Guest Review: Past Lying By Val McDermid

Edinburgh, haunted by the ghosts of its many writers, is also the cold case beat of DCI Karen Pirie. So she shouldn't be surprised when an author's manuscript appears to be a blueprint for an actual crime.

Karen can't ignore the plot's chilling similarities to the unsolved case of an Edinburgh University student who vanished from her own doorstep. The manuscript seems to be the key to unlocking what happened to Lara Hardie, but there's a problem: the author died before he finished it.

As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiralling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist . . .

Review: This is the seventh, and latest, book in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series. It follows on chronologically from the previous books, so I would recommend reading the series in order. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Karen Pirie is head of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit (HCU) based in Edinburgh. The story is set mainly in April 2020, with Scotland, and the rest of the United Kingdom, in lockdown as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. During this time, people had to stay indoors, mixing only with people in their own “bubble”, and only being allowed outside for one hour’s exercise per day. Karen’s assistant, Detective Constable (DC) Jason Murray, is staying in his flat with his fiancée. Karen is joined in a separate “bubble” by a newcomer to the HCU, Detective Sergeant (DS) Daisy Mortimer.

With the country in lockdown there is little work for the Unit to do except going through some old files, until Jason receives a telephone call from a librarian on furlough from the National Library of Scotland. She explains that, prior to lockdown, she had been cataloguing the papers of a crime writer who had passed away suddenly. Amongst the papers was an unfinished manuscript detailing the abduction, murder and concealment of the body of a young woman by a writer in such a way that the finger of suspicion points at a fellow writer. The librarian believes that there are some uncanny similarities to the unsolved disappearance of an Edinburgh University student the previous year, especially due to the unusual medical condition suffered by the victim in the manuscript and the missing student. On receiving the report of this conversation, Karen Pirie decides that this should be investigated by the HCU. The book then follows the investigation as it grapples with the restrictions of lockdown and the ever pervading menace of Covid to try and bring answers to the missing student’s family.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the actress Lauren Lyle who played Karen Pirie in the television adaptation of the first book in the series. I found it to be as exciting as previous books in the series, although of necessity slower paced as Karen and her team journeyed through the eerily quiet streets of Edinburgh. There were plenty of twists in the plot, and the author wove skilfully the reality of the Covid pandemic and its effects on people’s lives into the story. As another absorbing entry into the Karen Pirie crime series, I would recommend this book.

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Guest Review: The Last Party By Clare Mackintosh

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests.

He's celebrating the success of his lakeside holiday homes, and has generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbours.

By midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year's Day, DC Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects.

She grew up in the tiny community, so the murder suspects are her neighbours, friends and family - and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn't who wanted Rhys dead . . . but who finally killed him.

Review: This is a crime thriller set around a lake through which the border between England and Wales runs. On the Welsh side of the lake is the village of Cwm Coed, and on the English side of the lake a new development of luxury holiday homes has been built. One of the local traditions of the village is a New Year‘s Day swim in the lake. The story opens when the start of the swim is interrupted when the body of a dead man floats into view. The deceased turns out to be Rhys Lloyd, a local man who found fame as an opera singer, moved away from the village, but came back to build the luxury lodges, one of which he uses as a holiday home. He was last seen alive at a New Year’s Eve party which he organised at the lodges.

Because it was not clear whether Rhys died on the English or Welsh side of the border, two detectives, Detective Constable (DC) Ffion Morgan of North Wales Police, who is also from Cwm Coed, and Detective Constable Leo Brady of Cheshire Constabulary are assigned to investigate his unexplained death. It turns out that there are suspicious circumstances, and the book follows detectives Morgan and Brady’s initially awkward relationship as they attempt to piece together the events that took place at the party.

The timeline of the story jumps around, with a lot of it told in flashback. Each chapter bears a title comprising the particular date, and in some cases the time of day, and the person from whose perspective the chapter is written. Although I found this confusing initially, I soon got into the swing of things and found that this style helped to move the story along at a good pace. It was also interesting to read, on a few occasions, the same sequence of events and conversations, but from two different persons’ perspectives.

The story is similar to an Agatha Christie whodunnit, in that it turns out that there are many people in the village and the holiday lodges who bear the deceased a grudge, so there is no shortage of suspects to investigate. The author, Clare Mackintosh, is a former Police Officer, so the descriptions of police procedures appear to be very accurate. There is also a lot of typical police officers’ dark humour, together with a number of phrases in Welsh. One minor criticism I did have was that the results of forensic tests came back from the laboratory extremely quickly and that the results, even on what appeared to be difficult material, were unequivocal. As a former forensic scientist, I found this too good to be true. However, this is a minor criticism and overall I found this book to be an exciting crime thriller as the two police officers tried to unravel the tangled web of intrigue.

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Guest Review: Date with Evil by Julia Chapman

Evil is stalking the streets of Bruncliffe . . .

From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe’s Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases.

But with Samson O’Brien still in London helping the Met Police clear his name, and the newly appointed member of the investigations team, Ida Capstick, distracted by her brother George’s insistence that their farm is haunted, Delilah Metcalfe is struggling to meet the mounting demands for the agency’s services.

So when the mother of a local estate agent arrives at the offices insisting her son is missing, Delilah is relieved to have Samson return to help.

Little do the detective duo know that several of their cases are about to collide, as what appears to be a simple matter of identifying the whereabouts of the missing man becomes something far more sinister.

Something that will finally expose the network of evil which has been infiltrating the Dales town over the past decade, and in doing so place Delilah in the utmost danger.

Review: This is the eighth book in the Dales Detective series of books by Julia Chapman. The stories are all set in the Yorkshire Dales, in and around the fictional town of Bruncliffe. They feature the activities of detective Samson O’Brien and his business partner Delilah Metcalfe, who also runs the Dales Dating Agency. There is an ongoing storyline running through the series, but each book can still be read as a stand-alone. However, they do make a great story if read in sequence. This book also features a map of Bruncliffe at the beginning, which makes a great reference point while reading the text. In common with the rest of the books in the series, this one has an eye-catching cover featuring a scene connected with the story within.

The story picks up where the previous one in the series, Date with Betrayal, ended. Both the detective agency and the dating agency have more than enough business, and they are in dire need of some extra staff. Friend and cleaner Ida Capstick has stepped up to the mark and is showing herself to be a budding detective. However, she is worried about her brother, George, who is acting strangely, even for him. One of their new cases involves the disappearance of a young local estate agent - did he go of his own accord or is there something more sinister going on? When Delilah realises that most of their cases are in fact linked, the detectives begin to worry that their peaceful little town may be a hub for something serious, even downright dangerous.

It was so good to be back in the lives of Samson and Delilah, and, of course, Tolpuddle the Weimaraner. This story was filled with danger and intrigue, offset by witty interludes, mainly from the elderly residents of the local care home. There was also the promise that, after some false starts, romance may just be blossoming for the detective duo. The story deals in part with the very serious issue of human trafficking, something that is all too present, even in apparently isolated locations such as Bruncliffe. I was pleased to find that the great sense of community was still present in the town, everyone pulling together when it mattered. I can recommend this book and the series to other readers who enjoy a mystery and I am already looking forward to the next title.

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Guest Review: Miles Away By N J Edmunds

What you know can kill you - or make you kill.

Set in 1970s Scotland, Miles Away is the story of Dacre, whose early life has been disturbed by phobias which now threaten his first relationship.

Dacre searches for the cause of his phobias, but the loss of a friend who found it all too much makes him understand the risks he is taking by exploring his subconscious. Shocking family secrets are exhumed, amongst them his own repressed memories of gruesome murders - crimes that remain unsolved and apparently unconnected.

Review: This is the debut novel of the author and is a psychological crime thriller set in 1970s Scotland. It follows the main protagonist Gordon Dacre as he leaves school and settles into his first few years at Aberdeen University, although there are flashbacks to his childhood and early schooldays.

The author is a retired doctor with an interest in psychology. Hence, there is a strong emphasis in the book on Gordon’s phobias and the use of hypnotherapy. The story moves at a fast pace as he tries to come to terms with his phobias and find explanations for his strange dreams involving a series of apparently unrelated murders. However, I did find the ending a little rushed as the various strands came together.

The settings, mainly Aberdeen and Edinburgh, were well described, and being familiar with several of them, I could picture myself in the middle of the action. The problems of communication between the different Police Force areas in Scotland in the 1970s, prior to the general adoption of a national computerised record system, are also well set out. I should add a care warning that some of the descriptions of the murders are very gruesome. Overall, I found this an interesting crime thriller with many twists that kept me guessing as to the final outcome.

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Guest Review: Broken Ground By Val McDermid

'Somebody has been here before us. And he's still here . . .'

When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems.

It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the centre of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own . . .

Review: This is the fifth book in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series. It can be read as a standalone, but it does follow on from events in the previous books, so I would recommend reading the series in order. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Karen Pirie is head of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit based in Edinburgh. In this book, she and her assistant, Detective Constable (DC) Jason Murray, are joined by a newcomer to the unit, Detective Sergeant (DS) Gerry McCartney.

There are three strands to the book. At the outset, in 2018, Karen and her team are trying to track down the owner of a Rover car that they believe was involved in a series of unsolved rapes. Also at this time, whilst having a break in a café, Karen overhears a conversation between two women that she fears could lead to domestic violence. However, the main strand of the book relates to the recovery of a pair of motorcycles that were “liberated” towards the end of the Second World War by two soldiers who were involved in training agents for clandestine operations behind enemy lines at a training centre in the Scottish Highlands. Since the motorcycles were surplus to the Army’s requirements, the soldiers were ordered to destroy them but, instead, decided to bury them in a peat bog and come back to recover them after the end of the War. Circumstances prevented them from returning to the burial site and, 74 years later, the granddaughter of one of the men located the site in Wester Ross and started to dig up the bikes. To her surprise and shock, buried alongside the bikes was a well-preserved male body with gunshot wounds and wearing clothing that clearly did not date from 1944, but more probably from the 1990s. The book follows Karen and her team’s efforts to solve the murder of the body in the peat bog, as well as their attempts to track down the driver of the Rover linked to the historic sexual assaults.

As in Val McDermid’s previous books, I found this to be fast-paced. It is set mainly in Edinburgh and the North West of Scotland. The locations are very well described, such that the reader or listener (I listened to the audiobook) can picture themselves in the middle of the action. The famous pies from the shop in Lochinver are even described, and having eaten several of them, I can recommend these also. I liked the way the chapters of the book jumped between the different time periods and places, which helped to move the story along at a good pace. There is more detail about DCI Pirie’s personal life and we also discover the office politics of Police Scotland. There is a lot of strong language in the book, so caution should be exercised. I did find that the book ended quite suddenly, and would have liked to have found out more about how the loose ends were tidied up. Overall, however, I found this to be another exciting addition to the Karen Pirie series and would recommend it to all crime fiction lovers.

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Guest Review: Out of Bounds By Val McDermid

'There are lots of things that ran in families, but murder wasn't one of them . . .'

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself.

Meanwhile Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kinds of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . . .

Review: This is the fourth book, published in 2016, in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series. It can be read as a standalone, but it does follow on from the third book, so I would recommend reading the series in order. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Karen Pirie, head of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit based in Edinburgh, is recovering from a tragic event. The story begins in 2016, when the results of analysis of a blood sample from the teenage driver of a vehicle involved in a serious accident shows what forensic scientists refer to as a familial match to a sample from an undetected rape and murder of a young woman in Glasgow 20 years earlier. This means that the person from whom the material originated was an older, close relative of the driver. This new lead in the cold case gives Karen Pirie and her assistant, Detective Constable (DC) Jason Murray, an opportunity to revisit the original investigation. At around the same time as the road traffic accident, a man is found dead from a gunshot wound in Kinross. It is unclear whether this was a suicide, or something more suspicious. However, when Karen discovers that the man’s mother was among a group of victims murdered by an explosive device 22 years earlier, she takes it upon herself to investigate these two incidents. At the time, in 1994, the explosion was thought to be the work of an Irish terrorist group. However, nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, no arrests were made and the case remained officially undetected. Karen argues that this means that investigation of the explosion falls within her remit, and also that the death of the woman’s son is somehow linked.

The book follows Karen and Jason as they try to unravel the two historic crimes, while also attempting to delve further into the current potential crime. I found it to be fast-paced, with many twists. It is set mainly in Scotland, in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Kinross, and also in London. As in her previous books, I found that the forensic science aspects of the plot were well researched. In addition, Val McDermid is adept at describing locations, and having actually eaten in one of the cafes mentioned in the book, I could picture myself in some of the locations. It was also interesting to discover some of the nuances of the Scottish legal system. In this book, we discover a more vulnerable side to DCI Pirie, but this does not detract from the usual determined manner in which she pursues her investigations. I should add a care warning that there is a lot of strong language in the book. I listened to the audiobook version and, again, thought that the narrator, Cathleen McCarron, brought it to life with her varied voice characterisations.

I enjoyed following the thrilling story as the detectives tried to unravel the various lines of investigation. However, I do have one minor quibble. At the end of the book, it is implied that Karen Pirie has solved the 1996 Glasgow murder case. Indeed, she discusses with an advocate the means of obtaining the evidence that will provide the final piece in the jigsaw. However, I do not believe that the book states explicitly that this has been achieved. Notwithstanding this minor glitch, this book should appeal to anyone interested in crime fiction, and is another excellent addition to the Karen Pirie series.

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Guest Review: Date With Betrayal by Julia Chapman

In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, Date with Betrayal, betrayal is rife in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales as Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. Can Bruncliffe save him? 

Death is coming to Bruncliffe: its target is Samson O’Brien.

Oblivious to his impending date with fate, Samson is busy juggling a number of cases at the Dales Detective Agency. Too busy, in fact, to notice his partner behaving oddly.

Because Delilah Metcalfe knows what is coming. A hitman. Sent from London with one objective: to finally silence the troublesome O’Brien before his corruption case can make it to court.

With Samson’s life in peril, and betrayal around every corner, Delilah has no choice but to call in favours from all of her Bruncliffe connections in order to counteract the menace threatening to engulf the Dales town.

The only trouble is the townsfolk have long memories and deep grievances when it comes to Samson O’Brien. Trust must be earned and they will take some convincing before they put themselves in danger in order to save him.

And even then, it might not prove enough . . .

Review: This is the seventh book in the Dales Detective Series set in the glorious Yorkshire Dales and featuring suspended police officer Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe who runs the local dating agency. The pair share offices in the town of Bruncliffe where they investigate cases referred to the Dales Detective Agency, ably assisted by Delilah’s faithful Weimaraner Tolpuddle. At the beginning of the book, the author has helpfully included a map of Bruncliffe showing places that feature in these stories. Although this is a series, each book can be read as a standalone, but I have enjoyed reading each one in order as they have been released. I have, in fact, listened to the audiobook in most cases, and always enjoy the narration from Elizabeth Bower.

There has been a thread running through each book connected with Samson’s suspension from the police force and his impending corruption case, suggesting that someone doesn’t want him giving evidence in court. All this comes to a head in this story, when Delilah is tipped off that a hitman is on his way to kill Samson. She decides to take matters into her own hands and rally the townspeople to protect the detective while he is completely oblivious and hard at work on other cases. The only problem for Delilah is that there is some ill feeling against Samson connected with the way in which he left the town many years ago. Somehow, she must find a way to convince people to help her. In the end, help in this matter comes from an unexpected source and an elaborate chain of events is established to identify and deal with the hitman when he turns up. Will this be enough to save Samson from this unknown assassin?

I have loved all of the stories in the Dales Detective Series, but I would have to say that I consider this the best so far. The tension kept me on the edge of my seat while some of the antics of the townspeople had me laughing out loud. What skilled writing to combine the comedy with the drama in this way. As always, I have enjoyed meeting the recurring characters in this series. They are the usual mix that you might typically find in a small town in the Yorkshire Dales, with their dry humour and no-nonsense approach to life. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series; there are hints here as to what Samson and Delilah will be investigating next.

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Guest Review: The Distant Echo By Val McDermid

The first novel in the bestselling Karen Pirie series

The award-winning Number One bestseller and Queen of crime fiction Val McDermid carves out a stunning psychological thriller. The past is behind them, but what’s still to come will tear them apart…

Some things just won’t let go.

The past, for instance.

That night in the cemetery.

The girl’s body in the snow.

On a freezing Fife morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in an ancient Pictish cemetery. And the only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood.

Twenty-five years later the police mount a ‘cold case’ review of Rosie’s unsolved murder and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice. For the remaining two there is only one way to avoid becoming the next victim – find out who really killed Rosie all those years ago…

Review: This is the first book in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series, although she doesn’t appear in the story until well into the book. Detective Constable (DC) Karen Pirie works in Fife Constabulary’s cold case revue team based in Glenrothes (the story is set prior to the merger of Scotland’s eight regional forces to form Police Scotland). Much of the book is set in the town of St Andrews, home to Scotland’s oldest university, but some of the action occurs in the USA.

The story begins in December 1978 when four St Andrews University students, on their way back to their hall of residence in the small hours of the morning after a night on the town, stumble across a young woman lying in the snow dying from a stab wound. Unable to save the woman, the four young men find that the finger of suspicion points at them as the suspects in her murder. With very little physical evidence to go on, no arrests are made and the police enquiry is eventually wound down. However, 25 years later, Fife Constabulary announces that a cold case review will take place, and it is allocated to Karen Pirie. The hope is that advances in forensic science during the intervening period will allow tests with more discriminatory power to be carried out on old material from the case.

The narrative concentrates mainly on the four students and their later careers. At the time, they felt that they were treated as suspects, rather than witnesses, and this affected their lives. The story moves at a fast pace and there are many twists to the plot. I particularly enjoyed the forensic aspects of the book, which I thought were well researched. Val McDermid is adept at describing locations, and being familiar with several of them, I was able to place myself in the middle of the action. I listened to the audiobook version and thought that the narrator did a good job voicing the different characters and their accents.

I found this to be an exciting crime thriller with many twists and turns to keep the listener, or reader, guessing. Although Karen Pirie does not feature prominently in this book and her character is not developed strongly, it lays the foundation for further books in the series. I should add a care warning that there is a lot of strong language and descriptions of violence in the book. In addition, although the books in this series can be read as stand-alones, I would strongly recommend that you read this one before the second one in the series “A Darker Domain”, since the second book gives away the outcome of the first.

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Guest Review: The Skeleton Road By Val McDermid

When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a dark world of intrigue and betrayal.

Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge -- but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined . . .

An atmospheric, chilling mystery from the number one bestseller.

Review: This is the third book in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series by the author, but it can be read as a standalone. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Karen Pirie is head of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit based in Edinburgh. The story begins in 2014 when a human skeleton is discovered hidden on the roof of a derelict building in Edinburgh. Given the age of the remains, and the suspicious circumstances, Karen Pirie and her assistant, Detective Constable (DC) Jason Murray, are called in to investigate. There is a second strand to the book that relates to the aftermath of the conflicts in the Balkans during the 1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Two officials from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia are attempting to find out who is systematically assassinating suspected war criminals from the region before they can be brought to justice.

The book is set mainly in Scotland, Oxford and Croatia. I found the story to be fast-paced, with several twists. It was also interesting to hear about the history of the different republics of the former Yugoslavia as they sought independence as separate countries in their own right. Val McDermid is very good at describing locations, and having visited some of those mentioned in the book myself, I could feel that I was actually present. I like the down to earth character of DCI Pirie and admire the determined manner in which she pursues her investigations. I should add a care warning that there is a lot of strong language in the book and some descriptions of graphic violence. I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the varied accents employed by the narrator, although she struggled with some of the more esoteric ones.

I enjoyed listening to this thrilling story as the detectives pursued their investigations doggedly, building up to the climax. It should appeal to anyone interested in crime fiction, and is another excellent addition to the Karen Pirie series.

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Guest Review: A Darker Domain By Val McDermid

Twenty-five years ago, a woman and her baby son were kidnapped and held to ransom. Catriona Grant ended up dead and little Adam's fate has remained a mystery ever since.

When a new clue is discovered in a deserted Tuscan villa – along with grisly evidence of a recent murder – cold case expert DI Karen Pirie is assigned to follow the trail.

She's already working a case from the same year. During the Miners' Strike of 1984, pit worker Mick Prentice vanished. Where did he really go? And is there a link to the Grant mystery?

The truth is stranger – and far darker – than fiction.

Review: This is the second book in the Karen Pirie crime thriller series, but it can be read as a standalone. Detective Inspector Pirie is head of Fife Constabulary’s cold case revue team (the story is set prior to the merger of Scotland’s eight regional forces to form Police Scotland). Much of the book is set in Fife, Scotland, but some of the action occurs in Tuscany in Italy.

The story begins in 2007, when a woman walks into Karen Pirie’s office to report that her father, a coal miner, went missing twenty-two and a half years earlier in 1984. This was during the year-long national miners’ strike of 1984-1985, and it was believed he had joined a small group of miners who had gone south to work as “scabs” in the Nottinghamshire coalfield. She is keen to contact her father since she now has a child of her own who needs a bone marrow transplant and has exhausted all other close family members as potential donors. Given the elapse of such a long period of time, Karen decides to take on this case unofficially. Shortly afterwards, her superior allocates her another case. At around the same time that the miner went missing, Catriona Grant, the daughter of a rich businessman, and her baby son were kidnapped. A ransom was arranged, but the handover was botched and in the ensuing confusion, Catriona was fatally shot. The baby was never found but, years later, an investigative journalist stumbled across a possible clue to the kidnapping in a deserted villa in Tuscany. She brought this to Catriona’s father’s attention, who then contacted the police with a request that they try to track down the missing boy.

The story follows Karen and her team as they investigate these two cases. The narrative jumps between different locations, between the two time periods and between the two different strands. At first, it took me a while to get used to this, but once I had settled into the story, I found that this style helped things move along at a fast pace, and it helped that when a character was explaining something in 2007, the narrative jumped back to the 1980s to describe the events as they happened. Val McDermid is very good at describing locations such that I was able to picture myself in some of the Fife towns and villages in which the book is set. She is also not shy about giving voice to her political views, and it was interesting to hear about the Scottish perspective of the miners’ strike and the resulting conflicts and hardship within the mining communities. I also enjoyed the forensic aspects of the book, which are key to the plot and which I thought were well researched. I listened to the audiobook version and found one or two strange pronunciations of place and people’s names. If you have a keen ear for accents, you may wish that the narrator, a Scottish actress, had more of a Fife accent to give greater authenticity to the story.

Overall, I found this to be a thrilling and exciting book, with many twists and turns to keep the listener, or reader, guessing. I managed to spot some, but not all of the clues that were drip fed as the story developed and I found DI Pirie to be a very interesting character.

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Guest Review: Cuthbert’s Way by LJ Ross

A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS...

After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert’s cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake―far from being over, their problems are only just beginning…

Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen―something that can never be replaced. 

As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair―until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what’s been lost, he must first crack ‘Cuthbert’s Code’, following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands. 

Can Ryan find what he’s looking for, before it’s too late? 

He’s going to need a miracle…

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

Review: This book is number 17 in the DCI Ryan Mysteries Series by LJ Ross. These stories are all set in north east England and follow the investigations of DCI Ryan and his team from Northumbria CID. All can be read as standalone stories, but there are frequent references to previous cases, usually well explained, as well as a host of recurring characters. I have been following this series from book 1, and was particularly looking forward to this book, since the last story (The Shrine) concluded with the suggestion of more to come.

This story follows on from The Shrine, in which the team had to trace an artefact stolen from Durham Cathedral, apparently during the confusion caused by an explosion. Not to give any spoilers, I will just say that in that case the team were not happy with the outcome of their investigations and the perpetrator was still a mystery. In the present book, investigations into the murder of a monk suggest that said perpetrator has appeared once more. This case, as before, has a connection with St Cuthbert, a medieval saint associated with Northumbria. When the murderer strikes far to close to home, Ryan finds himself delving into the history books to try to solve a riddle before it’s too late.

I have enjoyed this latest story in the DCI Ryan series. There was quite a complex mystery for the detective and his team to work out and the price of failure would have been too high for Ryan and his friends. Their investigations had them travelling the country in search of clues. I like that the author includes details of the family lives of Ryan and his team members in these stories; it makes them seem more realistic and human. I am looking forward to the next mystery in this series.

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Guest Review: Date With Deceit by Julia Chapman

Julia Chapman’s sixth Dales Detective Agency novel, Date with Deceit, sees Delilah going undercover at a shoot involving dangerous criminals. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton.

A woman in tears in the Dales Detective Agency is never the best way to start the week. But when that woman is the wife of Bernard Taylor, town mayor and eminent businessman, there is even more cause for alarm. So when Nancy Taylor asks the detectives to investigate whether her husband is having an affair, Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe know they will have to tread carefully.

The case, however, proves to be more complex than even they had imagined. While Delilah is undercover at a local shoot to better keep tabs on the errant husband, she is on the scene for a fatal incident that sends the town into turmoil. Soon the detective duo are embroiled in a far more serious investigation than mere infidelity as they discover that deceit is rife in Bruncliffe. And it may well prove deadly . . .

Review: This is the sixth book in the Dales Detective Series by Julia Chapman. All these books are set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in and around the town of Bruncliffe, and feature Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, and Delilah Metcalfe, owner of the Dales Dating Agency, who frequently work together to solve cases. I have been a fan of these books since the very first one and always look forward to the next as soon as I finish the current story. The attractive covers of these books always give a flavour of the story that lies within, this one being no exception. As usual with a series, there are many recurring characters and references to previous events in these books, but each could be read as a standalone.

This particular story begins with the wife of the Bruncliffe mayor asking Samson to look into the comings and goings of her husband, who she suspects may be having an affair. However, such a seemingly simple request leads both Samson and Delilah into a very dangerous case. The mayor is involved in something far more sinister than his wife suspects, in partnership with local property developer Rick Procter and some very dangerous people from further afield. When a fatality occurs at a local shoot, the detectives become involved in the investigation. Was it accident, suicide or murder? Some very clever sleuthing is required if innocent people suspected of involvement in the death are to be cleared.

This was a very enjoyable book that kept me guessing all the way through. I can certainly recommend it, and indeed the whole series, to readers who enjoy a mystery in a picturesque setting. Here, the main storyline is accompanied by many incidents involving other residents of Bruncliffe who will be familiar to fans of the series and of course Tolpuddle, Delilah’s faithful Weimaraner, adding extra interest and often a touch of comedy. It is good to see that Delilah’s dating agency is doing well, but not at all encouraging that Samson’s past seems to be catching up with him. Just when I thought that everything was nicely tied up, and there may even be romance in the air, the book ended on a cliffhanger - skilful writing, but now I’m itching to find out what happens in book 7!

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Guest Review: A Fatal Affair by Faith Martin

She was dressed in a long white gown, embroidered with tiny flowers. Her body was wrapped in colourful ribbons that floated in the breeze. But underneath the swathe of golden hair, a string of darkly smudged bruises ringed her neck.

As May Day dawns in the peaceful village of Middle Fenton, a young woman is found brutally strangled, her body tied up with ribbons in the middle of the green. A week later, her boyfriend is found hanged in a local barn, and the police assume guilt over murdering his beloved has driven him to suicide – but not everyone is convinced.

WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder are sent to investigate, and quickly realise that there’s a double murderer on the loose.

 

But the killer has already shown willingness to remove anyone who threatens to discover their identity… As Trudy and Clement circle in on the culprit, can they crack the case before they too come to a nasty end?

Review: This is the sixth book in the Ryder and Loveday series from Faith Martin. These stories tell of the investigations carried out by Oxford city coroner Dr Clement Ryder with the assistance of WPC Trudy Loveday, a young police officer in the early days of her career. All the books are set in the early 1960s in Oxford and surrounding villages. They can all be read as standalone stories.

In this case, Dr Ryder and Trudy are called in after a young village girl is found murdered early on May Day and her boyfriend is found hanged at a local farm a few days afterwards. The boy in question is the son of a high-ranking police officer who is keen to clear his son of suspicion of murdering the girl and then committing suicide. The coroner, ably assisted by the WPC, digs into activities in the village, turning up quite a few surprises and many possibilities for what may have happened to the girl and the young man. After many twists and turns, the story reaches a thrilling climax as the chain of events finally becomes clear.

Having read and enjoyed all of the books in this series so far, I sat down looking forward to another story filled with mystery and intrigue. I was not disappointed. As so often before, I found myself quite unable to guess at the outcome of the investigation; there were suspects aplenty and Faith Martin led me down many a blind alley before the truth was revealed in truly dramatic fashion. The characters that the sleuthing duo met along the way were so skilfully described that I felt I knew each one, but then, which were passionate about family or others in their lives and which really evil? I can thoroughly recommend this book to lovers of thrilling mystery stories. I am enjoying the pairing of the coroner and the young police officer and hope that there may be more books to come in this series.

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Guest Review: A Fatal Truth by Faith Martin

As the Hughes family celebrate bonfire night, a terrible accident leaves the garden shed in flames – and father and grandfather Thomas trapped inside.

 

Tragic though it is, Thomas’s death passes without suspicion – until a local journalist makes accusations of a police cover-up in the press. WPC Trudy Loveday is sent to investigate, and asks coroner Clement Ryder to help.

 

But the more questions the two ask the less clear the case seems. There’s no evidence of foul play, and yet the dead man’s family are obviously hiding something. Then there are Thomas’s dubious business practices – was someone out for revenge?

 

All Trudy and Clement know for sure is that everyone is lying – and that they must find the truth…

 

Review: This book is the fifth in the mystery series by Faith Martin in which city coroner Dr Clement Ryder and WPC Trudy Loveday join forces in investigating suspicious deaths. The stories are set in the Oxford area in the 1960s, when female police officers were less common than they are in the present day, and were often treated more like secretaries than investigative officers. Trudy Loveday therefore considered herself privileged to be able to work in the field with the coroner. I am enjoying witnessing their growing friendship with each successful case, despite the differences in age and background between them.

In this case, the pair are called upon to investigate the death of an elderly man on bonfire night, when the garden shed in which he is working goes up in flames. His death would have been dismissed as a tragic accident, but a local newspaper reporter casts doubt upon the veracity of the police investigation, prompting calls for a more in-depth study. Since the victim was a ruthless business man who has made many enemies over the years, there is no lack of motive for murder, but also no clear suspects. The family, too, appear to have no great love for the man. As the reporter becomes more persistent in his allegations, Dr Ryder and Trudy begin to wonder just what is behind his apparent dislike of one of the man’s sons in particular. Although they are sure that something is being hidden from them, they are frustrated at how difficult it is to discover what that is.

I have read all of the books in this series and have enjoyed every one of them, this one being no exception. Every time I sit down to read one, I think that I may be able to spot the perpetrator before the end, but the plots are so skilfully engineered that I fail every time. This is surely the sign of a good mystery writer. The present story was slightly different from the others that I have read so far; I can’t reveal more than that without giving out spoilers. I, personally, liked the way in which this investigation ended. I would recommend this book, and the others in the series, to fans of cosy crime - I’m sure they would not be disappointed. I hope there will be many more books in this series.

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Guest Review: A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin

Oxford, 1961

A family day out at Briar’s Hall ends in tragedy when a young boy goes missing – and his body is found at the bottom of a disused well in the orchard.

It looks like a simple case of an eleven-year-old exploring where he shouldn’t: a tragic accident. But Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday aren’t convinced. If Eddie had been climbing and fallen, why were there no cuts or dirt on his hands? Why would a boy terrified of heights be around a well at all?

Clement and Trudy are determined to get to the truth, but the more they dig into Briar’s Hall and the mysterious de Lacey family who live there, the murkier things become.

Could it be that poor Eddie’s death was murder? There are rumours of blackmail in the village, and Clement and Trudy have a horrible feeling that Eddie stumbled on a secret that someone was willing to kill for…

Review: This is book 4 in the Ryder and Loveday series of murder mysteries from Faith Martin. The books feature cases in which Oxford city coroner Dr Clement Ryder and WPC Trudy Loveday work together to investigate deaths of uncertain causes. I have been working through the stories in order and enjoying seeing the pair succeed in getting to the bottom of several investigations. Each book is set in the Oxford area in the 1960s. Although each is part of a series, the books can all be read as standalones.

In this story, Dr Ryder and Trudy join forces to investigate the suspicious death of a young boy who has been found dead in an old well during an Easter egg hunt. Their investigations lead them into the world of a wealthy local family who own the impressive house and grounds where the egg hunt took place. They also question servants and groundsmen at the house as well as the boy’s family and local villagers as they try to piece together the sequence of events and everyone’s movements on the afternoon the boy died. It seems that key to the investigation is the daughter of the house, who was best friends with the boy. The investigators begin to wonder whether something that the children have discovered might have led to his death, perhaps a secret that would have been disastrous for the family had it been revealed, a secret that might lead even them into danger.

Once again, Faith Martin has presented the reader with a wonderful mystery, brimming with interesting characters and situations. I thought some of the characters were very dark, giving a definite feeling of danger throughout the book. When it became apparent what was behind all the secrecy, I was as surprised as the investigators, but even more so by the twist at the end. In addition to the secret involved in the case, Dr Ryder is still trying to keep his failing health hidden from everyone else, but Trudy is becoming more and more suspicious. I would recommend this entire series to other readers who enjoy a thrilling mystery and am looking forward to Ryder and Loveday’s next case.

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Guest Review: A Fatal Flaw by Faith Martin

Oxford, 1960

As the city of Oxford prepares itself for the inaugural Miss Oxford Honey Beauty Pageant at The Old Swan Theatre, excitement is in the air.

Then, tragedy strikes the competition when one of the leading contestants is found dead.

Initially, the authorities assume her death was suicide. But after a malicious series of pranks and blackmail attempts are reported, WPC Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder are called upon to solve the case.

In an atmosphere of fierce competition, the list of suspects is endless. Could what have started as harmless fun become a deadly race to win the prize?

With time running out, the duo need to spot the killer before tragedy strikes again…

Review: This is book 3 in a series of murder mysteries in which Oxford city coroner Clement Ryder joins forces with WPC Trudy Loveday to investigate cases of suspicious death. The books are all set in and around Oxford in 1960s, and all the stories can be read as standalones.

In this case, the duo becomes involved with the mysterious death of one of the contestants in a beauty pageant being run by a local business man. At the inquest, the jury records an open verdict, allowing Dr Ryder and Trudy to pursue their investigations into what could have been a suicide or a murder. At the same time, there is a series of incidents in the theatre where the pageant is to take place, increasing suspicion that this could be a case of foul play. The pair of investigators are drawn into the world of beauty and fashion as they take undercover roles in the pageant and come to understand what a dangerous case this is.

I really enjoyed this mystery. There were so many twists and turns to the story that I was unsure whether they would ever manage to unearth the truth before somebody else was murdered, and, indeed, whether Dr Ryder or Trudy might come to harm. The clues to the identity of the perpetrator were set out so skilfully that I couldn’t decide who it might be. Definitely a good ‘whodunnit’. I am enjoying this series and watching as the professional and personal relationship between the police constable and the coroner develops. Dr Ryder pays Trudy the respect that is lacking in her colleagues in the police force. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

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Guest Review: A Fatal Mistake by Faith Martin

Summer 1960, Oxford

In the glorious sunshine of Oxford, on a day when everyone should be celebrating, tragedy strikes when a university student is found floating in the river, dead.

Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday finds herself paired with coroner Clement Ryder to investigate and it soon becomes clear that this case is not going to be easy.

The witnesses all refuse to give a straight answer, each new lead sends them in a new direction and tales of other missing youngsters add further mystery to the investigation.

One thing is certain though, something doesn’t seem quite right about the university’s most popular student….

Review: This is book 2 in the Ryder and Loveday series by this author, in which Oxford coroner Clement Ryder joins forces with probationary WPC Trudy Loveday to investigate suspicious deaths. The books are set in the 1960s, when the role of women in the British police force was very different from what it is in present times. Although this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

In this story, the coroner suspects that the drowning of a university student that appears to be a tragic accident could be far from that. When the inquest ends with an open verdict, Dr Ryder jumps at the chance to investigate further, and again requests the help of Trudy Loveday. As they delve into the evidence presented by people acquainted with the dead man and anyone in the area at the time the body was discovered, a picture of the victim emerges. Possible connections between him and both a missing girl and another girl who committed suicide come to light. What they uncover is shocking to everyone involved.

I thought this was another excellent mystery in this series of books. The writer wove quite a web for the reader to attempt to untangle, with many red herrings along the way. There is quite a cast of characters, many of whom seem to have had cause to murder the victim, and many of whom are extremely unlikable. It was nice to see the relationship between Ryder and Trudy developing beyond professional towards friendship and to see Trudy gaining more confidence. I shall certainly be looking out for the next book in this series.

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