Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

November 2, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Publisher: Head Of Zeus Ltd
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called “Lost Camp” of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism.

Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets.

Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case…only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.

Corrie Swanson is a newly minted Special Agent. Eager to move forward from re-visiting cold cases, she is undeterred when her first case is the murder of a low-level criminal hired to dig up a long-interred grave. Corrie finds a number of circumstantial links to other similar cases and a tenuous link to one common ancestor – Albert Parkin. Parkin was one of those who died on the infamous Donner Party and Dr. Nora Kelly has just begun a search and excavation of the Lost Camp, the third and final resting place of that long ago Party. Past and present collide as Nora and Corrie discover long-buried secrets.

I have been a huge Preston & Child fan for many years, but I really especially enjoyed this book. I have a particular soft spot for Corrie’s character and she’s hands down one of my favourites. I also really enjoy Nora and am pretty much guaranteed to read anything related to these two – together or apart. That said I feel this is the perfect entry-way book for a number of reasons. Readers who have never read anything by Preston & Child can easily pick this up and enjoy it. This is the first book featuring Nora and Corrie and thus has no real connotation of back story or previous installments. The book very carefully explains how both Nora and Corrie end up at the same place – the Lost Camp of the Donner Party – and what they’re looking for. This is easily a book that can be picked up just by itself and thoroughly enjoyed on its own merits.

I loved the plotline – two seemingly separate stories that slowly wind together until it’s clear they’re both a part of the same whole. And I really enjoyed how both Nora and Corrie were two quite different characters and each coming from different positions yet could try to find some common ground and learn to respect each other. The whole story – both their characters and the plotlines – felt natural and well woven, and most importantly of all enjoyable. Add in there were a bunch of elements that just always make a good story – hidden gold, the history behind a failed journey, cannibalism and archaeology along with modern day grave robbing and murder. What on earth is not to like?

This is a fun book which I found to be a lovely blend of mystery, adventure and high stakes this is an exceptional book and well worth the time. I can’t wait for the next one.

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Dead Level by Damien Boyd

October 28, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Dead Level by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the wife of parliamentary candidate Tom Perry is brutally murdered in an apparent burglary gone wrong.

With the by-election campaign about to start in earnest, and the festive season in full swing, torrential rain brings with it flood warnings on the Somerset Levels.

Suspended on full pay and transferred to the cold case unit, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon is languishing on the sidelines as the investigation into Elizabeth Perry’s murder unravels and the floodwaters rise.

Returning to duty, Dixon is convinced that the answer lies hidden in Tom Perry’s political life, but why was Elizabeth the target and not her husband? The more Dixon uncovers, the further he is from finding the truth…

DI Nick Dixon is suspended on full pay while a disciplinary action is investigated against him. Working temporarily in the cold case unit he’s grateful just to be kept busy. But when a local parliamentary candidate’s wife is murdered DI Dixon soon finds himself back in action and investigating quite a murky case.

This next installment of the Nick Dixon mystery series is a far longer book than the previous offerings. I enjoyed the fact the plot was equally a fair bit more convoluted and there were a few more moving parts than I recall there being in the previous books. I was surprised that for much of the first quarter or so of the story Nick was suspended and so it was his girlfriend and colleague Jane, and another DI, Janice, who worked the main murder mystery case. While I did enjoy this very different aspect to the story, I wondered a few times what other readers might think of the focus of the story being very much not on Nick as the main character, but very much sitting idly by and not really involved at all.

I was also a bit surprised that Nick’s cold case really took a back seat once he was reinstated and immediately took over the murder of the politician’s wife. At no stage did I think Nick had forgotten about it or that he wouldn’t return to it, but there was a large section of the book where it clearly wasn’t his focus and while I understood this it also didn’t feel very good to me.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this strong police procedural story. I enjoyed seeing a few more characters and actually hope to see more of the other DI Janice in later books. The pace of this story is fairly slow – readers looking for a heavily action orientated style of novel won’t find that here – but for more classic British style who-dun-it and police mystery novels should really find this a well written and exceptionally well plotted story. I was also pretty happy that the book stood very well on its own. I don’t believe any of the prior novels in this series need to be read to really enjoy this book.

An interesting and well plotted murder mystery, this is a great book, and I am eager to read the next.

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Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch

October 27, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Peter Grant looks look your average London police officer, but he is actually a part-time wizard in a very elite branch of the Metropolitan Police. It’s his job to investigate those crimes that regular cops don’t like to talk about because they often involve vampires or strange things in Underground tunnels. Peter’s latest case features a self-driving killer automobile, a Serbian refugee, the Most Haunted Car in England, a handsome drug dealer with a nice paisley scarf and a seemingly harmless wooden bench with a dark past! Collecting the sell-out smash mini-series, Rivers of London: Body Work!

Constable Peter Grant is nearing the end of his probationary period and is excited to see what his next steps will be in the Metropolitan Police Service. Only he finds himself taking a witness statement from a ghost and all too soon his career takes a sharp sideways turn. Peter discovers there are all manner of paranormal beings out there, and plenty of them call London home.

It has been quite some time since I have been really excited by a paranormal story and this book was absolutely exceptional. I really enjoyed the light, easy to read voice of the author – and of Peter himself – and found the whole story very “moreish” in that I kept on wanting to read just a little bit more, then a bit more after that. There are a bunch of interweaving characters and while the plot seems to meander a fair bit even that I can find acceptable because Peter is entirely new to this world and so everything wasn’t making complete sense to him yet either. There isn’t a lot of cohesion to everything, but I feel this mimics how unusual everything appears to Peter as well.

That said, I found this a very easy to read book and while everything appears scattered at first the tone and overall feel to the whole book – and the new paranormal world opening up to Peter – was so interesting and enjoyable I didn’t think twice about slowing down or stopping. I was again very happy to discover this is the first in a decently sized series and I had already purchased the second story when I was barely halfway through this one.

Readers who like a good police/mystery novel should definitely find this appealing. I also think paranormal readers should be very happy with this book. Readers who don’t mind a bit of humour in their stories – or a lighter take on the various paranormal creatures out there – should definitely feel the style of this novel suits their tastes too.

A brilliant first book and a new-to-me author which I am very happy to add to my collection. Recommended.

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A Room Full Of Bones by Elly Griffiths

October 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment


A Room Full Of Bones by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Ruth Galloway arrives to supervise the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop, she finds the museum’s curator lying dead on the floor. Soon after, the museum’s wealthy owner is also found dead, in his stables.

DCI Harry Nelson is called in to investigate, thrusting him into Ruth’s path once more. When threatening letters come to light, events take an even more sinister turn. But as Ruth’s friends become involved, where will her loyalties lie? As her convictions are tested, Ruth and Nelson must discover how Aboriginal skulls, drug smuggling, and the mystery of the “Dreaming” hold the answers to these deaths, as well as the keys to their own survival.

Dr Ruth Galloway is invited to an important but unusual event, assisting in the opening and documentation of a coffin excavated from a medieval church. When Ruth arrives an hour early at the museum, she is shocked to discover the curator recently deceased next to the ancient coffin. Detective Inspector Nelson is called in to investigate and things become more difficult – and far more dangerous.

This is the fourth book in the Dr Ruth Galloway series, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I could well understand if many of the readers find the writing takes a little bit to get used to – most of this book (and the others I’ve read so far in the series) are written in the third-person omniscient tense which sometimes gives a bit of an overview feeling or like you’re watching something unfold, not directly connected or able to see things properly through the characters’ eyes. I recall feeling for the first book (The Crossing Place) that this was quite odd and took a bit to get used to. I can’t tell if the author just got better/more subtle about it or whether I’m now simply used to it, but I certainly don’t find the voice as jarring or difficult anymore – though it is still a slightly different feel to other books I’m used to.

That said I still felt a really good connection to Ruth in particular – and oddly I found myself highly enjoying Cathbad’s character as well. While Nelson is certainly the other primary character here, the murky situation between him, Ruth and Nelson’s wife had me feeling a little less charitable to Nelson’s character for much of the book. I don’t really feel Nelson acted badly or “wrong” but I personally feel he could have handled the entire situation better. While I fully expect to be won over again by Nelson in the next few books, I spent a lot of this story feeling equal parts sorry for Nelson and annoyed by him. I thought Cathbad’s character – while certainly not taking over from Nelson’s in any way – really helped fill the void I’m certain would have been there otherwise. I also simply enjoy Cathbad quite thoroughly.

Readers should know that there is an exceptional current-day murder mystery expertly woven around the medieval skeleton of a local Bishop. There are also some Australian Aboriginal bones and a few other smaller sub-plots revolving around in this story that really helped to keep me rapidly turning the pages. I feel the author did an excellent job balancing the various mystery/archaeology plots along with the inter-personal relationships of the various main characters. While I do feel everything is explained well enough a reader could pick this book up by itself and still thoroughly enjoy it, I personally would recommend reading this series in order. While not strictly necessary, a lot of the complexities and history revolving around these characters is from the prior stories and so I feel readers will have a much richer enjoyment having already read the previous books.

An exceptional murder mystery with strong archaeological ties, this is a good book and I personally found it a compelling read. Recommended.

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Long Road To Mercy by David Baldacci

October 24, 2022 By 1 Comment


Long Road To Mercy by David Baldacci
Publisher: Pan Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe.

It’s seared into Atlee Pine’s memory: the kidnapper’s chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared.

She never saw Mercy again.

Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She’s the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon.

So when one of the Grand Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she’s abruptly called off the case.

If she disobeys direct orders by continuing to search for the missing man, it will mean the end of her career. But unless Pine keeps working the case and discovers the truth, it could spell the very end of democracy in America as we know it…

FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine is the only officer in a remote outpost near the Grand Canyon. She covers an enormous range of the desert in Arizona but that’s exactly how she likes it. When one of the tourists down in the Canyon goes missing and their mule is gutted Atlee is puzzled but soon drawn into far deeper waters than she could have ever imagined.

This is the first book in the series revolving around Atlee Pine and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I felt the pace of the book was a little slow to begin with, I feel Baldacci did an excellent job setting the story up – both with the multi-layered characters and the scenery itself. I soon found myself heavily invested in Atlee and the case in general, the plot clearly having multiple levels to it and I found it deliciously twisty – not something I could easily unravel early on in the book.

The story ends up having a strong political line, but I don’t think that’s uncommon with Baldacci stories. I was particularly pleased that while definitely political, the writing and plot itself didn’t feel preachy or like the author’s personal agenda or beliefs were skewing the story one way or the other. I feel the action and plot itself drove most (if not all) of the politics and I’m quite happy with that in a story. I also feel there was enough turns and layers to everything that it would surprise me if a reader guessed too far ahead of how events would unfold until well past the halfway mark.

Readers can easily pick this book up as a standalone. While it’s very clear Agent Pine’s personal story (especially the kidnapping of her twin sister when they were young children) will evolve and grow further as the books progress the plot, characters and overall feel of the book was very well contained in this story with a definite – and I feel satisfying – conclusion at the end. I am very eager to move on to the next in this series and feel most mystery/suspense/political thriller style readers will enjoy this book. Recommended.

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The Inner Darkness by Jorn Lier Horst

October 13, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Inner Darkness by Jorn Lier Horst
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Five years ago, serial killer Tom Kerr was imprisoned. Today, he’s out to reveal the resting place of his final victim.

However, Detective Wisting is taking no chances. Kerr is chained and handcuffed. The police have dogs and guns.

But minutes after entering the forest, Wisting’s officers lie broken and bleeding. And Kerr has vanished into the woods.

Too late, Wisting realises their error. What’s worse, Kerr had an accomplice who was never caught . . .

Now two murderers are on the loose – and Wisting has just hours to find them . . .

Tom Kerr was convicted and given the harshest prison sentence after he brutally murdered young women. Now years later he has agreed to lead police to the unmarked grave of one of his last suspected victims. Minutes after entering the forest under heavy police guard – Kerr escapes. Wisting and his fellow officers have no doubt Kerr received inside help and as the chaos clears they know they have very little time to hunt this predator – and his accomplice – down.

This is the latest book in an ongoing Sweedish noir/crime series that I have been enjoying for a number of years. There were a few plot points I initially thought didn’t work for me – for example the police mid-way through agreeing to release the ankle-chains after Kerr tripped a few times in the forest – but a bit more thought showed me that these points mainly revolved around the sometimes stark differences in Scandinavian police procedure and other cultures. Processes like this and some cultural mindset differences are to be expected – and in my opinion embraced – in literature and I don’t feel it fair for that to impact negatively in a review setting. Other readers might not feel quite the same in this matter, but I feel enjoying and embracing different systems and methods of handling things like police procedure and attitude to criminals is one way to open our eyes to other practices.

I definitely feel this story can be comfortably read by itself. The plot and storyline is fairly self-contained and enjoyable without any prior exposure to the numerous previous books in the series. A number of the characters are long-standing – like Wisting’s daughter, Line, or a number of his fellow police team members. And while I personally enjoyed knowing much of the history linking these characters it was not necessary to understand or enjoy the story. Readers can, I feel, be comfortable picking up this book and enjoying it as a Scandinavian based police procedural mystery.

There are a few sub-plots that thread out from the main story of hunting down the escaped prisoner. I greatly enjoyed watching these unfold and then all fit back together as part of a larger puzzle. I thought the ending well handled and the overall pace of the book was balanced – fast enough to not be boring or dragging, but also detailed and comprehensive enough that I could try and work everything out myself without feeling rushed or lost.

Readers looking for an interesting Scandinavian crime should definitely check this out, and I can equally recommend the other books this series.

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The Hermitage by LJ Ross

October 12, 2022 By Leave a Comment


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

He thought he was invincible, but he was wrong…

When an old man is found dead inside the ancient hermitage at Warkworth Castle, Northumbria CID are called in to investigate. With no apparent motive, it’s their job to unravel why he was murdered – and this time they’re forced to do it without their star detective…

DCI Ryan is thousands of miles away. He’s tracked a killer across Europe and has sworn not to return until he has his man in custody. Nathan Armstrong is a dangerous psychopath but there’s just one problem – he’s also an international celebrity; a world-famous thriller writer with money and connections.

Ryan is a stranger in a foreign land, but he knows one thing – he’ll never give up.

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscapes of Northumberland and Tuscany.

DCI Ryan and his wife have travelled to Italy in pursuit of a killer who has managed to elude justice for too long. With the rest of his team tackling a new case can they still work together to fulfil their duties.

I found this to be an interesting read. For much of the book the case in Italy and the case in England are completely separate and the author did a good job of balancing the story-telling between the two cases. I was a little surprised how they dovetailed together – while it was some exceptional writing on behalf of the author I felt it was just a little too pat for my tastes. Personally I would have found it more believable had they remained separate but the eventual linking between the two was strong and well written.

I admit I did enjoy that Phillips and Mackenzie were able to eventually join Anna and Ryan in Italy and the ending was extremely satisfying and perfectly to my tastes of a well-closed case and a happy ending. I feel readers can be fairly safe in picking this book up. While there are a number of tangled threads linking back to previous books the plot and characters for this story are very well explained and the book can mostly be read on it’s own merits I feel. Certainly the reader will hold a more emotional connection to the characters and their well being if they’ve read some of the previous books – but I do feel that isn’t strictly necessary to enjoy this book by itself.

An interesting police procedural style of murder mystery book I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be continuing with this series.

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The Final Hour by Tom Wood

October 6, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Final Hour by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE…

Victor is the ultimate predator. He surfaces to kill, then disappears into thin air. But he’s a disposable commodity for the powerful people he works for—both the good guys and the bad. And no one has his back. Especially now that doing black bag jobs for the CIA has put a target on his head…

…IS TO DIE.

Antonio Alvarez, a high-ranking US intelligence official, is determined to clean house and find the legendary killer who slipped away from him during an operation in Paris. There’s only one person Victor can turn to for help: a lethal female assassin whose life he once saved. And now Victor wants her to return the favor—by killing him….

Antonio Alvarez has been steadfastly tracking a killer for years, ever since one of his jobs with the CIA went very bad in Paris. Back then, he’d been called off by his superior, but now Alvarez has far more power after multiple promotions and Alvarez refuses to let this lie. Victor has continued on his way, but even he understands that sometimes you simply can’t escape the past.

I’ve enjoyed the Victor series for years and this book proves no exception. Usually, these novels can be read by themselves but for this one I’d suggest readers should have read at least a few of the previous installments. A number of characters from the previous books make important contributions to this one and while I admit much of the back story is filled in very well and readers should be able to keep up, I do feel a lot more enjoyment will be gained from having been in on the other adventures and know the history and just how everything has come to pass. I wouldn’t suggest that any of the multiple sub-plots here were left untied in the previous books, but it was fantastic to revisit where various characters are and how they moved on from their experiences – positive or negative – with Victor. I found this an absolute delight.

Victor is definitely a classic anti-hero. While there are numerous redeeming qualities to him, Victor has no illusions about who and what he is. He is a killer. He wants to survive at any cost. This is not a character who can afford to have feelings or sympathy. Readers looking for a softer character or someone who down the track might be good or saved – that’s not what you’ll find here. But for a very strongly plotted, character heavy and action driven storyline that is both thoughtful and enjoyable this is certainly the book for you. I have read each of the previous books a number of times and found this to be an excellent addition to the series.

Different and somehow managing to have emotion and heart despite the content, this is a strong book I feel will appeal to many mystery and thriller readers. Recommended.

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Swansong by Damien Boyd

October 5, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Swansong by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Isobel Swan, a sixth form student, has been murdered. First, her ring finger is severed, then her throat is cut.

With the investigation going nowhere fast, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon is sent undercover as a trainee teacher into Isobel’s boarding school.

But to find the killer, he must first confront his inner demons and lay to rest the ghosts lurking in his own past. If he can…

As Dixon digs deeper, the stakes have never been higher and a murder has never felt so personal.

DCI Nick Dixon has just returned from a short holiday at Cypres when he’s informed of the murder of a sixth form student. Isobel Swan looks identical to Nick’s high school girlfriend who went missing mysteriously in their lower sixth form year. Nick goes undercover as a teacher at the school and all too soon there’s another murder and everything becomes far more personal and complicated.

This is the fourth novel in the DCI Nick Dixon series, and I’ve been really enjoying these books. While there is a bit of history between Dixon and his colleague/girlfriend Jane and other members of their team, I feel the story can definitely be read as a standalone story. The plot and everything surrounding it including the muddiness created by Dixon’s personal take on the crime is all very well explained and handled and I feel readers should be able to easily pick this up without having read any of the previous installments.

I found this to be very much a police procedural style of mystery novel and while I didn’t think there was anything too unique or fresh about it, I nevertheless found it thoroughly enjoyable. Readers looking for something new or envelope pushing won’t find that here – but for a solid, well plotted and interesting mystery I really feel this book fits the bill. I did wonder a little about how much leeway Dixon was given by his superiors considering his very personal agenda for this murder – to be honest I didn’t find it overly realistic – but I did enjoy the fact that (as a bit of a change) Dixon’s bosses had a lot of faith and confidence in his abilities and were willing to trust him. I find it a bit of a cliché when there’s an overly antagonistic relationship between a detective and his superiors, so it was definitely a nice change to read the other side to this coin.

Readers looking for a solid British based murder mystery novel should absolutely find this as enjoyable as I did. I’m eager to read more by this author and will happily continue with this series.

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Blood Sport by David J. Gatward

October 4, 2022 By Leave a Comment


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

A mysterious red sports car. A bloodied animal corpse. He’s caught the scent of a brutal crime, and he won’t stop until it’s solved…

DCI Harry Grimm is weary of humanity’s evil. Dragged to the middle of nowhere during the darkest of hours, he’s enraged by grisly evidence of a horrific illegal dog fight. And when the mutilated remains turn out to be a gamekeeper’s stolen pet, the gritty detective senses he has a solid lead after learning of a long-running feud.

Immediately putting his team on the case, Grimm worries the stakes may be escalating when the animal’s owner is beaten and left for dead. And though the tough investigator puts his nose to the ground and follows the bloody clues, he fears there’s only one shot to apprehend the real monster.

Can he bring a loathsome criminal to justice before the savagery turns deadly?

DCI Harry Grimm is now the permanent DCI for their small community, and he feels he’s finally settling right in. So, when a friend and local calls Harry in the middle of the night, upset at finding blood and the signs of a fight he’s not worried about the lack of sleep. Only all indications of the crime scene indicate there’s a ring of dog fighters and Harry knows too well how insidious – and dangerous – such criminals and actions can be. Will they be able to stop things before they get out of hand?

I’ve been really enjoying this series and found this book to be a solid addition to it. While there’s quite a few smaller plots that are linked in to this dog-fighting ring I feel readers who haven’t read any of the previous stories should be able to follow along quite well without any problems. Those of us who have read the previous installments however should be very happy – I was thrilled that quite a few of the previously unsolved issues got cleaned up in this book and felt quite satisfied with how those plot-arcs were resolved.

There is a fair bit of character growth in a number of Harry’s team in this book and I found it overall a really well written and interesting book. I was pleased to see this progress and feel it will likely make a lot of other readers happy too. I was glad the animal scenes weren’t too gritty and there was no titillation in these scenes – no graphic descriptions of abuse or cruelty to animals and indeed I was very pleased that the police are shown as taking this kind of cruelty and criminality every bit as seriously as abuse and damage to humans.

Readers looking for a country feel but still strongly police procedural and mystery solving story should absolutely try this series. Personally, I feel the books are better read in order, but I think they can be read out of order and still enjoyed.

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