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The Essence of Evil: A Completely Gripping Crime Thriller (DI Dani Stephens Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rob Sinclair (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,697 ratings
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He’s your attacker.

He’s a murderer.

He’s your twin. 

When DI Dani Stephens returns to work after an attack that almost ended her life, she’s quickly plunged into a horrific new case, as dead bodies are discovered on the streets of Birmingham.

But with no link between the victims, Dani has to get inside the killer’s mind - so turns to the murderer she knows best. Her own twin brother…

But what makes a psychopath? Can understanding her twin help her find a murderer who leaves no trace? As the circle closes on Dani, the clock is ticking and she needs a breakthrough – before she becomes the latest victim.

A heart-stopping crime thriller that fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham won’t be able to put down.

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  1. Book 1 of 4
    DI Dani Stephens
  2. Print length
    430 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Canelo
  6. Publication date
    September 12, 2019
  7. File size
    5267 KB
  8. Page Flip
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  9. Word Wise
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  10. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07SW2MP5S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Canelo (September 12, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 12, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5267 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 430 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,697 ratings

About the author

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Rob Sinclair

Rob Sinclair

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Rob specialised in forensic fraud investigations at a global accounting firm for thirteen years. He began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen an ‘unputdownable’ thriller. Since then, Rob has sold over a million copies of his critically acclaimed and bestselling thrillers in the Enemy, James Ryker and Sleeper series. His work has received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers and readers likening Rob's work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4,697 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bev
5.0 out of 5 stars Dani knows the killer only too well
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
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Detective Inspector Dani Stephens is called out on a case. There she meets her new partner - DS Aaron Easton - who will be assigned to all of Dani's cases going forward. Dani is trying to get on with her life after being attacked and almost killed by her twin brother Ben. But she isn't the same anymore, can she get back to how she was? She also has two murders to deal with after being gone for two years from the force. Things aren't going so great with the cases or her life. I must say, Rob Sinclair did not give anything away in this story! I was shocked as the ending unfolded!!!!
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Astrida M
4.0 out of 5 stars Essence of Evil
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2019
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This is definitely a book that you will not be able to put down! There is a lot going on in our heroine's life when she returns to law enforcement after her twin brother tried to kill her in a mad rage! She has been away for 2 years of medical treatment and rehab only to be assigned to a new murder case. There was a lot of time devoted to her TBI problems, which I felt could've been shortened a bit. But once Dani starts putting things together, the suspense begins and you are pulled into the evilness. It was hard to figure out who the killer was. The ending was crazy scary good! I can't wait for the next book about Dani and Jason's adventures.
7 people found this helpful
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Ulmus
5.0 out of 5 stars Action in Every Chapter
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020
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Essence of Evil is the intriguing tale of DI Dani Stevens returning to work with the Birmingham UK police, after nearly being murdered by her brother. She is immediately thrown into heading a new murder investigation, despite her continuing psychological scars. As she uncovers the relationships between various families and characters, Dani suffers flashbacks to her brush with death and former life.

A fast moving plot with first rate writing and at the current price, excellent value versus better known authors, who can drag their stories on for a extra 100-200 pages.

Good bedtime reading with no graphic murder details.
2 people found this helpful
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Antigone Walsh
3.0 out of 5 stars The Family That Preys
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
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A brain damaged detective believes a serial killer is afoot. Despite the reservations and concerns of her colleagues and supervisors and her own reservations about her changed perceptions, she perseveres. This brings her into the orbit of an author/professor and his troubled family. The professor himself was a victim of such a monster. She soon finds herself suspended, framed for multiple murders with only a former lover to possibly trust.

This is a decent read. It alternates from the detective's diary as she recovers from the brain injury to the present day return to work. The pace was uneven but clues are subtlely planted. Good resolution.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Too slow, and I didn't like the way it ended
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020
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The book was too slow, too introspective. Most characters were caricatures. I disliked the ending, which left us wondering about the motivation of some of the miscreants, while explaining some of the odd behaviour of some lesser characters. The behavior of the neighbour's wife is never explained.
One person found this helpful
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dennis barron
5.0 out of 5 stars The Essence of Evil. Rob Sinclair
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2021
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For reasons unknown , I read books two and three in this series prior to reading this. This excellent mystery gave me a deeper understanding of DI Stephens survival skiils, stubbornness as well as that of Jason Barnes, also a homicide detective.Their caring for each other and bond is part of being forced into a survival mode. This is an excellent murder mystery which I enjoyed immensely!!
One person found this helpful
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Yvo @ It's All About Books
4.0 out of 5 stars A promising start of a new series!
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2019
I admit that I was sold as soon as I read the blurb. I mean, a crime thriller with a detective lead that has a serial killer twin? How can I say no to that?! You guessed right, I simply couldn't. If you, like myself, have that weird obsession with serial killer thrillers, you will be in for a treat with this first installment of a new detective series. This story will keep you on your toes and will have you biting your nails as you keep turning those pages to discover what is really going on... Both the murder case and the main lead's personal background are simply fascinating.

So what makes The Essence Of Evil such a successful start of a new series? I already gave you a few hints, but I think our new lead DI Dani Stephens deserves to be named first. Why? While it's true that she at first glance might seem to be like the typical damaged detective lead, there is a whole lot more to her character. Likeable or not, there is no doubt that she is a fascinating character and one of the reasons The Essence Of Evil worked so well for me. Because Dani isn't just a detective with a serial killer twin. Oh no, that same twin actually tried to kill her and she only just survived... Spending the next two years of her life trying to recover from the brain injury that almost killed her. Chapters set in the present are mixed with diary style entries taking place during those two years. They show us just how hard it is to recover from serious brain injuries, not only for the victims but also for those around them. I could personally really appreciate this psychological aspect of the story, as it's not something you read about every day.

Likewise, it was intriguing to read about Dani's return to work and how she reacts to both her co-workers and the murder case that is thrown at her the very first day she returns. Dani is desperate to go back to work and prove herself, but is she truly ready? It was interesting to see this aspect of the plot evolve as well as how the case affects Dani's personal life. Because this isn't just another murder investigation. Dani's personal life plays a considerable role throughout the plot, and not just in the flashbacks and her twin brother. We also see it in her road to recovery, the things that happen to her during the investigation and the dynamics with the other members of the team. I personally enjoyed this different focus as it gave another refreshing touch to The Essence Of Evil.

Next up is the plot. With flashbacks and an active present murder investigation, there is a lot going on and you can say that The Essence Of Evil has quite a complex plot. We have Dani's brain injury recovery, we have the murder investigation and all its complications and subplots... All woven together with a healthy dose of suspense, plot twists and plain old action. The slower flashbacks are nicely balanced with superfast action scenes, thus appealing to a wider reading audience. The writing is easy on the eye and really makes you fly through those pages... With so many twists and unanswered questions, The Essence Of Evil is one of those books you will have a hard time putting down before you know all the answers.

Did you guess already that I really enjoyed this book? Between a fascinating new lead, the serial killer element, the brain injury recovery, interesting flashbacks and an intriguing murder mystery, there is no doubt that The Essence Of Evil is a promising start of a new series and one I can recommend to fans of the genre.
3 people found this helpful
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Suzanne Steele
5.0 out of 5 stars Author to watch
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
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This was an excellent read that kept me engaged throughout. It was edited well, paced well, and very intriguing. I look forward to reading more of this author's work. I won't be surprised when I see him on USA Today or New York Times Lists. He's talented and definitely has what it takes to gain and maintain a strong following. I would feel comfortable recommending this author to fellow reading friends who enjoy novels in this genre.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Family and friends
Reviewed in Germany on October 26, 2019
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A very deep introduction into the dark world of DI Stephens, very involved and free flowing narrative. Is there a killer in us all ?
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Lynda Kelly
4.0 out of 5 stars Will Try The Next But Not Blown Away
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is quite a good story and I'll try out the next in the series, too, but I didn't find it TOO different from many thrillers I've read, aside from Dani's past, which made it more interesting and intriguing for me. I found too many mistakes in it as well, sadly. There were some funny little asides in it, though, especially courtesy of Steven.
I didn't find that everything got tied up properly to my satisfaction at the end, either. Namely what happened to Jessica and why her fascination with Steven ? Not really sure I understood all that properly. I did find it a little hard to believe that Dani would've been permitted back to work in her current state as well, and I thought Jason was a saint for sticking around her !!
As wasn't needed in this sentence, "...and if the culprit is the same person as who killed our victim...." It just reads wrong to me. There was the odd missed/misplaced apostrophe (mainly when he writes visitor's and not visitors') AND he threw in American spellings here and there, annoyingly. Acclimatized, jeopardizing or license, for example.
Then trademarks lost their capital letters, like ecstasy or formica or taser and he wrote obtrusive when I'm sure he meant obstructive, then layman and not laymen.
I did google the Library of Birmingham and Dani was spot on. A proper eyesore that is !!
As I said, I'll read the next in this series for sure but won't be racing to get to it. This was really a 3.5 I've rounded up.
One person found this helpful
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gill lyon
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunningly good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2019
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I awaited this book with tremendous anticipation, having collected the Carl Logan/James Ryker series by Rob. It didn’t disappoint - far from it, I think it’s his best book to date, so many twists and turns. With most crime thrillers I can solve whodunnit by half way through, but not this one, it had me guessing right to the last few pages. DI Dani Stephens is brilliant, a worthy lead character, and so believable - constant mixed emotions, self-doubt but dedicated to the job. How she found the strength to visit her twin brother in prison is beyond me, he almost killed her a couple of years before - maybe confronting her demons. For anyone who enjoys a well written, fast paced crime thriller, definitely I would recommend this one. I can’t wait for instalment Number 2!
5 people found this helpful
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tb1126
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit weak
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2023
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Generally I really like this author's writing but I found this book difficult to gel with. The story line was quite confusing to start with and the main character's background details disjointed. The story line (evil murderer with a twist at the end) is a little worn and formulated. I'll try the second one and if that doesn't improve, I'll give up on this series.
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Caroline ogilvie
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2022
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Was a good book. Kept you guessing and the characters were very well written. Hope people enjoy it as much as I did.
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