Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these ebooks, free of charge, from Bloodhound Books, via Netgalley, for review purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about i,hem all opinions are my own
Ah Summer.....the time to relax and chill...
ok, maybe not, if you're having 95 degrees and 80% humidity, like we are LOL
But you can escape inside in the ac, with some great books!
Today I have 2 books from the West Country Crime Mystery series, perfect for some Summer reading, that will take you away to English countryside!
Book 1: Death in the Woods
(previously published as Death and Deception )
Meet Detective Inspector Dan Hellier, a man who needs to redeem his career and catch a killer.
Soon after DI Hellier returns home to Exeter under a cloud, the body of a talented young singer is found in the woods.When her death reveals links to the boss of a recording studio, a predatory gang and a school music teacher, Hellier knows he has his work cut out.
Before any more innocent people are put in danger, Hellier will need to untangle the web of lies and work out which of many suspects are guilty of murder. But can he solve the case in time?
Book 2: Death on Dartmoor (previously published as Death and The Good Son )
Life is good for DI Dan Hellier until the discovery of two headless, handless bodies buried in a bog on Dartmoor. But how can he identify the victims when nobody has reported them missing?
The tension mounts when the death of a young man plunges Hellier into the murky world of the Garrett family. Could the peaceful, family-run Animal Rescue Centre really be a cover for murder and other criminal activity?
Hellier is about to learn just how far people will go to get what they want. And this investigation will challenge Hellier’s decisions as he races to catch another murderer before it’s too late.
Review:
I made the accidental mistake of reading Death on Dartmoor before in the Death in the Woods, so I was a bit lost at first, trying to figure out who was new to the team/area, etc. Once I realized that Death on Dartmoor picks up right after Death in the Woods then it was a bit easier to start understanding the team dynamics of the characters involved. In the first book, Dan has recently been transferred from London and the Met. Not only is he reeling from those changes, but also the end of a long term relationship. Add to adjusting to a new boss, recently being promoted in rank, and having to co-run a team, with an inspector set to retire, and you have a character you know you will enjoy reading about. I love that Steadman makes Dan realistic. He wants to be liked, wants to do a good job to show his new boss he can, and feels unsettled. When the inevitable happens and he makes a huge error in judgement (which is extremely realistic and honest), the fallout propels not only Dan, but his team to solve what appears to be 2 unrelated cases. As they get further and further into the investigation, you'll find yourself rapidly turning pages and not wanting to leave the story! I ended up reading it all in one sitting! It's a twisted tale of greed, that will have you guessing, and re-guessing yourself and the clues, til the very end! Very enjoyable!
Reading Death on Dartmoor AFTER the first book would have been better. As after reading it, I then understood some of the comments and attitudes in the second book better. While some things are alluded to, they aren't explained enough to explain the current reactions in book 2. Some of the same characters from the first investigation, come back in book 2, which leads to a more realistic small town feel for the story. Dan's team has now settled in with him, and his 'modern' ways (mind maps instead of traditional columns on their white boards), and have a grudging respect for him, due to his heroics in the first book. In this book what appears to be a very cold case suddenly turns into a case of 6 degrees of separation, and how well do we really know our associates. It's another page turner, that will have you wondering who really knew what, and when, and then wondering how you missed the clues! I read this one in 2 sittings, only because I had to, otherwise I would have devoured it in one sitting too!
Both of these books are quite enjoyable if you love British police procedurals, and crime mysteries! Steadman knows how to keep the reader turning pages! I can't wait for Book 3!
About the Author:
I taught English for many years and completed my debut novel, Death and Deception (aka Death in the Woods) , when I escaped the classroom and could finally stop marking essays.
These days I write, walk, and bend a bit in yoga. I have a husband and two cats, and live in the East Devon countryside. I am a passionate supporter of wildlife, and am vice-chair of trustees at a local animal sanctuary - after all, animals have no voice but ours to speak for them.
With the publication of the second book in the Dan Hellier Crime series, I guess I'm planning several years of adventures for the team in the apparently peaceful city of Exeter, England. As I live in a small village, where the usual crime rate is zero, it was with great pleasure that I set the books in and around Exeter, an ancient Roman city which has seen its fair share of murder and mayhem over the centuries. Death and the Good Son (Death n Dartmoor) takes the action out of the city and towards the estuary. Book 3 will extend even further along the Jurassic coastline. Check out her website for more info!
Review:
I made the accidental mistake of reading Death on Dartmoor before in the Death in the Woods, so I was a bit lost at first, trying to figure out who was new to the team/area, etc. Once I realized that Death on Dartmoor picks up right after Death in the Woods then it was a bit easier to start understanding the team dynamics of the characters involved. In the first book, Dan has recently been transferred from London and the Met. Not only is he reeling from those changes, but also the end of a long term relationship. Add to adjusting to a new boss, recently being promoted in rank, and having to co-run a team, with an inspector set to retire, and you have a character you know you will enjoy reading about. I love that Steadman makes Dan realistic. He wants to be liked, wants to do a good job to show his new boss he can, and feels unsettled. When the inevitable happens and he makes a huge error in judgement (which is extremely realistic and honest), the fallout propels not only Dan, but his team to solve what appears to be 2 unrelated cases. As they get further and further into the investigation, you'll find yourself rapidly turning pages and not wanting to leave the story! I ended up reading it all in one sitting! It's a twisted tale of greed, that will have you guessing, and re-guessing yourself and the clues, til the very end! Very enjoyable!
Reading Death on Dartmoor AFTER the first book would have been better. As after reading it, I then understood some of the comments and attitudes in the second book better. While some things are alluded to, they aren't explained enough to explain the current reactions in book 2. Some of the same characters from the first investigation, come back in book 2, which leads to a more realistic small town feel for the story. Dan's team has now settled in with him, and his 'modern' ways (mind maps instead of traditional columns on their white boards), and have a grudging respect for him, due to his heroics in the first book. In this book what appears to be a very cold case suddenly turns into a case of 6 degrees of separation, and how well do we really know our associates. It's another page turner, that will have you wondering who really knew what, and when, and then wondering how you missed the clues! I read this one in 2 sittings, only because I had to, otherwise I would have devoured it in one sitting too!
Both of these books are quite enjoyable if you love British police procedurals, and crime mysteries! Steadman knows how to keep the reader turning pages! I can't wait for Book 3!
About the Author:
I taught English for many years and completed my debut novel, Death and Deception (aka Death in the Woods) , when I escaped the classroom and could finally stop marking essays.
These days I write, walk, and bend a bit in yoga. I have a husband and two cats, and live in the East Devon countryside. I am a passionate supporter of wildlife, and am vice-chair of trustees at a local animal sanctuary - after all, animals have no voice but ours to speak for them.
With the publication of the second book in the Dan Hellier Crime series, I guess I'm planning several years of adventures for the team in the apparently peaceful city of Exeter, England. As I live in a small village, where the usual crime rate is zero, it was with great pleasure that I set the books in and around Exeter, an ancient Roman city which has seen its fair share of murder and mayhem over the centuries. Death and the Good Son (Death n Dartmoor) takes the action out of the city and towards the estuary. Book 3 will extend even further along the Jurassic coastline. Check out her website for more info!
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