Published December 31st, 2014 by Penguin UK
Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Get ready to be gripped by the thrilling first instalment of the bestselling DCI Ryan murder mystery series, the perfect mix of crime, humour, and a touch of romance for fans of Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves.
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On the spectacular Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, a killer is hiding in plain sight…
Forced to take leave from his duties as a homicide detective, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan seeks sanctuary on Holy Island.
But just a few days before Christmas, he is thrust back into the murky world of murder when a young woman is found dead amongst the ancient ruins of the nearby Priory.
When former local girl Dr Anna Taylor arrives on the island as a police consultant, old memories swim to the surface making her confront her difficult past.
She and Ryan struggle to work together to hunt a deadly killer, while pagan ritual and island politics muddy the waters of their investigation.
Can they overcome their differences before the killer strikes again?
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MY REVIEW:
Lindisfarne is a quiet island where everybody knows everybody and everyone feels safe. But all that changes one winter morning when a resident out walking her dog finds Lucy Mathieston’s naked body on the altar of the Priory. There hasn’t been a murder here for two decades. So DCI Ryan has his work cut out. And as rumours of a pagan sacrifice swirl, Dr Anna Taylor is asked to come and consult on the case. She accepts but feels nervous as she hasn’t been back to Linisfarne for eight years and memories she’s tried to bury are returning to the surface. As Ryan and Anna struggle to find a way to work together, another brutal murder rocks the island and the hunt for the killer becomes even more urgent. Who amongst them is hiding the darkest of secrets? And can they find them before any more lives are taken?
I had heard about L. J. Ross and her DCI Ryan series for many years. The books were highly recommended by a number of my friends and I finally decided it was time to see what they were about for myself. Expertly written, cleverly choreographed, oozing tension and filled with compelling characters, I now get the hype and am kicking myself for waiting so long to read them. I love a layered thriller, and this one certainly fits that bill. Tense, twisty, grisly, emotional and funny, it had me hooked from the opening pages and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. I was in a chokehold, racing towards the finale with my heart beating out of my chest. Everyone is a suspect and you could never be sure who was telling the truth. Many of my suspicions were right but it still kept me on my toes with many twists that blindsided me. And that ending! I am so glad I don’t have to wait for the next instalment and have 23 more books to read in the series.
Ross has created a motley crew of captivating characters who inhabit the island. At the heart of it all is Ryan and Anna, who are our protagonists. Determined, likeable and no-nonsense, I really liked Ryan and found him easy to root for at every step. We know from the start that he’s been through something traumatic and is plagued by nightmares, but I was not prepared for the horror of what that was. My heart broke for him and I feel like I understand him even more after learning what he’s been through. Anna is a little bit more spiky but also easy to like and root for. I was intrigued by her history and connections with the island and liked the knowledge of pagan rituals and ancient beliefs that she brought to the case. I loved their will they/won’t they romance and was screaming at them through the pages to just admit their feelings to one another. Lindisfarne feels like a character in its own right. A darkly atmospheric and claustrophobic place where everyone knows everybody’s business. It’s a place where you would think there are no secrets, but some residents are hiding dark secrets and evil intentions that begin to surface with the discovery of Lucy’s body. I can’t wait to see what is next for Ryan, Anna and the other characters, especially after that ending.
Riveting, superb and bingeable, this is a must for all thriller lovers.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
LJ Ross is an international, Sunday Times bestsellig author, whose books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, more than thirty of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.
Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.
The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category. Louise was shortlisted again in 2023 for the nineteenth novel in her DCI Ryan series, Bamburgh.
In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries. She was shortlisted again in 2024.
Louise was born in Northumberland. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and two children in Northumberland.
To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
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