RANDOM JOTTINGS

My daughter in Australia, knowing how much I love a good mystery, emailed me to say she had just read these and she thought I would enjoy them. She told me she had no idea Who Dun It and as we have both read so many detective/crime novels and regularly spot the murderer half way through, she thought this was a good recommendation.  So I downloaded them on my new Paperwhite Kindle (Christmas pressie) and started to read. And Kathryn was right. I was hooked.

At the start of Holy Island DCI Ryan is an on leave of absence from his job. We do not know why but something in his last investigation, that of a serial murder called The Hacker, has caused a breakdown. He cuts himself off from his family and has spent several months on Lindisfarne where he has made his home. A body is discovered and as he is on the spot he begins the investigation.   But before he can do so he has to plead with his superior officer to be allowed to take over, arguing that as he has been resident for some time he has knowledge of the people who might be involved.

The body is that of Lucy Matheson, a teenager whose family live on the island and she is discovered laid out in the ruins of the Priory in a way that points to witchcraft or paganism. All very nasty and on a small island it is difficult to know who to trust.   An historical expert is sent over to assist DCI Ryan, who just in case I had not mentioned it, is rather gorgeous and Anna immediately finds him attractive:

"He was ridiculously good looking, almost cartoon like with unruly black hair swept away artlessly from a symmetrical face with slashed cheekbones and striking grey eyes"

Unwelcoming at first, naturally, they find themselves increasingly drawn to one another, naturally and an affair begins. This does not intrude on the story line at all nor distracts and, in fact, adds and extra layer of tension as more bodies pile up and it looks as if Anna may be in danger also.

Right, the second story Sycamore Gap takes us six months further down the line. I would mention here that if you read this one first by accident it does not really matter as there are sufficient references to the first for you to understand the plot. I hasten to add that really it would be best to read Holy Island first.

There are characters and themes revisited from The Holy Island and as I picked this up and started reading it immediately after finishing the first one, all was fresh in my mind and I just carried on seamlessly from one to the other.  I cannot tell you too much about the narrative or the plot without giving secrets away but we are once again involved in the Dark Side (sorry about the Star Wars reference but is is a good one) with evil intent everywhere.

I will say that though I did NOT guess the murderer in the first Ryan story, two people who I suspected of being involved turned up in a twist at the end and made me cry I Knew IT!. Just call me clever clogs. This is a running theme which is going to be revisited in the third book I suspect but I think the author has to be careful not to keep it going too long else it might become a trifle unbelievable.

Two excellent stories and I was surprised to learn that these are the author's debut books. They are written with an assurance of a writer of many years standing, pace and narrative gripping and the plot with its twists and turns make this unputdownable. I am looking forward to the next one already and hope it will not be long.

If you like a good thriller then try these two. You will not be disappointed.