The book ends with a chapter from an unnamed book coming out in September 2022 and I shall be queuing up to get my copy – I know I’m in safe hands with Helen Fields! I also can’t wait to see what happens next for Ava Turner and Luc Callanach! This is a story of obsession, stalking, revenge - both on the part of the police services and the antagonist - and retribution. A breathtaking thriller with a devastating conclusion. I can't stop thinking about it.’ – Bestselling author Susi Holliday

It was in Perfect Silence (Book #4) that Ava tells Luc, “Police work turns you into an emotional sieve. You start off with so much hope and good intention. Little by little it runs out of you and you’re left with only the hard bits of yourself.” This is especially evident in One for Sorrow. While Ava is a no nonsense, boots-on-the ground detective, she has an unshakeable compassion for victims and little by little, it is revealed to the reader the extent of the impact these horrific crimes have on her, physically and mentally, and yet, she perseveres. The reader can only hope that Ava takes action before she allows herself to become the sieve she once cautioned Luc about. Overall, if you want a jaw dropping, fast paced, tension as taut as piano wire read with excellent characters, a rollercoaster plot that has so many twists it’s dizzying and dazzling then this is for you. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the other six books (they are good though!) as this one is just begging to be read. There are no winners in this novel and the solution is tinged with sadness and what ifs. This can also be said of the conclusion which ends in a massive cliffhanger. The next novel will be interesting. Unknown to DI Luc Callanach and the newly promoted DCI Ava Turner, a serial killer has Edinburgh firmly in his grip.

One for sorrow, two for joy. Edinburgh is gripped by the greatest terror it has ever known. A lone bomber is targeting victims across the city and no one is safe. Three for a girl, four for a boy. DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach face death every day - and not just the deaths of the people being taken hostage by the killer.

We also learn the life of Quinn Mactavish a young woman who was push to her limits and ended her life after her relationship and then abused by Liam Cook. Only at the end of the story we find out the link between the two stories. One thing I found odd is the language and dialogues. Except for the places, the book doesn’t say Scottish thriller. It seemed more like something from the UK. Maybe Edinburg is that way (I wouldn’t know). It’s always such a great story and told brilliantly. Time and time again I’m blown away by how intricate and amazing the stories of these books are, I tip my hat to Helen for being able to come up with such storylines time and time again. One For Sorrow is the seventh book in what is referred to as the DI Luc Callanach series set in Edinburgh, but the main protagonist here is DCI Ava Turner with Luc in a supporting role. I’ve read the last couple but they all work fine as stand-alones. I moved this up my ARC queue because every time I saw the title on my reading list, I’d get the poppy song of the same name by British 90s band Steps in my head and it’s been driving me crazy. I had forgotten how dark and twisted this author’s books are, or I might’ve delayed it, and this one was equally grim yet compelling, with a high body count. All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate.This book is not for the faint-hearted! It is very gruesome and graphic but wow, what an absolute roller-coaster. I could not put it down With twists and turns you’ll never see coming, prepare to be gripped by this devastatingly good thriller. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and M J Arlidge. There are two time levels in the novel. On the one hand, we follow the police investigation which is always several steps behind their enemy. The killer is knowledgeable and perfectly follows his plan. What I liked especially was the scene where they ask a profiler to help them to identify the person behind it all. It made absolutely sense and was highly informative and interesting to follow the line of argumentation.

The second half of the book is where readers know more than the main characters and want to see how things unfold. (Needless to say, I started guessing around the same time and got it right). One for Sorrow by Helen Fields is a highly recommended police procedural and the seventh book in the D.I. Callanach series. Five for silver, six for gold. When it becomes clear that with every tip-off they are walking into a trap designed to kill them too, Ava and Luc know that finding the truth could mean paying the ultimate price. Seven for a secret never to be told... But with the threat - and body count - rising daily, and no clue as to who's behind it, neither Ava nor Luc know whether they will live long enough to tell the tale...

The bomber sets up elaborate traps that no one can predict. It’s brutal and filled with jaw dropping moments. And he makes it quite clear that there is more to come. The police are at a complete loss to make sense of this series of crimes. Fields continues ratcheting up the tension and suspense by drawing readers’ focus to things left unsaid throughout the novel. Most notably, the way she has interspliced Ava and Luc’s frantic present-day hunt for the bomber with the chronological revelation of historical events that led to the bombing spree. Clever writing indeed.

Even though I wasn't aware that this book was part of a series, it can definitely be read on its own. One For Sorrow is told between present day... a homicide of someone very close to DI Ava Turner, then leading to various bombings putting Ava under pressure to solve the case without more lives being lost, which is proving challenging. To Before following the life of Quinn, whose world is turned upside down by an admirer and her unfolding story. Can DI Ava and her team solve this before more lives are lost??... I absolutely loved this book. It can be read on its own, but do yourself a favour and read the entire series .’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐This book started with a bang and just kept rolling, definitely a “just one more chapter” kind of story. Helen Field’s latest case for her Edinburgh team is full of twists and demands everything from her protagonists. This time, it is personal, Ava is affected directly by the death of her friend and still grieving when she needs all her wits to hunt down the serial killer. “One for Sorrow” is already the seventh novel in the series and in my opinion definitely the best. It had me gripped immediately and I kept speculating about the identity of the killer, following wrong leads cleverly laid out again and again. With every tip off they are walking towards danger.The body count is growing and they have no idea who the killer is.