A beautifully written, escapist new crime mystery detective thriller you won’t want to miss. With thanks to Jo for the below review!

This is the fourth book in the Jake Jackson series, I did read it as a stand alone and it is readable as such. The book centres around the disappearance of a woman by the side of a river. While this may bring to mind a real-life case, the story doesn’t follow that particular investigation at all.

One of the most interesting characters is Jake Jackson, a detective-book enthusiast who lives in Little Sky, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. He was once a high-flying city detective, but after inheriting his uncle’s house, he gave up that life for a much quieter existence. His partner, Livia, is a vet and is now pregnant with his child. However, Jake seems to have a knack for finding himself right in the middle of an investigation, and before long he’s putting his detective skills to good use. As it becomes clear that this isn’t a one-body mystery, a group comes together to help the police work out exactly what is going on.

There is some beautiful descriptive prose in this book. On more than one occasion, I found myself going back to reread a passage simply because it was so well written. The story rattles along at a good pace, with a feel that is almost cosy crime, but with plenty of twists and turns, more than one body and some decidedly dodgy situations for the characters to find themselves in.

An enjoyable read, with a good combination of atmosphere, mystery and intrigue.

About the Book

A beautiful summer day

When young nurse Claire Davidson goes missing on the riverbank, the only clues left behind are her phone and shoes.

A mystery that sweeps the nation

People disappear all the time, but this case sparks an online frenzy. Amateur investigators descend on the rural idyll. Is Claire Davidson just the story of a swim that went wrong, or could there be truth to the conspiracies?

A killer growing bolder

Then another woman is discovered dead in the river. Jake Jackson, a former detective who came to the countryside searching for peace, must investigate before more lives are lost.

About The Author

Stig Abell believes that discovering a crime fiction series to enjoy is one of the great pleasures in life. His first novel, Death Under A Little Sky, introduced Jake Jackson and his attempt to get away from his former life in the beautiful area around Little Sky, which was followed by his second and third novels, Death in a Lonely Place and The Burial Place.

Away from books, he co-presents the breakfast show on Times Radio, a station he helped to launch in 2020. Before that he was a regular presenter on Radio 4’s Front Row and was the editor and publisher of the Times Literary Supplement. He lives in London with his wife, three children and two independent-minded cats called Boo and Ninja (his children named them, obviously).

Purchase the Book

This book can be pre-ordered in our store either on its own or in a cosy Book Box. Publishes in 2027 in paperback.

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