Devil’s Table by Kate Rhodes

Devil’s Table by Kate Rhodes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A MISSING CHILD
St Martin’s is shrouded in bitterly cold fog when Jade Minear and her twin brother, Ethan, are attacked in a field, late at night. Ethan manages to return home but the shocking events of Jade’s disappearance have rendered him mute.

A LONG-HELD GRUDGE
On a small island where there are few places a child can hide, DI Ben Kitto must battle the elements to search for Jade. When his investigation reveals that the Minear family have many enemies on the island, Kitto grows increasingly worried that Jade is in danger.

A KILLER HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT . . .
Meanwhile, someone on the island knows exactly where the girl is. Someone with a deep-seated hatred of Jade’s family. To find the truth, Kitto must investigate the lives of the people he has known all of his life. Because one of them is lying – and it isn’t long until a body is found . . .

DI Ben Kitto is called out when a young child goes missing unexpectedly one evening. Her twin brother was with her – but the terror of what occurred has rendered him mute. Ben and the locals quickly join together to search for the lost girl, but soon Ben has to admit that the girl hasn’t simply got missing – but very likely been taken. Who could hate her family so much and what is driving them?

I’ve been greatly enjoying this small town, island series and I felt this book was a good addition. While I did find aspects of the characters and the plotline were a little cliched I must admit it all fit very well together with the plot, and it retained my interest and hooked me in quite quickly. I also admit I’m getting a little tired of Ben’s slow-moving romance with Nina. While I admit it’s good that he’s not alone and moping – a large part of me really questions what additional value, particularly in relation to the plot, this romance really adds.

Readers who enjoy a strong British style murder mystery, especially ones involving small island communities and more “closed room” style of mysteries should find this an excellent story. I was pleased the plot and mystery is very well contained within this book with very few links to previous books other than some of the recurring characters. I also thought the mystery side of the plot was well handled and I’m eager to move to the next book in this series.