The judge has spoken……everyone must die.When a killer starts murdering lawyers in a prestigious law firm, and every lead takes them to a dead end, DCI Whitney Walker finds herself grappling for a motive. What links these deaths, and why use a lethal injection?Alongside forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, they close in on the killer, while all the time trying to not let their personal … time trying to not let their personal lives get in the way of the investigation.
For fans of Rachel Abbott, Mark Dawson and M A Comley, Final Verdict is the sixth in the Cavendish & Walker series. A fast paced murder mystery which will keep you guessing.
more
A serial killer targeting employees at a prestigious law firm – and boy do lawyers have secrets. Pursuing each possible motive opens up yet another can of worms in this convoluted tale. Turns out lawyers are good at keeping secrets and making enemies. Meanwhile, both Cavendish and Walker are facing series upsets in both their professional and personal lives.
As a mystery and a novel, this is a well crafted story. The twists and turns as various characters were introduced and motives explored kept me guessing until the end. The parallelisms between the challenges in Cavendish and Walker’s personal lives and the events of the investigation were well done. As a police procedural, it felt a little lacking. The murder weapon for example required a little suspension of disbelief.
This is a strong series for readers who like their police procedural on the thriller side with lots of personality and heart and just a little hint of horror. Each book in this series is very distinct with completely different types of serial killers pursuing their own agendas. While each case is a standalone completely solved within one book, I’ve enjoyed getting to know our two protagonists and the challenges they face both personally and professionally through the series. This book added some good twists to threads that have been weaving through previous books.
As to be expected from Sally, another riveting book. I have enjoyed every single one of hers so much.
Another great installment by Sally Rigby. This time it’s the lawyers who are being hunted and Whitney wants to know why. Unfortunately George wasn’t in this book as much as I would’ve liked, but I guess she will have her turn to start in her own book… I hope. This book has twists and turns and once Again I couldn’t put it down. These are my go to Books to be right again and so when there is a new one the excitement in my house is palpable I can’t wait by the seventh book in the cabin dish and walkers Siri’s. I highly recommend this book to those who love mysteries each one can be a standalone, but it’s so much better if you read them in order.
A number of murders at a law firm that produce heart attacks. Inspector Whitney Walker teams up with professor George to help with the investigation. A page turning novel with some twists and turns to keep you guessing.
This series has me by the nose everytime I see another one available to read my nose has to follow the clues and characters. Murder has its own smell with this one having that along with Whitney is scratching her head and teams up again with Georgina to gather the clues that will bring the killer on their tail. The means of death is puzzling so I had to think on it myself. Along with this they are becoming tighter as friends which I like and as it should be. Of course the personal side of life is trying to be neck and neck with the murders lol. As I said keeps your nose to the page until the last one.
I just love these two working together as a team. Who is killing lawyers in a prestigious law firm, and why, what is the motive? Every lead takes them to a dead end. Will they find the answer? Great read that keeps you guessing and keeps you reading. Looking forward to the next one.
I love this series! Each book is better than the last. I especially liked that I didn’t figure out the who. That always makes for a spectacular story. My only remarks to the author is that I missed all the “ear piece” interrogations from previous books. I enjoy George’s take on what the suspect is hiding, lying about, etc. But other than that it was great!
For those who might be new to this series, don’t be afraid to jump in. The author does a great job of bringing the reader up to speed on anything they need to know so that each book can definitely stand alone.
I received a free advanced copy to review but this is my own honest opinion.
WOW! Another great one by Sally. Love Walker and Cavendish. Those two are wonderful characters and I love how Sally has been developing them more n more. Personally they have issues going on along with murders that need to be solved. This has been a great series and Sally just keeps bringing it with each book. When you think you know who’s doing it or what’s going on she throws you around and tosses you up cuz more than likely you’ll be wrong. So worth reading from book 1 !!
I received this as an ARC and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I enjoy the Cavendish and Walker stories. The characters are becoming very good friends and their private lives are changing and evolving. The mysteries are still good and the policing is believable and engaging. I really enjoy the stories.
I received an ARC of this book and wished to leave a review.
I think this is the best book of this series so far. At the same time Whitney and Claire have to solve the crimes committed by a serial killer they have to deal with their personal and family problems. It´s most interesting to see as they grew to be a sounding board for each other and how helpful that is to solve crimes and personal matters. They evolved in their relationship through the stories, such as it happens in real life – partnerships should grow as time passes. Very enjoyable reading!
I received an advance copy of this book from the author as a member of her ARC team in exchange for an unbiased review.
Another thrilling read by Ms. Rigby. I love books that target lawyers! LOL!! This time the women are trying to figure out who is killing lawyers that all work for the same firm. Scared to go to work much? That doesn’t seem to matter, as even lawyers not at work seem to get got. The mystery was good and George & Whitney are as much fun to hang with as ever. A really good addition to the series.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Final Verdict is the 6th book in the Cavendish & Walker series and another serial killer is on the loose. This time it’s mostly Whitney and her team working this one. Someone is murdering lawyers and this one will take you round and round before revealing the murderer. George is struggling to deal with a shocking change in her personal relationship in this one and I have to say I missed her, however, I think there is more than meets the eye there. I can’t wait to read the next one to find out.
This story is in the Cavendish and Walker series. People are dying from a heart attack that turns out to be murder. There’s lots of side stories going on, so it seems a little chaotic. Not sure if this is the last one of the series, but I feel kind of let down if it is. There weren’t any cliffhangers, but there could be so many more stories from this duo. So, hopefully not. I did like the story. It moves along at a good pace, the killer is not obvious, and the characters are growing on me.
This is book six in the Walker & Cavendish series. I haven’t read any of the previous novels, but I was able to follow along perfectly well.
This is a satisfying police procedural. It doesn’t break any new ground in the genre, but that’s okay: sometimes we need the familiar rhythms of standard genre elements to escape into, especially when life seems unpredictable.
PLOT
The book pairs DR. GEORGE CAVENDISH (short for Georgina, I think), a forensic psychologist, and DCI WHITNEY WALKER as they chase a killer targeting members of a prestigious law firm.
The victims are all from the corporate department. All died of heart attacks, but the pathologist finds that those heart attacks were induced by lethal doses of potassium chloride. A painful, horrible way to die.
The first, Julian Lyons, appears to be a fabulous Mr Perfect. As any mystery reader knows, Mr. Perfect is code for for he was secretly a total (bleep). (It’s true. The only differences are the ways they are bleepin’ horrible.) And he was. But does it have any bearing on his murder?
It’s like that for all the victims. All of them had areas where they were less than perfect humans (as we all do) but somehow, no motive emerges. Even George, a psychologist, and Whitney, an experienced investigator, are baffled. Why these victims? What’s the common thread?
The plot moves briskly. We follow Whitney’s team as they dig for clues, face dead ends, and endless frustration as the number of victims grow and the answers remain elusive. Sally Rigby does a good job throwing in some red herrings. It’s not a complex plot. All the same, I was satisfied when the killer is caught.
CHARACTERS
Plot-wise, the mystery was fine. But the book’s strongest area was the relationships between George, Whitney, and Claire, the prickly but brilliant pathologist. All three women are fighting their private battles.
Whitney’s mom has dementia and might have cancer.
George has had an ultimatum from her boyfriend; meanwhile her ex is behaving badly in the university department where they both teach.
The pricklier-than-usual Claire has a major decision to make.
This book definitely passes the three-fold bechdel test: 1) at least two female characters 2) who have names, and 3) who talk about something other than a man. Imagine that: women talking about things other than men. Shocking. And here, Whitney and George’s conversation topics are wide and varied: major heart-to-heart talks, minor interactions, and major kick-in-the-butt motivational talks. And not always about men!
I really liked that each of the characters (and some of the minor ones, too) have their own lives apart from the case. Whitney’s difficult boss bounces between breathing fire down her back over the stalled case and floating on air because he thinks he’s being promoted. I really enjoyed his character, though I’m quite thankful that he isn’t my boss. Almost everyone has some issue(s) to deal with. This added a lot to the emotional depth of the book for me.
Of the two major characters, my favorite was George. She’s a psychologist. She reads other people’s body language and examines their emotions, thoughts, and motivations. But she desperately needs to examine her own emotions and heart. She either won’t do it (she prides herself on her emotion-squashing) or doesn’t have the skills to do it. I found this contradiction fascinating.
A FEW QUIBBLES . . .
I did have a few quibbles. I wondered how George managed to sit in on so many of the interviews and why none of the interviewees questioned her presence. (Then again, I’m not sure I’d question the police if I was in a witness/suspect in a murder case; I’d be too scared.) There were also points when Whitney seemed less savvy and emotionally intelligent than an experienced investigator should be. Still, she’s under a great deal of stress, so perhaps that accounts for some of her reactions.
ONE FAVORITE THING . . .
There are several times when Whitney is interacting with her mother that gripped my heart. Her mom has dementia. As anyone who’s cared for a dementia patient can tell you, there are bad days and good days. And sometimes, they’re on the same day. Here, Whitney has to deal with her mom on both types of days. When she and her mom do connect emotionally, it’s a beautiful thing. Rigby infuses those scenes with tenderness and love, raising my sympathy for both women.
OVERALL
Overall, this is a good police procedural. It’s satisfying and enjoyable. The murders are horrible but not bloody and gruesome, and there’s very little violence otherwise. No one curses, either, which is very unusual in this genre.
All in all, the book made a nice change of pace for me. It was a comfortable, enjoyable read where I could be assured that the killer would get caught, justice would be served, and the victims avenged. The detective doesn’t play the maverick and go off on her own, point a loaded gun at difficult people, or make dark, snarky remarks about everyone she meets, or brood in lonely despair over a beer as she slowly gets drunk. She doesn’t need to break the rules of law enforcement to find the killer. Whitney has real friends; she drinks but not excessively; her emotional health is mostly okay.
I said earlier that the book didn’t break any new ground. But what it does do is show that a book doesn’t need to have that maverick-loner-alcoholic cop to be an interesting, page-turning police procedural. Now that is unusual and refreshing. I hope to see more of it!
Thanks to author Sally Rigby and Emma Welton of damppebbles blog tours for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love this series with Cavendish and Walker! I love the chemistry these two have and the characters. This is another “who done it” with the culprit always a bit out of reach. Full of the action and twists and turns we have come to love with Rigbys writing. A great thriller and addition to this series. I cannot put these books down. The only negative? I have to wait for the next one!
I am an advanced reader but the review is my own.
It all starts with a dead lawyer that appears to die from natural causes. Then another person, a very fit female who dies at a gym that isn’t far from the law office where the first body is found. But there are personal things going on in the lives of Cavendish and Walker that causes more pressure on them. This is another amazing story in this series! I love it. Can they solve these murders and deal with their own personal issues going on at the same time? You will need to read the book to see what happens. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this story.
really great read! Lots of interesting complex characters. Twists and turns, suspenseful story that keeps you guessing until the end! I received an Arc and this is my honest review.
Cavendish and Walker are on the job again as the body count rises in a corporate law firm.
As usual, the list of suspects is long and Sally holds the outcome close to the chest.
A great whodunnit with plenty of room for home sleuths to jump in and try to test their skills.
Another winner!
I was given an ARC by the author and this is my honest review.
I received a free advance ARC from the author for my honest review. ‘Final Verdict’, is another great addition to the Cavendish & Walker series, with yet another fast pace, twist and turn read, with a little trickery added in and real life mixed in.
This one is different, you have a distraught person who loses a loved one, then takes something so easily available that causes almost instant death and goes on a vengeance trail seeking revenge for their lose.
What’s really making this a great series, is how the Author Sally Rigby has grown the relationship between DCI Whitney Walker and Dr. Georgia Cavendish, with each installment and it makes it more entertaining the banter from them.
Definitely a worthy author and series to read, like that with each installment, Sally adds some new elements to the storyline and it’s just not the same storyline with each installment to the Cavendish and Walker Series.
Another interesting story in the Cavendish and Walker series! Whitney and George are back right where we left off. The two carry on their unlikely friendship and deal with some pretty big life events while solving a series of murders. The logical method to solving the crimes is appreciated. There were more details of the supporting characters included. I look forward to more stories to continue to learn more! The writing is great and moves along at a good pace. I received an advance copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.