DI Matthew Brindle Books In Order

Publication Order of DI Matt Brindle Books

DI Matthew Brindle Series

DI Matthew Brindle is the main character in a series of mystery/police procedural by an English author of crime, mystery and thriller novels, Helen H. Durrant. Helen began her DI Matt Brindle series in 2017 when His Third Victim the first book in the series was published. The series revolves around Matthew Brindle and his East Pennine Police department team of investigators solving murder crimes. Each book can be read as a standalone.

His Third Victim

A serial killer is on the loose in the small Huddersfield, Yorkshire. His murder crimes have almost gone unnoticed and have made sure that his victims (all women) go missing and none of them is reported missing. How could this be possible? He murders everyone that he likes and the cops are confused because his victims seem to be chosen randomly. The only thing connecting the victims is that they all have a stamp on their body with a Chinese word meaning sorry.
The East Pennine Police department has the murders listed on their books. However, they are perplexed by the fact that the stamps found on the victims’ bodies are different colors. There are two red, three green, and now there’s a blue. Inspector Dyson is not satisfied with the DC and the DI that are working on the case. His good friend Detective Inspector Matthew Brindle is on leave after getting injured in the line of duty the previous year. A grenade ripped his body and left his partner, Sergeant Paula, dead.

When Dyson visits Brindle to seek his help in solving the murder case and stopping the serial killer on the loose, the temptations become too overwhelming for Brindle and prompt him to return to work much to his mother’s disgust.

We also meet Bella Richards, a single mother of one. When her lover is killed, and the body found with a blue stamp, she is heartbroken. A few days later, her Aunt is also killed and the same stamp discovered on her body as well.

Bella is somehow a mystery to the cops. She seems to have no history older than two years, and before that, it’s like she never existed. And now, her young son has been kidnapped. How could the deaths, the abduction and her strange past be connected? Why is she lying to the cops who’re trying everything they can to help her?

Like any other police procedural stories, Helen Durant provides the readers with a back story for a better grip of the story. His Third Victim can be read as a standalone.

The main character Matt Brindle is an interesting character. He’s in his mid 30’s severely injured and also traumatized by the death of his former partner. He lives in Brindle Hall, a manor house owned by his family for decades. His mother is the lady of the manor, and she doesn’t want him to return to work as she fears for his health. While he’s off duty, he decided to open the manor to the public. While the public thinks of the family to be rich, the daily maintenance of the manor has decreased their finances, and they need immediate cash to get rid of the inescapable bankruptcy.

When he returns to work, Matt is paired with Lily, a new female sergeant. As far as the case is concerned, the list of the possible suspects is endless and this leaves you guessing. The story pacing is perfect promising to keep up the suspense, and the secondary characters are as well genuine and believable.

The Other Victim

His Other Victim is the second novel in Matt Brindle series by Helen H. Durrant. The story opens up with the discovery of Ronald Potter’s body, a real estate agent at a home which he was to show to his client. He is found with a knife on his abdomen.

Potter was said to be irritable and abrupt, but there was no good reason to kill him. Detective Inspector Brindle and his crew are assigned to solve the murder case. Currently, Brindle is at home renovating his estate and recovering from his previous injuries which left his partner dead.

Detective Chief Lily joins Matt for his questionings. DS Kate, a new addition to the force and Brindle’s crew, also joins them in search of the dead man’s home. Kate is more than abrasive, and Lily and Matt aren’t too sure about her attitude. When Kate and Matt go to the sale house and conduct their investigations more closely, they make a shocking discovery in the coal chute. Could this be the reason the estate agent was murdered? To protect a secret? When they interview the next door neighbor, they learn something that gets their attention.

On the other hand, Karen is still missing. Matt is asked to talk to her mother. Karen is only sixteen and has a six-week-old son. The Other Victim is interspersed with episodes.

The Karen’s case expands with the introduction of strip joints, gangsters, cover-ups and lies. In his investigations, Matthew Brindle wonders what all this has to do with the killing of Ronald Potter. The different cases get thornier and seem to be tentacles sprouting everywhere. His small investigative team is getting frustrated, and they seem to be making very little progress, and with the evasions and lies, they’re getting from the witnesses.
Then the Inspector receives shocking and devastating news. A dispute occurs in a hospital room, and Matt makes an arrest. His team follows the possible clues, and they lead them into a breakthrough. As the crime mafia comes down crumbling, the murder cases begin to get solved.

The Other Victim, the second in DI Matthew Brindle series is a beautifully woven story. It’s an indication that Helen Durrant is a fantastic writer. Her novels are outstanding. Her writing is tight and evocative and everything in this novel aids to the main story. The plotting is simple and easy to follow along as one even logically unravels the next.