Two 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 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
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.
Molly, a homeless woman, leaves her precious bag at the library. It is packed full of papers with rather sinister notes written on them. The librarian passes the bag to retired cops Matt and Liz to sort through but, before they can start, Molly’s murdered body is discovered…
The Bag of Secrets is the sixth book in the Matt Ballard private detective and crime thriller series.
Matt and Liz have several cases on the go: shoplifting, a missing teen and now this mysterious bag. When they find out that Molly has been killed, they are asked by the police to help investigate as it isn’t a high priority. They are lumbered with working with a senior officer’s grandson who has a lot to learn about compassion and avoiding assumptions.
The mystery develops as it becomes obvious from the post mortem and information from other homeless people that Molly wasn’t quite what she appeared. This ties in with the bag of notes that the detectives sift through to make sense of the death. Meanwhile Matt is becoming increasingly worried about missing teen Liam.
The narration is in the third person. Most of the focus is on Matt and Liz but we also get chapters that show the other characters including unnamed people acting suspiciously with obvious secrets.
I really like Matt and Liz’s characters. There is a touch of gentle humour about their relationship and their love and respect for each other as well as the compassion they have for those involved in their cases are an important feature of the book.
The Bag of Secrets is an engaging crime thriller.
THE BAG OF SECRETS (Matt Ballard #6) by Joy Ellis
A GRIPPING NEW CRIME THRILLER FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME & THRILLER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE JOY ELLIS.
From three-million-selling author Joy Ellis comes the book that everyone will be reading this Christmas.
Matt and Liz may have retired from the police, but that doesn’t guarantee a quiet life.
An abandoned carpet bag full of mysterious handwritten notes. A body in a marshy lagoon.
Matt is intrigued when his partner Liz brings home an old carpet bag she found dumped in the local library. It contains a pile of mysterious handwritten notes. Liz is convinced the bag belongs to Old Molly, a local woman who lives on the streets.
The following day, a body is discovered in a marshy lagoon. It’s Old Molly. Suffocated with an expensive men’s handkerchief.
Molly clearly knew something that got her killed. Liz believes she was trying to tell them something important. She calls on her nephew David to help decipher the carpet bag notes.
Meanwhile Matt is hired to find teenage runaway Liam Cooper. Liam has been missing for ten days now, and Matt has a very bad feeling about him.
A few days later, a second body is discovered in an old barn out on the fens.
Matt and Liz must piece together the cryptic clues Molly has left for them before more people die. The answers lead to the remote fenland village of Marshdyke-St-Mary — and a series of shocking secrets stretching back many years.
DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING CRIME THRILLER.
This utterly 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.
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.
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 AWARDS 2021
OVER 3 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.
Minor celebrity Crystabel is hoping her wedding to Giles will boost her career. But they are not the loved up couple they appear. She started dated him on the rebound and is still in contact with her ex, while GIles is in love with one of her bridesmaids. The wedding definitely won’t go ahead once Giles is found stabbed to death with Crystabel standing over him with a bloody dagger…
A Marriage To Murder For is the third book in the Hopgood Hall cosy murder mystery series. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books: A Date To Die For and A Contest To Kill For.
Alexi’s foray into hotel management is still not very successful. She has encouraged her friends and business partners to host weddings but this new venture looks doomed to failure. Bridezilla Crystabel and her henpecked fiance Giles are their first clients and on the joint stag and hen night there are incidents aplenty. By the end of the evening Giles is dead and Crystabel is the chief suspect but Alexi and Jack’s observations may provide alternative suspects and motives.
Straightaway we are sympathetic to Giles as he is bossed around by his bride to be. This contrasts with Alexi and Jack’s relationship which is getting stronger. However, her newpaper editor ex Patrick is still hovering in the background especially once he sniffs out a story. Alexi and Jack want to resolve the murder quickly to protect the hotel so start their own investigation into the hen and stag guests. Once again there are touches on gentle humour and the inclusion of Cosmo the cat adds light relief to the grisly matter of murder.
A Marriage To Murder For is an enjoyable murder mystery.
A Marriage to Murder For
The high society wedding…
Social media influencer Crystabel Hughes is determined her wedding to Giles Preston Smythe will be the talk of the town. No matter the cost or the upset, nothing will stop this wedding!
A cheating groom…
But for Alexi Ellis and the rest of the staff at Hopgood Hall, Crystabel’s demands are becoming increasingly extreme. And when Alexi spots the groom getting up close and personal with one of the bridesmaids, she fears trouble is only a bouquet toss away.
A killer bride caught red-handed?
And Alexi’s fears are confirmed when the groom is found dead on the night before the wedding, stabbed through the heart – the person holding the dagger. his beloved bride-to be Crystabel.
Hopgood Hall doesn’t need any more bad press, but the race is on to find the killer and close the case before Crystable live streams her dilemma.
Can Alexi, Jack and Cosmo find out why Giles was killed? And, more importantly, can they stop the killer before they strike again?
Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Frances Evesham and Emma Davies.
Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers for Boldwood. For the past twenty years she has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.
A newborn baby is found abandoned in the snow on the same night that a coach driver is found murdered. Special Constable Jane Bell is concerned about the baby’s mother’s welfare but her own personal situation is proving to be more urgent as her daughter’s boyfriend is linked to the murder…
Murder Against The Odds is the third book in the Warwick and Bell series (I have read and reviewed the second book Murder Across The Lines). There are references to earlier events but it is not necessary to have read the previous books to understand the plot or characters.
Jane and Steph are great lead characters. Both are hard working, feisty, and loyal. But they rubbed each other up the wrong way in the first book so their interactions are fraught with tension. Their cases appear to be completely separate but due to a personal link the women are forced to interact. The book blurb mentions a link between the abandoned baby and the murder but this connection isn’t made until two thirds of the way through the book.
Jane is incredibly anxious about her daughter Norah’s new relationship. She relies on Steph to keep her up to date when Joe is mentioned in connection with the murder. Jane also has another personal item taking her attention: her young friend Thea is involved in a protest. But the lead protester is controlling and dismissive when another young woman goes missing.
The majority of the book deals with personal issues of the police officer which bend back towards the case at various points. Steph is having flashbacks about Cal and the past, whilst Jane hears some shocking truths about her late husband that creates personal turmoil. Both women act and react in an authentic way and I liked them both despite their flaws.
Murder Against The Odds is an engaging detective thriller due to the strong lead characters.
MURDER AGAINST THE ODDS by Janice Frost
”Hard-hitting and realistic-feeling story. Frightening. Really enjoyed it.” Aileen
A TOTALLY GRIPPING CRIME MYSTERY FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR JANICE FROST.
The early hours of a freezing January night. Special Constable Jane Bell is at the end of a busy late shift when she’s called out to investigate strange noises in a local park. She finds a wailing new-born baby girl dumped in a plastic storage box.
That same night Detective Steph Warwick attends the murder of coach driver Bernie Gore, whose battered body is found in a narrow alleyway.
The last thing Jane wants is to lock horns with Steph Warwick once again. Then vital evidence emerges linking Bernie Gore’s murder to the abandoned baby. And Jane has no choice but to alert the sharp-tongued detective inspector.
If they are to solve Bernie’s murder and track down Baby Elsa’s mother, the two women must bury the hatchet and learn to work together.
Matters become even more complicated when a prime suspect emerges — with close links to Jane’s family.
This unputdownable mystery full of twists is the perfect read for fans of: Angela Marsons, Joy Ellis, Ruth Rendell, Helen H. Durrant, Rachel McLean and Michael Hambling.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JANICE FROST:
“This book has opened my eyes . . . I feel like I have lived in a bubble living in the mountains in a small town.” Chelsea A.
“Well-written, twists and turns aplenty and with a credible cast of characters but with a vicious, intense and emotional storyline.” Ruth G.
“A decent follow-up with the return and growth of several characters.” Donna B.
MEET THE DETECTIVES
SPC Jane Bell is forty-five, a widow of three years following the premature death of her husband, Sam. She has two grown-up children, Patrick and Norah, who are pursuing careers in London. After Sam’s death, Jane makes some changes to her life. She downsizes from their large family home in the country to a cottage in Lincoln.
DI Stephanie Warwick is thirty-five. She left school at eighteen and worked in a bank before joining the police force. She is haunted by her ex-boyfriend, Cal. He attempted to kill her twelve years ago, and murdered her best friend.
JANICE FROST
Janice was born and grew up in West Lothian, Scotland. After completing an English degree at St Andrew’s University, she moved to London where she lived for ten years doing an assortment of jobs. Her passions are reading, writing and walking in Scotland and the Lake District. She lives in Lincolnshire with her husband and two sons.
A deserted boat with a puddle of blood. DI Horton believes there has been a murder but, with no body and very little evidence, the case is tricky. An art theft and forgery cause a second case to be launched. But when suspects start to disappear, Horton is concerned that he has two murder investigations to solve.
The South Binness Murders is the 16th book in the Andy Horton Solent murder series. There must have been some significant personal developments for Andy in the last book as he found out the truth about his parents. We are brought up to date so the book works as a stand alone novel.
A crime scene but no body, an art theft with no opportunity. Two completely different crimes that Horton needs to solve. He has to get back in his stride after a sabbatical to deal with his private life. This includes dealing with a boss with unreasonable demands and deflecting comments from his colleagues about his break.
I had little enthusiasm for the boat case as there is so little to go on. The art investigation is more meaty so I found it more interesting, especially when people start to go missing… Horton is a good cop, solid and dependable, thorough and fair. I felt sorry for him dealing with the aftermath of revelations about his parents while also trying to negotiate child custody with his ex wife.
The South Binness Murders is an enjoyable police procedural and I would be interested in catching up on the previous books in the series to see how the lead detective has developed.
THE SOUTH BINNESS MURDERS by Pauline Rowson
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR ANDY HORTON IS BACK IN THIS BRAND-NEW CRIME THRILLER. OVER 100,000 BOOKS SOLD!
An abandoned motor cruiser is found stranded on South Binness Island in Langstone harbour.
There’s a large pool of blood on the deck and heavy crimson spatter up the side of the storage lockers. But no sign of a body on board.
Detective Inspector Andy Horton is on the case. He discovers the boat owner’s identity: Neil Spender, a Portsmouth binman. But he’s nowhere to be found.
It’s not long before Horton’s pulled into another investigation involving an unusual robbery at a local art gallery. Three paintings have been switched for forgeries.
The gallery owner is adamant the originals have been stolen. But there’s no evidence of a break-in.
Now Horton and Cantelli have a murder investigation to solve and a cunning art fraudster to find. Time is ticking for our dogged detectives . . .
An absolutely gripping detective mystery perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, Rachel McLean, Helen H. Durrant, Angela Marsons, Elly Griffiths, Karin Slaughter, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.
PRAISE FOR PAULINE ROWSON:
“A great read for mystery lovers with plenty to keep you guessing until the last moment.” Crime Book Club
“The Harley Davidson-riding, boat-dwelling Horton is a fascinating man to get to know, and his thoughtful approach to detection is a pleasure to read.” Publishers Weekly
“Once you get to know Andy Horton you’ll be sure to name him as one of your favourite police characters in crime fiction.” James C.
“Couldn’t put this book down . . . I thought the story was brilliant and will definitely be reading the next book.” Nikki
“An enjoyable fast-paced crime novel in an unusual and evocative setting.” Bobby H.
“Pauline Rowson’s books are cleverly plotted with lots of twists and turns. Can’t turn the pages fast enough. For anyone who enjoys a gripping crime novel these are a must.” Darren C.
“Brilliant read. Love all of Pauline Rowson’s books. If you like a good twist, read this, you won’t be able to put it down!” Amazon customer
THE DETECTIVE DI Andy Horton’s mum walked out on him when he was a child and he grew up in children’s home. Now he lives onboard his yacht in Southsea Marina. He rides a Harley-Davidson and never wears a suit or tie — unless it’s to go to court. He’s an instinctive copper and a man of contrasts, which often lands him in trouble with his bosses. He has a desperate need to belong, and yet is always just on the outside. Self-contained, afraid to show his feelings, but he’s a risk-taker that seeks justice.
THE SETTING
Portsmouth boasts a vibrant waterfront, a diverse multicultural population, an international port, a historic dockyard, and is home of the Royal Navy. Portsmouth Harbour is one of the busiest in the world — and one of the best places to hide a body, it seems. Set against the backdrop of the sea, the Solent area of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight is every detective’s worst nightmare. The sea is ever-changing and often the best clues get swept away by the tide.
ALSO BY PAULINE ROWSON THE SOLENT MURDER MYSTERIES
1: THE PORTSMOUTH MURDERS
2: THE LANGSTONE HARBOUR MURDERS
3: THE HORSEA MARINA MURDERS
4: THE ROYAL HOTEL MURDERS
5: THE ISLE OF WIGHT MURDERS
6: THE PORTCHESTER CASTLE MURDERS
7: THE CHALE BAY MURDERS
8: THE FARLINGTON MARSH MURDERS
9: THE OYSTER QUAYS MURDERS
10: THE COWES WEEK MURDERS
11: THE BOATHOUSE MURDERS
12: THE THORNEY ISLAND MURDERS
13: THE GUERNSEY FERRY MURDERS
14: THE RAT ISLAND MURDERS
15: THE LUCCOMBE BAY MURDERS
16: THE SOUTH BINNESS MURDERS
PAULINE ROWSON
Adventure, mystery and heroes have always fascinated and thrilled Pauline, that and her love of the sea has led her to create her exciting and gripping range of crime novels.
Born and raised in the coastal city of Portsmouth in the UK, Pauline Rowson draws her inspiration for her crime novels from the area. When she isn’t writing (which isn’t often) she can be found walking the coastal paths on the Isle of Wight and around Langstone and Chichester Harbours looking for a good place to put a body!
Pauline is the author of twenty-three crime novels — fifteen featuring the rugged and flawed Portsmouth detective, Inspector Andy Horton; four in the mystery thriller series featuring Art Marvik, the troubled former Royal Marine Commando now an undercover investigator for the UK’s National Intelligence Marine Squad (NIMS); two standalone thrillers, the award-winning In Cold Daylight and In For the Kill, and the 1950 set mystery series featuring Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Alun Ryga, who makes his debut in Death in the Cove with his second investigation Death in the Harbour.
Her crime novels have been highly acclaimed in the UK, USA and Commonwealth and they have been translated into several languages. Multi-layered, fast-paced, and compelling, they are full of twists and turns and are played out against the dramatic and powerfully evocative British marine landscape of the south coast of England.
Pauline is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Authors. Before becoming a full-time writer, she was a renowned marketing and training guru, with a collection of ‘how to’ business books and a successful marketing, media and training career behind her.
Two 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…
