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rosieclaverton's review
4.0
A thrilling end to the Banktoun trilogy, with all the interpersonal drama of a small town, the clash of past and present, and the complications of internet life.
I don't think the epilogue was necessary, but it provided a helluva ride!
I don't think the epilogue was necessary, but it provided a helluva ride!
calturner's review
5.0
This is the third and final book in the Banktoun trilogy by S.J.I Holliday and in my opinion is the best of them all. With very real and true to life characters 'The Damselfly' is a psychological murder mystery novel that will keep you guessing.
It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride and there are twists and turns aplenty, but it's the standard of writing that lifts this book head and shoulders above so many others of this genre. Not only is it beautifully written, but the Scottish town of Banktoun is brought vividly to life, and I couldn't help but feel bereft as I came to the end of the final page.
An impressive 5 stars.
Thank you to TBC and the publisher who gave me an ARC of 'The Damselfly' in exchange for an honest review.
It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride and there are twists and turns aplenty, but it's the standard of writing that lifts this book head and shoulders above so many others of this genre. Not only is it beautifully written, but the Scottish town of Banktoun is brought vividly to life, and I couldn't help but feel bereft as I came to the end of the final page.
An impressive 5 stars.
Thank you to TBC and the publisher who gave me an ARC of 'The Damselfly' in exchange for an honest review.
btpbookclub's review
5.0
The Damselfly is book three in the Banktoun trilogy, but they all read well as stand alones. WOW! I was seriously impressed, I started this book at 6:30pm and finished it at 12:30am in one sitting. Absolutely loved it, out of the two I have read this is the best one so far! It had me hooked from the first chapter. The Damselfly is packed with drama! If you love dramatic endings then this book is for you, I honestly do not think any other book can compare to this explosive ending! A must read from me and a well deserved five stars. I also think the cover is beautiful.
This story is well written, easy to read and contains short chapters. I would highly recommend you all go and buy it, the Damselfly is officially released TOMORROW so go grab your copy. This story is perfect for readers who enjoy a brilliant thriller, suspense, mystery and young adult story. I personally feel it would target the young adult audience out there as most of the book is set within a school and most of the characters are young adults and school kids. BRILLIANT. I just
This story is well written, easy to read and contains short chapters. I would highly recommend you all go and buy it, the Damselfly is officially released TOMORROW so go grab your copy. This story is perfect for readers who enjoy a brilliant thriller, suspense, mystery and young adult story. I personally feel it would target the young adult audience out there as most of the book is set within a school and most of the characters are young adults and school kids. BRILLIANT. I just
nannyf's review
4.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book as I hadn't read the previous books in the series. Although there is obviously quite a bit about the characters I didn't know due to this, I didn't feel I missed out not having read the other books.
The story itself takes the reader through the investigation into a young girls death. The author throws in quite a few red herrings and when the actual perpetrator was uncovered I was shocked. I honestly didn't see it coming at all. That is the sign of a good story, one where I can't figure out at least some of it before the author reveals all.
There is another story running throughout, that of Polly McAllister who has recently returned to the town. This added a bit more bite to the story, not that it needed any more, but it gave a different strand to follow.
The story is written well and as for the epilogue! I loved it and hated it all at the same time. Wow, what a way to end the book.
Many thanks to TBC on Facebook for providing a copy.
The story itself takes the reader through the investigation into a young girls death. The author throws in quite a few red herrings and when the actual perpetrator was uncovered I was shocked. I honestly didn't see it coming at all. That is the sign of a good story, one where I can't figure out at least some of it before the author reveals all.
There is another story running throughout, that of Polly McAllister who has recently returned to the town. This added a bit more bite to the story, not that it needed any more, but it gave a different strand to follow.
The story is written well and as for the epilogue! I loved it and hated it all at the same time. Wow, what a way to end the book.
Many thanks to TBC on Facebook for providing a copy.
portybelle's review
5.0
The Damselfly is the last in the Banktoun trilogy and I think the author has truly saved the best for last! DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings are called to investigate the death of bright school pupil Katie Taylor in the small East Lothian town of Banktoun. For a relatively quiet town, there have been a few serious incidents recently, explored in the books Black Wood and Willow Walk. Polly McAllister has been thrown in at the deep end on her first day as a guidance teacher when Katie's death is discovered and announced to the pupils. As well as supporting the traumatised school community she is shocked when a member of staff comes to her with a surprising revelation. Rumours and allegations quickly fly round the community, with some of them ready to take matters into their own hands.
The Damselfly is a book full of suspense and secrets right from the start. Everyone seems to have something to hide, from Katie's boyfriend, to one of her teachers, her brother and even Polly the school counsellor. Often in a fictional small town setting everyone knows every else's business but here it seems almost everyone has been adept at keeping major secrets well hidden. I was hooked as the author carefully left clues, hints and red herrings with my suspicions falling on many of the residents of Banktoun.
Adding to the intrigue were the mysterious blogpost entries on the ThreeWiseMonkeys blog. Who was writing these posts and who was 'SpeakNoEvil' so angry with? And then there is the secret Facebook group rapidly gaining new members, stirring up anger against the person they believe responsible and organising a vigilante mob to take matters into their own hands. The blog, the Facebook group post and the story being told through multiple viewpoints, including those of the police and Katie's boyfriend, gives the reader a great insight into what's going on throughout Banktoun over these few fraught days.
As I said at the start, I think that The Damselfly is the best of the trilogy and given that I really enjoyed the other two, that's high praise. The author keeps up the tension throughout, with so many layers to the story all skilfully drawn together by the end. The characters are all so well depicted with all their strengths and weaknesses and the pace of the book is just perfect. I was completely gripped throughout wondering what had happened to poor Katie and trying to guess what everyone's secrets were and how they linked - or not - to the crime. The Damselfly is a book that will have you compulsively turning the pages right up to the final jaw-dropping ending!
The Damselfly is a book full of suspense and secrets right from the start. Everyone seems to have something to hide, from Katie's boyfriend, to one of her teachers, her brother and even Polly the school counsellor. Often in a fictional small town setting everyone knows every else's business but here it seems almost everyone has been adept at keeping major secrets well hidden. I was hooked as the author carefully left clues, hints and red herrings with my suspicions falling on many of the residents of Banktoun.
Adding to the intrigue were the mysterious blogpost entries on the ThreeWiseMonkeys blog. Who was writing these posts and who was 'SpeakNoEvil' so angry with? And then there is the secret Facebook group rapidly gaining new members, stirring up anger against the person they believe responsible and organising a vigilante mob to take matters into their own hands. The blog, the Facebook group post and the story being told through multiple viewpoints, including those of the police and Katie's boyfriend, gives the reader a great insight into what's going on throughout Banktoun over these few fraught days.
As I said at the start, I think that The Damselfly is the best of the trilogy and given that I really enjoyed the other two, that's high praise. The author keeps up the tension throughout, with so many layers to the story all skilfully drawn together by the end. The characters are all so well depicted with all their strengths and weaknesses and the pace of the book is just perfect. I was completely gripped throughout wondering what had happened to poor Katie and trying to guess what everyone's secrets were and how they linked - or not - to the crime. The Damselfly is a book that will have you compulsively turning the pages right up to the final jaw-dropping ending!
minimicropup's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Was initially a good read and drew back on events on the town through the history of the series without seeming forced. The Davie love interest was much better in this one and didn’t dominate, but after all that I wish I never read these books and not going to recommend this one due to the terrible ending. After reading all three books, the one character I was most invested in (and the entire series) is capped off with a traumatic event and ambiguous ending… not only is that a crappy thing to do to the readers, but it’s also lazy writing. It isn’t relevant to the story and isn’t setting the stage for continuation of the story, so serves no purpose other than to disappoint and frustrate. Davie and his colleague Louise go on a date, they’re having a great time, he’s gotten a dream job offer, they’ve solved the case… and while getting food some random “teens” harass a patron and when they realize Davie is a police officer they attack him. Louise says she loves him and we read his thoughts as he graphically experiences his death out on the street and is unable to communicate back to her. And it’s just left like that, a torturous scene for the reader with no closure 🙄 . Ruins the entire series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
I have read all the books in this trilogy and I am really hoping the author will make it into a series as it would literally be a crime to end it after this one as it is sooooo good!
What I love about these books is that they are all connected by one character, DS Davie Gray, yet he is very much in the back ground in them.
This story is mainly told in alternating chapters between Louise who is also in the police force and Polly who has just returned to Banktoun and works at the local school. Between the two characters we start to unravel the going ons surrounding Katie’s death.
Katie is an A grade student who is set on going to London to university with her boyfriend Neil. She is fascinated with insects which reminisced of The Silence of the Lambs. Her unexplained death sends the small town in turmoil.
There is so many twists and turns in this book. With plenty of people that could be behind Katie’s death the author ensured that she kept me on my toes as to who could have killed her and what a shock it was when I found out as I had no clue. Through Louise and Polly’s character we get to delve more into all the characters and as to what secrets they are hiding.
I have really enjoyed this trilogy and I have to say that The Damselfly is without a doubt the best one by far. If you are after a gripping and enthralling read with a great setting in a small community, I think you will be hard pushed to get a much better one than this one.
My thanks to Black & White Publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
What I love about these books is that they are all connected by one character, DS Davie Gray, yet he is very much in the back ground in them.
This story is mainly told in alternating chapters between Louise who is also in the police force and Polly who has just returned to Banktoun and works at the local school. Between the two characters we start to unravel the going ons surrounding Katie’s death.
Katie is an A grade student who is set on going to London to university with her boyfriend Neil. She is fascinated with insects which reminisced of The Silence of the Lambs. Her unexplained death sends the small town in turmoil.
There is so many twists and turns in this book. With plenty of people that could be behind Katie’s death the author ensured that she kept me on my toes as to who could have killed her and what a shock it was when I found out as I had no clue. Through Louise and Polly’s character we get to delve more into all the characters and as to what secrets they are hiding.
I have really enjoyed this trilogy and I have to say that The Damselfly is without a doubt the best one by far. If you are after a gripping and enthralling read with a great setting in a small community, I think you will be hard pushed to get a much better one than this one.
My thanks to Black & White Publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
clair_82's review
5.0
Holliday has done it again with The Damselfly, I loved Willow Walk but I think this one just slightly pips it to the post - a brilliant, compelling murder-mystery that keeps you gripped until the end.
Katie is the perfect student, she is happy in her relationship with Neil and has high hopes to get away from her deadbeat town and family. Katie lives with her mother, her younger sister Brooke (who is just horrid) and brother, Brett who she does have a soft spot for. Following a scratchcard win, Katie and Neil are planning their move to London. However, the plans for a better life does not go according to plan as she is found dead in her bed.
Polly is back in Banktoun, she clearly has unhappy memories of Banktoun so why is she back as the school's guidance counsellor?! Also, her first day back was not going to be the easy start of 'flying under the radar' as she'd have hoped given the news that was announced to the school about Katie.
DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings are tasked with the investigation into Katie's death and end up unravelling lots of secrets that add more complexity to the muder hunt. I really liked their partnership and how they interacted with oneanother.
Alongside the various first person narratives; we are also privy to Facebook posts which was a great tool in showing the growing tensions amongst the younger Banktoun generation, and blog posts from an unknown author.
Once again, Holliday has created realistic, well-developed characters who pull you into the plot - I picked up this book to start it and before I knew it I was already 100 pages in. It has short snappy chapters that I love, and is broken down in days which lends itself to 'just one more chapter'!
Whilst The Damselfly is part of a trilogy, it can be read as a standalone but, if you have opportunity, it is well worth reading the 3 books in order to really get a feel for the town, its inhabitants and past, tragic events.
Katie is the perfect student, she is happy in her relationship with Neil and has high hopes to get away from her deadbeat town and family. Katie lives with her mother, her younger sister Brooke (who is just horrid) and brother, Brett who she does have a soft spot for. Following a scratchcard win, Katie and Neil are planning their move to London. However, the plans for a better life does not go according to plan as she is found dead in her bed.
Polly is back in Banktoun, she clearly has unhappy memories of Banktoun so why is she back as the school's guidance counsellor?! Also, her first day back was not going to be the easy start of 'flying under the radar' as she'd have hoped given the news that was announced to the school about Katie.
DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings are tasked with the investigation into Katie's death and end up unravelling lots of secrets that add more complexity to the muder hunt. I really liked their partnership and how they interacted with oneanother.
Alongside the various first person narratives; we are also privy to Facebook posts which was a great tool in showing the growing tensions amongst the younger Banktoun generation, and blog posts from an unknown author.
Once again, Holliday has created realistic, well-developed characters who pull you into the plot - I picked up this book to start it and before I knew it I was already 100 pages in. It has short snappy chapters that I love, and is broken down in days which lends itself to 'just one more chapter'!
Whilst The Damselfly is part of a trilogy, it can be read as a standalone but, if you have opportunity, it is well worth reading the 3 books in order to really get a feel for the town, its inhabitants and past, tragic events.
amothersmusings1's review
5.0
Having already read 'Willow Walk' the second in the Scottish Banktoun series I was highly anticipating this the third in the series 'The Damselfly' - and I loved it! Having picked it up and started reading I noticed that I was already a third of the way through and still couldn't get enough. I love all things Scottish so I was on a win win straight away.
This is a brilliant psychological murder mystery that has an excellent storyline that is believable and easy to follow with twists and turns along the way. I was saddened and shocked to discover the murderer, the author covered this perfectly capturing all emotions. The characters are great and I particularly like Louise and Davie in his new roll as detective.
I have to say I was stunned at the epilogue chapter, never expected that and truly hope for a favourable outcome!
I missed out on book one 'Blackwood' but I'm now going to go back and read that as there are mentions eluding to this story within 'The Damselfly' that had me intrigued. A fabulous 5 stars that I would highly recommend either as a standalone or as book three in the series, it really is a good book and I look forward to reading more by SJI Holliday.
I would like to thank the author and Helen at The Book Club on Facebook for my paperback copy in return for an honest review.
This is a brilliant psychological murder mystery that has an excellent storyline that is believable and easy to follow with twists and turns along the way. I was saddened and shocked to discover the murderer, the author covered this perfectly capturing all emotions. The characters are great and I particularly like Louise and Davie in his new roll as detective.
I have to say I was stunned at the epilogue chapter, never expected that and truly hope for a favourable outcome!
I missed out on book one 'Blackwood' but I'm now going to go back and read that as there are mentions eluding to this story within 'The Damselfly' that had me intrigued. A fabulous 5 stars that I would highly recommend either as a standalone or as book three in the series, it really is a good book and I look forward to reading more by SJI Holliday.
I would like to thank the author and Helen at The Book Club on Facebook for my paperback copy in return for an honest review.
raven88's review
4.0
Having previously reviewed and enjoyed the first two books of this series- Black Wood and Willow Walk - it's time to return to the dark and murderous world of the residents of SJI Holliday's small Scottish community of Banktoun in The Damselfly. Be prepared for some unsavoury goings on...
Once again there is a seamless interweaving of the characters and events from the previous two books, but for those who have not discovered this series yet, fret not if you join in the deliciously dark fun at this later point. Holliday has a great way of placing her characters in differing scenarios of importance, but by the same token moving them forward through changes in their lives, or returning them to their roots after time spent away. In this way, there is an incredibly real fluidity to the lives of her characters, reflecting the natural changes that people undergo in terms of their jobs and relationships, but the lure of one's roots plays a major part. Generally speaking, I think the central enjoyment of these books for me is the strong sense that you are reading about real people, not those mind-numbingly witless and largely unbelievable middle class creations, that are currently infesting the world of psychological crime fiction. Holliday's people are a sublime mix of the well-adjusted, and the emotionally damaged, and the observational style of her books as she puts them through various forms of self doubt, or emotional trauma, is done extremely well, undercut by Holliday's now trademark dark humour.
Likewise, with the story focussing on a broken family and the difficulties of adolescence, Holliday draws on the world of social media- warts and all- to explore the communicative habits of her younger protagonists, and how they use it as a conduit for their problems and insecurities. I must confess that I usually get very frustrated reading books that put teenagers front and centre, but Holliday manages to avoid well-worn stereotypes, and balanced out the mix of the good, the bad and the ugly adolescents very well, and neatly exposes the twisted loyalties, immaturity or plain fear that hampers the police investigation into a young girl's death. Throughout the book, Holliday neatly uses her younger protagonists to toy with our empathy, drawing on the differences of their backgrounds, although interestingly a more privileged upbringing is certainly no guarantee of a better moral compass, and the theme of family loyalties and jealousy plays a major part throughout.
Throughout this tricky investigation the steadfast figure of recently promoted DS Davie Gray stands tall, where his innate knowledge of the town's residents proves both useful or difficult in equal measure. He is an open-minded and fair copper, but underscored by a steely determination to catch Katie's killer, even if it sets him at odds with the community. I enjoyed his partnership with DC Louise Jennings, and the slight air of tension that exists between them, for reasons that you will discover for yourselves. Also big kudos for Holliday, for further exploring one of the more minor characters from the previous books, in the shape of ex-addict Quinn, and I enjoyed the way he was realistically interweaved into the turbulent history of Katie's family.
I will confess to being a little disappointed in the expose of the killer's identity, in terms of the intriguing red herrings that Holliday puts in our path, but nonetheless a few hours spent in the community of Banktoun, with its dark deeds and disparate residents is never wasted. Whether this is your first visit, or you're up to speed with the series to date, it's a recommended read from the Raven.
Once again there is a seamless interweaving of the characters and events from the previous two books, but for those who have not discovered this series yet, fret not if you join in the deliciously dark fun at this later point. Holliday has a great way of placing her characters in differing scenarios of importance, but by the same token moving them forward through changes in their lives, or returning them to their roots after time spent away. In this way, there is an incredibly real fluidity to the lives of her characters, reflecting the natural changes that people undergo in terms of their jobs and relationships, but the lure of one's roots plays a major part. Generally speaking, I think the central enjoyment of these books for me is the strong sense that you are reading about real people, not those mind-numbingly witless and largely unbelievable middle class creations, that are currently infesting the world of psychological crime fiction. Holliday's people are a sublime mix of the well-adjusted, and the emotionally damaged, and the observational style of her books as she puts them through various forms of self doubt, or emotional trauma, is done extremely well, undercut by Holliday's now trademark dark humour.
Likewise, with the story focussing on a broken family and the difficulties of adolescence, Holliday draws on the world of social media- warts and all- to explore the communicative habits of her younger protagonists, and how they use it as a conduit for their problems and insecurities. I must confess that I usually get very frustrated reading books that put teenagers front and centre, but Holliday manages to avoid well-worn stereotypes, and balanced out the mix of the good, the bad and the ugly adolescents very well, and neatly exposes the twisted loyalties, immaturity or plain fear that hampers the police investigation into a young girl's death. Throughout the book, Holliday neatly uses her younger protagonists to toy with our empathy, drawing on the differences of their backgrounds, although interestingly a more privileged upbringing is certainly no guarantee of a better moral compass, and the theme of family loyalties and jealousy plays a major part throughout.
Throughout this tricky investigation the steadfast figure of recently promoted DS Davie Gray stands tall, where his innate knowledge of the town's residents proves both useful or difficult in equal measure. He is an open-minded and fair copper, but underscored by a steely determination to catch Katie's killer, even if it sets him at odds with the community. I enjoyed his partnership with DC Louise Jennings, and the slight air of tension that exists between them, for reasons that you will discover for yourselves. Also big kudos for Holliday, for further exploring one of the more minor characters from the previous books, in the shape of ex-addict Quinn, and I enjoyed the way he was realistically interweaved into the turbulent history of Katie's family.
I will confess to being a little disappointed in the expose of the killer's identity, in terms of the intriguing red herrings that Holliday puts in our path, but nonetheless a few hours spent in the community of Banktoun, with its dark deeds and disparate residents is never wasted. Whether this is your first visit, or you're up to speed with the series to date, it's a recommended read from the Raven.