Author: LJ Ross
Kindle Edition
Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Book Review
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…
Author: LJ Ross
Published: Kindle Edition
Category: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Book Review
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…
Author: LJ Ross
Published; November 2018 by Audible Studios
Performed by a Full Cast
Category: Audiobook, Crime, Thriller, Suspense, Book Review
Introducing a new multicast drama by LJ Ross, the author of the international number one best-selling series the DCI Ryan mysteries.
There’s a serial killer targeting the streets of Newcastle, seemingly picking his victims at random but subjecting them all to the same torturous end. When the Chief Inspector on the case goes missing, it falls on DCI Ryan to track down the man who is brutally murdering women and goading the police to ‘catch me if you can’.
As everyone becomes a suspect, Ryan and his team get drawn further and further into the case, but for Ryan the nightmare gets closer to home than he could ever have imagined.
Author: LJ Ross
Kindle Edition
Category: Crime, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Book Review
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.
Author: L.J. Ross
Kindle Edition
Category: Crime, Thriller, Suspense, Book Review
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.
Author: LJ RossAre 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.
Detective Chief Inspector Maxwell Ryan and his fiancée, Doctor Anna Taylor are spending some downtime after the traumatic events of the previous case. Both their homes were lost in different ways during the course of the investigation and, although that was bad enough, it could have been a lot worse. They’ve been enjoying a quiet temporary stay at a holiday cottage in the grounds of the beautiful Cragside estate. Invited to the staff summer party, Ryan was less than happy about dressing up for a Victorian murder mystery themed evening. Continue reading
Holy Island is a debut novel and since this was published four more books in the series have followed, which I’ve also read. The beautiful cover attracted me immediately and I chose it for my second of Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenges – which you can find here – where we had five minutes to choose a book which appealed based initially on the cover and the blurb. Apart from the appeal of the cover, crime/mystery is a favourite genre. Because I chose to buy I mentioned the fact I hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. It didn’t! Far from it. Continue reading
In no particular order, these are some of the opening lines from books I’ve read over the last twelve months that drew me in.
That Bright Land ~ Terry RobertsIn the summer of 1886 I went down South to find and kill a man. It’s not what I would have chosen, and when I first arrived in the territory, I didn’t want to admit that’s what I was about. Nevertheless, I was well suited to the task – by my past and the shadows it cast in my soul.
My review is here. Book links ~ Amazon UK | US
High Force ~ LJ RossAs soon as she awakened, MacKenzie knew he meant to kill her. There was no confused, fumbling recollection of what had happened. On the contrary, she remembered everything with horrifying clarity.
My review is here. Book links ~ Amazon UK | US Continue reading
Author: LJ RossHell 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?
Picking up immediately after the cliffhanger ending in Angel, Denise MacKenzie finds herself in a desperate situation. Cold blooded killer Keir Edwards, aka The Hacker, has escaped from prison in an elaborate and high profile way, his single-minded goal drawing out DCI Ryan and causing as much suffering as possible. Continue reading
It’s that time again! This year has gone so quickly and it’s been filled with really great reads. Narrowing down favourites is a difficult task but here they are. As always, they’ll be either 4.5* or 5* and clicking on the cover will take you to Amazon UK.
Dead Is Dead ~ ThrillerPrivate investigator Jack Bertolino, previously an inspector with the NYPD, is employed as technical advisor, consulting on a movie being made of his last case. His job includes protection for the female star, who is being targeted by a disturbed, out of control stalker. Susan Blake is beautiful, haunted by a past that she can’t lay to rest.
During filming there’s an actual shooting several blocks away, which results in the accidental and tragic death of little Maria Sanchez and also that of known drug dealer, Tomas Vegas. Cruz Feinberg, the technical wizard in Jack’s company, knows the Sanchez family and asks Jack to make some enquiries. As Jack’s investigation progresses the Dirk brothers’ names pop up too often for Jack’s liking and his ingrained cop’s instinct is on high alert. Continue reading
Author: LJ RossHe’ll make you his angel, but first you have to die…
After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally beginning to return to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée.
A prologue set in 1990 opens the story. A girl is making a bid for freedom and a better future, through a bathroom window sealed with paint which she had been working to loosen for weeks. She needed to cross the roof to the guttering and climb down a drain pipe, but falls to her death before she can reach the ground. Who is she and what connection could she have with events so many years later? Continue reading
Author: LJ Ross
When a man is found dead at the remote church of Heavenfield, DCI Ryan is the only other person for miles around. The police have no weapon, no motive and no other suspects.
The fabulous story arc, which began in Holy Island and was carried through into Sycamore Gap, now concludes with Heavenfield. DCI Ryan is suspended from duty on the orders of DCS Gregson and when he finds a body, the victim known to him and very close to his girlfriend Anna, in a remote location, he falls under suspicion. DI Denise Mackenzie is given the job of lead investigator, working with DS Frank Phillips and DC Jack Lowerson. All three are fully aware Ryan had nothing to do with the murder, but have to follow procedure in order to clear him, nonetheless. Continue reading
#FridayBookShare ~ an excellent idea created by Shelley Wilson.
With the weekend approaching it’s the perfect time to seek out new books to read, so Shelley created a Friday Book Share game to help search for that ideal read.
Anyone can join in. Just answer the following F.R.I.D.A.Y. questions based on the book you’re either currently reading (or listening to, in my case) or have just finished reading. Use the hashtag #FridayBookShare and remember to tag Shelley (@ShelleyWilson72) Continue reading
A tough choice, I’ve read lots a great books this year and, in no particular order (as they say) here are my top 20 reads. They are all rated either 4.5 or 5 stars. Clicking on the cover links to Amazon UK.
Raven’s Choice ~ The Replacement Chronicles #1 ~ Prehistoric fiction, based on factAs Mark finds out, many people including himself, carry Neanderthal genes although he’ll never know for sure the exact circumstances that brought about this occurrence. But it signifies that Early Modern Man didn’t take the place of extinct Neanderthals but rather the races mixed and interbred, which is proved by the presence of Neanderthal DNA in present day man. It’s such an interesting approach to how life might have been all those years ago, and even more so because it’s a very credible scenario.
A wonderfully researched, dramatic and detailed narrative sets the scene for forthcoming instalments of The Replacement Chronicles, which I look forward to following.
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The Dead Lands ~ post apocalyptic, sci-fi, horrorThis is a very well crafted story with perfect pacing, the drama unfolds with consistency to keep the narrative flowing effortlessly. The characters are well-developed and real, Lane especially, but all the personalities are drawn brilliantly, whether you love or loathe them. I think this story covers every eventuality with action, of which there is plenty, greed, deception, horror and sadness. Balancing out the negatives are loyalty, a touch of romance and truthfulness. And the promise of satisfactory karma for the villain of the piece. It’s graphic, gruesome, gritty….and great!
Author: LJ Ross
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island seeking sanctuary when he is forced to take sabbatical leave from his duties as a homicide detective. A few days before Christmas, his peace is shattered and 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 back 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 killer who hides in plain sight, while pagan ritual and small-town politics muddy the waters of their investigation.
This book was chosen for my second of Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenges – which you can find here – where we have five minutes to choose a book which appeals based initially on the cover and the blurb. This cover appealed to me immediately and crime/mystery is a favourite genre. Because I chose to buy I mentioned the fact I hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. It didn’t! Far from it. Continue reading
Rosie’s Friday Five Challenge, involves taking only five minutes to choose a book cover which appeals instantly. So take a few minutes, pour yourself a coffee…..and have a browse
In today’s online shopping age, readers often base their buying decisions from small postage stamp size book covers (Thumb-nails), a quick glance at the book description and the review. How much time do they really spend making that buying decision?
AUTHORS – You often only have seconds to get a reader to buy your book, is your book cover and book bio up to it?
My Friday Five Challenge is this….. IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….
1) Go to any online book supplier,
2) Randomly choose a category,
3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to your eye,
4) Read the book Bio/ Description for this book, and any other details.
5) If there are reviews, check out a couple,
6) Make an instant decision, would you BUY or PASS?
I chose to look at Romance this time. It’s not a category I normally head for and this was one of the first ones on the list. The cover caught my attention straight away. Intriguing and atmospheric.
The book description: Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island seeking sanctuary when he is forced to take sabbatical leave from his duties as a homicide detective. A few days before Christmas, his peace is shattered and 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 back 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 killer who hides in plain sight, while pagan ritual and small-town politics muddy the waters of their investigation.
Murder and mystery are peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the spectacular Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, cut off from the English mainland by a tidal causeway.
The description is a good enough hook and the premise sounds interesting. I like the fact it states there’s ‘a sprinkling of romance’ and hope this is accurate.
Number of pages – 423
£2.56 is a reasonable price for a Kindle edition
64 five star reviews, 21 four star and 22 lesser reviews on Amazon UK. It doesn’t get such good ratings on Amazon US with 5 five star reviews and 10 spread across the other ratings.
Buy or Pass? I’d BUY
I like that the book description doesn’t read like a straight romance. I’m quite happy with a non soppy romance which has another layer, whether it’s crime, thriller and/or paranormal. And, judging by the reviews I skimmed, this has the thriller and intrigue additions to give it that bit extra. The blurb sets up the storyline well and intrigued me, especially with the setting of Lindisfarne, an island that has an appeal. I hope it doesn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. Some of the reviews on Amazon US are less than complimentary. It’s the author’s debut novel and the first of a series. I do love a series and have actually bought this one so we’ll see. Watch this space 🙂
If you’d like to enter next week check out Rosie’s blog to read about the Friday Five Challenge.
