How many central characters should a novel have? One or two? Three? Or… Most novels have a hero or heroine, or in some cases, a pair of heroes or heroines. In creating what I hoped would be a new thriller series, I realised I’d gone a bit overboard in character-creation mode and for a while,…
Category: Series
‘The Body Farm’ by Patricia Cornwell
My Review (5 stars out of 5) A research institute testing the decomposition of corpses comes in handy when Kay Scarpetta seeks help with a mysterious mark on the body of a dead girl. In Black Mountain, North Carolina, the doc is called in along with newly promoted Pete Marino and FBI buddy Benton Wesley…
‘The Hermitage’ by LJ Ross
My Review (5 stars out of 5) A murder at the ancient hermitage at Warkworth Castle prompts an investigation by Northumbria CID. But with no obvious motive, the team don’t have much to go on. Meanwhile, DCI Ryan and his wife are miles away in Florence, Italy, tracking notorious killer Nathan Armstrong. Enlisting the help…
‘Seven Bridges’ by LJ Ross
My Review (5 stars out of 5) DCI Ryan’s plans to leave Newcastle in search of a killer are put aside when DC Jack Lowerson turns up on Ryan’s doorstep one night in a state of utter despair. Another officer is dead and Lowerson may be to blame. But in order to ensure everything is…
‘And Brother it’s Starting to Rain’ by Jake Needham
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Now retired from Singapore CID, Sam Tay has time on his hands. When John August comes calling asking a favour, Sam isn’t sure what to make of it. August needs help tracking down a woman involved in a murder plot – a plot to kill John August. Knowing…
‘All That Remains’ by Patricia Cornwell
My Review (5 stars out of 5) A serial killer leaves a young couple dead in the woods, producing yet another murder where Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta cannot establish the cause of death. With the latest murder involving the daughter of a powerful woman who wants answers, Kay finds herself in a difficult position.…
‘Bad Side of a Wicked Moon’ by Caleb Pirtle
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Finding oil in East Texas brings strangers into the town of Ashland, and Eudora Durant and her new lover Doc know very well that strangers sometimes mean trouble. When a hearse turns up in the town one morning, it drops off an unexpected cargo. Meanwhile, the local sheriff…
‘Cragside’ by LJ Ross
My Review (5 stars out of 5) In need of somewhere to live, DCI Ryan and his partner Anna have moved to temporary accommodation within the grounds of Cragside, a country mansion near Rothbury, Northumberland. Invited to a Victorian murder-mystery event, Ryan’s detective skills are called upon when the lights go out at the house…
‘Red Bones’ by Anne Cleeves
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Shetland detective Jimmy Perez has a mystery on his hands when an old woman is shot dead on the island of Whalsay. Though the death initially appears to be an accident, Perez discovers simmering disagreements between two of the families in the area that could have implications for…
‘When Darkness Falls’ by Kathleen Harryman
My Review (4 stars out of 5) In the historic city of York, a dangerous and blood-thirsty serial killer is on the loose. Unfortunately for the police, evidence is thin on the ground, the killer’s modus operandi often varies, and the choice of victims refuses to conform to any logical pattern. However, it seems one…
Colin Garrow 