📖 Book Review ~ Holy Island by L J Ross

It's that time of year when I try to look back at some of the books which have lingered for far too long on my kindle and this excellent crime series has been around for so long, it's high time it had a mention.

Independently Published
2015
DCI Ryan #1

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.

📖 My Thoughts..

Holy Island is the first book in the DCI Ryan series of crime novels which are set in the North East of England and which feature this enigmatic and, it must be said, rather compelling, Detective Chief Inspector. When the story opens we meet DCI Ryan as he is recovering from a traumatic investigation and the catastrophic events of the conclusion to this case still result in sleepless nights and moments of PTSD. Whilst his time on Holy Island is largely recuperative, it soon becomes obvious that rest and relaxation do not come gently to Ryan, so when a body is found, in mysterious circumstances, in the ruins of the nearby priory, Ryan's soon volunteers his expertise to find the perpetrator before events spiral out of control. Smart, savvy and totally immersive, I devoured this first book in a matter of hours.

Whilst I purchased a kindle copy of Holy Island back in 2019, I only discovered the sheer enjoyment of the audio books at the start of this year when we were still in that grey area of lockdown. I have found that each subsequent audio listen has taken me away from the worry of living through difficult times. Borrow Box is a fantastic lending facility which is part of the local library service run by local councils, and I was delighted to find that the whole series, all eighteen books, is available, to borrow, in both ebook and audio format. I enjoy listening to well narrated crime novels as a good speaker can bring the book alive and in Jonathan Keeble I have found Ryan's distinctive voice. The audio series is very popular, with a long waiting list, but this is one series I am more happy to wait for as the anticipation of the next story is just as enjoyable.

I'm now listening to Dark Skies which is book #7 in the series. I've still a long way to go before I catch up but that's the joy of these books, getting to know more about well loved characters who are now as familiar to me as friends. I delight in their company and in their dogged determination in catching the truly bad guys of this clever author's imagination.

About the Author

LJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide. Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, a further eighteen of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.

Twitter @LJRossAuthor 

Website

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