Today I am taking part in the Joffe Blog Tour for Beachy Head by Adam Lyndon. Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw of Joffe Books for my ARC copy of the book. This is my unbiased review.
MEET DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES FROM A SERVING POLICE OFFICER.
Discover an absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist.
Just before midnight, Mandy is woken by a frantic knocking at the door. It’s her ex-husband. Drunk. Again. At that moment her new partner James gets home from work. Mandy hears raised voices. Then a dull, smacking sound. Followed by a sickening crunch . . .
DC Barnes is back on the job after an eighteen-month suspension. He’s offered this case no one else wants — and he’s in no position to refuse. A one-punch homicide.
The accused is Mandy’s partner James. An honest, upright citizen and a firefighter. The victim is Mandy’s ex, an aggressive alcoholic.
James’s acquittal is a sure thing. No jury will convict this good man defending his girlfriend.
So why does James suddenly disappear just before the jury reach their verdict?
The following day a body is found at the foot of Beachy Head. The injuries sustained reveal this wasn’t a suicide.
Barnes’s case has now become something deeper and darker than anyone could have imagined.
Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Helen H. Durrant, Bill Kitson, Michael Hambling, Peter James, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths, J.M. Dalgliesh or Patricia Gibney.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BEACHY HEAD:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Mayhem, manhunts and mysteries with enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages.” Linda
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is a well-plotted police procedural. The characterization is excellent, some likeable, especially Barnes!” Martha
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Lyndon’s dark, well-plotted police procedurals are engaging and atmospheric.” Kathleen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A very good read.” Aileen
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book gripped me right from the start and was twisty and unpredictable.” Aria
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The setting in and around Eastbourne is excellent.” Ceecee
THE DETECTIVE
DC Rutherford Barnes is young, goodlooking and ambitious — perhaps too ambitious for his own good. His all-consuming desire for promotion makes him vulnerable to temptation. His happy marriage to nursery school teacher Eve is marred only by the couple’s inability to conceive, leading Barnes to throw himself headlong into his work.
THE SETTING
Set against the picturesque landscape of the South Downs, the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne is packed with tourists during the summer — but it can seem pretty dismal during the winter months. Only fifty-odd miles from London, the town is not immune to the violence which occasionally spills over from the city. Pockets of deprivation and criminality exist alongside reminders of Eastbourne’s more genteel past in the grand Victorian hotels that line the seafront, the pier and the bandstand. The town also boasts one of Britain’s best-known — and most infamous — beauty spots, Beachy Head.
A new series and author for me, Beachy Head is the second book in the Detective Rutherford Barnes series. Starting from the second book I hoped I would be able to enjoy this without losing myself because I hadn’t read the first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be having to read the first book when I can.
Set in 2005, East Sussex, Barnes has come back to work from his suspension and realises he has to prove himself, yet again. He is handed a case of a man being charged with one punch manslaughter. Seems clear cut but Barnes has a gut feeling. A missing juror is among several bodies that are found at the bottom of Beach Head and Barnes feels like he can’t trust anyone.
I found this a complex, multi layered plot that did require a certain amount of concentration. It certainly paid of though, a gripping, page turner that has plenty of vivid characters. I love this setting, East Sussex is one of my favourite places and Adam Lyndon did describe it well enough to see it in my minds eye.
At times a dark story that engrossed me with the several story threads that interweaved throughout. The twists and turns kept me me guessing all the way and then the ending! I couldn’t have guessed it!
A great new series that I recommend if you love a complex, multi layered and twisty story.
A new series and author for me, Beachy Head is the second book in the Detective Rutherford Barnes series. Starting from the second book I hoped I would be able to enjoy this without losing myself because I hadn’t read the first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be having to read the first book when I can.
Set in 2005, East Sussex, Barnes has come back to work from his suspension and realises he has to prove himself, yet again. He is handed a case of a man being charged with one punch manslaughter. Seems clear cut but Barnes has a gut feeling. A missing juror is among several bodies that are found at the bottom of Beach Head and Barnes feels like he can’t trust anyone.
I found this a complex, multi layered plot that did require a certain amount of concentration. It certainly paid of though, a gripping, page turner that has plenty of vivid characters. I love this setting, East Sussex is one of my favourite places and Adam Lyndon did describe it well enough to see it in my minds eye.
At times a dark story that engrossed me with the several story threads that interweaved throughout. The twists and turns kept me me guessing all the way and then the ending! I couldn’t have guessed it!
A great new series that I recommend if you love a complex, multi layered and twisty story.
Buy Links https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B9NMBLRW/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_61G28D3Q127MHW0NT5S8
Author Bio
Adam was born and raised in Sussex. He has been a police officer for twenty years both in the UK and in New Zealand, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations.
He went around the world a couple of times, living in New Zealand for a year before realising home was where all the stories were. Adam writes gritty, Eastbourne-based police-procedurals with hard-edged authenticity, forming a daisy chain along the south coast alongside the likes of Graham Hurley and Peter James. He has been married for twenty years and has four children. His ambition, as his children keep reminding him, is to own a dog.
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