Blurb:

The hunter becomes the hunted…

When a man is found dead at the remote church of Heavenfield, DCI Ryan is the only other person for miles around. The police have no weapon, no motive and no other suspects.

Already suspended from Northumbria CID, Ryan must fight to clear his name. But soon, more than his career is at stake when prominent members of the mysterious ‘Circle’ begin to die. Somebody wants Ryan’s name to be next on the coroner’s list and to survive he must unmask the devil who walks among them – before it is too late.

Unfortunately for Ryan, the devil looks just like everybody else…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit from LJ Ross, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

Review:

It’s been a while since I read the previous novel in the series, but I was delighted to finally be back with DCI Ryan and his team. I must admit that it took me a while to recalibrate after having not spent time with these characters for so long, but I loved reacquainting myself with them and was drawn into the story by the camaraderie and humour between them. 

As with the previous novels in this series, Heavenfield feels like a love letter to the North East of England. LJ Ross describes each scene in immaculate detail, particularly the landmarks that are central to the murder scenes. I was transported to these landmarks and could see them, and the action that was happening there, in my mind’s eye perfectly. 

The concept of The Circle that drives the plot of Heavenfield is a fascinating one that creates a really dark, suspenseful atmosphere that permeates every page. With each murder (and I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say there’s a few!) the tension escalates and I could not turn the pages fast enough. I also listened to the Audible version of Heavenfield which is narrated expertly and really highlights the tension within the pages. 

I will not leave it so long to spend more time with Ryan in future! 

Heavenfield is available from Amazon.