It's a good mystery but the blurb made me think of Kind Hearts and Coronets even if there's not a lot of humour and Alec Guiness.
It's dark, twisty and a good representation of how carreer dynamics can push someone to the border and lose any moral.
I enjoyed it as it''s well plotted and well written.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine2 s Tami341 10

4.5 rating

I appreciated the author's note at the start with a brief explanation of what to expect regarding the psychometric questions and terms relating to the chapters. The term and personality question at the start of each chapter made the reading all more interesting. Seeing my responses gave the book a more thought-provoking element. With an interest in psychology and working in healthcare, I found this book captivating.

Set in 1983, focusing more on the non-clinical side of the hospital. Appointing a new general manager, with the help of using psychometric testing. Death and deception cause the personnel officer to look into the candidates using her new skills. Trying to understand and discover who is a part of the scandals and sabotaging her job.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the start. The pace and tension were on point. I didn’t any of the characters, but I thought that added to the story. I kept switching between who I thought was the person. The twists and turns kept me questioning my decision. This author was new to me, and I can’t wait to read what comes next. I will be keeping an eye out for future books.1 Tyler Marshall654 37

Intense thriller read!

Its been a minute since ive read a historical thriller but Martine definitely know how to write one. Once I started this book I found myself knee deep in the mystery and unable to look away. While you may find yourself a bit confused at the start I urge you to keep going because it definitely starts to make sense the deeper and deeper into the book you get.

I loved the layout of this novel! The questions at the Strat of each chapter were super fun and really had me wanting to go from chapter to chapter to see what was going to be next. The author does an amazing job of building tension through out this book and many times I felt I was in this thriller until I sat back and realised I was in fact reading the book. For this being my first novel by this author I was blown away and would love to read more by them in the future!1 Magali Prégardien18 1 follower

I am afraid I did not enjoy reading this book. I was very confused by the beginning and the actions of the main character, Lorraine. I felt the plot lacked depth in order to become understandable. It was a difficult book to read in my opinion, or perhaps I just regretably didn't engage with the characters and the plot.1 Bex Elder55

DNF at 20%. I struggled to follow the plot and get into the story. I loved the way each chapter started with a psychological or personality type question. Some real signs of promise but a little slower than your typical thriller1 J R1,032 11

decent thriller. did not any of the characters but that worked well. thanks for the arc, would recommend1 R Evans271 3

I loved this murder mystery. Set in 1980’s Salford, the author took you right there with plenty of appropriate references to set the scene. These were born either of good research or personal experience. The plot was suitably tortuous, with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns. The main characters were easy to identify with and realistic. There was a love interest, but there were no rose tinted lenses here, they d each other but it wouldn’t work out. There was plenty here to describe the state of the nhs in an inner city hospital, an institution that needed modernising but with many dedicated staff. It was interesting to see the start of psychometric testing, something that we now take for granted in many parts of industry. All in all, an enjoyable read with much to take from it.1 Kavya484 7

Dnf @ 30%
This is a very boring story. I tried reading more and actually finishing the story because I received this as an ARC, but I can't bear the boredom. It has a psychometric question every chapter and the chapter revolves around that trait.
It is the 80s and they just found out about personality tests. So the head detective in the murder case has decided to ask a suspect of the case (she's the protagonist but that doesn't mean she's not an unreliable narrator) to give all suspects a personality test and find out the killer. She is just learning about the tests in college. She is not an expert. But somehow, she's qualified to find out the killer by handing out a bunch of questions. Smart detective (insert eye roll).
At this point, I had given up on the novel. It failed to draw my attention to it so far. I didn't have high hopes for the future. netgalley-arc1 Gail Kenyon101 7

NOTE: I received an advanced copy of this book from Allison and Busby via Netgalley

Five candidates. One job. A killer prepared to murder their way to the top.

Salford, 1983. Lorraine Quick is a single mother, a member of a band going nowhere fast, and personnel officer at the grim Memorial Hospital.

A new general manager position is being introduced, and Lorraine's recent training in the cutting-edge science of psychometric testing will be pivotal. As the profiles start to emerge, a chilling light is cast on the candidates.

When a lethal dose of anaesthetic is deliberately substituted for a flu vaccine, and a second suspicious death quickly follows, it's clear a killer is at work in the hospital. Can Lorraine's personality tests lead her to the murderer?

A dark, twisty thriller of murder, psychology/psychopath. Mysterious but rather slow storyline. Strong FMC role. Was quite an analytical read that kept you thinking right the way through, although there was no real direction to the storyline. I wanted to not finish this book but carried on just to see how it ended1 Emma665 338

All my can be found at damppebbles.com

Lorraine Quick doesn’t really enjoy her job as a Personnel Officer at the Memorial Hospital in Salford. But it’s a means to an end whilst she and her band hold out for their big break. Plus, as a lone parent, she needs to support her young daughter. And despite the tedious nature of her role, it brings in a steady income. Offered the opportunity to train in psychometric testing, Lorraine accepts despite realising that it means time away from her daughter. And it’s another string to her bow at work, of course. Something that will always be useful in her role. When Lorraine’s friend and colleague dies suddenly from a deadly dose of anaesthetic, staff at the hospital realise there is a killer in their midst. When a second death follows shortly afterwards, everyone becomes a suspect. Luckily, following instruction from the Government, all of the top managers at the hospital are vying for the coveted General Manager role and are due to undergo a psychometric test as part of the recruitment process. Will Lorraine be able to use her new-found skills to work out which of her colleagues is the killer…?

Sharp Scratch is a slow-burn mystery from debut crime author Martine Bailey set in the early 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was in power. I really wanted to love this book as the premise revolves around Fpsychometric testing, which I find really intriguing (there was also a brief period in my life where I was drawn to studying Human Resources – don’t worry, it passed!). A test knows more about you than you know yourself! And that’s why our protagonist, Lorraine, agrees to undergo the training. Perhaps it will fill in the blanks in her life, show her that just because she doesn’t fit in with her colleagues at the hospital, that maybe there is a group or organisation out there where she can be her true self. Lorraine is particularly affected by the first death as Rose, the victim, was a work-friend who Lorraine knew wanted to share something with her. Sadly they never get the chance to have that chat. It’s also hard for Lorraine to ignore that the infection control nurse who delivered the fatal dose of anaesthetic gave Lorraine a flu jab only moments before. A close call, to say the least! The unexpected death brings the police into the hospital. There’s a dash of chemistry between Lorraine and DS Diaz which bubbles along throughout the book. Diaz sees himself as very knowledgeable on all of the latest crime fighting techniques making their way to the UK from the FBI in the US. Psychometric testing also piquing his interest which is what brings the two characters together. Diaz pushes for Lorraine to share the results of the test but Lorraine, understandably, is reluctant to do this.

Would I recommend this book? This is a tough one. If you’re a reader who enjoys a story that moves at a slower pace then there’s every chance you will enjoy this book. Normally, that would be me but for some reason this book was too slow for even my tastes. It took me longer than usual to read it. I also felt the characters were unable and flat. Again, unable characters would normally be ticking the boxes for me but Lorraine and DS Diaz, they didn’t inspire me to return to the book. The other thing I just couldn’t get my head around was how dated the book felt. Yes, it’s set in the early 1980s so you would expect a degree of that but if you had told me that it had been written over forty years ago, then I wouldn’t be surprised. There were a few unexpected twists but they happened so late in the story that I just couldn’t get excited about the turn of events. However, just because I wasn’t a fan of Sharp Scratch doesn’t mean you won’t be. I’m sure this book will find its audience and they will savour the 80s references and wonderful nostalgia which the author has so meticulously included. KathVBtn564 23

'Sharp Scratch' is the debut crime novel form Martine Bailey after her series of historical novels

Set in 1980s Salford, where Lorraine Quick is a working class single mother living in a condemned council flat in the middle of a rundown part of town with her young daughter Jasmine. Lorraine works as personnel officer in Memorial Hospital, a large city establishment, and also in a punk band in her spare time. She is keen to embrace new technologies of psychometric testing to help with her role. The results of the psychometric tests will be used by senior staff to find a new hospital manager to lead the hospital in a radical new direction so she is being rushed to pass her exams in order to help the hospital out. The five department heads are all being considered for this prestigious new role; Lorraine's insights into their personality style and management traits will be a key part of the decision making.

When a key member of the hospital staff is found murdered following a routine inoculation, all five candidates are potential suspects; can Lorraine use her knowledge from the psychometric tests to find out the killer.

Each chapter starts with a psychometric question at the outset, which I enjoyed thinking about, and as you learn more about each of the five candidates, you can guess what they might have put. Its interesting to think of a time when tests these were seen as new fangled and unwelcome as they are so common now, but the sense of distrust and disgruntlement is palpable. 'Sharp Scratch' captures the clash of old world attitudes against new approaches, both in the NHS reform and with the varying approaches of the police officers investigating the murder.

There's a real sense of time and place, with the streets and rundown town centre of Salford being brilliantly described, as well as the hospital itself. It does feel another world, with the characters using communal pay phones to contact their friends, cooking food on a fire inside a range, as well as the working styles so remote from what we take for granted now, with endless paper records for everything that are stored all over the country. I d the background detail of the hospital redesign being as a result of Margaret Thatcher’s decision to review the NHS and how this was meant to move the service in a more modern direction..

The book does need some concentration and I actually started again after 30 pages as I was losing my way: but I’m really glad that I did, it merits the effort and attention taken to read it and is well worth sticking with.1 Greenreadsbooks 175 10

This book ticked so many boxes for me - medical thriller, retro vibes (set in the 80s with some flashbacks to the 60s), northern setting (Salford), strong, independent female protagonist, psychology.

The opening chapter from the point of view of our mystery narrator provides a chilling introduction to the story. The settings were expertly described, and I loved the description of Christie's 'treatment room' and room 7. Bailey’s writing is evocative, and the pace is perfect. The tension builds deliciously over time, and the more we learn, the more questions are raised.

Lorraine is a perfectly flawed and able character. She's a tough cookie but shows vulnerability, too. The depiction of 1980s workplace politics and sexism is uncomfortable, as is the economic climate and Lorraine’s personal situation as a single parent in unsuitable housing. Lorraine’s band is a welcome subplot and adds interest as well as some intrigue in the later part of the book.

The narrator/killer and Christie dynamic is exquisitely executed, dark, and fascinating. There was one scene with sister Ince that really evoked a sense of fear and dread.

There were many threads to the story that were meshed together and gradually became apparent. Eric / Rikki's story was fascinating, and I thought he was cleverly constructed together as a character.

Each chapter begins with a question form.the psychometric test that Lorraine is being trained to administer, and they are relevant to the body of the chapter, which works really well.

The whole time I was reading, I didn't want to stop, and I would definitely read it again. Chilling, thrilling, disturbing, and interesting, Sharp Scratch is an intelligent, well researched novel that draws on the author's experience. Bailey is definitely an author to put on your radars - a fantastic read.
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