A serial killer is on the loose, taking teen girls and making them sew their own shrouds before killing them. He mutilates the body to avoid identification of his victims and the police are stumped. DCI Alice Rossi is called upon to breathe new life into the investigation but can she work quick enough to save the next victim?
The Ravenswood Murders is the second book in the detective and serial killer series featuring DCI Alice Rossi. I have previously read and reviewed the first book The Ash Lake Murders.
Alice is called in to support a team trying to catch a killer. She faces a little opposition but the team are desperate to solve the case. Four teens are dead and another is missing. She brings in officers from her last big case as she respects their input and needs their contribution.
The descriptions of the bodies is quite graphic as they have had their hands removed and teeth smashed to avoid dental or fingerprint identification. Hauntingly, the most recent victim sewed her name into the shroud and this causes an emotional spike and additional determination for Alice.
I really love Alice’s character. She has issues from her past which came to the fore in the last book. Now she is trying to focus on the case, bringing a fresh pair of eyes to the situation. The author creates a fast pace through quite short chapters and the writing style was gripping as the plot develops. I kept thinking I had guessed how the events would play out but in fact I was skilfully misdirected.
The Ravenswood Murders was a compelling killer thriller and I can’t wait for the next book!
THE RAVENSWOOD MURDERS by Helen H. Durrant
MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW BRITISH CRIME SERIES FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.
A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish.
Day 1. A young woman’s body is found in a shallow grave in the woods, buried in a white shroud. She’s been dead for a week. Her teeth are smashed in, her lips stitched together. Her hands are missing.
She’s the fourth young woman found like this.
With no witnesses, no clues and no leads to follow, the investigation is going nowhere.
That’s when Detective Alice Rossi is called in.
Alice knows this case is a poisoned chalice. Not least because she has a new team to contend with — who don’t like being bossed around by a woman.
Day 2. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Hewson is reported missing. She never came home from school, and her father is beside himself.
Will she be the fifth girl to die?
Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths or J.M. Dalgliesh.
READERS LOVE THE DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI BOOKS:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Full of suspense with a storyline that kept me guessing right up until the end.’ Annette T.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really good read . . . the perfect balance of investigation versus personal drama for the lead.’ Linda B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The start of a fabulous new series from Helen H. Durrant . . . Brilliant book — I loved it!’ Charlotte M.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.’ Sandra G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I absolutely love Alice Rossi . . . This is a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you turning page after page all the way to the end. Absolutely brilliant, I can’t wait for book 2.’ Jill B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The story line flows along nicely, making it an enjoyable read, with a nice twist, leaving you keen for the next instalment which will surely follow. Recommend.’ Iain McC.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another stunningly good police procedural from Helen H. Durrant. Fabulous plot and great characters, with everything I want from a whodunnit.’ Amanda P.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great start to a new series . . . I couldn’t put it down. Amazing storyline.’ Michelle G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thoroughly gripping and suspenseful with an astonishing surprise. Not one to be missed.’ Carol S.
THE DETECTIVE
DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.
HELEN H. DURRANT
OVER 1.5 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
Helen is one of the ‘baby boomer’ generation and began writing when she retired from her job at a local college. Born in Edinburgh to an English father and Scottish mother the family settled in a Pennine village between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is an environment which has shaped her stories. Writing is a second career and, despite having a bus pass, keeps her busy, and tuned in.
Helen’s children are all grown-up and she has five grandchildren.
BOOKS BY HELEN H. DURRANT
CALLADINE & BAYLISS SERIES:
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DEAD WRONG
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DEAD SILENT
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DEAD LIST
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DEAD LOST
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DEAD & BURIED
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DEAD NASTY
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DEAD JEALOUS
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DEAD BAD
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DEAD GUILTY
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DEAD WICKED
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DEAD SORRY
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DEAD REAL
DI GRECO SERIES:
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DARK MURDER
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DARK HOUSES
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DARK TRADE
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DARK ANGEL
DI MATHEW BRINDLE SERIES:
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HIS THIRD VICTIM
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THE OTHER VICTIM
DCI RACHEL KING SERIES:
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NEXT VICTIM
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TWO VICTIMS
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WRONG VICTIM
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FORGOTTEN VICTIM
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LAST VICTIM
DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE SERIES:
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THE GUILTY MAN
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THE FACELESS MAN
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THE WRONG WOMAN
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DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE BOOKS 1-2
DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI MYSTERY SERIES:
FOLLOW HELEN ON
TRIGGER WARNING: child abuse
A successful serial killer who has avoided attention for years. A DCI trying to prove he is fit to work and a journalist looking for a career-making story. Let battle commence!
The Genius Killer is a serial killer crime thriller set in the north of England.
Karl is a killer, we know that from the start. He began his killing due to abuse he suffered as a child. He also targets those who have wronged him and this makes his killings almost understandable. Part of me admired his strength and passion whilst abhorring his behaviour.
The killer, detective and journalist could all be classed as genius and this is why they are such good adversaries. The methods of death are so clever and the emotional background almost make you sympathise with Karl, but is anyone really deserving of death?
Tex Deacon is also someone who is soooo easy to like. He has has a devastating experience with the death of his wife but is eager to be back catching killers. He forms an unlikely but respectful relationship with an up and coming journalist looking for her big break.
The stage is set for the opponents to collide. I was rooting for both sides. Karl is ‘sinned against’ as well as ‘sinning’ whilst Tex is so easy to like and we want him to overcome his own demons. The writing style is very engaging and the plot develops rapidly.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator uses accents to define the different characters effectively. I increased the speed to x2 or x2.5 as I sped towards the end. This allowed me to listen to the book in less than 6 hours which kept me focussed on the characters and events.
The Genius Killer is a very clever and enjoyable detective and serial killer thriller.
Book Links
Book Blurb
The dark heart of a brilliant and ruthless psychopath
A celebrated but haunted detective
A determined young reporter hunting for justice – and the big story
Karl Jackson is a particularly vengeful sociopath with his unique way of ‘problem-solving’. DCI Tex Deacon suffers from the trauma of his beloved wife’s death and finds it immensely difficult to come to terms with it. As a Detective Chief Inspector specialising in murder and killer profiling, Tex has a relentless workload from his base on the edges of the mountains of the Lake District.
Tex is under pressure from his superiors to take a step back to grieve properly. It’s clear that Susan’s death has ripped out part of his soul. There is no doubt that Tex is suffering, but this DCI is a driven man. Tex’s welfare is the responsibility of his boss Chief Constable Barbara Bracewell, and she and Tex go back a very long way. However, Bracewell must do what is right for Tex and the Cumbrian police force.
Despite falling into a mental abyss, Tex’s instincts for the hunt never leave him. A hyper-intelligent and devious murderer appears in his crosshairs – the self-styled ‘Genius Killer’. So what will Tex do? What can he get away with doing with the Chief Constable monitoring his every move?
And then there’s Debbie Pilkington, a tenacious and hugely ambitious cub reporter at the local paper – The Rimpton Chronicle. Debbie has big stories and a big future in her own sights. A young journalist, a craggy and vastly experienced detective, and one of the most dangerous serial killers Britain has even seen. Their lives were about to intertwine. The chase to stop a cunning killer begins. Tex is a master at breaking down the thinking processes of those he hunts but with Tex enduring his own psychological meltdown, can he penetrate the mind of this supremely malevolent psychopath?
Mark’s Bio
I’ve been a journalist and broadcaster for over forty years working almost exclusively in sport. I was employed for fifteen years by SKY Sports, eleven years by the BBC, and three years by UTV. Elsewhere I have worked on significant national contracts for ITV, Eurosport and Viaplay Sport and have freelanced for many top class broadcasters like BT and NEP. I have been involved in BAFTA and Sony award winning programmes. For the last number of years I have focused on rugby, my main sporting passion, as a commentator and reporter with SKY, as well as Premier Sport and, formerly, Setanta Sport and Eirsport. I’ve commentated on four Rugby World Cups and two football World Cups and covered the Olympics in Sydney in 2000. I was working on the Six Nations Rugby as a commentator for NEP when all sport stopped due to the corona virus pandemic, so, after some persuasion from my then girlfriend Petra, I decided to write my first novel.
The seed for the novel came from a comment made to me by a senior member of the fell running community who knew well many members of the amazing, life saving Mourne Mountain Rescue Team in Northern Ireland. We were out for a fell run one day and were talking about the thousands of rescues Mourne Mountain Rescue had carried out. Out of the blue my craggy companion whispered, “If you want to commit murder – and get away with it – the mountains are the perfect place to do it” .Fell running has been a passion for me. I’ve run over a hundred races and competed in many navigation focused Mourne Mountain Marathons. Unbelievably, for me, I managed to crawl to the finish line in a couple of 50 mile Ultra races. One was in the Addo Elephant Safari Park in the Zuurberg mountains in South Africa and the other was the Grand Raid des Pyrenees. I was rubbish – always one of the stumblers right at the back of the field! I’ve hiked in the Andes, the Blue Mountains, the Picos de Europa, the Alps and other ranges around the globe so no surprise then that quite a bit of ‘The Genius Killer’ is set in the mountains. In this case the magnificent peaks of the Lake District.
Mark’s Links
Carrie Adams is a nurse serving in the US army during WW2. She falls in love with a surgeon but their romance is doomed as tragedy looms. Her focus is redirected on an Italian partisan and a small Jewish girl but can she keep them safe?
The Tuscan Orphan is an historical novel set mainly in Italy from 1943 onwards.
Carrie and Bill fall in love and plan to marry when they reach Rome alongside the victorious Allied troops. But victory seems as far away as ever and a rogue bomb ends their hope for a happy ending. In the aftermath, Carrie becomes focussed on the arrival of a young girl with a head injury. Partisan Vito blames himself for the girl’s accident but is in need of medical help himself.
I was swept up in the geography and history depicted in the book. It was really interesting to learn about the American nursing corps which I knew nothing about. Some of the descriptions of the medical injuries are a little upsetting but I felt this added to the authenticity. There is also a derogatory term used for Italians by a particularly unpleasant officer which could cause offense.
Carrie endures physical and emotional hardship through her experience of war. But she is also lucky enough to find love twice in terrible circumstances. The romance element of the plot is warm and uplifting in light of the backdrop of war. Other peripheral characters also enjoy love which reinforces the power of the emotion in face of adversity.
The Tuscan Orphan is an emotional historical novel which brings 1940s Italy to life.
The Tuscan Orphan
1944 – When an air raid strikes the hospital she’s been working in, Carrie’s life irrevocably changes. But as a nurse in the middle of wartime, she has no time to grieve, as she has too many people relying on her.
For resistance fighter, Vito, nothing is more important than seeking vengeance for the atrocities his fellow comrades have suffered. But when he liberates a convent, finding a group of Jewish children in hiding, he suddenly has even more to fight for.
Little Mimi is injured, scared and alone. Together Carrie and Vito vow to find her parents, a loving home. But under the shadow of war, is it wise to make promises you’re not sure you can keep?
Heartbreaking and immersive, this powerful story of the strength of the human spirit will delight fans of Kristin Hannah, Fiona Valpy and Rhys Bowen
Author Bio –
Siobhan Daiko writes powerful and sweeping historical fiction set in Italy during the second World War, with strong women at its heart. She now lives near Venice, having been a teacher in Wales for many years.
Social Media Links –
Green-fingered Ally is providing the mistletoe to decorate the church hall for Christmas. As the tree lights are switched on, there is a fatality…
Murder Under The Mistletoe is the second book in the Abby Finch series. I have not read the first book and I think it would have been beneficial as there were lots of mentions of Abby’s past and her ex’s death which I believe were covered in the previous book.
Abby is happy to be reunited with former teacher Edward which makes his subsequent death even more upsetting. She is also feeling unsettled after meeting ‘silver fox’ Gregory who has a curious way of making people do things for him. He turns his attentions on Abby and hints at blackmail to coerce her…
Ooh my hackles were raised by Gregory. He is unpleasantly smarmy and I wasn’t surprised when his real personality becomes clear. I instantly thought he should have been the victim and Abby soons reaches the same conclusion. Edward’s past does raise some potential motives too but overall I was convinced that Gregory was supposed to die.
I found the mystery intriguing and enjoyed being introduced to the village and meeting the characters. In particular I really liked Abby as the main character. However, there were quite a few so I struggled a little to keep the relationships clear in my head especially as there were mentions of Abby’s recent past which are significant and featured in the first book.
Murder Under The Mistletoe is an enjoyable murder mystery and I look forward to catching up on the first book.
MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Liz Fielding
MEET ABBY FINCH. SHE’S THE BUSY MUM OF THREE, AN EXPERT GARDENER AND THE STAR OF YOUR NEW FAVOURITE COZY MURDER MYSTERY.
Abby Finch heads to the old church hall armed with mistletoe and holly ready to help decorate in time for the festive season. But she arrives in time to witness a horrifying sight. Edward Marsh reaches to test the antique star at the top of the tree. There’s a fizz and the lights go out.
Abby hears the sickening thud of a body hitting the ground. When the lights turn back on Edward is dead.
It soon becomes clear it was no accident.
The real victim should have been Gregory Tatton, a dapper silver fox, popular with the ladies of the seniors’ lunch club. And a known blackmailer . . .
Abby is desperate to know the truth, but putting herself in danger isn’t on her Christmas list.
Who’s been naughty? Who’s been nice? And who’s hiding the fact they’re a murderer?
Fans of Faith Martin, Jane Adams, Frances Evesham, M.C. Beaton, Clare Chase or Jeanne M. Dams will love this addictive cozy mystery!
MEET THE DETECTIVE
Brilliant gardener and the busy mum of three, Abby Finch’s dreams of winning gold at Chelsea Flower Show were put on hold by an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. These days she’s kept on her toes looking after her beloved family, running her own business and dealing with her imminent divorce. In an effort to keep things cordial, she’s allowed her ex to bully her into restoring the garden of his family home. Thankfully she’s surrounded herself with a great group of friends to lean on.
THE SETTING
Pretty Maybridge is a charming village set in the sheep-dotted Cotswolds hills, with a long history stretching back to Tudor times. It’s the type of place where everyone knows each other, but there’s a wonderful bookshop on the corner of the bridge, a popular riverside café and a bustling market at Christmastime. And with Bristol nearby and a big supermarket round the corner.
LIZ FIELDING
Award winning author Liz Fielding was born with itchy feet. She was working in Zambia before her twenty-first birthday and, gathering her own special hero and a couple of children on the way, has lived in Botswana, Kenya and the Middle East, all of which have provided rich inspiration for her writing.
She has written more than seventy books, several of which have won awards, and sold over 15 million copies. In 2019 she was honoured with the Romantic Novelists’ Association Outstanding Career Award. She lives in West Sussex.
BOOKS BY LIZ FIELDING:
MAYBRIDGE MYSTERIES SERIES
Lord Barlas is in fear for his life. He calls upon Kitty and Matt Bryant to investigate, bringing them to his remote Scottish castle for Hogmanay. They cannot prevent his death but can they catch his killer…?
Murder at the Highland Castle is the 14th book in the Kitty Underhay series of cosy murder mysteries. There are no spoilers about previous cases.
Kitty and Matt are celebrating their first wedding anniversary when they get the unexpected request to travel to Scotland to prevent an injury or even death. When they arrive, they find a fearful lord and a houseful of guests (and therefore potential suspects). Sadly their presence and intial investigation isn’t enough to top the killer’s success.
There is plenty of build up to the murder which doesn’t occur until over a third of the way through the book. This leaves significant time to establish the variety of characters staying at the castle and provides some motives. The remote location narrows down the suspects but I was still kept guessing until the reveal at the end.
I love Kitty and Matt’s characters and am so pleased that their married life has not changed them. They respect each other’s vulnerabilities and work together well, a very modern couple for the 1930s. I liked the historical and geographical specifics that underpinned the plot to add authenticity.
Murder at the Highland Castle is an enjoyable addition to this series.
MEDIA PACK
Book: Murder at the Highland Castle
Author: Helena Dixon
Pub Day: Nov 17th 2023
Buy Link(s):
About the Book:
A majestic castle by a Scottish loch, a glass of whisky by a roaring fire, stockings hung by the chimney… and a body? It’s a midwinter murder for Kitty Underhay!
Winter, 1935. Lightly dusted with snow and nestled on the edge of a sweeping Scottish loch, Finnglach Castle looks positively magical. Kitty Underhay, her husband Matt and their beloved dog Bertie are delighted to be celebrating the new year with a Hogmanay party, but just after midnight, a shot rings out across the grounds…
Their host, Lord Barlas, is dead, murdered in the snow. The killer’s footprints have vanished and the gun is missing. With the snow-covered castle completely cut off, and a killer in their midst, Kitty and Matt need to work fast to find the culprit before someone else ends up dead.
As the weather worsens, the guests begin discussing dark Highland stories about evil spirits. But with an anxious daughter, a new wife set to inherit a fortune and a suspicious spiritual adviser, Kitty is sure the killer is close at hand. Can she, Matt and Bertie sniff out the treacherous culprit in time for haggis and whisky or will they find themselves skating on dangerously thin ice?
Don’t miss this incredibly charming cozy page-turner! If you love TE Kinsey, Agatha Christie or Lee Strauss, you’ll fall head over heels for this totally unputdownable historical mystery.
Author Bio
Helena Dixon splits her time between the Black Country and Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon. She now writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime.
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