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When a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn't think much of it -- except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body. Then another body turns up amongst the sand dunes at the base of the mighty castle fortress, and he decides it can't be a coincidence. Meanwhile, after a recent revelation about her sister, DC Melanie Yates' quest to avenge her death is becoming an obsession much to the concern of those around her. With a new DCS to contend with and hundreds of cold case files to sift through, the chances of uncovering a dormant killer seem unlikely. But as Melanie delves deeper into the secrets of the past to uncover the truth, she soon realises it lies much closer to home.
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1 primary bookDCI Ryan Mystery is a 1-book series first released in 2022 with contributions by L.J. Ross.
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Throughout the book, I had feelings of déjà vu. And why wouldn't I? Cause all of this has already happened in previous books!!
Anna finds a body? Check
A psychopath DCS? Check
The said psychopath trying to break the dream team up? Check
Mac being too smart to fall for it? Check
Jack falling for it yet again? Check
Ryan immediately clocking him as the bad guy? Obviously check.. The man has super detection.
When I started this series, I loved how the books built up to be one big conspiracy, wonderfully connected.
But now? The books are ending at cliff-hangers just to make you read the next book. Some of the mysteries could have been wrapped up without the need for another book.
We don't see much of Anna in this book, but just how many bodies will this lady find? Or be in the middle of a mystery. Can we not have her in the book without being part of the case?!
Jack, oh Jack. You're naïveté is just embarrassing now. Sure you should be ambitious and want that promotion. But shouldn't you have learnt from past experience by now? Shouldn't a newly appointed DCS wanting to make you DS on his first day in the office, after hinting Ryan isn't bothered, make the alarms in your head go off? At least go and talk to the guy leading your team this time.
Also, blabbing information because you're being offered this promotion? Really?
Coming to the force, is it so filled with bad coppers? One of the previous books tried to clear the force, but still we found some rotten ones in the previous book. And yet another murderous DCS in this one. Come on! What is this? The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's position. The author even goes to call the position cursed towards the end of the book.
They say things happen in threes. Maybe the next one will finally be normal?
Maybe revealing he's the bad guy after half the book would have kept me interested and not continually rolling my eyes at the things that kept happening. It was revealed way too soon.
The main case on which the title is based was interesting but got lost because of the other one. It almost felt like an afterthought since there was lesser focus on it. I did not feel really invested in it.
And oh.. how could I forget Doctor Alex Gregory. It was good to see you again. Only wish there were more scenes with him and Ryan. But it was equally good to see him and Mac working together.
It was overall okay. I just have come to expect good things and being disappointed.