Ryan’s Christmas by LJ Ross

March 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Ryan’s Christmas by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Christmas can be murder…

After a busy year fighting crime, DCI Ryan and his team of murder detectives are enjoying a festive season of goodwill, mulled wine and, in the case of DS Phillips, a stottie cake or two—that is, until a freak snowstorm forces their car off the main road and into the remote heart of Northumberland. Their Christmas spirit is soon tested when they’re forced to find shelter inside England’s most haunted castle, where they’re the uninvited guests at a ‘Candlelit Ghost Hunt’. It’s all fun and games—until one of the guests is murdered. It seems no mortal hand could have committed the crime, so Ryan and Co. must face the spectres living inside the castle walls to uncover the grisly truth, before another ghost joins their number…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

It’s the week before Christmas and DCI Ryan and his wife have spent an enjoyable weekend day with Ryan’s colleague’s and their best friends Frank and Denise at the Edinburgh Christmas festival. On their trip back home, however, the weather turns against them and they’re forced off the main road and into the wilds of Northumberland. Seeking refuge inside England’s most haunted castle, they find themselves uninvited guests at a “Candlelight Ghost Hunt” while staying overnight. They try to take the fun in stride, only to find a real-life murder has taken place and their holiday cheer quickly becomes the grim reality of finding yet another murderer before the year is out.

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this series and was excited to find this slightly shorter Christmas-themed story. Despite the slightly shorter length (but still a solid 250 ish pages) everything I as a reader enjoy about the regular books in this series was here on display in this Christmassy story as well. Ryan, Anna, Frank and Denise are well-rounded characters and have been working together seamlessly for a number of years – this being the 15th book in the series – and yet I still feel readers new to the author and series could pick this story up and find a fun murder-mystery and police procedural style of story. I do feel readers who have read at least a few of the previous books and understand some of the history and friendship between the main characters will find a deeper emotional connection to the book and characters, but I don’t feel that knowledge is necessary to enjoy this book on its own merits.

Readers who enjoy an older style – almost Agatha Christie-esque – small town, who dunnit, style of closed-door murder mystery should find this book right up their alley. At the party in the castle there are a finite number of characters assembled who had access to the body and so unlike many of the other books in this series the set-up wasn’t traditional to find a list of possible candidates but more to just figure out who present had the means, motive and opportunity. I also feel this style of mystery lent itself to the slightly shorter length of the book which was a clever move by the author.

I found this an enjoyable and solidly plotted read with a good Christmas theme and a solid murder mystery. The slightly slower pace of the police procedural mode of solving the puzzle appealed strongly to me and while readers used to more action orientated plots might find it a little slow, I personally thoroughly enjoyed the more realistic pace.

A good book with strong characters and a well-planned plot – this was a great and fun read I enjoyed.

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The Gray Man by Mark Greaney

March 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
Publisher: Sphere (Penguin House)
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

To those who lurk in the shadows, he’s known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target. Always.

But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.

But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there’s no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive….

Court Gentry lurks in the shadows – quietly killing the targets he’s given then fading back away. Only when a powerful man is determined to spare nothing to ensure Court’s head becomes his newest trophy does Court’s carefully crafted world come tumbling down. With even his closest allies forced against him, Court needs to dig deep and use everything he’s got to escape with his life.

I found this to be a really well paced and solidly plotted “secret assassin has the tables turned” sort of story. While superficially this is like a number of other stories out there, I found that I quickly got sucked into enjoying both Court’s character and eager to see how things would unfold next. While he isn’t an anti-hero like many assassin characters are nowadays – there are still small amounts of loyalty and patriotism inside Court’s makeup – Court is also extremely pragmatic and doesn’t yearn for things to be different or for a lifestyle that simply isn’t achievable for him anymore. I found this quite endearing, and it really helped sell me on his character and the book as a whole.

I absolutely admit I felt a fair bit of sympathy for Court’s handler – Donald Fitzroy. Without giving too much away I strongly feel he was put in a horrendous situation – a genuine “no win” sort of position – and while we all might be able to talk about various options or differences in how we would handle such a thing, I truly felt like Fitzroy did the best he could. Certainly, Gentry was given a raw deal having to fend for his life, but I definitely feel like Fitzroy had an equally bad time of the entire situation. It’s not often I feel deep empathy for a secondary character and not the main protagonist, so this surprised me and helped the book feel fresh and different to me.

Readers looking for an exciting, action orientated espionage style of story should feel this really fits the bill. There are a bunch of cannon-fodder character deaths and plenty of shoot ‘em up scenes without an extreme amount of gore or dwelling on the violence. The bad guys here are actually bad – so I did feel in places the story got a bit gritty – readers looking for something a little easier or gentle might not find this fits the bill for them.

A fast paced and interesting thriller, this is a great book. I’ll be looking for the next in the series.

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Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

March 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A mutilated body in Crawley. A killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil, possibly an associate of the twisted wizard known as the Faceless Man. Or maybe just a garden-variety serial killer.

Before apprentice wizard and Police Constable Peter Grant can even get his head ’round the case, two more are dropped in his lap: a town planner has gone under a tube train, and there’s a stolen grimoire for Grant to track down.

So far, so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans, and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River—in the jurisdiction of some pretty prickly local river spirits?

It’s been almost a year since PC Peter Grant learned the world wasn’t quite what he’d expected, and he had begun his apprenticeship in magic along with his police duties. So, when another murder has some earmarks of being magically related but plenty of other clues hint this might be completely mundane, Peter has his work cut out for him. As usual, Peter and Lesley race to find out exactly what’s happening all the while learning on the job.

The Rivers of London series is a whole lot of fun. Plenty of paranormal creatures and activities alongside some solid police procedural style regular mystery work packed in with a healthy dose of humor and the absurd. I’ve found that this is one of those series where you’re caught laughing mid-way through a scene only to have it all turn on its head. While this book can be read alone, I strongly feel that readers will get a lot more enjoyment if they read these in order. The characters, situations and links are all very well explained but a lot of history has happened in the previous books. So, I definitely feel those connections and overall story arc in particular will be a lot more meaningful and enjoyable to readers if they’ve read at least a few of the previous books. That said, it’s not strictly necessary in order to follow and enjoy this book.

I was pleased to see both Peter and Lesley are growing – both as characters and in their magical training and talents. I was also glad to be reminded that while a number of books have occurred only approximately a year in story-time has passed. It’s been explained before that an apprenticeship can be upwards of ten years so while some growth has occurred this is expected to be slow going and so they are both absolutely learning and only in the beginning stages, which makes things more interesting to my mind.

Readers looking for an enjoyable – often humorous – paranormal tale with a strong mystery plot should find this a lovely read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am eager to continue with the series. Recommended.

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One Good Deed by David Baldacci

March 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment


One Good Deed by David Baldacci
Publisher: Pan Books
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

It’s 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do’s and a much longer list of don’ts: do report regularly to his parole officer, don’t go to bars, certainly don’t drink alcohol, do get a job — and don’t ever associate with loose women.

The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment — and a stiff drink — leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman.

Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won’t be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank’s clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer’s stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him.

When a murder takes place right under Archer’s nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn’t use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

It’s 1949 and Aloysius Archer has just been released from jail. The war is still fresh in everyone’s mind and day-to-day life and Archer arrives in a small southern town looking for a fresh start and some honest work. When a local businessman is brutally murdered the newly arrived Archer is the number one suspect. Can Archer work out what’s really going on before he’s sent back to jail, again?

I’m usually not a fan of “recent” historical novels – but I am a big fan of Baldacci’s and so was curious enough to give this book a try. I’m very glad I did, as I found it to be an excellently written murder mystery book. Despite being set about 70 years ago the characters and motives and even much of the social landscape is still incredibly relatable and intriguing. There were a few times when I paused to really think about whether some of the plot points were a bit too modern- like when Jackie admitted she’d discussed her affair with Hank’s wife and the general understanding they’d both come to from that conversation. While I found myself dubious about just how realistic that was – particularly 70 years ago – I equally realise women have been making compromises like this and facing the reality of how life really works for centuries. While it felt a little bit of a stretch to me, I could also see how it wasn’t as outrageous as I initially thought.

So, while much of the story is definitely set and has a strong feel of the past – particularly in the small-town society and how the war had affected things like rations and clothing and the like – it didn’t feel so steeped in history that I couldn’t relate to a number of aspects to the plot. Indeed, much of the small-town motives and jealousies and revenge – that all struck me as modern and true today as it would have back in 1949. I enjoyed exploring those sorts of thoughts and links and this book did an exceptional job for that. I also have to strongly recommend Baldacci having done what I assume was a fair bit of homework. A number of things, from the fashions and finances to how parole and the law functioned back in those days all seemed to be very well researched and presented to me.

Readers looking for a different style of murder mystery should find this book appealing. While a lot of the groundwork is laid in the first third or so of the story – and the pace of that might be a bit slow for readers expecting something a bit more action orientated – I really feel this book is worth sticking with. This is also the first in a series so readers should definitely feel it’s a good place to start. I enjoyed how the characters begin to weave together very convincingly and I came to really think Archer’s character has a certain something that I really enjoyed. He was an interesting mixture of strong and vulnerable that wasn’t simple or easy to unpack and I found myself as curious about him as a character as I was with the whole murder plotline itself.

A different and very interesting book, I will absolutely be picking up the next in the series. Recommended.

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Secured by Sean Michael

March 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Secured by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After five years of living under the threat of a stalker, Finn Wicker is finally free. About nine months ago, his stalker was finally taken down, but not before the man shot and nearly killed Finn’s bodyguard Chris. Finn had always had a crush on Chris, but he’d never done or said anything about it because the man worked for him. But when Finn walks into the Hammer Club and sees Chris up as one of the men to bid on at the Charity Christmas Auction, all bets are off, and Finn throws his hat in the ring to win his ex-bodyguard.

Could there be more between Finn and Chris than just a former business relationship? Finn sure hopes so and all he wants for Christmas is his feelings to be reciprocated.

Almost a year ago Finn was finally freed when his stalker – who had made his life hell for more than five years – had been brought down by the police. Finn had managed to take his life back, but when he walks into the Hammer Club for their annual Christmas Auction and sees his ex-bodyguard up for bidding, Finn can’t help himself. He’s always been attracted to Chris and while Finn wants his affections reciprocated, he hopes that by bidding on Chris they can maybe finally explore if they’re compatible in more than just a business sense.

This is a fun and seriously sexy quick read. A short story, I was impressed that the author managed to pack a fair bit of history between the two characters which really helped sell the speed and sparks of chemistry between them. While there is absolutely a wonderful, albeit smutty, short story there isn’t a huge amount of plot. Finn and Chris finally getting together really is the plot. It was delightful to watch them realize they have the solid workings of a long term, committed relationship together, each of them sharing the same taste in their bedroom kink and antics. Readers looking for something heavily plotted or complicated probably won’t find this story quite to their tastes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the steamy and sensual connections and relationship that quickly built between the two men. I found with their emotional connection and strong background together the speed with which they hooked up – and the intense trust they placed in each other – was quite believable and very well written. Indeed, a part of me wondered why – even though it was a bodyguard/client working relationship – with the strength of their attraction and mutual chemistry it seemed a little odd to me personally that neither had at least tested the waters until Finn bid on Chris at the auction. This was a fairly small point though, and one I could easily overlook.

Smoking hot and deliciously kinky, this is a great quick read and one I can easily recommend.

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The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

March 3, 2023 By Leave a Comment


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

The chilling discovery of a downed World War II plane with a body inside leads Ruth and DCI Nelson to uncover a wealthy family’s secrets in this Ruth Galloway mystery.

It’s a blazing hot summer in Norfolk when a construction crew unearths a downed American fighter plane from World War II with a body inside. Forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway determines that the skeleton couldn’t possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify the man as Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat long presumed dead—news that seems to frighten his descendants. Events are further complicated by a TV company that wants to make a film about Norfolk’s deserted air force bases, the so-called ghost fields, which the Blackstocks have converted into a pig farm. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man loitering at Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm and the weather quickly turns. Can the team outrace a looming flood to find the killer?

When a large field – previously used by planes in World War 2 – is dug up in preparation for a bunch of new apartments to be built an American WW2 aircraft is found, with a dead pilot inside. Nelson calls in Ruth to examine the site and the body and to see if this is a purely historical site or if something more sinister is going on. What secrets is the ghost field harboring?

I have been enjoying this series and really feel the author and characters are beginning to come into a strong place. Ruth and Nelson still have a lot of stuff to work out, but they’re finding a balance between Nelson’s wife and other children and where Ruth and Kate fit in amongst all that, and Ruth in particular to my mind seems to be hitting her stride when it comes to being both a mother and her career in archaeology. There are still ups and downs and plenty going on – but I really enjoyed this book and the feel that things were starting to get a rhythm and hit their stride.

I also really enjoyed how the author did a commendable job in my opinion on balancing the past and the present. There were no flashbacks (which I tend to find jarring and annoying more often than not) but the story clearly wove between what happened in the second world war and how it was relevant and still guiding the families and characters in the present day. Throw in a tv show, plenty of housing development money and ordinary greed/secrets into the various motives and this was a really strongly plotted and interesting murder mystery.

The plot is very well contained to just this story. Many of the secondary characters have quite a bit of history and while I don’t feel this weighs the book down or would be too annoying for readers who come to this story fresh, I really do feel that at least some of the previous books should have been read for the full enjoyment to be experienced. This is a great series so I feel it would be worthwhile to go and start at the beginning but admit this book totally can be picked up and enjoyed by itself.

Strongly plotted with interesting characters this book is an excellent blend of archaeology and present-day murder mystery and I really enjoyed it.

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In Harm’s Way by Viveca Sten

March 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment


In Harm’s Way by Viveca Sten
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The body of world-famous journalist Jeanette Thiels is discovered the day after Christmas, frozen in a snow-covered garden just steps from her hotel on Sandhamn Island. Detective Thomas Andreasson finds it highly unlikely that it was some bizarre accident. After all, the relentless war-zone correspondent was no stranger to conflict and controversy—both professional and, of late, very personal. Who would want to see her dead is another story.

Enlisting the help of attorney Nora Linde, his longtime friend on holiday, Thomas is anxious for the answers. But he and Nora don’t have to look far. The clues are leading them closer to home than they imagined. Jeanette may have made a career out of exposing corruption at the highest levels of world power, but she was also a woman with secrets of her own, and they’re coming to light on Sandhamn. For Thomas and Nora, unearthing the deeply rooted deceptions behind Jeanette’s death could now put those closest to her in harm’s way, too.

When a famous Swedish journalist’s body is found just a short distance outside her hotel room, frozen in the Christmas snow, Detective Thomas Andreasson’s own festive season is suddenly cut short. As they investigate the work and private life surrounding the journalist a number of different theories quickly show the woman lived a brave – almost reckless – life. Can they work out who wanted this journalist dead enough to do something about it so callously?

This is an excellent addition to the series, and I found myself really enjoying this book. While it’s a number of stories into the series I strongly feel this book can stand very well alone on its own and readers new to this author shouldn’t be shy about picking it up. I thought the author did an excellent job very briefly explaining the relationships and various situations surrounding the main characters and how they all interact. I really enjoyed how that didn’t bog down the story or flow of the plot.

I could understand if some readers feel like the main thrust of the plot started off a little slow – but personally I enjoyed that we got to see a bit of the journalist and her character and circumstances before she was killed. I felt this added quite a bit to the atmosphere and actually kept me guessing as to what, exactly, had happened in the lead up to her death. I thought seeing things from her perspective (and not the killer’s) meant while the reader was witness to much of the main death, I found it kept a lot of the secrets and mystery intact and helped with the vibe of the whole situation.

Readers looking for a heavily action orientated story might find this book is somewhat lacking – this is more of a police procedural style of story and uncovering all the secrets and the various character’s motives bit by bit and not in a rush. I also enjoyed that the plotline surrounding Nora – Thomas’ long-term friend and the other main character – was very well handled and meshed well to my mind with the main murder mystery.

I feel this is a very well-paced and well written murder mystery with an interesting set of characters and a solid plot. I enjoyed the police procedural aspect to the story and loved all the Scandinavian details. A good book, and a series I am enjoying.

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Blood Trail by David J. Gatward

February 28, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Blood Trail by David J. Gatward
Publisher: Weirdstone Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A gruesome tradition, a blood-spattered crime scene, and a killer hiding in plain sight.

Detective Harry Grimm is a worried man. When a group of vigilante locals start patrolling the Dales in response to a recent spate of crimes, he is forced to warn them off. Things only get more complicated when he is called out to multiple crime scenes – each with plenty of blood but no bodies.

Very soon, though, body parts start turning up. Delivered in a way that echoes a local poem and an old-but-grisly village ceremony. Faced with the bloody evidence in front of him, Grimm soon realises that his worst fears have come true: someone has already taken the law into their own hands.

With an ancient tradition being used to commit modern-day murder, can this battle-scarred detective stop the lanes of the Dales running red with blood?

A group of locals from the Dales have formed a group, patrolling their farms and streets, determined to eke out their own brand of justice after a string of local petty crimes. DCI Harry Grimm is very worried, not just because of the increase in crime, but he’s seen how very quickly – and violently – such well-meaning assistance can spiral out of hand. Soon, a few crimes scenes are drenched in blood – but where are the bodies? When pieces begin to turn up, Harry knows that he needs to solve this and fast.

I’ve been really enjoying this series and found this book to be an excellent addition. Well into the Harry Grimm series I feel readers will get a fuller understanding if they have read at least a few of the previous books – but that’s not strictly necessary as the main characters and certainly the plot and mystery are very well explained and well contained within this story. Much of the links and camaraderie between particularly Harry’s team and the forensic technicians, however, come from the previous cases and the characters all working together and sharing so much history.

One of the things I really like with this series is just how relatable and “normal” the crimes and plotlines are. This isn’t some organized crime or street gang style deeply convoluted mystery plot. It’s a bunch of local – fairly normal – people being somewhat hot headed and misled. I felt this was a very relatable plot and something most readers should be able to associate with. Equally, I liked how none of the main characters are perfect, Matt is over-tired from being a new father, Harry has a bit of a temper, Rebecca is going stir-crazy on sick leave and jumps the gun getting back to work – they are not picture-perfect characters who never put a foot wrong. I feel this really helps not only keep my interest, but also lets me feel like the characters are more human.

Readers looking for a thoroughly enjoyable police procedural style of murder mystery set in the Dales countryside should find this (and all the other books in this series) a strong and lovely read.

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A Minute To Midnight by David Baldacci

February 27, 2023 By Leave a Comment


A Minute To Midnight by David Baldacci
Publisher: Pan Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped — and likely killed — thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee’s unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI.

Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee’s rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil — and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder.

Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets — some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life — and digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . .

Special Agent Atlee Pine is forced into taking some downtime after she loses control rescuing a small girl from her kidnapper. With her friend and assistant, Pine decides to use this time to return to the small town where everything began for her – the place where her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped and probably murdered. Pine and Blum start to ask questions and many of the folk in the town still recall Atlee from her youth. Only then murders begin to happen in this small, sleepy little town with virtually no crime. Can they get to the bottom of what’s really happening?

This is the second book featuring Agent Atlee Pine and I thought it was a good addition to the series. The main plot arc through this series definitely appears to be Atlee Pine discovering what happened to her twin sister that day many years ago and while the story is absolutely convoluted, I feel there definitely was some progress to it. The many threads to this plot, however, does tend to make the story as a whole feel slower paced and more meandering than I’m used to in action/thrillers and most mystery books – particularly since it spans over a number of books and obviously can’t be resolved within just the one story. While I can understand the appeal of this, I also can see why some readers might feel this slows the pace a bit more than they’d like.

I thought the author had a good balance between giving a significant amount of time to the plot of Mercy and what happened all those year ago, but equally the investigation into the recent murder and the plot of the newer killer. This is quite a large book and so I thought while the plots were both pretty large, they both added significantly to the story. I also thought the newer murders helped the book not feel too bogged down in the past. The history tended to make the story feel slower and I definitely thought the fresher murders helped inject some action and quicker pace into the story as a whole.

Readers looking for a fast paced, action type of thriller might not find this story suits quite what they’re after. I also feel that while this story can be read as a standalone enough headway was made in Atlee investigating her sister’s kidnapping this book will be critical for those wanting to move forward with the rest of the series. Readers who enjoy a convoluted plot and multiple strong storylines all running concurrently likely will feel this is a solid mystery and well worth their time.

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Borderlands by LJ Ross

February 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Borderlands by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When the gods made man, they made a weapon…

After uncovering a fresh wave of corruption within the ranks of Northumbria CID, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan was looking forward to an uneventful summer. But, when a young woman is shot dead on the remote army ranges of the Northumberland National Park, Ryan is called in to investigate.

Meanwhile, violent crimes are being committed across sites of historic importance in the North East, the perpetrator leaving only a graffitied symbol as their calling card. As the body count rises, Ryan and his team must unravel the mystery behind its meaning – before it’s too late…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

DCI Ryan is called out to a tragic accident in the remote army ranges inside the Northumberland National Park. A woman has been shot during the night-time training sessions and they need to work out who she is and how she came to be so far out in the countryside. Meanwhile Jack and the newly promoted Mel remain back in town struggling to discover the group responsible for a series of arson attacks that appear to be motivated only to stir up hatred and fear. Can they solve both these cases before more people are killed?

I found this to be an interesting and well-paced mystery story. While there are two separate main plotlines running, I felt the author did a good job handling them equally and not letting one of the other take over too much of the story. I was also pleased we got a little bit more insight and movement in Ryan and Anna’s personal relationship which I felt was well-needed after the last few books where the plot – and Frank and Denise’s relationship – has taken more of the front seat.

Readers who haven’t read any of the previous book in this series should still be able to enjoy the two main murder plotlines. I feel they might struggle a little more with all the history and friendship between the main characters – as that has been well established over the last 14 books and so there’s that ease and familiarity that exists between them. That said, the plot and mystery is very well explained and unique to this book – so there’s no prior history needed for that. But readers might not have quite the emotional attachment to the characters if this is the first book they’re trying in this series.

Readers looking for an enjoyable British police procedural style of mystery novel should find this hits the spot. While there’s not a super fast plotline – more of a ‘who done it’ type of mystery and not an action or thriller with a fast pace – this is a solid story and I found it enjoyable.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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