Review: Play With Fire by T.M. Payne

July 9, 2026

Synopsis:

A missing woman. A gruesome delivery. A terrifying discovery. Where is Caroline Crow?

All has been quiet in Liverpool, suspiciously quiet…

So, when a frantic 999 call comes into Hale Street Police Station reporting a missing woman, it seems like there’s work to do. Except for DI Sheridan Holler there are questions. Why did Caroline Crow take her purse, suitcase and even tell friends she was going away? There’s no reason to suspect foul play…until a severed, burned hand is delivered to another address.

With no hard evidence linking the two cases, Holler’s gut is telling her that all is not as it seems and if she’s right, time is running out to find Caroline alive.

As DI Holler attempts to weed out the truth from the lies, will this be one puzzle that runs out the clock? Or can Holler and her team fit the pieces together before it’s too late?

Review:

The first two books in the series became instant favourites of mine, and I had high hopes for this one. I’m sad to say that this one was a bit of a letdown for me.
It had a lot of the elements I’ve enjoyed so far. The banter, the character interactions, and especially the continued jokes about Sam’s cooking skills were among the highlights.

However, the main story arc just didn’t fully land for me. It felt a bit too messy, and I wasn’t a fan of the overall direction of the story. There were too many things competing to be relevant and important, which simply felt overwhelming at times.
I expected it to be dark, but this felt a bit over the top. While it kept me guessing, it couldn’t quite hold my attention throughout the entire book.
I guess not every book can be a winner. Still, I’m looking forward to the next one.

🌙 Recension: Play With Fire (Detective Sheridan Holler #3) by T.M. Payne
📚 Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller
📅 Release Date: March 14, 2025
📖 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Physical
💸 Bought
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 424
⭐️ 3/5