“Superbly written. Well thought out plot and in-depth knowledge of the location made this a must read book. Can’t wait for the next one.”
“Brilliant, fantastic, many more words I could say. This book was totally gripping from start to finish and the ending had me mentally saying “oh no what next”. Can’t wait for her next book.”
“I have never been to Lindisfarne but will definitely plan to go … definitely plan to go after reading this book. I enjoyed it tremendously, with enough pace and story telling to keep me engrossed. What an imagination!”
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.
“I couldn’t put this book down from the minute I picked it up! A great mix of thriller, romance, intrigue with a hint of humour.”
“I love a crime novel and this one did not disappoint! Great twists and turns and good ending. Looking forward to the next one.”
“Great page turner, with a lively plot that holds numerous twists and turns; keeps you guessing until the very end. Fab new author – well done!”
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I was excited about starting the first book in this series & it delivered on most counts. Great police procedural descriptions, intriguing characters & murders that were anything but run of the mill. Ross describes the scenes perfectly & you really get a sense of the tight knit island community during the investigation. However, I finished the …
On somewhat enforced sabbatical on Holy Island, DCI Ryan is surprised but willing when the murder of a young woman on the island forces his bosses hand into cutting his rest period short. With the window for the murder clearly proving the only suspects are those of the regular island residents, DCI Ryan initially thinks this will be a quick case …
Fantastic first, will read more.
I thought it was just ok. There was a bit too much romance in it for a suspense novel, but if you don’t mind that, some great characters to interact with. Maybe i’ll read another?
When the hunt for a killer leaves him in need of a sabbatical, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan withdraws to the island of Lindisfarne – Holy Island – where he tries to distance himself from a harrowing case. But he’s soon hauled back from his leave of absence when, in the days leading up to Christmas, the body of a young woman is found in what …
This is the first of L J Ross’ books I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was sucked into the story almost immediately. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
A well written story with memorable characters.
An atmospheric and page-turning thriller.
I’m from the North-East of England and came across Louise Ross in the press. Knowing the setting I was intrigued to see how she had managed to write a thriller set in one of Northumberland’s greatest locations. This is not my normal genre (I’m more a romance girl) but absolutely loved this novel.
Right …
A page-turning modern day murder mystery. Holy Island (or Lindisfarne) makes for a haunting back drop as DCI Ryan and Dr Anna Taylor hunt for a killer. Will be reading more in this series.
I thoroughly enjoyed Holy Island, which I had been looking forward to reading for some time. Set on the beautiful, tight-knit island of Lindisfarne, the ritual elements to the murders added another dimension to the complex plot, which offered plenty of motives, conflict and suspects.
I can’t say I was overly convinced by the romantic sideline …
L. J. Ross published her first book Holy Island in January 2015 and shortly afterwards she quit her day job to write full-time. (She was a lawyer in the U.K.) Listed as romantic suspense thrillers on Amazon there are nine books in the DCI Ryan series. (I am hooked on British detective novels.) Number Ten Longstone is due out in December 2018. I …
I enjoyed the setting for this story. There is something incredibly intimate about an island, and one that gets cut off from the mainland at certain times each day lends itself to infinite possibilities for story lines.
The story itself starts with death and the discovery of the body. DCI Ryan, a character I liked very much, becomes involved, …
I really enjoyed the first in LJ Ross’ DCI Ryan Mysteries. I like riveting suspense mixed in with romance and she did this really well. DCI Ryan is a damaged but lovable character who has been on leave after a particularly traumatic event in his last case, which we don’t immediately find out about. The author does a great job of drip-feeding us …
Really enjoyed this thriller featuring DCI Ryan.
I have had the DCI Ryan Mysteries recommended to me on a number of times and finally got round to reading the first one, Holy Island. I now feel like a fool for waiting for so long.
Very much in the vein of ‘Hot Fuzz’, an excellent detective, DCI Ryan finds himself living on the island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland. A close knit community …
This book could have been a great book. But I rate it as a mystery that starts off promising and scary and then goes off the track a bit. The ending is good and make you think about reading her second one
Lots of people love this book so I feel I missed something. The place Lindisfarne is almost an isle as it is cut off from England when the tide …