A Quiet Man by Tom Wood

February 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


A Quiet Man by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

One day a man arrives in town. Unassuming. Quiet.

The assassin known as Victor is hiding out in a small motel in Canada after a job across the border. A few days laying low and he’ll be gone and leave no trace behind.

He doesn’t count on getting to know a mother and her boy who reminds him of his own troubled childhood. When both vanish, only Victor seems to notice.

Once he starts looking for them, he finds himself at odds with the criminals who own the town. They want him gone. Only Victor’s going nowhere until he discovers the truth and to them he’s just a quiet man asking the wrong questions.

But that quiet man is a dangerous man.

Spending only a day or two across the border laying low after the successful completion of a job, Victor finds himself making a simple – though highly unusual – promise to a young boy. Agreeing to meet again at dawn to show the young man how to fish, Victor is perturbed when neither the boy nor his mother arrive. Curious, Victor looks for them in the small, quiet little border town. What should have proved very straight-forward quickly turns complicated and soon is extremely messy. Can Victor extract himself safely?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series but found this book in particular to be even more exceptional than I had been expecting. Unlike many series, these books all very much stand alone – Victor usually severing all ties before quickly moving on and almost never leaving anyone behind him. So these books can absolutely be read out of order if a reader wants to. What I found particularly pleasing and different about this book was the fact the job Victor was hired to do was pretty much over and finished before the book really even began. This book is all about happenstance and the decisions we make after the main event and so that is quite different to the other books of this author’s that I’ve read.

Something else I really enjoyed was most of the characters and plots in this book are around fairly normal level criminals. They’re people we can see and relate to and understand. They’re not really of Victor’s usual caliber of enemy. That said, there are a large number of different people, circling around in different plots, all currently focused on Victor for varying reasons. So with enough people coming from enough different angles even though by themselves they might not be a threat, Victor is definitely kept on his toes and it made for a highly gripping read to me.

Readers should be aware this isn’t a cosy mystery or a simple read. While definitely not horror or overly gory, neither does the author shy away from the multiple fight scenes nor the ramifications of these altercations. Readers who prefer police procedural style of mysteries or more puzzle/thinking style of plots might find this a little too action orientated and a little too visceral at times for their tastes.

With a definite anti-hero in Victor and a slightly different take on the “assassin tries to do a good thing” style of plotline, this was a great read and one I shall absolutely enjoy re-reading again in the future. Recommended.

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Days Like Shadows Pass by MS Morris

February 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Days Like Shadows Pass by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Myth. Mystery. Murder.
DCI Tom Raven’s hopes for a few quiet days with his daughter, Hannah, are shattered when a shocking murder plunges him into a macabre mystery in the nearby coastal town of Whitby.

In the hallowed grounds of the ruined abbey, a man lies lifeless: drained of blood and marked by the symbol of a dragon.

As rumours of a vampire-like killer echo through Whitby’s cobbled streets and his own daughter becomes entwined in the town’s dark legends, Raven is forced to play a twisted game of life and death, navigating a deadly maze of myth, mystery and murder.

DCI raven has finally managed to take some well-earned leave and he’s excited his daughter, Hannah is finally able to come and visit him. Only a bizarre case drops in the lap of his team and Raven’s boss insists he take the lead. A local Goth festival has the small coastal town crammed with tourists and costume wearing visitors. One of the regulars has been murdered by having all his blood drained. Can DCI Raven and his team figure out what’s going on?

I’ve been enjoying this Yorkshire series and this book in particular was an excellent addition. I found the murder mystery interesting and complicated enough to really hold onto my attention. All the regular police team characters were there but I found Raven’s daughter, Hannah, to be an excellent addition. Young and interesting but also not really a member of the team I enjoyed her input and felt her character really added a fresh and different twist to the story. I also really enjoyed her open mindedness and hope we might see more of her in some of the future books.

Readers who like British police procedural mysteries should find this an excellent book and not be too worried by the slower pace of the plot. Personally, I find the knottier mystery plots and slower pace complicated enough to maintain my interest and this style of smaller town setting a real bonus in the stories. I’m looking forward to the next in this series.

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Aspire To Die by MS Morris

February 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Aspire To Die by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Lust. Ambition. Murder.
When a beautiful, wealthy student is found dead in her room in Oxford’s most prestigious college, Detective Inspector Bridget Hart is called to investigate. The murdered girl appeared to have no enemies, yet was killed in a brutal and bloody assault.

Haunted and driven by her own personal tragedy, newly promoted DI Bridget Hart has a lot to prove as she leads her first murder case. Her investigation uncovers a tangled web of lies, lust and ambition, and brings her into conflict with powerful interests.

But no one can be above suspicion within the closed and claustrophobic confines of an Oxford college, where students and academics live and work side by side, and a ruthless killer waits to strike again.

When a beautiful, wealthy student is found dead in her room at one of Oxford’s most prestigious universities, DI Bridget Hart is called to investigate. Newly promoted, DI Hart is determined to do her best, only there’s no real evidence and no clear enemies who wish ill upon this young student. Can Bridget sort through what really happened in time?

While I have been enjoying the Tom Raven series by this author this book is the first in a different series revolving around DI Bridget Hart in Oxford. Fast approaching middle age with a teenage daughter I found Bridget to be an enjoyable and relatable character. I feel it’s clear the author is well versed in the location of Oxford and the University setting was both interesting and well integrated into the murder mystery.

I do feel the pace of the story was a little on the slower than usual side. Partly this was because the main characters and other team members really needed to be introduced and they all had to settle in a bit together – so I understand how important that is – but equally there felt to me to be quite a few viable and understandable lines of inquiry that the police team needed to investigate. While a lot of this ended up as red herrings I do feel the author should be commended – at no time did I feel like the story was being padded out and nor did it feel like DI Hart or the team were chasing their tails or falling for false leads.

The plots all felt legitimate but upon reflection it did seem like a larger than usual amount of mess and false leads. I thought this book had loads of atmosphere, good and strong characters and a thoroughly relatable storyline and easiness to be read and binged on. I was a little over half way through the book when I ordered the next one and I’ll happily read that when it arrives. A good new series I am eager to sink my teeth into.

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The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

February 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When archaeologist Angelo Morelli asks Ruth Galloway to come to the Italian countryside to help identify bones found in picturesque Fontana Liri, she jumps at the chance to go—and brings her daughter along for what she assumes will be a working vacation. Upon arriving, Ruth hears murmurs of Fontana Liri’s strong resistance movement during World War II, and begins to sense that the townspeople are harboring an age-old secret. But how, if at all, could this chapter in history be connected to the human remains that Angelo has unearthed? Just as she’s getting her footing in the dig, DCI Nelson appears, unexpectedly and for no clear reason. When Ruth’s findings lead her and her crew to a modern-day murder, their holiday turns into anything but as they race to find out what darkness is lurking in this seemingly peaceful place. . .and who may be on their trail.

Dr Ruth Galloway finds herself in a bit of a low patch. With her mother only recently dead in the last few months, her off/on relationship with her married lover – DCI Harry Nelson – solidly off for now, and Nelson’s wife newly pregnant things are feeling difficult for Ruth. When an old colleague from Italy calls out of the blue asking for Ruth’s assistance, it feels like exactly the right time for her and her young daughter to take a quick working vacation before the school year starts once again. Only things in the sleepy little Italian town are not as peaceful as Ruth was expecting. Can she sort out what’s really going on before she and her daughter find themselves in danger?

I really love the plots in this series – always finding them to be a solid weaving together of British police procedural mystery and scientific archaeology. The plots and mystery are always clear and multi-layered. The romantic and family relationships, however, is usually quite murky, messy and often heart wrenching. I find Ruth generally to be a strong and independent heroine for these stories. While it’s completely understandable that Ruth is a little blue with quite a few changes having occurred in the recent past for her, I did find that low ebb of her confidence really seemed to cast a bit of a cloud over the story for me. I also think having Cathbad back in England and Ruth in Italy for the majority of the book might have helped this darker cloud feeling seep into the story for me. I feel Cathbad often can help Ruth feel a little more optimistic and seen. I really feel he lightens her thoughts sometimes and for this book I could have used a bit more of that.

That all said I absolutely love the murder mystery aspect to this plot and as always, I found the strongly written and well plotted archaeology was a joy to read. For me personally this is hands down the best series out there with this style of writing – I guess I just wish the personal and romantic relationships weren’t as messy and complicated as they are.

Readers who want a straightforward mystery might not find this gives them what they wanted. The inter-personal relationships take up a fair bit of space in this novel and while the plot and history are strong components of this book the relationships certainly give the other plots a run for their money. Readers who have enjoyed the previous installments likely will thoroughly enjoy this book as much as they have the others – and like me curiosity on what will happen next shall likely compel them into reading more, just like I’m sure I’ll be picking up the next in the series as well. A well plotted and well written novel, though an emotionally difficult one to read.

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Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

January 29, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch….

Detective Constable Peter Grant and Nightingale finally know who The Faceless Man is and their main mission is to now stop him. But when it comes to magic in London – and The Faceless Man in particular – nothing is ever easy, and this time the nefarious plan is already well under way by the time Peter and Nightingale finally feel they might catch up to him.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series and can highly recommend all the books in the series. While I do feel if readers come fresh to this book having not read any of the previous installments the book is still quite enjoyable and a great paranormal mystery on it’s own merits, I do believe that a lot more connection and enjoyment can be had having read the previous books.

I was really pleased that a lot of the overarching plots got a semblance of conclusion in this book and while there are still plenty of loose threads and clearly more stories to come I do think a lot of readers who have been following along will find this story particularly satisfying.

Readers who enjoy magic and paranormal stories – especially with a bit of mystery and police procedure thrown in – should find this book and this series as a whole highly enjoyable. I absolutely love this series and find the whimsy and even at times laugh out loud craziness is a joy to read. The characters are vibrant and relatable and the plot is delightfully complicated while still having a bit of the messiness and craziness of real life added in.

A great series and one I can strongly enjoy. Recommended.

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The Night Man by Jorn Lier Horst

January 27, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Night Man by Jorn Lier Horst
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Gruesome happenings in the quiet town of Larvik. Only one man is capable of solving Chief Inspector William Wisting.

Before long, more bodies are found. Media frenzy sweeps the locals into panic. And when Wisting’s investigation leads him to a deadly underground crime ring, he fears the whole town may be in danger.

But at the heart of it is the gang’s elusive The Night Man. Who Wisting must find if he wants to stop the murders.

That is, if The Night Man doesn’t get to him first . . .

Two bodies are found in a distressingly gruesome manner in the small, quiet township of Larvik, Norway. William Wisting and his police team immediately investigate the shocking murders, but when that leads them to a highly organized crime ring Wisting fears for his small town, and in particular his journalist daughter.

I have been a great fan of this William Wisting series, the first ever Scandinavian Noir series I found many years ago and it has always been a great annoyance to me that the English translations only began at the sixth book. So, when I recently found that the fifth book had been translated, I quickly scooped it up. Even knowing this book was actually written before every other novel in the series which I had read, I still found myself greatly enjoying this earlier story and I sincerely hope the first four are soon also translated.

Even though this book was originally written back in 2009 I really feel like it has held up remarkably well. It didn’t feel dated to me and indeed many of the core elements to this police procedural plotline – trafficking, drugs, local crime that is made harder and more brutal by larger gangs and even international elements – all is still very much in the forefront nowadays as well. I really feel this book is equally relevant now than when it was published nearly fifteen years ago.

In many other respects this is a well written, but very normal type of police procedural story. I did enjoy William Wisting’s character as always and I equally enjoyed the strong storylines – almost a second plotline – as his adult daughter, Line, followed the same murder inquiry but from a journalistic perspective. The way the two definitely fed each other information while trying to keep their professional boundaries and not cross any lines was quite emotional and very well balanced, I felt.

With some strong secondary characters and a very interesting, and still strongly relevant, plotline this was a good book.

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Serpent’s Point by Kate Ellis

January 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Serpent’s Point by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group)
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Serpent’s Point in South Devon is the focus of local legends. The large house on the headland is shrouded in an ancient tale of evil, and when a woman is found strangled on the coastal path, DI Wesley Peterson is called to investigate.

The woman had been house-sitting at Serpent’s Point and Wesley is surprised to discover that she was conducting an investigation into unsolved missing person cases. Could these enquires have led to her murder?

While the case takes Wesley to Yorkshire and the Cotswolds, archaeologist Neil Watson is making a dramatic discovery of his own in the fields near the house.

When a skeleton is uncovered, the pressure rises to find a killer, and Wesley and Neil realise that Serpent’s Point holds more secrets than anyone could have imagined.

Serpent’s Point house in South Devon is shrouded in ancient tales of evil, so when a woman house sitting there is found strangled on the coastal path DI Wesley Peterson and his team are called in to investigate. Can they sort out what is trapped in the past and what is very much in the present day?

I’ve been enjoying this British police procedural mystery series for over a year now and found this book to be an excellent addition to the series. While there’s a bunch of previous books, readers should feel comfortable picking this one up even if the author and series is new to them. The police team have quite a history together, but they work well enough that no real prior knowledge is needed. Also the plot line and simultaneous archaeology plot are both fully contained in this story and can easily be picked up.

Readers who prefer an action-oriented story might find this a little slow – but I personally thoroughly enjoy the slower unwinding of the mystery and piecing together of the clues. I admit I found parts of the mystery plot easy to guess but there were still a few twists I didn’t see coming so I was invested and interested the whole way through the book. I also really like how the historical and archaeology aspect winds together so well with the mystery and that’s a driving force keeping my attention for such a long running series.

Readers who enjoy mysteries and/or historical books should check this book and this series out.

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The Stone Chamber by Kate Ellis

January 13, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Stone Chamber by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

On a summer evening, Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot dead at their home in the Devon countryside.

DI Wesley Peterson suspects the execution-style murders might be linked to Robert’s past police career – until Robert’s name is found on a list of people who’ve been sent tickets anonymously for a tour of Darkhole Grange, a former asylum on Dartmoor.

Wesley discovers that other names on the list have also died in mysterious circumstances and, as he is drawn into the chilling history of the asylum, he becomes convinced that it holds the key to the case.

When his friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at his nearby dig, Wesley wonders whether there might be a connection between the ancient cell and the tragic events at Darkhole Grange.

With the clock ticking, Wesley must solve the puzzle, before the next person on the list meets a terrible end . . .

DI Wesley Peterson and his team are called in to investigate when Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot point blank in their Devon country home. Wesley suspects the execution like murder has ties back to Robert’s previous career in the Met – but Wesley and his team find Robert’s name along with others who have suffered from mysterious deaths all linked to a ghost tour of Darkhole Grange. Can Wesley and his team find what’s really going on?

I have been enjoying Ellis’ Wesley Peterson and Neil Watson’s Archaeology/British police procedural crossover books for over a year now. While there are nearly 30 books in the series, I feel that the writing and plotting is still going strong – and best of all this book definitely can be read as a standalone mystery/archaeology story. While there are things happening in the secondary character’s lives – Wesley’s colleague Rachel and with his son, Michael – these sub-plots can be easily picked up and understood and really no prior books need to be read to thoroughly enjoy this story.

I also really enjoyed the fact that the Archaeological side of the story with Neil and his newest excavation linked in strongly to Wesley and the murder mystery. Often these two parts to the book run side by side and don’t necessarily overlap or really link together. While I don’t mind this – I did find myself highly enjoying the fact that this time the two stories were solidly woven together and interacted a lot more strongly than I recall in the last few books.

I definitely feel readers should feel comfortable with picking up this book to see if they like Ellis’ writing style or if they want to see if the series would interest them. Like any long-running series individual books rise and fall – but I feel this is one of the stronger plotted and written books and would be a good place to dip your toe into the long series if you’re not certain and didn’t want to necessarily go right back to the start to have a go.

With an interesting murder mystery plot well woven around an archaeological dig and a strong historical plotline this is a different and interesting book that I enjoyed.

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Dark Objects by Simon Toyne

January 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Dark Objects by Simon Toyne
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

How do you catch a killer if the victim doesn’t exist?

A glamorous woman is murdered in her ultra-luxurious London mansion and her husband goes missing. But according to public records, neither of them exists.

The only leads police have are several objects arranged around the woman’s body, including a set of keys and a book called How to Process a Murder by Laughton Rees—a book that appears to have helped the killer forensically cleanse the crime scene.

Laughton Rees is an academic who doesn’t usually work live cases after the brutal murder of her mother as a teen left her traumatized and emotionally scarred. But the presence of her book at this scene draws her unwillingly into the high-profile investigation and media circus that springs up around it. As the dark objects found beside the body lead her closer to the victim’s identity, a dangerous threat to Laughton and her daughter emerges, as well as painful memories of her past related to the man she has always blamed for her mother’s death: John Rees, Laughton’s father, the current Metropolitan Chief Commissioner and a man she has not spoken to in twenty years.

Laughton’s family was destroyed once and she built herself a new one. Now, she has to face her darkest fears and help catch a killer before this one is destroyed too.

DCI Tannehill Khan is a rising member of North London Murder Squad’s Homicide Assessment Team. While every homicide scene is different – he has never quite encountered one like this though. Amongst three other unusual objects carefully placed around the victim’s body, Laughton Rees’ “how to” instructional book about crime scenes and forensics was a glaring addition. With both Laughton and DCI Khan drawn deeper into the evolving mystery, can they overcome their own demons to find out what the murderer is really trying to achieve?

I found this to be a gripping police procedural/thriller story. I’ve read Toyne’s previous series revolving around Solomon Creed and greatly enjoyed them, so when I noticed he’d begun a new series I was quite happy to give it a crack – and I’m definitely glad I did.

Readers who enjoy British style police procedural stories should find this really appeals to their tastes. While the pace is a little slower and less action-orientated than other genres, I loved the slow build up – and really felt the tension and thriller aspect to the case was particularly well written by the author. I also greatly appreciated how there were multiple different threads running through and slowly tying together a number of the main characters, and by almost halfway in it because clear to me that many – or most – of these threads would soon form one much larger picture that I hadn’t been expecting.

The pieces of the puzzle start to come together as we work through the case from almost a half dozen different perspectives of those involved, and I really felt this helped build both the plot and the tension. I found this to be a really interesting and fresh thriller and by the last quarter or so I simply couldn’t put the book down and needed to binge it into the evening. There were a few twists – some I had guessed (or half guessed) and some took me completely by surprise. I find for me this is a mark of an excellent book; well written enough I could guess some things but still fresh and novel enough that it gave me a few surprises all the same.

Readers who can appreciate a slower pace but more complicated and layered plot with a solid mystery/thriller thrust and a strong police procedural aspect should find this a thoroughly enjoyable book. I’m quite eager for the next of these. Recommended.

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Murder On The Oxford Canal by Faith Martin

January 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murder On The Oxford Canal by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books, London
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

MEET DI HILLARY GREENE, A POLICE WOMAN FIGHTING TO SAVE HER CAREER.

Not only has she lost her husband, but his actions have put her under investigation for corruption.

Then a bashed and broken body is found floating in the Oxford Canal. It looks like the victim fell off a boat, but Hillary is not so sure. Her investigation exposes a dark background to the death.

Can Hillary clear her name and get to the bottom of a fiendish conspiracy on the water?

DI Hillary Greene has lost her husband and her home, but she’s determined to cling to her police career. Under internal investigation to see if she was linked to her husband’s corruption, Hillary knows she has an uphill battle ahead of her. So she’s determined to give her best when she’s put in charge of a murder investigation into a dead body found floating in the Oxford Canal. Can Hillary clear her name and the case without any further damage?

This was a new to me author and series and I was delighted with how much I enjoyed it. Hillary is not a young woman – past forty – and having separated from her now-dead husband months ago having to reshuffle her entire life around what was proving to be a very acrimonious divorce as well as maintain her position as a DI as a woman in the local police force this main character had a number of differences to the usual British murder mystery books I enjoy but still was thoroughly relatable. I found myself quite invested in Hillary within the first few chapters and with a number of interesting – both good and bad – characters in the main cast I was pleasantly hooked quite early on in the story.

I also greatly enjoyed how the two main plotlines were written with equal weighting. The internal investigation into Hillary to find out if she knew of any corruption, but also the murder investigation. These two plots were separate but I thought the author did an admirable job of weaving them together in the storyline so neither one really overshadowed the other. I feel this also helped keep the pace of the story moving along at a good pace.

Like many British police procedural stories this isn’t an action-orientated story. Readers looking for thrills and a fast pace might not be satisfied here, but equally at no point did I feel this story was slow or dragged. I didn’t need to skip ahead to hurry things along so that was a pleasure too. For a first book in a series I enjoyed this and before the half way mark I had ordered the next two books to have ready.

With interesting characters, a relatable and enjoyably different main character and a solidly written murder mystery plot I found this a lovely book and am eager to continue in the series.

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