A peaceful village. A buried secret. A gripping new crime novel for 2020.
“Beyond brilliant as usual from the inimitable Ms Brookes. Highly highly recommended.” Anne, Goodreads.When private investigator Carlos Jacobi arrives in the Peak District to spend Christmas with his sister, he doesn’t anticipate his ex-police dog unearthing a body in the local woods. Why would someone murder a seemingly … woods. Why would someone murder a seemingly harmless old man?
The dead man’s wife hires Carlos to investigate the murder after the police had fobbed her off when she reported him missing. Carlos soon discovers fractured relationships, family secrets and villagers with something to hide.
To top it all, the man in charge of the investigation is someone Carlos had hoped never to meet again. Memories of their time in Afghanistan still haunt him. Bad blood between the two men threatens to cloud the investigation as neither can bury the past. DCI Terry Masters is livid when Carlos is hired, and takes it personally. He orders his sergeant to make sure the private investigator is kept out of the loop or face consequences, not knowing that Carlos and DS Fiona Cook are old friends.
Meanwhile, Carlos unravels lies and motives among the seemingly innocuous village population. When his dog, Lady makes another grisly discovery, the suspense heightens.
Carlos teams up with his old friend to get to the bottom of this frustrating case.
Fans of Faith Martin, Joy Ellis, LJ Ross, Damien Boyd, Frances Evesham and David Blake will love this new series.
What readers say:
“This is a story that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It has twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.”
“I could not put this one down. I loved the characters and found this a fast paced book with lots of twists.”
Murder and lies in the Peak District.
Bestselling author, Dawn Brookes does it again. The book is packed with rich characters, a deep and engaging plot that keeps you turning the pages.
A classic crime masterpiece from a gifted author.
Brilliant insight into coercive control.
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I’m a sucker for a British mystery, and this one didn’t disappoint. And bonus, it has a four-legged charmer named Lady.
PI Carlos Jacobi’s holiday visit to his sister’s home turned out to be anything but low key and relaxing. I liked how he and his furry companion Lady teamed up with DCI Fiona Cook to crack the case of who killed his sister’s elderly neighbor Harold.
To put it simply, Harold was not a likeable guy. His own daughter avoided coming home for visits which meant Harold and his wife had never met their grandchildren. What had he done to inspire that? Who else had this rigid and unlikeable codger pissed off enough to end up a body in the woods?
It takes 7 hrs and 32 mins to discover the answers to those questions.
Best elements:
Interesting cast of characters
Great plot development
Awesome British narrator
Lady the cadaver detective
Final thoughts:
I’m hooked! This private investigator series is a welcome addition to my mystery reading, something I’ve been more into reading than romance since the 2019 pandemic rocked the status quo. Mystery was my first reading love, and it feels good to be enjoying it again now more than ever.
I look forward to the next case for PI Carlos Jacobi and Lady. And hopefully, narrator Tim Bruce will be free to do book 2.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed the authors other series featuring Rachel Prince (who is actually the girlfriend of the main character in this book) and was pleased to see she had created a spin off series about Carlos. Although this is written in a more serious style and contains less of the humour of the Prince mysteries it is still a tight, cleverly crafted plot that grips the listener from the start. The mystery was interesting and takes many twists as the story unfolds at a fast pace. The killer was a surprise and I didn’t see the ending coming at all. The characters are just great and really likeable, from the bright and bubbly sister to the squeamish brother in-law and who can forget the adorable dog. I even liked the rivalry and one upmanship between the detective and Carlos. Just an all round enjoyable book and a great start to a new series.
With his girlfriend working over Christmas Carlos decides to spend it with his sister and new husband. Apon arrival he learns of his sister elderly neighbour who has gone missing leaving his equally as elderly wife lost and waiting for his return. Walking his ex police cadaver dog in the near by woods Carlos discovers a body and fears the worst. Then the detective in charge of the investigation knocks on the door to take a statement and Carlos knows he can’t sit on the side lines and watch the detective muck up the case. The two of them have history, history that could cause problems for everybody involved. The only bright spark is his second in charge is a friend that might just turn out to be helpful in getting to the bottom of the murder. The dead man wasn’t well liked, even his own daughter wouldn’t talk to him and his wife was scared of him. Then things get really complicated when another body is found. Can Carlos solve a cold case and in the process find the answers to catch a killer?
I !liked the narrator. He gave each character there own unique and interesting voice. Carlos had a hint of an accent that sound just right for him after having listened to him in the Prince series which was read by a female.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Very unpredictable. Lots of wonderful characters and an ending I didn’t see coming!
The title and the cover picture caught my attention, the blurb sold the book to me. It’s my first time reading this author and she had me sitting on the edge of my seat at times as I greedily devoured this book! The plot, the characters are all perfect and it reminds me that, in Britain, villages are not always that calm but do lend themselves for the perfect setting for a wonderful murder mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Really liked the main characters. Essential for a series.
A peaceful village. A buried secret. A gripping new crime novel for 2020.
Wow! Thrills and suspense fill the pages and keeps you in the grips of the story line. You find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the next twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. It’s well written and you can’t stop wondering what will happen next. Mystery and intrigue keep it so interesting you can’t put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow, this was my first read by this author and I was completely blown away. I was sucked in from page one. It keeps you on your toes because you’re constantly wondering what is going to happen next and what else mite happen. To me this was suspenseful and a very interesting read. It has been one of my favorite non romance reads of the year thus far.
This was a very good beginning to a new series. Carlos is a great character with lots of heart. He is a PI with a troubling past that he is trying to deal with. He goes to visit his sister over the Christmas holidays while finishing up a case he is working on. As soon as he gets to his sister’s village though he is informed that the next door neighbor is missing. That night, Carlos and Lady, his dog, along with his brother-in-law go for a midnight walk and discover a body. Is it the neighbor? Regardless, the family wants Carlos to investigate and he is off to the races. Another body turns up and the mystery increases. Great characters, great mysteries with lots of red herrings and you have a great book. Can’t wait to read more about Carlos!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Body in the Woods (Carlos Jacobi Book 1) by Dawn Brookes
I am a fan of Dawn Brookes and so was looking forward to this first book in her new series focusing on private investigator Carlos Jacobi and I was not disappointed. I was already familiar with the main character as Carlos appears as Rachel’s husband in Brookes “The Rachel Prince Mystery Series”, although it’s not necessary to have read those novels to enjoy this one. Set in the Peak District, Carlos arrives to spend Christmas with his sister when his ex-police dog, Lady unearths a body in the local woods and Carlos wonders why anyone would murder a seemingly harmless old man. The dead man’s wife feels as though the police have fobbed her off after reporting him missing and so asks Carlos to investigate. However, Carlos and DCI Terry Masters have bad blood between them from their days in Afghanistan and so the DCI keeps Carlos out of the loop as he does not want him investigating, which threatens to cloud the investigation. Luckily, Carlos and DS Fiona Cook are old friends and so she ensures Carlos is up to date. Whilst he’s investigating he soon finds out that there are family secrets, fractured relationships, lies, motives and villagers with something to hide within the seemingly innocuous village. Lady, then makes another grisly discovery and Carlos joins forces with his old friend to crack this frustrating case.
I was hooked from page one with this gripping murder mystery with has plenty of drama and suspense. The fast paced storyline flowed well and it had an exciting plot which made this a real page turner. The wonderfully descriptive narrative made the story, setting and characters all come alive and I felt fully immersed in the story. Carlos was a great main character who really bought the whole story together and I enjoyed following him on his investigation. All the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very last page. ‘Body in the Woods’ is an enjoyable and engaging read and a great start to a new series. I look forward to future novels in the ‘Carlos Jacobi’ series.
Gritty and intense! Complex and compelling! An edgy mystery full pulse-pounding suspense, damning secrets and one shocking surprise after another! The fast pace of the of the twisted, wildly-captivating plot kept me swiping the pages feverishly long past my bedtime.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Body in the Woods (Carlos Jacobi Book 1)
By Dawn Brookes
5 out of 5 stars
I loved reading the book Body in the Woods (Carlos Jacobi Book 1) by Dawn Brookes. It is a story that includes mystery, secrets, and danger. I loved reading about the character of PI Carlos Jacobi. He is a man that is good at his job and once on a case is determined to find the truth. He finds himself looking into the case of a man who was unearthed by Carlos’s ex-police dog. The investigation is further clouded by another grisly discovery. Will Carlos find out who has committed murder? Read this book to find out. This is a story that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It has twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The author does a wonderful job of developing the characters. Besides Carlos, I also enjoyed reading about his sister as well as an old friend of his who helps him in the case. While reading this book I found myself feeling like I was right there with Carlos and the other characters. The author does an amazing job of creating a story that comes alive. I didn’t want to put it down until I had finished the final page. Don’t miss out on a suspenseful, exciting, and entertaining book that you will not soon forget. I highly recommend reading it.