FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND PENSHAWWhen 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 … 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.
“LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers” – The Times
“A literary phenomenon” – Evening Chronicle
“LJ Ross is the Queen of Kindle” – Sunday Telegraph
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You’re always guaranteed and entertaining and enjoyable crime story from LJ Ross and the fourteenth books in the DCI Ryan series is no exception. This time Ryan and his team are split across two separate investigations.
The first is a malevolent serial killer who likes to imprison his prey before releasing and hunting them down in a remote part of the Northumbria National Park. The second investigation concerns a terrorist cell intent of disruption and destruction in pursuit of their goals.
While all the author’s hallmarks are here – the humour and banter between Ryan and Phillips, the close relationships between team members, and the carefully crafted storylines – splitting the team diluted the suspense and excitement. Both investigations were carried out with cool efficiency and had no real obstacles or complications to crank up the tension.
The book was a quick read and seemed shorter than usual, maybe due to the abrupt ending, which caught me off guard. That said, it remains a well-written and entertaining read that evoked a range of emotions and kept me turning the pages.
3.5 stars
This is one of my favourite British detective series, featuring Detective Chief Inspector Ryan and his capable staff, who also happen to be best friends. Lots of intrigue, humour, romance, murder, mystery and great characters to keep you turning the pages well into the night. Cheers Lynda L. Lock (Isla Mujeres Mystery series).
Another exciting, fast-paced, well-written adventure for DCI Ryan and his team from the Major Crimes Unit. The team is definitely split into different ventures in this book, with Ryan and Phillips working a murder on an Army training base, Lowerson and Yates dealing with a series of hate crimes, and MacKenzie enjoying some off time with her foster daughter, Samantha.
The Army is conducting a live-fire tactical training mission at Otterburn Army Training Ranges in Northumberland. The mission is to find and neutralize two targets – at night using night vision gear. When the first target is sighted, the soldiers training kicks in and they fire upon the target. Except, it isn’t the mechanical target they’ve engaged, it is…was…a live female. How in the world did a lone female end up running through the middle of the moors on a huge Army training base? Before long, Detective Chief Inspector Maxwell Finlay-Ryan and Detective Sergeant Frank Phillips are wending their way along the Northumberland National Park through the Cheviot Hills and into the village of Otterburn – almost at the border with Scotland. Will their investigation discover that it was a horrible, horrible accident when the woman ran directly into a live-fire exercise – or will they find it is something more – something much darker?
There is a terrible explosion and fire at the Central Mosque in Newcastle upon Tyne. It isn’t an accident, and the perpetrators left three large black triangles painted upon the doors along with the words ‘MUSLIMS GO HOME’. Detective Constable Jack Lowerson and Detective Constable Melanie Yates are dispatched to investigate. They know it is definitely a hate crime, but is it an isolated incident and what does that symbol mean? As that symbol turns up at additional sites of vandalism – not just Muslim – but Jewish, black, etc. they know it is the work of a well-organized group. That group is getting bolder, better organized, and more skilled. They have to be stopped before lives are lost. Stopping the group will take not only good investigative skills but the bravery and patriotism of a man who has nothing but that to give.
I listened to the audiobook (Whispersync) version of this book and enjoyed it very much. The narrator has a pleasant voice – but as I have mentioned before, all of the characters sound pretty much alike. Some are softer and breathier, but they all seem to have the same accents. We have a Scot, an Irish, and a Londoner, but they all seem to have the same accent – if not all of the time, most of the time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the mystery, the friendships, and seeing that the goodness in mankind can overcome anything. If you choose to read the book, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.