Book Blurb:
When Gabriel Ash comes across a terrified young woman fleeing a brutal attacker, he and Hazel Best are drawn into a complex and baffling investigation.
Rachel Somers, running . . . Something appalling happened in the wood. When Gabriel Ash and his dog come to her aid, she thinks she’s safe. But this is Norbold, where things aren’t always as they seem.
Detective Chief Inspector Gorman thinks this is his worst nightmare: a predatory paedophile who’s prepared to kill rather than be taken. Constable Hazel Best thinks she’s helping both the Somers family and her friend Ash, but her tendency to follow her heart rather than her orders is about to get her into trouble again. And the people of Norbold have noticed that descriptions of the attacker, sketchy as they are, fit Ash better than they fit anyone else.
With panic stalking the town, DCI Gorman needs to make an arrest before more young girls are attacked, before someone else dies, before the vigilantes who burned Ash’s shop decide to burn him too. But the parameters keep shifting, and almost none of the facts he’s relying on will turn out to be true. The solution to the mystery is more shocking, and more tragic, than even these three could have imagined.
My Review:
Obviously, I’ve been living under a rock, as Dangerous Pursuits and this series is my introduction to the author and I gotta say, why haven’t I seen these books before?!
Before I get too crazy on just how much I enjoyed the metaphors and similes (mostly the latter) and that Irish sense of humor, I must not miss mentioning the actual mystery in the premise, which is a serious one.
“…you know what a mob is, don’t you? It’s a group of people whose IQ is in inverse proportion to its size.”
“The only difference between a teenage girl and a viper is eye shadow.”
“…thought there was more dignity in jumping than waiting to be pushed.”
Ooh! So this is character-driven or plot-driven? I read it and I don’t know.
You can’t discount these main characters. Constable Hazel Best and Gabriel Ash (second-hand bookseller in his shop Rambles With Books) perfectly complement each other despite the difference in age and just about every other thing going. Gabriel, after all, has a dog he named Patience (the white lurker) who talks back to him. Not unusual, you say, most people talk to their animals. But no, I’m not talking as in anthropomorphic, I’m talking English. Of course, no one but Gabriel can hear her.
This is a well-plotted and fast-paced mystery and the mystery never leaves center stage while carefully involving the characters from the offices of DCI Gorman and the other close contacts owing to Constable Best. Chewing on the lack of clues, they bounce one theory after another off each other. And just when you think you can see where this is obviously going, there’s another twist.
These two main characters are immensely engaging and the author’s writing style entertaining and immersive. This is an easy and comfortable book to take your time and enjoy or gobble up and enjoy the chuckles between the occasional serious contemplative philosophical hypotheses. Dialogue is typical English, introducing me to some new terms I’ve not seen before in UK books.
The conclusion is one you’ve seen coming, but denied, hoping it wasn’t so. A familiar theme but one we must keep seeing. Such an important, and topical, concept. Still, it’s been a delightful ride and I can’t wait for the next. Heartily recommended.
Book Details:
Genre: Traditional Detective Mystery, Police Procedural
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
ASIN: B086TZD71B
Print Length: 240 pages
Publication Date: To be released July 1, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Pre-Order Links:
Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars 
The Author: [Goodreads] Jo Bannister lives in Northern Ireland, where she worked as a journalist and editor on local newspapers. Since giving up the day job, her books have been shortlisted for a number of awards. Most of her spare time is spent with her horse and dog, or clambering over archaeological sites. She is currently working on a new series of psychological crime/thrillers.
©2020 V Williams – 
Rosepoint Publishing 
I loved the definition of mob. Doggy on the over nowadays reminds me of you. Fantastic review ❤️.
How are you guys doing? A special hi to Sir
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thank you! sir says to tell you special hi right back. we are fine, tho today was Father’s Day and son has a sore throat (so couldn’t come around) and dad and daughter got into a political tiff. yeah, yeah, not really new there. hoping you are doing okay. our state is on hold–phase 3 i think–but i’m finally going to get a haircut next week. hallelujah!
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Hahaha hair cut has been a major hassle for most. I cut my own hair since it was a straight one. One video in YouTube and one scissor and I was done 😂😂
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Yeah you have it easy. Mine gets curler the older I get. I find a strand thats hanging where it shouldn’t and clip it. Then oops.
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Here cases have risen. I am a bit worried, very worried,actually. But trying to keep my sanity.
Happy father’s day to Sir.
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