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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one was really interesting. I saw none of the twists coming, but at the same time, I wasn't surprised that the Circle were involved again. I'm looking forward to seeing where this will go next, and how past elements will come back again in future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gripping, didn’t know who had done it right until the end. Excellent writing style and great characters as well.
Only negative is I am a bit confused at the wider overarching plot themes.
Only negative is I am a bit confused at the wider overarching plot themes.
When the body of a young woman is found in Hadrian's Wall at Sycamore Gap, the MO appears to be the same as murders by Kier Edwards, aka The Hacker, now firmly locked up in prison. The body had lain undiscovered for years, so it was plausible the murder was carried out by the same perpetrator, even though Edwards took pride in, and even boasted of, his crimes but denied this one. But when a second body is discovered in the same location the following day, it soon becomes clear that someone else is responsible. Details of the older crime had not been released to the public when the second body was dumped. It seems that there is someone on the inside who is leaking information to someone, and if that's the case, what does this mean for Ryan and his team...?
I had hoped that one element, a continuation from the previous book, Holy Island, might be wrapped up in this one, but sadly not, and I hope this isn't a theme of all the future books in this series. That aside, I enjoyed this investigation, which kept me guessing, and I like the characters of Ryan and (most of!) his team, and especially his working relationship with Phillips, and I'm interested to see where the story takes me next.
I had hoped that one element, a continuation from the previous book, Holy Island, might be wrapped up in this one, but sadly not, and I hope this isn't a theme of all the future books in this series. That aside, I enjoyed this investigation, which kept me guessing, and I like the characters of Ryan and (most of!) his team, and especially his working relationship with Phillips, and I'm interested to see where the story takes me next.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Sycamore Gap (DCI RYAN MYSTERIES #2) by L.J. Ross
I've completed the sequel to Holy Island! I am going to be discussing the first book in this series as well as this one, so if you're not looking for any spoilers then I'd avoid reading this review.
Sycamore Gap is the second book in the DCI Ryan Series by L.J. Ross. Following the intense events of the first novel, Sycamore Gap picks up in Northumberland when a skeleton is discovered near the historical sight. Ryan is thrown back into the darkness of his past when connections to a previous case begin to emerge and haunt him again.
What I really appreciate about this book is how Ross continues the theme of murder investigations placed in the heart of historically important places. It makes reading about them a lot more interesting and educational and allows the DCI Ryan series a uniqueness in a genre of crime novels that feel all too similar. It is a theme I hope she continues with in the later novels. I also loved that this book paid more attention to Phillips and Denise. I love their relationship and character development and I'm glad we got to see more of them here and that their characters had more of an active role within the investigation. I think that this book, like Holy Island, picked up a lot more towards the end. Ross definitely knows how to write an intense conclusion!
Despite liking a lot about Sycamore Gap, I do think the crime itself and plot is weaker in comparison to Holy Island. This could be because it felt a bit too predictable for me, or that the pacing of this book was slower than Holy Island's. I think that this book's strength was its characters rather than its plot. Additionally, I felt that some of the female characters were written a bit stereotypically at points. I got this impression with Denise's character last time, but she does seem to have more agency and depth in this book than previously. It goes back and fourth.
I do think in terms of a sequel this felt pretty average to me, but nevertheless it was a cosy, easy, and quick read. I'm hoping the third book in the series will be stronger than this one as I do really like the characters and I want to see where it goes following the ending! I think if you're looking to get back into reading and need something easy yet thrilling to start with then the DCI Ryan series would be the way to go.
I've completed the sequel to Holy Island! I am going to be discussing the first book in this series as well as this one, so if you're not looking for any spoilers then I'd avoid reading this review.
Sycamore Gap is the second book in the DCI Ryan Series by L.J. Ross. Following the intense events of the first novel, Sycamore Gap picks up in Northumberland when a skeleton is discovered near the historical sight. Ryan is thrown back into the darkness of his past when connections to a previous case begin to emerge and haunt him again.
What I really appreciate about this book is how Ross continues the theme of murder investigations placed in the heart of historically important places. It makes reading about them a lot more interesting and educational and allows the DCI Ryan series a uniqueness in a genre of crime novels that feel all too similar. It is a theme I hope she continues with in the later novels. I also loved that this book paid more attention to Phillips and Denise. I love their relationship and character development and I'm glad we got to see more of them here and that their characters had more of an active role within the investigation. I think that this book, like Holy Island, picked up a lot more towards the end. Ross definitely knows how to write an intense conclusion!
Despite liking a lot about Sycamore Gap, I do think the crime itself and plot is weaker in comparison to Holy Island. This could be because it felt a bit too predictable for me, or that the pacing of this book was slower than Holy Island's. I think that this book's strength was its characters rather than its plot. Additionally, I felt that some of the female characters were written a bit stereotypically at points. I got this impression with Denise's character last time, but she does seem to have more agency and depth in this book than previously. It goes back and fourth.
I do think in terms of a sequel this felt pretty average to me, but nevertheless it was a cosy, easy, and quick read. I'm hoping the third book in the series will be stronger than this one as I do really like the characters and I want to see where it goes following the ending! I think if you're looking to get back into reading and need something easy yet thrilling to start with then the DCI Ryan series would be the way to go.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes