Reviews - Leave No Trace | The StoryGraph

210 reviews for:

Leave No Trace

Jo Callaghan

4.3 AVERAGE

shippy's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

cward7836's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

toellandback's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Book two in the Kat and Lock series again sees AI Detective Lock team up with his human counterpart as they are handed their first real time case following their cold case success in In The Blink Of An Eye.
The body of a young man is discovered crucified in the snow on a well known local hill and the question of how he actually got there is as perplexing as to who killed him.
The interaction between human and AI is what really places this series on another level as Lock desperately wants to understand and learn how humans think and converse and how strange seemingly normal things are to him (it). Equally as a police procedure story, its great with the police as much in the dark as the reader and even when the twists and curveballs arrive, you're never quite sure if another little twist is on the way. Add a great collection of other characters, especially Rayan and Browne from the team - both of which have storylines which hopefully will be extended in further books - and you have a hugely enjoyable and slightly different slant on crime fiction. Highly recommended.

eloise_whitlock's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

I brought and read this book straight after reading the first one ‘in the blink of an eye’. I enjoyed this one just as much. The plot is slightly less unique, but still has a creative flair and is interesting but is more predictable. I guessed the motive for the murders but not the perpetrator. Jo really built upon the relationship between the characters. I wish there was more books in this series, so I could continue to stay in this world that Jo has built. I will eagerly await the next book.

joallott's review against another edition

4.5

emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fawnarose's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock are back for the second instalment of their series, featuring a serial killer haunting their streets and one step ahead of their every move.
After a small break from reading, this was the perfect book to read to get me out of my slump and back into Crime Fiction. I absolutely adore the characters and mystery elements of this book and I truly cannot wait for more by Jo Callaghan.

emmasbibliotreasures's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock are back thrust into the spotlight when they finally get to investigate their first live case in the second instalment of this gripping crime series. The pair are called to an unusual crime scene where a man has been found crucified at the top of Mount Judd. And when the body of a second man is found crucified it seems that their killer is just beginning. Local men are warned to stay vigilant as the Future Policing Unit face a race against the clock to find and stop the culprit before they kill again.

Compelling, tense and surprising, I couldn’t put this one down. This time around the duo find themselves embroiled in a case that makes national headlines, putting them under even greater pressure. While the first book focused more on the sci-fi aspect of an AI detective, this time around there is less sci-fi and more crime, allowing Jo Callaghan to showcase herself as a crime writer to watch. I enjoyed the darker tone she took this time around and this is exactly the kind of twisted thriller that sings to me. After enjoying the audiobook last time I decided to listen again and loved it. I particularly enjoyed how the killer’s pov is told in an echoey way that is so eerie it sent chills down my spine every time I heard it. Even just thinking about it is making me shiver.

I loved being back with the Future Policing Unit. Kat and Lock are a unique and fascinating detective team and I loved their banter and camaraderie, which has grown since their rocky start in the first book. But it is only their second case and they are still learning how to work together, something that can be tricky when one of them is driven by instinct and the other by logic. I like how well they balance each other out; one’s weaknesses being the other’s strengths, and how they both were learning to be better officers by including some of each other’s methods. I also really liked that Lock is no longer treated as a perfect detective. We see some of his limitations and flaws, which kind of humanises the AI detective a little. It certainly made me warm to him more this time around.

Riveting, pacy, and filled with nerve-shredding tension, Leave No Trace is an action-packed thriller that will keep you on your toes. Now I just have to wait impatiently for book three.