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Hidden on the Fens, by Joy Ellis

A new case for DI Nikki Galena as a series of strange ‘gifts’ to an academic results in the discovery of a body on the couple’s land in a hidden cottage. The body is missing teen Jennifer and finding it calls into question the convitcion of Patrick Shale for her murder 15 years ago. Meanwhile, another girl has gone missing and the police are frantic to locate her before she becomes the next victim. A seemingly separate case of sexual assault also is being investigated and proves to be linked.
The plot is very cleverly written to weave together the strands of the different cases. There are plenty of suspects and clues but the cases do not get fully solved until right at the end.
The relationships between the police characters are well established as you would expect from the 11th book in the series! There is the romantic hint between Nikki and Joseph but we see nothing of their personal or home life. Joseph’s daughter takes centre stage in this book which adds to the emotional drama. Scenes were stolen by the flamboyant pathologist Rory and he was kept busy by author Joy Ellis in this book!
Hidden on the Fens could easily be read as a stand alone novel. It is a hugely enjoyable police procedural story with a strong female lead. The intricate plot will keep readers guessing and there is a little forensic detail but no graphic violence or information.
Here is my review of book 10 in the Galena series: Darkness on the Fens. And my review of a Jackman and Evans book, The Stolen Boys.

 

Hidden on the Fens (Detective Nikki Galena #11)
FROM TWO-MILLION SELLING AUTHOR, JOY ELLIS, COMES ONE OF THE MOST EAGERLY AWAITED CRIME THRILLERS OF 2019.
A DERELICT COTTAGE HIDDEN IN A COPSE OF TREES.
A MISSING GIRL WHOSE BODY WAS NEVER FOUND.
HAS HER KILLER RETURNED?
Detective Joseph Easter’s daughter discovers a cottage hidden in some trees on a large fenland farm. Someone has been living there.
The farm-owner’s wife has been receiving sinister pagan artefacts, including a witch’s knife. Are they some sort of warning or message?
Joseph and his daughter search the cottage and find an old satchel. Inside are photos of a beautiful girl, Jennifer Cowley. She went missing fifteen years ago. She had been stalked by a young man, who was convicted of her murder, even though her body was never found.
WHEN DI NIKKI GALENA EXAMINES THE COTTAGE, SHE FINDS SOMETHING FAR WORSE.
And in the satchel is a more recent photo of a girl who looks just like Jennifer.
The man who killed Jennifer is recently out of prison. Has he struck again?
At the same time, DC Cat Cullen and Dave Harris are trying to get evidence against a man who preys on widowed older women. Vernon Deacon is seemingly a pillar of society, with very influential friends. His victims are often not believed, so their job is not easy.
Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the heart-stopping ending.
This is book eleven of the international best-selling books featuring Nikki Galena.
Joy Ellis was nominated for audiobook of the year the British Book Awards 2018.
What readers are saying about JOY ELLIS
“Just wonderful to read.” Carole
Holds the reader’s attention from the first word to the last.” Nicki Richards
“Compulsive reading, I loved it.” Viv
Riveting tale from start to finish.” Lynne
“Absolutely engrossing.” Olga
“Brilliant book which kept me gripped from page 1.” Barbara
THE DETECTIVE
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she’s seen a girl die in her arms and her own family destroyed. She’s tough on criminals but fiercely loyal to her team.
HER PARTNER
DS Joseph Easter is the squeaky-clean member of the team. But his nickname “Holy Joe” belies his former life as a soldier. He has a daughter and an ex-wife who wants his attention.
THE SETTING
The Lincolnshire Fens: great open skies brood over marshes, farmland, and nature reserves. It is not easy terrain for the Fenland Constabulary to police, due to the distances between some of the remote fen villages, the dangerous and often misty lanes, and the poor telephone coverage. There are still villages where the oldest residents have never set foot outside their own farmland and a visit to the nearest town is a major event. But it has a strange airy beauty to it, and above it all are the biggest skies you’ve ever seen.
DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MYSTERY SERIES NOW
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
Join the Joffe Books mailing list for updates on the next Joy Ellis mystery.
JOY ELLIS – Author Bio
UK #1 Best Seller with THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS and THE FOURTH FRIEND
Over 1 million books sold!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making
the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager.
Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, and our four Springer spaniels. I had been writing mysteries for years but never had the time to take it seriously. Now I write full time, and as my partner is a highly decorated retired police officer; I find I have an in- house consultant on hand to make sure that the police and judicial procedure
is correct. She also makes very good tea! I have set my crime thrillers here in the misty fens because I sincerely love the remoteness and airy beauty of the marshlands. This area is steeped in superstitions and lends itself so well to murder!


Trick of the Night, by Joy Ellis

Trick of the NIght book coverTwo students are found dead and retired police officers Matt and Liz are called upon by a bereaved mother to investigate. Both young men were photography students and someone will do anything to prevent their photos being sent to the police…
Trick of the Night is the fifth book to feature Matt and Liz as they investigate a case as private detectives using their former police knowledge.
The book opens with Alex and Toby realising they have photos that put their lives in danger. Soon afterwards they both die of carbon monoxide poisoning in a terrible accident at home. But Alex’s mum thinks the deaths are suspicious and the police aren’t interested so she begs Matt and Liz to investigate. Her grief is heartbreaking and authentically written.
In a separate plot strand, Kellie’s nine year old brother has gone to stay with their aunt but goes missing. This is hugely emotive due to his age and health. The two cases begin to link up and we see some chapters from other perspectives that show the danger lurking under the surface of the town. The missing child and suspicious behaviour build the tension and Matt and Liz soon require police assistance.
Trick of the Night has intricate and emotional plot strands with lots of twists.

 

Trick of the Night blog tour banner

TRICK OF THE NIGHT by Joy Ellis
A GRIPPING NEW CRIME THRILLER FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME & THRILLER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE JOY ELLIS.
From two-million-selling author Joy Ellis comes one of the most highly anticipated mysteries this year.
Matt and Liz may have retired from the police, but that doesn’t guarantee a quiet life.
A deserted building. A face in the window. A face that shouldn’t be there.
Photography student Toby Unsworth has found the location for the perfect night-time shoot. A cobbled street in the old part of Fenfleet. Later, when he looks at the images on his laptop, he thinks he sees a woman’s face in the window of an old, disused building. He asks his housemate Alex to come and take a look . . .
Two days later, Toby and Alex are dead. Carbon monoxide poisoning. An unfortunate accident. But Alex’s mother doesn’t believe it. She hires Matt and Liz to find out the truth.
Meanwhile, nine-year-old Simon is missing. He was staying with his Aunt Jessie in a cottage on the edge of the marsh. And his older sister Kellie is increasingly worried.
Matt and Liz’s investigations reveal that something very big and very dangerous has descended on the small market town of Fenfleet. And if they don’t get to the bottom of it, more deaths will follow.
DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING CRIME THRILLER.
This totally gripping crime thriller is perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, Peter May, J.D. Kirk, Angela Marsons, J.M. Dalgliesh, Elly Griffiths or Ann Cleeves.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JOY ELLIS:
“The suspense starts on page one and continues through the twists and turns until the very surprising ending.” Linda Strong
“OMG, this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. I was gripped from the first page, but as the tension and suspense mounted throughout the book it just got better and better. And that ending, well, just WOW!” Dawn
“I absolutely loved it.” Viv
“Will keep you guessing until the end of the book.” Barbara
What a book!!!” Sian
“I was so engrossed I sat up way too late to finish it in one sitting.” Elaine
THE SETTING
England’s rural fenland is a strange place, with its never-ending fields, winding tracks, and long straight droves (the old livestock routes) that lead to nowhere. The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are, for a good part of the year, filled with tall, whispering reeds. Closer to the Wash, high seabanks form a barrier between river and marsh, and the richly fertile soil of the drained land. But when the mists come down, as they so often do, perspective is destroyed and all sense of direction lost, and then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger. Somewhere that you do not want to be at night.
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE BESTSELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES
1: CRIME ON THE FENS
2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
4: KILLER ON THE FENS
5: STALKER ON THE FENS
6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
7: BURIED ON THE FENS
8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
9: FIRE ON THE FENS
10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
12: SECRETS ON THE FENS
13: FEAR ON THE FENS
JACKMAN AND EVANS
1: THE MURDERER’S SON
2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
4: THE GUILTY ONES
5: THE STOLEN BOYS
6: THE PATIENT MAN
7: THEY DISAPPEARED
8: THE NIGHT THIEF
DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD
1: BEWARE THE PAST
2: FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
3: THE DYING LIGHT
4: MARSHLIGHT
5: TRICK OF THE NIGHT
STANDALONES
GUIDE STAR

JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE JACKMAN & EVANS AND DI NIKKI GALENA SERIES; SHORTLISTED FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR FICTION: CRIME & THRILLER AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARS 2021
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
Joy grew up and lived in Kent, trained in floristry in Mayfair and ran her own highly successful floristry business in Weybridge for many years. In the mid-1990s, she followed her lifelong love of books, first as the manager of an independent bookshop in Leatherhead, Surrey, then as a writer. When she retired, Joy and her partner Jacqueline and their two spaniels settled in a village just outside Boston, captivated by the Lincolnshire Fens.
Joy’s happy home life is far removed from her storylines, however, and while she loves living in the misty Fens, the area provides a remote and eerie backdrop to her novels. Joy is also able to add the authenticity vital to any crime thriller by drawing on Jacqueline’s inside knowledge, to confirm procedures and the reality of tackling brutal crime and criminals in a modern police force.
FOLLOW JOY ON
AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
GOODREADS

 


Marshlight, by Joy Ellis

Christie visits the fens to conduct research for her employer’s book. She stays with her cousin Liz and partner Matt, retired cops now private investigators. The couple are investigating a woman’s disappearance and are then invited by the police to help with a murder enquiry. But Christie soon provides them with another case…
Marshlight is the fourth book in Joy Ellis’ Matt Ballard series but it can be easily read as a stand alone novel.
Matt and Liz have failed to locate their friend’s missing sister and now their latest case is a murder. However, this plot takes second place as the main plotline for this novel emerges: the majority of the first half of the book is dedicated to Christie and her developing friendships and antagonistic relationship with the locals. As a result of Christie’s interactions, she is involved when a woman goes missing.
Christie and the range of local characters provide a new dynamic as personal politics are established. Gina is a fabulous character that it perfect for us to love to hate and we share Christie’s suspicions about her behaviour. This is explored over the first half of the book to allow plot developments in the second half when the disappearance occurs and is investigated.
The setting of the Fens is vividly brought to life with Christie’s excursions to research the area for her employer’s book. The atmosphere created by the curious light phenomenon is unsettling and provides a great backdrop to the muliple plotlines.
Marshlight is an enjoyable mix of psychological and crime thriller. I have read and reviewed book 3 in this series, The Dying Light. Take a look at the blue links in the list at the end of this blog post for my reviews.
Marshlight book cover

 

MARSHLIGHT (Matt Ballard #4)

 

A new psychological thriller from bestselling author and British Book Awards Crime & Thriller of the Year nominee Joy Ellis.

MATT AND LIZ MAY HAVE RETIRED FROM THE POLICE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN A QUIET LIFE.

An old friend’s sister disappears without a trace. There’s no sign of foul play, but she’d been acting very peculiarly . . .

Meanwhile, Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay. She takes an immediate — and uncharacteristic — dislike to the local bookshop owner, Gina. Why does everyone put up with her awful behaviour?

HUNTING WILL-O’-THE-WISPS ON THE MARSHES CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS HOBBY.

Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her. Is she onto something dangerous or just pushing her new friends away?

No one believes her suspicions until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty Fen marshes.

Can Matt and Liz uncover the truth in time to save lives?

DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

What readers are saying about JOY ELLIS:

“The suspense starts on page 1 and continues through the twists and turns until the very surprising ending.” Linda Strong

“OMG, this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. I was gripped from the first page, but as the tension and suspense mounted throughout the book it just got better and better. And that ending, well, just WOW!” Dawn

“I absolutely loved it.” Viv

“Will keep you guessing until the end of the book.” Barbara

What a book!!!” Sian

“I was so engrossed I sat up way too late to finish it in one sitting.” Elaine

THE SETTING
England’s rural fenland is a strange place, with its never-ending fields, winding tracks, and long straight droves (the old livestock routes) that lead to nowhere. The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are, for a good part of the year, filled with tall, whispering reeds. Closer to the Wash, high seabanks form a barrier between river and marsh, and the richly fertile soil of the drained land. But when the mists come down, as they so often do, perspective is destroyed and all sense of direction lost, and then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger. Somewhere that you do not want to be at night.

 

Marshlight author Joy Ellis

JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”

ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE BESTSELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
          2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
          4: KILLER ON THE FENS
          5: STALKER ON THE FENS
          6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
          7: BURIED ON THE FENS
          8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
          9: FIRE ON THE FENS
        10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
        11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
        12: SECRETS ON THE FENS

JACKMAN & EVANS
Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON
          2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
          3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
          4: THE GUILTY ONES
5: THE STOLEN BOYS
6: THE PATIENT MAN
          7: THEY DISAPPEARED

DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD
Book 1: BEWARE THE PAST
          2: FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
          3: THE DYING LIGHT
          4: MARSHLIGHT

STANDALONES
GUIDE STAR

 

 


Secrets on the Fens, by Joy Ellis

 

Secrets on the Fens book coverNikki Galena is called in to investigate a murdered couple and finds herself in the midst of a gang war. The scene reminds the police of Romeo and Juliet and the warring families adds to this impression. But then another couple are discovered…
Secrets on the Fens is the 12th book in Joy Ellis’ Galena series. The books can be read as stand alone stories but there are threads from previous books that are continued in this one.
The main murder plot is strong and takes a long time to unpick due to the complicated family relationships. Nikki and her team need to persuade witnesses to reveal their secrets to understand the motive behind the killings which in turn leads to the culprit.
Nikki’s mum Eve is hot on the trail of the missing artist that she has been searching for in previous books. She still manages to get involved in the murder case and also has medical concerns she is hiding from her friends and family.
I admit that I found the first part of the book quite confusing as there seemed to be a lot of characters. There are the police, the warring families and the victims have real names and aliases. Nikki’s mum has her own subplot with yet more characters! Once again, the pathologist Rory steals every scene he is in. He continues to be my favourite character in this series.
Secrets on the Fens is a solid police procedural novel.

Secrets on the Fens blog tour banner

 

Secrets on the Fens BLURB:
FROM TWO-MILLION SELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS COMES ONE OF THE MOST EAGERLY AWAITED MYSTERIES THIS YEAR.
One moonlit night, the bodies of two young people are discovered lying entwined on a blanket in the woods. The young man is clutching a red rose. It appears to be a lovers’ suicide pact . . .
Until Detective Nikki Galena and DS Joseph Easter look more closely. Romeo and Juliet, as they decide to call them, were murdered somewhere else and brought to the woods. But why?
Then another young couple are found dead, again beautifully posed as lovers. And Nikki knows they have a twisted serial killer on their hands. Who are the next victims?
EVERYONE HAS SECRETS. BUT SOME PEOPLE WILL KILL TO KEEP THEM.
What readers are saying about JOY ELLIS
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Just wonderful to read.” Carole
“Holds the reader’s attention from the first word to the last.” Nicki R.
“Compulsive reading, I loved it.” Viv
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Riveting tale from start to finish.” Lynne
“Absolutely engrossing.” Olga
“Brilliant book which kept me gripped from page 1.” Barbara
THE DETECTIVE
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she’s seen a girl die in her arms and her own family destroyed. She’s tough on criminals but fiercely loyal to her team.
THE SETTING
The Lincolnshire Fens: great open skies brood over marshes, farmland, and nature reserves. It is not easy terrain for the Fenland Constabulary to police, due to the distances between some of the remote fen villages, the dangerous and often misty lanes, and the poor telephone coverage. There are still villages where the oldest residents have never set foot outside their own farmland and a visit to the nearest town is a major event. But it has a strange airy beauty to it, and above it all are the biggest skies you’ve ever seen.

 

ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
JACKMAN & EVANS
Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON
Book 2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
Book 3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
Book 4: THE GUILTY ONES
Book 5: THE STOLEN BOYS
Book 6: THE PATIENT MAN
Book 7: THEY DISAPPEARED

 

author Joy Ellis

JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
OTHER BOOKS BY JOY ELLIS
MATT BALLARD SERIES:
BEWARE THE PAST
FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
THE DYING LIGHT
STANDALONE NOVELS:
GUIDE STAR
FIND JOY ON
AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
GOODREADS

 


They Disappeared, by Joy Ellis

 

They Disappeared book cover

 

Urban explorers, also known as urbexers, have been disappearing whilst out exploring abandoned buildings. No noise, no sign of a struggle, they just disappear. Jackman and Evans begin the investigation into the missing men but then gruesomely displayed bodies are discovered and a murder case ensues. Meanwhile in the police headquarters, the head of IT, Orac disappears. Is this linked to her mysterious past and secret identity?
They Disappeared is the 7th book in Joy Ellis’ Jackman and Evans series. It would work as a stand alone novel but the relationships between the officers, their personal histories and the cases they have previously worked on are included.
There is a lot of build up to the crimes. We are introduced to the hobby of urban exploring as well as finding out more about Orac’s past. Bodies are not found until half way through the book and I did find the pace a little slow in the first half of the book. The descriptions are vivid and creates a fanstastic atmosphere of suspense. The abandoned sites build anticipation and dread, and the mystery of an old airfield is intriguing.
There is a naturalness to the characters which draws in the reader as we feel an affinity with them. I was a little disappointed that pathologist Rory didn’t shine as prominently as previous books. This time it was Orac who held centre stage as we discover more about her astonishing past, both personal and professional.
Overall, They Disappeared was an enjoyable police thriller, and it was good to catch up with Jackman and Evans and their team.
I have reviewed several of Joy’s books before (see the purple highlighted titles below)
They Disappeared blog tour banner
THEY DISAPPEARED (Jackman & Evans #7) by Joy Ellis
FROM #1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS, A TOTALLY ABSORBING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.
Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.
Detectives Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans are told that their IT boss has disappeared. They soon suspect foul play. Orla Cracken, known as Orac, is no ordinary techie; she was once a field agent traveling abroad undercover, working for the government.
Meanwhile DC Robbie Melton discovers that two people, both urban explorers, have mysteriously disappeared while out exploring abandoned buildings. One went missing at a disused airfield, but was it a military base, or was it civilian?
The gruesome discovery of their decaying bodies found hanging in ancient church ruins bursts the case wide open, and Jackman and Evans are under pressure to find the killer.
It soon becomes clear that the murderer is targeting urban explorers, but why is he determined to track down and torture these innocent people, and how is the case connected to Orac’s mysterious past, still shrouded in secrecy?
THE LATEST CRIME THRILLER BY JOY ELLIS, SET IN THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS, WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING — AND YOUR PULSE RACING— UNTIL THE VERY END.
What readers are saying about Joy Ellis
“Another breathtaking thriller from Joy.” Carole
“Great read from start to finish.” Nerys
“Just a wonderful enjoyable read.” Nicki
“A hugely compelling police procedural, with twists and turns that raise tension and suspense.” Paromjit
“All the twists and turns kept me reading.” Viv
“Another great book from Ms Ellis.” Barbara
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Sarah A. Denzil, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
THE DETECTIVES
DI Jackman leads the investigation. He is extremely smart and has a knack for bringing out the best in his diverse team. DS Marie Evans is haunted by the loss of her husband in a motorbike accident. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues.
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
JACKMAN & EVANS
Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON
Book 2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
Book 3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
Book 4: THE GUILTY ONES
Book 5: THE STOLEN BOYS
Book 6: THE PATIENT MAN
Book 7: THEY DISAPPEARED

 

author Joy Ellis

JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
OTHER BOOKS BY JOY ELLIS
MATT BALLARD SERIES:
BEWARE THE PAST
FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
THE DYING LIGHT
STANDALONE NOVELS:
GUIDE STAR
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