Inspector John Barton has the chance to leave his desk job and get back to solving crimes. Immediately he is put onto a missing teenager case and an attempted murder. Could it be a coincidence that the mother of the missing girl is the best friend of the victim who was targeted in the attempted murder?
The Village Killer is the 7th book in the DI Barton series. There are mentions of earlier cases but no spoilers.
A sassy teen has gone missing but her mother thinks she has gone off with a boyfriend and seems quite uncaring. She is much more animated about her friend’s situation who claims to have been almost run over deliberately. DI Barton has a tough time adjusting to being back on a case and there are personal and professional relationships that need to be handled delicately.
The pace of the book is quite slow and a third of the book has passed before a murder happens. We are allowed to see the machinations of the killer through first person narrative chapters that show his obsession. This does build tension and anticipation but I was impatient for more action and drama.
I really like DI Barton’s character and there is a gentle humour to him and his interactions with other. He is sensitive to the emotions of others which makes him a good friend as well as a good detective.
The Village Killer is an enjoyable police procedural with an easy to like lead detective.
The Village Killer
The BRAND NEW Barton thriller from the bestselling Ross Greenwood.
After three years behind a desk, Inspector John Barton wonders if he’s still got what it takes.
An opportunity arises to return to Major Crimes, so he jumps at it, after all he’s been around the block a few times. When he and his team are called in to investigate an attempted murder which seems to be linked to the case of a missing child, Barton is immediately thrust back into the life of a detective – early mornings, late nights and endless pressure to get to the truth.
Then a man dies.
Something deadly is going on behind the high walls and imposing gates of the mansions in the sleepy village of Castor. The locals are keeping each other’s secrets and if Barton doesn’t find out why soon, the bodies will start mounting up.
The Village Killer knows who’s next, and the clock is ticking…
The book all Ross Greenwood fans have been waiting for – Barton is Back! Ross Greenwood returns to his bestselling series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin.
Ross Greenwood has had an eclectic career, ranging from financial advisor to Prison officer. The advent of parenthood and the terrifying rise of Spice in prison led Ross to become a stay -at-home parent and a novelist.
A French footballer has recently transferred and he and his wife are away on a trip when they home is targeted by thieves. The burglary takes on an added dimension when the footballer’s stepson arrives home with his bodyguard. The guard is shot dead and the boy is kidnapped. Can DCI Roscoe and DS Roy find Marcel before the kidnappers harm him…?
It Never Rains is the 6th book in the Roscoe and Roy series of police procedurals. It works perfectly well as a standalone book and there are no spoilers about earlier cases.
I loved this book. The action and drama start straight away and the pace doesn’t let up. Roscoe and Roy are dedicated officers and struggling to handle an overbearing colleague in a professional manner as he disparages their team. The police are anxious to resolve the case quickly due to the high publicity and the risk to Marcel’s life.
As well as the police investigation, we also see the experience of the kidnappers and Marcel. This really ramps up the tension as we fear for the boy’s safety. I felt desperately sorry for Marcel as he is held against his will, has epilepsy, and barely knows any English so is even more isolated and vulnerable.
There are plenty of twists and I kept guessing at who I thought was behind the kidnapping (I was wrong!) The writing is easy to read and I felt totally immersed in the lives of the characters. It was a surprisingly quick read, but I admit I couldn’t put it down!
It Never Rains is an excellent police procedural with a fab lead detective duo.
It Never Rains
It never rains but it pours . . .
When a ruthless gang burgles the home of a Premier League football player, DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy suddenly have a murder and a kidnap on their hands.
The footballer’s stepson, Marcel, is taken from the palatial property whilst it is being ransacked, and his bodyguard is shot, stone cold dead.
To help them with their task, DI Parkes from the National Crime Agency’s Kidnap Unit joins the investigation but he has very different ideas about how the operation should be run.
While rain lashes the surrounding countryside, tempers rise, as do the flood waters.
Can the police track down this dangerous gang, unmask its malevolent ringleader, and reunite the boy with his family before it’s too late?
IT NEVER RAINS is the sixth book in the detectives Roy and Roscoe crime fiction series by Tony Bassett.
Tony Bassett is a former journalist who worked on regional and national newspapers in Britain for more than 40 years. He mainly reported on crime, show business, human interest and consumer topics. Now retired, he writes crime fiction.
Tony is best known for his series of novels set in the West Midlands. They feature Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.
The fifth book in the series, Heir To Murder, was judged first in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards in June 2024. The novel concerns a peer of the realm’s son found axed to death after a row over loud music. Two years earlier, his older brother mysteriously disappeared while hiking in Spain. Here is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPFNJNQJ
The series is published by The Book Folks, an independent London publisher specialising in crime fiction. Other books in the series (in order) are: Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out for Revenge.
His stand-alone thriller Seat 97, about a man shot dead at a London concert hall, has also been published by The Book Folks. Two further works (the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway and the spy novel The Lazarus Charter) were published by The Conrad Press.
Tony first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he produced a junior school magazine. A few years later, his local vicar in Tunbridge Wells staged his play about the Biblical story of Naboth’s Vineyard. At Hull University, Tony was judged Time-Life Magazine student journalist of the year in 1971. Tony, who has five grown-up children, is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin
Sir Lance Hale is found dead after a party at his home. It is the third tragedy for the family but were all the deaths actually murder? Eve Mallow knows the family and wants to find the truth…
Mystery at Lockley Grange is the 13th book in the Eve Mallow series of amateur sleuth murder mysteries.
Eve used to be the nanny for the Hale children. Now they are all grown up and sadly one died after falling from a cliff. The mother of the family also died after being run down by her brother in law. Now Lance is killed too and Eve wants to find answers.
On the personal side, Eve and Robin are just weeks away from their wedding. Do they really have time to investigate a murder? Of course they do! As usual they are ably accompanied by Gus the dachshund and their friends. There are lots of suspects to ask questions and discover motives, and I was kept guessing by the twists of the plot.
I really like Eve’s character. Her inquisitiveness isn’t overwhelming but feels natural as part of her obituary writer career. She is gentle in manner and sensitive to the feelings of others, especially the recently bereaved. However, I also feel she has a spine of steel that gives her a determination to get justice for the victim.
Mystery at Lockley Grange is an enjoyable addition to this series of cosy murder mysteries.
Famous diplomat Lance Hale is throwing a party at Lockley Grange to celebrate his latest award. But when he’s found face down in his swimming pool, Eve Mallow is sure someone thought he deserved to die…
It’s always an occasion when the Hale family descend on their country pile, Lockley Grange. Almost everyone in Saxford St Peter has been called upon to dust the rooms, tidy the garden, and cater for the party. Eve Mallow’s delighted to be invited: years ago she babysat for the Hale children, and she can’t wait to see how they turned out.
But the night will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The following morning, Lance is found dead in his indoor pool. He’d been the life and soul of the party, but Eve saw him arguing with friends and family. She’s convinced it was no accident – especially when she finds a threatening note tucked into his desk drawer.
But who wanted to make sure indiscreet Lance was silenced for good? His right-hand woman, who could spill the family’s secrets, but won’t say a word? His older son, who’s drowning in debt, or his younger daughter, whose career he’d sabotaged?
As Eve sets to work at isolated Lockley Grange with loyal dachshund Gus at her heels, she uncovers past tragedies, blackmail and hidden cameras watching her every step. Eve knows she’s wading into dark waters… can she find the killer, or is she in over her head?
Author Bio
Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
Half term, woohoo! It was such a long time at school and we have been desperate for a break! The weather has been grey and dreary but the relaxation has been epic! We have had lots of family time including a clip and climb session with cousins. But the highlight of the week has been the arrival of a new family member… welcome Shelly!
I have wanted a tortoise for a long time and I couldn’t resist any longer! We are all besotted with her.
It’s Mum’s birthday tomorrow so we had all the family together again to celebrate and I loved this pic: what a beautiful smile 🙂 Happy birthday!
Wade Darling is accused of murdering his family. Days before the trial his lawyer dies and the case is handed to Neve Harper. She is keen to win until she is threatened with her darkest secret being exposed if she does…
Conviction is a legal thriller with strong psychological elements.
What a fab moral dilemma! Neve has a guilty conscience and now her secret gives others a hold over her. Her stepdaughter’s life is threatened too but to save them both she has to throw the case. Easier said than done as she has to look like she is doing a good job at defending Wade to avoiding casting suspicion on herself.
Neve wrangles with her conscience as she has to decide between her professional reputation and the danger to her family. The emotional turmoil she faces is easy to identify with and makes her very human even if we don’t agree with her choices.
There is plenty of drama and I loved the legal elements as the court case proceeds. The twists and turns of the trial were brought to life effectively and this felt really authentic. The blackmail is unpleasant and innocent people are caught in the crossfire which adds to the drama and tension. I thought that the atmosphere was maintained well and I was completely swept up in the plot. The ending left a final twist which was fab!
Conviction is a tense and gripping read.
Book blurb:
TO STEAL A MAN’S FREEDOM ALL IT TAKES IS . . . CONVICTION
Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept before burning the family home to the ground.
When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. But only if she can prove Wade’s innocence.
A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husband’s disappearance will be revealed.
Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about until she follows orders.
Neve must make a choice – betray every principle she has ever had by putting a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.
For fans of Steve Cavanagh, Linwood Barclay and Gillian McAllister, introducing the latest novel from the master of the moral dilemma, Jack Jordan.
