Book Review: Out of the Ashes by M.J. Arlidge (Helen Grace #14)

Out of the Ashes is a book I was especially looking forward to reading, not only because it’s part of one of my most beloved series, but also because Into the Fire ended on a cliffhanger! In the previous book, Helen Grace was no longer a detective, but even without a badge, she still couldn’t stop herself from saving people in need. Except this time, she seemed to have found her match; she finally lost more than she gained. And before we could find closure, the book ended…

Now here we are, back in the series, once again following Helen Grace on her adventures. But now Helen, whose best friend Charlie is barely clinging to life after the brutal attack that almost killed her, is out for revenge. A revenge that burns through her like fire and takes her out of her comfort zone, Southampton, all the way to dangerous and faraway Rotterdam. The killer returned home to the Netherlands, and Helen is hot on his trail. But once she’s there, she doesn’t know how the local police force will receive her, whether they will work with her to apprehend the guy, or whether they will put a spoke in her wheel to keep her from investigating on their turf.

The story is very similar to, yet also different from, the previous Helen Grace books. Helen, while temporarily reinstated as DI for this case under very strict conditions (find him or else), is now working alone in a different country with no real support from her team. This time, we know from the beginning who the bad guy is, so the suspense about “who is the perp” is gone. Most of the book is about Helen chasing the guy in a constant cat-and-mouse game. Yet Helen does get help from a very unlikely ally, someone she had considered an enemy for life. I personally like it when later stories manage to “slap someone in the face” with statements like, “Yeah, that will never happen.” And yet it does.

There is a whole cast of new people in Rotterdam who either help or hinder Helen. Even some of the bad guys were nicely fleshed out. While I’ve never been to the Netherlands, the streets of Rotterdam came alive for me, as though I’d been there countless times before. M.J. Arlidge did his research really well here.

The chapters are short and punchy, as before. This has never changed, and it’s one aspect I always love about reading the Helen Grace books because they’re easy to read without giving me reading fatigue. I do miss, though, some of the darker suspense and the deeper mystery that are part of what makes the series so intriguing. This book felt more clear-cut and straightforward, but not in a bad way. However, I found this book easier to enjoy because I already knew the previous books than I would have if the first Helen Grace story had this type of plot. It’s exactly because I know what to expect from the previous books that I also found this latest entry pleasant to read. While most of the book never really surprised me, the ending was something I truly didn’t see coming. That twist redeemed even the last bit of apprehension I had while trying to find the feel of the old Helen stories in this one. The ending definitely delivered.

I am now once again looking forward to the next Helen Grace book, hopefully one where she is back with her team and her trusted friends, including Charlie. And I wouldn’t mind another subplot with Emilia.

Part of the Helen Grace series – see all the M.J. Arlidge books in order.