DISCOVER THE NEW STANDALONE MYSTERY FROM BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JANICE FROSTSHE WILL RISK HER LIFE TO FIND THE TRUTH1988. The body of Moira Mackie, a St Andrews University student, is found on a clifftop path. Her ex-boyfriend is found days later, hanged in his uncle’s garage with a suicide note confessing that he killed her. The case is abruptly closed. Thirty years later, Ros Maitland has …
Thirty years later, Ros Maitland has seemingly moved on from the horrific murder of her housemate Moira. Then her daughter takes up a place at the same university, and old demons reawaken.
Was Moira murdered in a lover’s quarrel? Or was her death part of something far larger, uglier and more calculated?
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THAT TERRIBLE NIGHT?
Policeman, Innes Nevin, investigated Moira’s death and has been haunted by it ever since. It was his first murder case, and he knew it had been closed too soon.
Innes and Ros must delve back into the painful past to finally bring the truth to light.
THEN COMES A BRUTAL TURN OF EVENTS. SOMEONE WANTS THEIR INVESTIGATION STOPPED AT ALL COSTS.
In an electrifying standoff, Ros must risk everything she cares about.
CAN SHE FIND THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEATH AND ESCAPE WITH HER LIFE?
A rising talent of crime fiction, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Ruth Rendell, Or Mark Billingham
PRAISE FOR JANICE FROST’S ‘DEAD SECRET’
“A brilliant new detective writer who will have you reading all night. ” Chris Child
“I couldn’t put this story down; the amount of intrigue was breathtaking.” Karen
“Excellent twists and turns plus a few moments where I was completely gobsmacked” Jaffa
ALSO BY JANICE FROST
DS MERRY & DI NEAL SERIES
Book 1: DEAD SECRET
Book 2: DARK SECRET
Book 3: HER HUSBAND’S SECRET
Book 4: THEIR FATAL SECRETS
Book 5: DIRTY SECRETS
more
The first thing that drew me to pick this novel up was the title, and then I read the blurb and was intrigued. I’m really glad I read it because now I have a new author to follow.
Janice Frost knows how to keep her readers invested. The characters stand out as realistic and relatable. The plot is well-paced and the twists are really great. I was definitely surprised a few times.
If you like a solid mystery, The Woman on the Cliff is one you should pick up. Good plot, characters and action.
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Books N All. All opinions are my own.*
I liked the story and characters but the crime itself was kind of blah. The ending was rather anti-climatic. But the story itself was well written.
The idea of five students sharing a place at St. Andrews University and then one is dead, sounded like a good mystery. The characters are introduced through Ros and even the shocking tragedy is from her view point and how she sees everyone reacting.
Then the book moves to forward thirty years and it is Ros’s daughter Izzy that is attending the university. Izzy does not know the story about Moira, the fifth roommate found dead or that a boyfriend, Stuart, killed himself and left a note about Moira.
Ros reflects back on each roomie and realizes she has a connection with just one, Elspeth.
Lucy never finished at the university and she hasn’t kept up with Shauna but the one thing that keeps coming up is Elspeth and her controlling of Ros and her hatred of the dead girl, Moira. It didn’t mean much, the intense Elspeth relationship to Ros till she described incidents that happened when Ros married, those made me go whoa!
Ros, widowed, meets Innes, a detective from thirty years ago and together, they try and find the truth about Moira’s death. It seems interesting and a way to see each other but then Izzy is attacked and all bets are off. Are Ros and Innes too close to the old murder?
Great atmosphere and Ros and Innes seem real and genuine. Ris and Izzy have a great relationship.
It became a bit confusing as Andrew, Stuart. Piers and Hans are introduced and alibis are checked. And the German connection and spies really threw me off and just seemed a bit off. The time changes worked at first but later they became a bit hard to follow.
3.8 stars.
I loved the character development and the story. It was never scary but intriguing. I thought it wrapped up too suddenly.
The mystery can’t be solved without all the details, but in this book, it created suspense. Though the narrative switched back and forth between present and past, the transitions were easy to follow. As the story unfolded, the characters developed realistically. There’s a plot twist at the end that leads to the solution. A quick read because it was hard to put down!
Scotland, murder, women-sleuths, ex-cop, crime-fiction
The suspense got to me. Flipping between the time of the original crime in 1988 and the present actually made things clearer, but there are plenty of surprises and false leads. The characters are all too believable for their ages and time of their lives. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
1988. Five students at St. Andrews University share a house. It is clear that the five girls don’t all get along and that there are some tensions and disputes. But then Moira,a stunning,clever and a very confident girl is found murdered on a cliff path. Her boyfriend is charged with the murder but before the police can arrest him,he commits suicide leaving a note saying he killed her.
30 years later,Roz,one of those students returns to St. Andrews accompanying her daughter who is ready to start her studies. Roz meets Innes Nevin, one of the policeman of the original investigation. The murder of Moira has left a deep impact on him. He was never completely convinced of the culpability of the boyfriend. And very slowly they try to discover the truth behind this horrendous crime.
This is an easy reads that keeps your attention (perfect for a flight where you sit between a snoring bloke and a grumpy teenager) right until the denouement .Then the story becomes a bit messy,confusing and goes definitely over the top. And the explanations are not exactly crystal clear and satisfying. Pity…