of twisted chapters， that you wont want to leave behind or put down， with a whirl of catching the killer it a race against time for the two detectives。 As always this clever authors mind has been working over time to thrill her readers， with another cracking end， then BOOM it left me satisfied， just never expect a straight forward chapter。 5 stars from me 。。。more
Hannelore Cheney
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Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC。This is another good read in the series， recommended！DI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are working the case of a 16-year-old murdered young man， found after a call from a woman whose cat brought home a human foot。 Nobody's talking， everyone is afraid and it's difficult for the two detectives to make any headway。Tom is living with a new girlfriend （one of many！）but things aren't going as well as thought。 Will this be another one of h Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC。This is another good read in the series， recommended！DI Tom Calladine and his partner DS Ruth Bayliss are working the case of a 16-year-old murdered young man， found after a call from a woman whose cat brought home a human foot。 Nobody's talking， everyone is afraid and it's difficult for the two detectives to make any headway。Tom is living with a new girlfriend （one of many！）but things aren't going as well as thought。 Will this be another one of his failed romances？Good series！ 。。。more
Andrea
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Firstly I would like to thank netgalley， and Joffe books，and the author Helen Durrant for a copy of her book to read。This is a fantastic series，Noah is 16 years old who lives on a rough estate Hobfield， he is found murdered in a brutal way。no one wants to talk to the police。he is wearing expensive items how can he afford them，is he involved with drugs？His body had the letter x in the past a killer known as the shadow，Has he returned。 Detective Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss are on the case。Th Firstly I would like to thank netgalley， and Joffe books，and the author Helen Durrant for a copy of her book to read。This is a fantastic series，Noah is 16 years old who lives on a rough estate Hobfield， he is found murdered in a brutal way。no one wants to talk to the police。he is wearing expensive items how can he afford them，is he involved with drugs？His body had the letter x in the past a killer known as the shadow，Has he returned。 Detective Tom Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss are on the case。This is a fast paced book that makes this book an exciting read。Highly recommend this series。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dead Real
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dead Real&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dead Real&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0