Today I am on Jo Allen’s Blog for her sixth book in the DCI Satterthwaite mystery series, set in the Lake District, and it is the third one I have read in the series. It can be read as a standalone story, but I feel that I have got much more from the stories and characters since I have been reading them in order so I will be going to get books one through to three as soon as I am able. This is a series that does have a lot going on with the characters over the series so it is handy to know who’s who and the back stories.
A series of copycat suicides, prompted by a mysterious online blogger, causes DCI Jude
Satterthwaite more problems than usual, intensifying his concerns about his troublesome
younger brother, Mikey. Along with his partner, Ashleigh O’Halloran, and a local
psychiatrist, Vanessa Wood, Jude struggles to find the identity of the malicious troll
gaslighting young people to their deaths.
The investigation stirs grievances both old and new. What is the connection with the
hippies camped near the Long Meg stone circle? Could these suicides have any
connection with a decades old cold case? And, for Jude, the most crucial question of all.
Is it personal — and could Mikey be the final target?
This is my third Jo Allen book and the third time I have truly enjoyed her books. Every story has such a tight plotline with characters that are always evolving. I thought the characters were excellent in the first book I read, now I am loving their development too. I always find this author books a tense read which add to my enjoyment. She never fails to use issues that are sensitive to some, this time being gaslighting and dealing with them head-on. She does this with sensitivity though.
There is always a sense of community running through the ones I have read, and this always makes me feel like I would love to know these people in real life. The best bit is I feel like I am part of it as I am reading her books. I always say something is better than nothing.
A thriller full of intrigue and suspense, with twists that you don’t expect and so well written you feel like you are with them. A shocking and gritty story that is a fitting chapter for DCI Satterthwaite. I do hope to see him soon!
Thanks go to Rachel’s Random Resources and Jo Allen for my place on the tour and the copy of the book too.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 