The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson

November 18, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A wickedly witty cosy crime novel set in Sydney in the swinging sixties, ideal for fans of Richard Osman and Bonnie Garmus. They keep everyone’s secrets, until there’s a murder… Sydney, 1965: After a chance encounter with a stranger, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene become accidental sleuths, stumbling into a world of ruthless crooks and racketeers in search of a young woman believed to be in danger. In the meantime, Hazel’ s job at Empire Fashionwear is in jeopardy. The firm has turned out the same frocks and blouses for the past twenty years and when the mini-skirt bursts onto the scene, it rocks the rag trade to its foundations. War breaks out between departments and it falls to Hazel, the quiet diplomat, to broker peace and save the firm. When there is a murder in the building, the tea ladies draw on their wider network and put themselves in danger as they piece together clues that connect the murder to a nearby arson and a kidnapping. But if there’ s one thing tea ladies can handle, it’ s hot water.

It’s the 1960s and Mrs Hazel Bates has been the Tea Lady at Empire Fashionware practically forever. She is welcome everywhere, from the busy factory floor right up into the CEOs board room. When her tea trolly rattles down the hallway everyone is pleased to see her no matter what else is going on in their lives. Hazel herself enjoys a quick cuppa and maybe a cheeky slice of cake with her staunch friends when they have their own break in the alley out the back. Her fellow Tea Ladies in the neighboring factories talk about everything and between them they have a wealth of knowledge. But when they each piece together evidence of a kidnapping, arson and even a dead body turns up unexpectedly, Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies need to put their brains together to help the police sort out what’s going on.

As an avid tea drinker myself I simply had to purchase this book for the title and cover alone. I really enjoy a good mystery story, but rarely do I dip my toe into the historical context books, so this was a big leap of faith for me, and I was thrilled when this story turned out to be an exceptional tale. Part cosy mystery, part women’s fiction with a hefty slice of humour and good cheer this was a cracking read and before I was half way through I had both searched out the author (who has a number of other books out and a sequel of Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies recently released) and made a note to purchase it in my next book order.

Set in Sydney, Australia in the 1960s I would strongly encourage other readers to not let this scare them away. I felt Hazel and her close friends are extremely relatable – women of a “certain age” and strong characters and I really loved and enjoyed them. Considering the time they’re in – and the war and difficult historical times they’ve lived through – I found them wonderfully strong, independent and yet still believable and relatable and to my mind that shows extreme skill on the author’s behalf and a real testimony to the strength of the plot and world she has built. I was also very pleased that all of the plot was neatly tied up – with no loose threads or unanswered questions.

Even better, I found myself engrossed in the plot – both with the occurrences in Hazel’s private life, the story of what the factory itself was going through with the fashion and women’s issue changes roaring through the 1960s and the murder mystery itself was strongly written and deeply interesting. Rarely have I been so pleased with a randomly picked up book and not only do I plan to re-read it very promptly, but I’ve actually purchased a second copy to post to a friend of mine who lives internationally and can’t find herself an easily accessible copy. I strongly feel it is well, well worth a try and tracking down.

With interesting, relatable characters, a lovely cozy mystery feel and a number of plots that were well balanced and circling around each other this book was a true joy to read, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. Highly Recommended.

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Kill For Me by Tom Wood

November 15, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Kill For Me by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…

Victor is the killer who always delivers…for the right price. And Heloise Salvatierra, patron of Guatemala’s largest cartel, is ready and willing to pay him just that to eliminate the competition: her sister. Heloise has been battling Maria for control of the cartel in an endless and bloody war. Now Victor decides who survives. An easy job if it weren’t for the sudden target on his back.

…AND THEIR ENEMIES CLOSER.

Victor’s not the only one on the hunt. Someone else has Maria in the crosshairs and will do anything to get the kill. In the middle of cartel territory with enemies closing in from all sides, Victor must decide where to put the bullet before one is placed in his head….

For years two sisters have fought ruthlessly on the streets of Guatemala City to try and take the turf of their dead crime boss father. The war is still fiercely fought, but the sisters are at a stalemate. Until one decides to hire Victor to assassinate the other. Now caught up in the center of this vicious family feud, can Victor find his way out of the mess he’s stepped into?

I really enjoyed this book – an addition to the Victor The Assassin series. In part I thoroughly enjoy Victor’s character despite him being an anti-hero in virtually every respect. A cold and unquestionable killer, Victor’s perspective and rules are incredibly different from most other characters – even other anti-heroes. But despite that it is a pleasure to read the story and come along for the ride.

Despite this being a book in the middle of the series I felt the plot was very well encapsulated just within this addition. Readers who have read the prior installments will find a few Easter Eggs within these pages – mostly in the form of brief memories or recollections Victor has where one thing reminds him of a previous person or experience. While readers who haven’t read the prior books will realize this is reflecting on something prior the memories are always quite brief and while they are fun for the fans I truly feel not knowing/understanding the reference shouldn’t detract any from the enjoyment of the story this book tells.

I also feel this is definitely a book for people not expecting a Happy Ever After (and not even a Happy For Now) style of ending. This is very much a Suspense/Thriller style of assassin story where there are a number of Bad Guys and not even really a clear “Good Guy”. This is a somewhat different tale where readers should be aware it’s not a traditional story and while I feel satisfied with the ending it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Readers looking for something different, non-traditional and a bit outside of the regular box will likely be really impressed with this story.

With vivid and memorable characters, a rather twisty turn of plot and where no character is safe or considered off limits, this is a slightly different book that I found highly enjoyable. There is plenty of killing – though I don’t feel anything in this book contains over-the-top gore nor any titillation or overly graphic violence or glorifying of the killing. Keep in mind though this is a book about an assassin and there is plenty of killing, shooting and fighting.

A different read with a memorable anti-hero, and I will keep reading this series.

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The Hitchhiker by Gabriel Bergmoser

November 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Hitchhiker by Gabriel Bergmoser
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The

Ahead he could see only the stretch of unending road, on either side brown-scorched plains of dirt and scrub, above it all a soaring blue sky and blinding sun. Desolation that looked, to him, a hell of a lot like freedom. He wasn’t playing by anyone’s rules anymore.

The

Have you ever done something bad? The question was like a clawed hand seizing his guts. It had taken everything he’d had not to whimper, to cower away and beg. But as he’d deflected, he’d told himself to stay calm. To be in control. He had to be in control here.

The

She’d made a mistake. Wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last. Ever since she’d left, all she’d found was more trouble. More fights. More secrets. More scars. Now here she was, still alive but a long way from anywhere, and with options dwindling fast.

From the award-winning author of The Hunted comes a fast-paced outback thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Dangerously close to fifty and newly divorced, Paul decides it’s time for an adventure and to escape the city. Driving out in Australia’s vast countryside, he stumbles upon a hitch-hiking young man who is clearly running – but from what? With only the two of them in the car in the vast expanse of the Australian desert it’s soon hard to know who the cat is and who the mouse is in this gripping thriller.

I picked this book up on a whim by this new-to-me author and found it a genuinely page-turning thriller. While initially the book was very much what I was expecting, it fairly quickly had a few interesting twists I didn’t see coming. Readers who enjoy a good thriller – one where the plot twists slowly and unfurls into something completely different to what you’ve been led to expect should find this a great story.

The book is divided quite well into three parts. It’s absolutely the one story but part one is told from one character’s perspective, then we are led into a different character’s voice and then finally into a third. I can’t recall reading a story in this exact manner – particularly as there isn’t really a jump in timeline or setting, it’s very much the one story slowly progressing along. I was greatly enjoying the plot by part two and the changeover in perspective and voice was both interesting and refreshing. Similarly, there was a significant twist when we moved into another perspective in part three. I’d had an inkling of this shortly before the twist and was delighted by how the author wrote this out.

There is a little violence and a few small gory sections, but nothing too strongly worded. I feel most thriller readers should feel comfortable with what occurs in this book, and I personally feel this story sits solidly in the thriller – and not horror – genre. That said I definitely feel this is a thriller and not a mystery or suspense novel. I was quite impressed at how the plot did twist and turn a fair bit, some of it was clear to see some of it delightfully surprising. This book felt quite unique and fresh to me, and I admit particularly for the second half of the book I found it very difficult to put down, wanting to constantly know how events would unfold.

Readers looking for a gripping thriller with a solid plot and a definite feeling of cat and mouse should absolutely give this book a go. I am happy with this purchase and look forward to more from this author.

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A Very Bad Thing by J. T. Ellison

November 5, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Very Bad Thing by J. T. Ellison
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cholla

A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.

With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.

Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?

She couldn’t have written a better mystery herself. But when world renown author Columbia Jones is murdered on her own book tour, who’s left to solve her murder? With no one trusting anyone else, it’s a race to the finish line for the daughter, the reporter, and the detective.

Every character in this book intrigued me in some way. Columbia Jones, of course, because she’s the hugely successful author who has a secret past that no one, not even her daughter, knows about. Watching that backstory unravel was worth the price of admission.

Riley and Darian are two sides of the same coin. Both are strong and independent women, successful in their jobs, but also struggling to find their true selves. In the beginning, I liked Riley a lot more than I did Darian. But as the story unfolds, you get to know Darian better and she becomes a more sympathetic character.

Probably my favorite part, however, was how you get a glimpse into the past through a short story that’s presented chapter by chapter throughout the narrative. It’s an unusual way of imparting information and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I’d love to see more of this kind of thing in novels overall.

What a twisty rollercoaster of a ride this story was. I’m never very good at figuring out who the culprit is, but I definitely had no clue this time around. Just as you think one suspect is eliminated, they’re drawn back under the spotlight. This is a good thing in my opinion. I like to be led astray in a novel because it makes the reveal even more rewarding in the end. And the author seems to be very adept at doing exactly that. I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future. The two I have read so far have both blown me away.

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The Handler by L.T. Ryan

November 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Handler by L.T. Ryan
Publisher: Liquid Mind Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A dead police officer…
A department desperate for answers…
Maddie Castle must take on the role that nearly took her life…
She must once again become The Handler.

A NEW crime thriller series from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author L.T. Ryan with C.R. Gray!

Wounded in the line of duty, former K9 Handler Maddie Castle finds herself back to square one. The bullet that shredded her leg took the life of her four-legged partner. The pain of recovery goes well beyond the daily physical torment she endures.

Time is the supposed healer of all wounds. In Castle’s case, this hasn’t proven true. In a hail of gunfire, she lost not only her dog, but the one thing she loved above all else…the job.

Castle is back home in the trailer park she vowed never to return to. Taking a job as a private investigator has proven an unrewarding comparative to her former career. Barely making ends meet and hampered by the ever-present pain in her leg, Castle struggles to keep her footing in her new life.

A K9 handler from Castle’s old unit is gunned down. Castle is called in to assess whether the dog can be rehabilitated. The alternative is a consequence Castle can’t live with. Working to save the K9 might just well save Castle from herself.

As the hunt for the killer continues, Castle receives a call from a desperate mother searching for her missing son. The hunt for the boy leads Castle into the criminal underbelly of Pittsburgh. Powerful players who will stop at nothing stand in her way. Behind them lies the truth. Getting to it may cost her everything, including her life, as she seeks to expose a dark secret that could bring a city to its knees.

Follow Maddie Castle as she walks the blurred line of right and wrong in a desperate search for justice.

Wounded in the line of duty, former police K9 handler Maddie Castle lost more than her career when a bullet shredded through her leg, she lost her beloved four legged partner, her marriage and everything she valued in her life – including her health. Trying to piece everything back together by working as a PI she’s barely making ends meet and struggles daily to push past the pain – physical and emotional. When a K9 handler from her previous unit is gunned down, Castle lets herself get talked into retraining Tempest, to try and rehabilitate the devastated K9. Simultaneously she’s looking for a missing teenage boy, only to discover there’s a lot more to both cases than she had ever considered.

I’m an absolute sucker for military or police procedurals with four legged co-stars and I was thrilled to find this book was an exceptional addition to my regular roster. This is a new to me author, and the first in a new to me series so I was fairly cautious about giving it a go. I was about half way through when I put the book down and eagerly ordered the next in the series. I also did a quick search online to reassure myself this is still an ongoing series. I was really impressed with both the writing – which was a style I enjoyed – and with the plot and pacing.

As the first book in this series, there is a bit of background and character introduction which I enjoyed and helped me get a good feel and comfort with the world and main characters. By about a quarter of the way in the main plot threads were starting to interweave together in both a realistic and logical manner and even though there were some twists I felt it all worked together really cohesively and wasn’t over the top nor was it all a bunch of coincidences that felt pat or too contrived.

While it took a while for the action to really get rolling – I do feel this should appeal to readers who like a more police procedural style of novel as well as those who like a bit more action. There was plenty going on in this book and I enjoyed watching it all come together. I felt a particular strength in this book was none of the characters were clearly all good or all bad. Maddie is our heroine so clearly good, but she’s got both emotional scars and baggage to work through as well as some drug dependency. In a similar manner Simeon Gunn is clearly a “bad guy”, being the main drug source in their small area, and yet he is adamant none of his network sell to or recruit kids, and show proper respect to others in the community. So I really enjoyed how the characters were very clearly multi-layered and not two dimensional “good” or “bad”.

Readers who enjoy their mysteries with complicated characters, a good pace and plots that interweave together should find this book well worth a try, and particularly readers who enjoy animal side-kicks should be very satisfied with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

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Broken Voyage by Lindsey Kinsella

October 31, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Broken Voyage by Lindsey Kinsella
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Stranded in the Arctic, the international crew of an illegal whaler find themselves in a race for survival. Can they survive the cold, the sea, and, most of all, each other?

Pushed to desperation in a bleak world ravaged by climate change, Lora M’Bandi flees her homeland to join a group of unlikely outcasts aboard the whaling ship Livyatan. When an explosion rips through the vessel, the crew become shipwrecked deep inside the Arctic Circle—sabotaged by one of their own. Now, they must trek across the treacherous sea ice to reach dry land before the ice retreats—all the while with a traitor in their midst and fearsome predators stalking their every move.

Who will make it out of this harrowing tale of horror and survival?

The threat of death lurks everywhere in the Arctic.

I enjoyed how much effort the author put into describing the characters’ backstories and explaining how they ended up illegally hunting whales on the Livyatan. This isn’t an occupation I’d generally sympathize with at all, but their reasons for breaking the law made sense once I got to know the characters better and understood how the powers that be let them down at critical moments in their lives. It was refreshing to understand their perspectives and why someone would agree to hunt such rare species.

It would have been helpful if more time was spent developing the mystery portion of the plot. The explosion that destroyed the Livyatan was such a crucial moment in the storyline that I was surprised by how little attention was given to figuring out why it happened. Yes, the characters needed to flee from the sinking ship and find a safe place to stay, but once they were out of the life raft they had plenty of time to think about what just happened and who might have been responsible for it. Having more clues to work with would have been beneficial for me as a reader, and I would have happily chosen a higher rating if they had been provided.

The world building was strong and intriguing. I especially liked how certain plot twists were shared with the audience as clips from news shows or when characters shared the latest headlines with one another. It made those revelations feel even more realistic, especially when certain characters had strong opinions in favor of or against what was happening in the world and I had a chance to compare their reactions with those who lived much closer to those wars, pandemics, droughts, and other critical events. Not everything affected everyone’s daily lives equally even if they were genuinely concerned about what was happening thousands of miles away from home, so it was also nice to have multiple perspectives on some of these moments.

Broken Voyage was a wild ride.

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A Body Of Water by Rhys Dylan

October 29, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Body Of Water by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The egg man cometh…

When a delivery driver stumbles across the dead body of a reclusive author in a remote area within a stone’s throw of the Llyn Brianne dam, his first thoughts are that the elderly man has had a heart attack.

But the knife sticking out of the corpse’s chest tells a different story.

Dial in some missing walkers, a secretive cult, and the unwelcome presence of paranormal-hunting podcasters and DCI Warlow has his work cut out getting to the rotten heart of the case.

DCI Evan Warlow and his team are called in when a delivery man stumbles across the dead body of an elderly man stabbed to dead out front of his home in the isolated far northern reaches of Wales. Even though the area is extremely hard to reach and very isolated, the few neighbors on offer are somewhat questionable and as Evan and his team dig deeper into the victim’s previous life more and more questions appear. Can they work out what elements are really at play here?

I am really enjoying this Welsh police procedural series. I feel these are just a little bit darker and grittier than the usual British police procedural books I read. I really enjoy the Welsh elements to this story – the different landscape, the few Welsh words and colloquiums thrown in and the different atmosphere to the writing itself. While I find there are a number of British and Scottish series out there this remains the only Welsh series, I’m aware of and I really enjoy it.

I found the pace of this book just slightly slower than some other mysteries out there. I didn’t mind that but know it might not appeal to all readers. There were also clearly a few different sub plots rolling around and I couldn’t help but feel the two kidnapped girls plot could have potentially moved at a slightly faster pace since it wasn’t clear even by the half-way mark into the book exactly what was going on with them.

I absolutely love the main characters in the team. They all work together really cohesively and it’s clear how much they value and support one another. I also enjoy that they are all quite individual characters and watching them mesh together and interact is a real pleasure. I am really enjoying this series as a whole and can’t wait to read the next coming along.

A solid and well written Welsh police procedural, this book is worth giving a try.

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Neon Ziggurat by Angie Lofthouse

October 28, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Neon Ziggurat by Angie Lofthouse
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed Astilbe

Under the neon glitz of the big city lies a heart of greed, despair and murder. If Pressley Pierce can’t find a way to expose Span Corp’s CEO for his heinous crimes, it won’t be just her life on the line.

Hacking into a mega-corporation’s computer system for a noble cause is all in a day’s work for Pressley. But when her digging uncovers Ransom McCleary’s deepest secrets, Pressley finds herself on the run.

With her little sister kidnapped by Span Corp’s cyborg enforcers, Pressley is forced to turn to the one place she thought she’d never go for help—her childhood home…

Money shouldn’t influence who lives and who dies.

I liked the messages that were embedded into this story about the danger of associating a person’s worth with how much money and power they have. Span Corp was so powerful that it was difficult for most characters to imagine a world where justice could ever be served to their dangerous CEO. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover just what Ransom’s terrible crime was, but this was an interesting exploration of what can happen when a wealthy and powerful person believes they are above the law and will never be caught.

There were a few conflicts that I wish had been given more time to develop and resolve, especially as it pertained to Pressley’s health and the strict rules her company had about certain medical conditions were meant to be handled. This was described as a major issue early on in the plot, so I was surprised by how quickly it was swept aside for other matters. There was more that could have been done there, and the plot would have been stronger if the narrator had dug more deeply into her health in my opinion.

This was an action-packed read that never left me any good stopping points when I needed to go do other things for a while. What a great problem to have with a book! I found myself thinking about the storyline when I was away from it and wondering what might happen next to the characters. The author certainly knew how to keep my interest levels high with all of the running, fighting, and hiding going on.

Neon Ziggurat was suspenseful.

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The Dying of the Year by MS Morris

October 24, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Dying of the Year by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A hit and run. A suspicious death. A vendetta.

Sam Earnshaw’s recovery from a year-long coma should be an occasion for celebration. Instead, he reveals that the hit and run incident that left him close to death was no accident. Someone deliberately pushed him into the path of a speeding vehicle.

As DCI Tom Raven leads the investigation into the attempted murder, he soon uncovers a web of dark secrets and lies. The attempt on Sam’s life is not the first time a killer has struck.

And it won’t be the last.

As the bodies mount up, Raven is forced into a race against time, whilst facing serious questions about his own life and future.

After a full year of sitting by the bedside of her comatose boyfriend, Becca is thrilled when – against all the odds – Sam finally wakes up. She is horrified, however, when Sam tells her the hit and run which had led to his coma all this time was an accident. Sam quickly insists this was not an accident at all, but that he’d been solidly pushed in front of that oncoming van. Becca rushes to tell her boss, DCI Raven and the team quickly goes about reinvestigating the case from a year earlier. Can they uncover what really went on after all this time?

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series and was pleased that this third installment was just as well plotted and well written as the two previous books. While the authors have a somewhat bad habit of strongly teasing the following book in the final few pages of the present book – not quite a cliffhanger ending but more than just a foreshadowing or tease – I can find little else that is wrong with this series. I enjoy the small and well-rounded cast of characters. The four main members of the team are well drawn and unique enough I can easily enjoy their strengths and weaknesses. I was also very impressed that this book – as have the others – stood well alone. There is very little baggage left over from previous books and so I strongly feel readers can pick this book by itself and still thoroughly enjoy the mystery within.

I was pleased a blast from Raven’s past came back into this story. There is very little carry over from his previous life in London and I saw this small opening into Raven’s past both interesting and well plotted into the story. The ongoing renovation to Raven’s house – a small bit of normalcy and amusement to my mind – helps keep the story rooted in reality and the different layers to the main mystery plot were all well handled.

Readers who enjoy a slightly slower paced British police procedural style of story should find this an enjoyable read and worth their time. I found the plot was woven quite well together and entirely believable.

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Dead Man’s Lane by Kate Ellis

October 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Dead Man’s Lane by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Some paths lead only to the grave . . .

Strangefields Farm is notorious for its sinister history ever since artist Jackson Temples lured young women there to model for disturbing works of art. Some of those girls never left the house alive.

Now, decades later, Strangefields is to be transformed into a holiday village, but the developer’s hopes of its dark history being forgotten are dashed when a skull is found on the site. And when a local florist is found murdered in an echo of Temples’ crimes, DI Wesley Peterson fears that a copy-cat killer is at large. Especially when another brutal murder in a nearby village appears to be linked.

As Wesley’s friend, archaeologist Dr Neil Watson, uncovers the secrets of Strangefields’ grisly past, it seems that an ancient tale of the dead returning to torment the living might not be as fantastical as it seems. And Wesley must work fast to discover who’s behind the recent murders . . . before someone close to him is put in danger.

Decades after Strangefield’s Farm became infamous as the place where Jackson Temples lured many women to be his disturbing works of art – and a number of the young women were never seen or heard from again – it’s dark history is once more coming into focus. A skull is found in the cellar floor as building works begin, only for two more skeletons to quickly be unearthed. DI Wesley Peterson is curious but not overly concerned until a local florist is found murdered in an eerily similar style to that of Temples’ victims. Is a copy cat killer among them, or is something far more sinister at play here?

This is a long running series I have been enjoying and while I don’t feel this is the strongest book in the series it is still a very well written and I found it to be a highly enjoyable British Police Procedural. A few of the main themes have been thoroughly explored in previous books so at times I felt a little like this book was a rehash of previous novels.

I think possibly if it had just been one theme I might have overlooked it, but Della, Wesley’s mother in law, was being a bit of a pain, and then Rachel and Wesley spent a night in a motel for work and came close – again – to crossing the professional line, and then add in a woman from Wesley’s long distant past caught up with him for lunch and his wife, Pam, misread the signals she saw all happening within the space of the one book really made me feel as if the author was somewhat padding out the story. I would have honestly much preferred to have had another link in the historical/archaeology excavations and Neil’s plotline rather than all three rehashed Wesley’s personal life storylines, had the word count been a little low and the author needed to add in a few extra chapters.

That said, I did honestly find the main murder mystery and the current day police investigation was quite well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists revolving around Grace – the very long distant friend/girlfriend of Wesley’s – and her re-meeting the dead ex-lover. I thought that aspect to the plot, along with the incarcerated Jackson Temples was very well paced, well written and deeply interesting. I also enjoyed how, as usual, the book itself can be fairly easily picked up with little or no previous knowledge of this cast of characters and this world and still highly enjoyed.

While not the strongest book in the series this is still an enjoyable British police procedural style of murder mystery, and I enjoyed it.

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