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

When the gods made man, they made a weapon…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The circus is in town…

When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to tell him she’s witnessed a murder, he has no idea he’s about to step into his most spellbinding case yet. The circus has rolled into Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with it a troupe of daring acrobats, magicians, jugglers—and one of them is a killer.

Ryan and his team must break through their closed ranks to uncover a secret which has lain buried for eight years, before the killer strikes again – this time, to silence the only living witness…

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

When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to get his help investigating a murder she witnessed Ryan and his team have no idea just how much all their lives are about to change. With the circus having returned to Tyne for the first time in almost a decade Ryan and his colleagues need to tread carefully and find which of the travelers are responsible for the dangers that begin once again.

I have been quite enjoying this series and found that the additional element this time of a precocious and inquisitive young girl really added a fresh element to the storyline. I feel readers can probably pick this book up without having read many (if any) of the previous stories, though the team have quite a bit of history together at this point and it make take a short time for readers to pick up on all those different threads. The two different plots in this story moved forward at a decent pace and I really enjoyed how they circled each other but remained realistic as two separate plots and didn’t dovetail together.

Readers who avoid cliffhanger endings should be aware that one part of these two plotlines wasn’t resolved – though very clearly that was set up to be completed in the next book. This was just one short piece of the plot that was left dangling – the vast majority of the secondary plot and the entirety of the little girl’s plotline were all very neatly and completely finished, so the book didn’t feel too much like a cliffhanger, though I won’t be waiting long to move onto the next book and discover what happened to the dangling thread.

I also was pleased that most of the characters had some fairly important personal progression in this book. Jack and Mel in particular made some important steps (both forward and – in my opinion – backward) and Mac and Frank also made some significant changes that will affect them in the coming books too, I expect. So, readers looking for some strong character developments should be very pleased with the movement in this story.

With a strong mystery and interesting characters this series continues to draw me along. I’m very eager for the next book.

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

Between the devil and the deep blue sea…

Viking treasure is discovered beneath the icy waters of the North Sea and local historian Doctor Anna Taylor is called in to help catalogue the most exciting hoard in living memory. But when a shipwreck diver washes up dead, she’s soon out of her depth. Luckily, she knows just the person to call…

When DCI Ryan arrives at the picturesque fishing town of Seahouses, he’s faced with an impenetrable wall of secrets and lies. As he juggles marine archaeology and the cutthroat world of shipwreck diving, another murder blows the case wide open. To uncover the truth, Ryan must delve deeper into the hearts of those around him to find what lies beneath…

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

After years of searching, a university professor contacts Dr Anna Taylor-Ryan, excited beyond belief he’d found an intact Viking ship and treasure beyond belief. Agreeing to meet the following morning, Anna is shocked to discover her colleague drowned mysteriously overnight. DCI Ryan is called in to investigate, but the small coastal town has plenty of secrets and no one appears eager to divulge any of them.

I have been enjoying this series and while this – the tenth book – is not blindingly new or breaking new ground, it has all the hallmarks of a really good British police procedural storyline and a gripping who-done-it murder mystery plot. Given the small, coastal town and the limited number of potential murderer’s readers could be forgiven for thinking the mystery element might be a bit lacking – but I was delighted to find that assumption couldn’t be more wrong. While superficially the motive for murder is clear cut, I was pleased that DCI Ryan’s investigation uncovers a complicated web of interlocking parts, and the entire plot was shown to be delightfully complex.

Readers who have enjoyed the previous stories might be a little bummed that a number of the regular main characters – particularly other members of DCI Ryan’s team – are very much on the periphery of this investigation until about halfway through the book. I thought this was a double-edged sword for the book. On the one hand I really enjoyed the fact this plot and mystery very much stood properly by itself – an exceptional and well contained story that could be picked up, read and thoroughly enjoyed by anyone even had they not read a single previous book. That is always a very bright spot in a series and an excellent way to draw new readers in who otherwise might not be keen to start a series mid-way through. That said, I spent most of the first half of the book struggling not to skim ahead to see how some of the characters – particularly Jack – pulled up after the events of the last two books. While this will easily make a re-read of the book later far more enjoyable, I do feel it was a bit of a shame the author left it so late into the book to answer those questions left dangling from the previous two books.

I greatly enjoyed seeing plenty of Anna and Ryan though and was pleased to see such a self-contained plotline back in England. The mystery itself was quite interesting and there were enough subplots, red herrings and other goings-on in the small town that kept me invested and eagerly turning the pages. I feel this would be a good book for readers new to this author and series to dip into – virtually no pre-existing knowledge of the characters, world or set up is needed to properly and thoroughly enjoy this story.

An interesting read for those who enjoy British police procedural style murder mysteries.

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.

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

Ryan’s most explosive case yet…

It’s been five months since a killer walked free and DCI Ryan is preparing to leave Newcastle to hunt him down – this time, for good.

But Ryan’s plans are scuppered when events take a dramatic turn and he is forced to stay and face his past one last time, or watch a friend suffer the consequences.

Amid the chaos, another killer is preparing to strike. When the Tyne Bridge explodes, Ryan’s team are faced with a frantic race to uncover a deadly foe who won’t stop until every bridge is burned, along with everybody on it…

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

Just as DCI Ryan is considering a sabbatical to hunt a killer that has got away, two very serious, new threats appear. One is a bomber terrorizing everyone by blowing up important bridges that keep everything connected, and the other is a danger far closer to home for Ryan and his team.

I enjoyed the somewhat faster pace of this story. With two strong plotlines interwoven together at times there was hardly a chance for Ryan and his team to catch their breath and I felt the author expressed this hurry-hurry-hurry mentality very well to the reader. I feel part of the faster, more action-oriented style of pacing was because the bombings occurred with short notice. Additionally, letters were given to the media first, which meant they were relayed out to everyone with the police left perpetually chasing afterwards. So while this wasn’t a traditional “who dun it” murder mystery it definitely fit the bill in other respects and was a solid police procedural style of book.

The other main plot which took up a good portion of the storyline was the death of Detective Chief Superintendent Jennifer Lucas. There isn’t a lot I can say without treading into spoilers but suffice to say I strongly feel this element of the story added a huge amount of emotions and turmoil – both from the present and the past – for the team as a whole. I was very pleased this plotline was given an almost equal share of time to the bomber plot. I could understand if some readers would feel this might make the murder feel a little drawn out or given too much exposure – but I really feel emotionally and for the characters in the team this plotline had a significant impact on everyone. To some degree – particularly a personal one for the team members – it might even have been more important than the bomber threatening everyone’s daily lives and sense of normalcy. Personally, I was pleased the author didn’t cut this aspect of the plot nor dim its impact down. For a few main characters this really was quite world-shattering and I was pleased it was given the attention and space it was.

In many respects I feel this book could absolutely stand alone. The bomber plotline was very self-contained and I don’t feel readers need any particular prior understanding to thoroughly enjoy it. Even the Superintendents death was very well explained and quite detailed. While I feel the strength of the impact and the fallout from it might be better enjoyed by readers who have read at least a few of the previous books and have an emotional attachment to the main police team and the characters – I feel anyone could pick up this story and easily follow along with what’s happening and help put the pieces together.

A strong book with a good, fast-paced action style of plot this is a great mystery. This is an author and series I’d definitely recommend.

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

Beware what lies beneath…

One fateful, starry night, three friends embark on a secret camping trip but only two return home. Thirty years later, the body of a teenage boy rises from the depths of England’s biggest reservoir and threatens to expose a killer who has lain dormant…until now.

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan returns from honeymoon to face danger from all sides. In the depths of Kielder Forest, a murderer has escaped justice before and will do anything to protect the secrets of the past. Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, an old foe has taken the helm as Superintendent and is determined to destroy Ryan at any cost.

Who will prevail in Ryan’s most dangerous case yet?

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

DCI Ryan has technically not even come back from his honeymoon when a private diving lesson over the weekend unearths a long-mummified corpse of a teenage boy in England’s biggest reservoir. The mummified corpse holds any number of secrets, but forces within DCI Ryan’s team threaten to tear the close-knit group apart and those close to Ryan are an even greater danger than that of a re-awakened murderer.

This book is in the DCI Ryan series, and I would strongly recommend readers have at least some experience with a few of the previous installments. While it’s not necessary to have read every book preceding this, a very large amount of the plot and conflict arise from inter-team changes and clashes, so I feel readers who pick this story up alone won’t have as good an experience without the emotional attachment and investment in the various main characters. That said, the story is absolutely easy to follow along with, the author has done a solid job of explaining everything and the murder mystery plot stands very well on its own. But with a twist in the mystery plot right at the end of the story and tensions in the characters’ relationships still extremely high at the end of the book I definitely feel at least some of the previous stories should be read and a number of readers might feel the somewhat cliffhanger ending – which very clearly leads directly into the next book – doesn’t lend this to be a story to be read purely on its own.

I understand a number of the characters actions and clashes and the reasoning behind it, but I strongly feel readers who prefer a more police procedural style of story – and less character driven drama – might not find this book as enjoyable as previous stories in this series. I struggled in a few places to feel some of the characters acted in an understandable way. While the main antagonist was suitably manipulative and dastardly, I was a little surprised how easily convinced and swayed one of Ryan’s team in particular was. There was a large amount of conflict in this story which I do feel will appeal to some readers, but equally I feel the splintering of the team might also be viewed by a number of readers as a bit over the top in relation to the conflict/drama of the story.

In some respects, the mystery was secondary to everything happening within the police team. I did enjoy how the murder which occurred thirty years in the past re-awakened a number of simmering issues and I thought the plot surrounding how the past and present interwove was very well done. For this particular book, however, I do feel the actual mystery took almost a back seat to all the politics and schisms within the team. I also strongly feel readers should be prepared to want to read the following book virtually immediately after finishing this story as it ends setting up for the next installment very much. I, personally, would have found it painful to wait. Thankfully I had the next book already on hand and would suggest readers who know themselves to be impatient at times shouldn’t crack this one open until they have the following book on hand.

A well written book this was somewhat different to others I’ve read in the series but was nevertheless a good read.

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

Are you afraid of the dark..?

After his climactic battle with notorious serial killer The Hacker, DCI Ryan is spending the summer with his fiancée within the grounds of Cragside, a spectacular Bavarian-style mansion surrounded by acres of woodland. When they are invited to attend the staff summer party – a Victorian murder mystery evening – it’s all a joke until the lights go out and an elderly man is found dead. It looks like an unfortunate accident but, as the dead man’s life begins to unfold, Ryan and his team of detectives realise that all is not as it appears.

When a second body is found, terror grips the close-knit community and Ryan must uncover the killer who walks among them, before they strike again…

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

DCI Ryan and his fiancée have been spending the summer on the grounds of Cragside – a Bavarian style mansion. They both attend the annual staff summer party only for one of the guests to die in what at first appears an accident toward the end of the night. It soon becomes apparent though that this isn’t a tragic accident and there is far more to the victim – and others at Cragside – than anyone first believed.

This is the sixth book in the series around DCI Ryan and his team and I’m pleased to still be enjoying this series. In some respects, I feel like this book can be read by itself. The murder mystery as the feel a little an old school Agatha Christie style “closed house” mystery and as such there’s a whole slew of characters and suspects who have only been present at the party and so no prior knowledge is needed and there is no link to any of the previous books. So, from that perspective the mystery aspect to the book is easily stand alone and anyone can pick this book up and enjoy it.

That said, for the other members of Ryan’s team who are called in to help the investigation, there is a quite a bit of recent history that needs to be unpacked. Ryan’s partner is under a bit of a shadow after an enforced sabbatical and another member of the team – MacKenzie – is still recovering after having been kidnapped and tortured. In addition to that there is a young new member of the team who is trying to find her place and fit in with the others, and an old superior officer from Ryan’s past who has suddenly reappeared on the scene again. So, there is quite a bit going on under the surface of the murder mystery and while I definitely feel readers can easily work out what’s going on, I equally can’t help but feel a lot of the emotional connection and empathy with the characters situation mainly stems from having read some of the previous books and knowing exactly what the characters are recovering from.

I definitely feel readers looking for an interesting “closed house” style of murder mystery should be easily able to pick this book up. The plot can be read and easily enjoyed by itself. Readers who are after more of a long-term investment in the team dynamic and various characters and their growth should likely investigate starting earlier in the series than this book. There is definitely the feel that the working and personal relationships for the team members are becoming equally important than the various cases this team investigate. While I’m pleased the various plots help keep the books interesting and the police procedural aspects are excellent, the emotional investment in the main characters is given just as much eight and importance as these books progress.

A strong mystery book, this is a good series I am really enjoying.

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

Hell has unleashed a demon – and he’s coming for you…

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan’s worst nightmare has just become a reality. Notorious serial killer The Hacker has escaped prison and kidnapped one of his best detectives from her own home. His brutality is the stuff of legend – Ryan lost his sister and nearly his own life bringing the man to justice first time around. Can Ryan do it again to save his friend?

There’s a nationwide manhunt underway but the trail has gone cold and fear spreads like a virus. Ryan and his team must find The Hacker before he takes another life – but are they too late?

The clock is ticking…

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

This book follows on almost immediately after the conclusion of the previous book (Angel). Angel ended on a high-stakes cliffhanger with DI Denise MacKenzie being kidnapped by DCI Ryan’s greatest foe. While this kidnapping and the immediate ramifications are detailed from the very first page of this story – so I feel reading Angel is not strictly necessary to understand what’s going on – I do feel much of the readers’ connection to the characters as well as much of the suspense/tension is better gained for readers having read at least some of the previous books, so they have an emotional investment in what’s going on, particularly for Denise. That said, readers shouldn’t feel like it’s critical to have read any of the previous books as the author does a very good job of explaining the plot, the real danger Denise is in and enjoy the thriller aspects as the team hunt for their colleague.

I was pleased that the author managed a good balance between keeping the conflict/suspense and tension very high but didn’t resort to too many gritty details nor dwell on the serial killer aspect merely for titillation purposes. I strongly feel that there was ample conflict as it was, so I really thought there was no need to go over the top with more delicate or grisly aspects to the story. Rather obviously, the entirety of the book focused on the team hunting Denise to rescue her and bring her safely home, but also return The Hacker to prison.

At times I wondered if there could have been a little more to the plot – because when you really boil it down the book is only about chasing the Hacker and rescuing DI MacKenzie. I feel maybe some readers could feel like the plot of this book is a little one-dimensional for a full-length novel – but there was enough adrenaline, action, suspense and tension I lean toward thinking the book didn’t need more plot to it, but I really did wonder a few times while reading this. I readily admit had there been another sub-plot that it could easily have detracted away from the importance of the team focusing on Denise and her rescue, or stolen pages away from Denise surviving her capture. This could very well have been a Catch-22 for the author with no “correct” answer.

With exceptional characters and a boatload of tension in this thriller/suspense novel this is a good read that might tempt you to finish it in one sitting. Not for the faint of heart (this is about a main female character surviving being kidnapped for a period of time by a serial killer and known enemy), this is a page-turning kind of story that I feel will suit a wide range of readers.