“Loyalty has a price.

Kay Hunter has survived a vicious attack at the hands of one of the country’s most evil serial killers.

Returning to work after an enforced absence to recover, she discovers she wasn’t the only victim of that investigation. DI Devon Sharp remains suspended from duties, and the team is in turmoil.

Determined to prove herself once more and clear his name, Kay undertakes to solve a cold case that links Sharp to his accuser.

But as she gets closer to the truth, she realises her enquiries could do more harm than good.

Torn between protecting her mentor and finding out the truth, the consequences of Kay’s enquiries will reach far beyond her new role…

Call to Arms is a gripping police procedural, and the fifth in the Detective Kay Hunter series:

1. SCARED TO DEATH
2. WILL TO LIVE
3. ONE TO WATCH
4. HELL TO PAY
5. CALL TO ARMS

A page-turning murder mystery for fans of Peter Robinson, David Baldacci and Harlen Coben.”

Call to Arms is the fifth book in the Detective Kay Hunter series written by author, Rachel Amphlett. I LOVE this series and always make a point of keeping up to date with the latest release (one of the few I actually manage as well!). You can check out my reviews of the first four books by clicking on the following titles; #1 Scared to Death, #2 Will to Live, #3 One to Watch and #4 Hell to Pay.

I was delighted to have the latest Kay Hunter novel in my mitts. And before long, the events of the previous novel came crashing back into my mind. (IF YOU HAVENT READ THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE SERIES, MISS THE NEXT BIT OUT!). The near-deadly tousle on the beach, the shocking conclusion where Hunter was suddenly promoted to DI as her friend and current DI, Devon Sharp, was forcibly removed from her hospital room. But despite being fully aware of all of that, having Kay’s colleagues refer to her as DI Hunter still came as a bit of surprise to me!

(SKIP TO HERE!) At the start of Call to Arms Kay Hunter is on light duties having only recently returned to work. She’s bored, not helped by a recent promotion and a large increase in the amount of paperwork she has to complete. Hunter realises the only way to get back to the action of ‘real police work’ is to get her friend and colleague, Devon Sharp reinstated as DI of the team. It helps a great deal if you’ve read Hell to Pay, the fourth book in the series before reading Call to Arms. I’ve always said each and every book in the Kay Hunter series can be read as a standalone. Not this one, this is the exception. It would help enormously if you’ve read Hell to Pay first. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Kay decides to reinvestigate a cold case in her own time which, if she can prove wasn’t properly investigated in the first place, may help clear Devon Sharp’s name whilst digging a fellow senior colleague deeper into the hole he has already made for himself – part of the draw maybe?! The investigation is into the death of an Army Private who skidded out of control and to his death on his motorcycle one dark and dismal night. Kay is connected to the case in other ways; the soldier who died was Devon Sharp’s godson. This time it’s personal and Hunter will stop at nothing to make sure the truth is discovered. No matter what the outcome.

So here’s the thing. I enjoyed Hell to Pay but not as much as I expected to (which is really weird as the despicable characters in the story and the evil deeds that were happening before my eyes are very much the kind of thing that I love to read about. Weird right?). However, I was thrilled to fully submerge myself in this latest brilliant instalment, Call to Arms. I REALLY enjoyed it and it reminded me exactly why I love Amphlett’s writing and, in particular, Kay Hunter as much as I do.

I loved that the plot headed off at an unexpected tangent and the more we discovered about the deceased, the darker the tale became. I devoured this book in a few short hours which is unheard of for me. I didn’t want to put it down.

One of my issues with Hell to Pay was the lack of Adam, Kay’s other half in the story. Again, it’s quite strange because I’m not a reader who cares much for romance in my stories. However, I love the relationship between Kay and Adam. I love how utterly normal they are. I was glad to see Adam playing more of a part in Call to Arms. He even managed to bring me to tears at one point! (And don’t forget to check out the brilliant guest post I hosted earlier this week – it’s all about the lovely Adam!).

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely but make sure you grab copies of the first four books in the series as well. I promise it’ll be worth it. My favourite in the series is still Will to Live but Call to Arms is a very welcome addition to a much-loved series. I hope Amphlett continues to write this series for many years to come. I am so fond of the characters and ALWAYS look forward to finding out what is going to happen next.

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Call to Arms. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Call to Arms by Rachel Amphlett was published in the UK on 11th March 2018 and is available in paperback, eBook and audio formats (please note, the Amazon and Waterstones links are affiliate links): | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | Waterstones | Goodreads | Rachel Amphlett’s online eBook store |

Rachel Amphlett is the bestselling author of the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the new Detective Kay Hunter crime thriller series, as well as a number of standalone crime thrillers.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel’s novels appeal to a worldwide audience, and have been compared to Robert Ludlum, Lee Child and Michael Crichton.

She is a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold, being sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint in 2014.

An advocate for knowledge within the publishing industry, Rachel is always happy to share her experiences to a wider audience through her blogging and speaking engagements.

Author Links: | Website | Facebook | Twitter |