Jane Bell is hoping for a quiet Halloween as she patrols the streets. But a call out concerning a Dracula brandishing a knife leads to a chase that is halted when her partner collapses and almost dies. The next morning Jane is devastated to be informed that the escaped Dracula went on to stab two women…
Murder on a Country Walk is the 4th police procedural book to feature Special Constable Jane Bell and her colleague DI Steph Warwick.
It’s a dramatic start to the book as Jane and her partner race after Dracula. The likelihood is that the knife is fake but they have to pursue the suspect. Jane is horrified as her partner crumples to the floor with a heart attack and the chase is abandoned. Shortly afterwards two women are attacked on the street and one is repeatedly stabbed to death in front of her daughter. Jane feels guilty that she couldn’t catch the killer and resolves to investigate by staying with her partner in the village where the two women lived. She uncovers a host of secrets and motives, and more death follows…
I felt a little lost at the start of the book as we are introduced to a range of characters and the connections and relevance isn’t immediately clear. The murder case then begins and Jane starts to gather background information about the victim. The plot shifts focus when another character, seemingly unconnected, disappears from the village and Jane wonders if there is a link between the cases.
Jane and Steph continue to have an uneasy working relationship. Both are utterly committed to their police work but the difference in rank and responsibility leads to tension. Jane is a bit nosy and oversteps her role, treading on Steph’s toes. But Steph needs Jane’s insight and easy going manner which helps others confide in her.
Murder on a Country Walk is an enjoyable police procedural with strong lead characters.
MURDER ON A COUNTRY WALK by Janice Frost
A TOTALLY GRIPPING BRITISH CRIME MYSTERY FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR JANICE FROST.
It begins as a Halloween prank. It ends in cold-blooded murder.
Halloween. One of the busiest nights of the year for Lincolnshire police. Special Constable Jane Bell is called out to reports of someone in a Dracula mask terrorising the residents of a nearby estate with a replica knife. She races to the scene — but the man in the mask flees into the night.
The next morning, Detective Steph Warwick turns up on Jane’s doorstep. There’s been a murder. Dracula went on to attack two women, retired schoolteacher Susan Gedney and her daughter Gina. Susan died at the scene, Gina survived. The knife turned out to be all too real.
Then another young woman disappears from the picturesque village where Susan and Gina lived. She was last seen out on a country walk — but she never returned.
Three woman targeted from the same small village. This is no coincidence.
Detectives Steph and Jane are faced with the most baffling case of their careers.
This unputdownable mystery full of twists is the perfect read for fans of Angela Marsons, Helen H. Durrant, Rachel McLean and Michael Hambling.
READERS LOVE THE WARWICK & BELL SERIES:
‘I love this series . . . Gripping from start to finish.’ Booklover Bev
‘Filled with twists and turns aplenty.’ Valleri M.
‘Read it in one sitting. Loved it.’ Aileen G.
‘An unputdownable mystery full of twists . . . Had me gasping out loud.’ Paula H.
‘An excellent thriller that keeps the reader enthralled until the final pages.’ Rita H.
‘This book had everything! It has suspense, intrigue . . . and so many crazy twists and turns. Well worth reading!’ Debbie B.
MEET THE DETECTIVES
SPC Jane Bell is in her mid-forties, a widow of three years following the premature death of her husband, Sam. She has two grown-up children, Patrick and Norah, who are pursuing careers in London. After Sam’s death, Jane makes some changes to her life. She downsizes from their large family home in the country to a cottage in Lincoln.
DI Stephanie Warwick is in her mid-thirties. She left school at eighteen and worked in a bank before joining the police force. She is haunted by her ex-boyfriend, Cal. He attempted to kill her twelve years ago, and murdered her best friend.
ALSO BY JANICE FROST WARWICK & BELL SERIES
1: MURDER AMONG FRIENDS
2: MURDER ACROSS THE LINES
3: MURDER AGAINST THE ODDS
4: MURDER ON A COUNTRY WALK
THE COMPLETE MERRY & NEAL MYSTERIES
1: DEAD SECRET
2: DARK SECRET
3: HER HUSBAND’S SECRET
4: THEIR FATAL SECRETS
5: DIRTY SECRETS
6: MURDEROUS SECRETS
