📖 Book Review ~Burnt Island by Kate Rhodes #TeamScilly

Simon&Schuster
2019

DI Ben Kitto #3

My thanks to the publisher and to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my copy of the book

INTRUDERS HERE ARE BOUND TO DIE

As the sun sets on a cold November evening, the tiny community of St Agnes prepares for their annual Fifth-of-November festivities. Moments before the fireworks are scheduled to commence, an islander discovers a charred body left on the bonfire, and quickly it becomes clear that a killer is at large.

Ben Kitto is the Deputy Chief of Police for the Scilly Isles, and with a killer on the loose, he has no choice but to forbid all residents from leaving the island. With a population of just eighty people, everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.

When threats start appearing, written in the old Cornish language, Ben suspects that the killer's motive is to rid the island of the newcomers who threaten their traditions. With time running out, Ben hurries to discover the secrets of the island’s peculiar residents, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before another fire is started.

📖 My Review..

This is now the third book in the DI Ben Kitto series of crime novels which are set on the beautiful Scilly Isles. In this story we meet again with Ben as he is becoming more accustomed to life on the island and the seemingly quieter pace of life than the one he left behind in London. However, on a cold November evening when the islanders are cerebrating their own version of Bonfire Night the sinister discovery of charred human remains is found on the nearby Burnt Island. What then follows is another action packed crime investigation for DI Kitto who discovers, once again, that these beautiful islands are about to be disturbed by someone hellbent on destroying everything.

It's been a real pleasure to spend time again with this enigmatic detective and with each new novel I feel we are getting to know a little more about him each time. I especially enjoy the interaction between him and Shadow who is already very much part of the investigative team and has the makings of an exceptional police dog. I love the adventurous nature of these stories and the way the islands, and islanders, are now starting to feel as familiar as friends and so with each successive story there is a real sense of continuity, whilst at the same time each investigation is refreshingly different. The murder mystery at the heart of Burnt Island is tightly controlled with more than enough twists and turns which kept me guessing right until the final startling denouement which I didn't see coming. 

Wonderfully written, with a sharp eye for detail, I raced through the book in the space of a couple of sittings eager to discover more and yet sad when the story ended. However, I have the excitement of knowing that I can return to the Scilly Isles in Pulpit Rock, which is book number four in this excellent crime series.

About the Author

Kate Rhodes is an acclaimed crime novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, the writer and film-maker, Dave Pescod. She visited the Scilly Isles every year as a child which gave her the idea for this new series. She is one of the founders of the Killer Women writing group.

Twitter @K_RhodesWriter #BurntIsland #TeamScilly

@simonschusterUK

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