‘The Fells’ by Cath Staincliffe

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

In the summer 1997, Vicky Mott leaves the cottage where she’s staying with her friends and walks off into the early morning light. Her disappearance is put down to the serial killer known as the Fellside Strangler but when Vicky’s body is discovered twenty years later, the possibility of a tragic accident seems more likely. Detectives Leo and Shan study the case, but soon find that the accounts given by the dead woman’s friends leave some unanswered questions—questions which could put a very different slant on the investigation.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and it’s an absolute stonker. From the start it grabbed my imagination, the narrative moving from one character to another as the plot unfurls. The characters are all beautifully drawn—especially young cop Shan—and the domestic issues for each of the detectives fill out the story, giving them the authenticity that all of Ms Staincliffe’s characters have. The descriptions of the landscape, weather and wildlife also help create a vivid picture of life in the Dales and brings a sense of normality to the serious nature of the police investigation.

An excellent and completely absorbing crime thriller.

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