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A review by laurenjodi
The Murderer's Son by Joy Ellis
4.0
The Murderer's Son
4 Stars
D.I. Rowan Jackman and his team investigate the murder of a woman stabbed to death in her kitchen, a crime that is reminiscent of a case from two decades prior. The case becomes even more convoluted when a disturbed young man comes into the station convinced of his guilt despite a lack of evidence. Is Daniel Slater a deranged killer or is someone even more sinister out there ready to kill again?
Joy Ellis's debut novel is an entertaining British police procedural despite one or two obvious plot twists. The mystery is gritty and gripping without any unnecessarily gruesome descriptions and the pacing is excellent. There are several red herrings to keep the reader guessing up to a certain point at which the identity of the villain becomes glaringly obvious.
The characters are compelling with sufficient characterization to engage the reader. That said, there is room for additional development for each of Jackman's team members, which will hopefully be forthcoming in future installments. Jackman's partnership with his D.S., Marie Evans, is particularly engaging as is his intriguing fear of the brilliant yet scary IT tech, Orla Cracken. It will be interesting to see how these relationships progress.
On a final note, the audiobook is narrated by the incomparable Richard Armitage. His range of voices is excellent even for the women, which is quite something given he has such a deep baritone.
Overall, an enjoyable listen and I will be continuing with the series.
4 Stars
D.I. Rowan Jackman and his team investigate the murder of a woman stabbed to death in her kitchen, a crime that is reminiscent of a case from two decades prior. The case becomes even more convoluted when a disturbed young man comes into the station convinced of his guilt despite a lack of evidence. Is Daniel Slater a deranged killer or is someone even more sinister out there ready to kill again?
Joy Ellis's debut novel is an entertaining British police procedural despite one or two obvious plot twists. The mystery is gritty and gripping without any unnecessarily gruesome descriptions and the pacing is excellent. There are several red herrings to keep the reader guessing up to a certain point at which the identity of the villain becomes glaringly obvious.
The characters are compelling with sufficient characterization to engage the reader. That said, there is room for additional development for each of Jackman's team members, which will hopefully be forthcoming in future installments. Jackman's partnership with his D.S., Marie Evans, is particularly engaging as is his intriguing fear of the brilliant yet scary IT tech, Orla Cracken. It will be interesting to see how these relationships progress.
On a final note, the audiobook is narrated by the incomparable Richard Armitage. His range of voices is excellent even for the women, which is quite something given he has such a deep baritone.
Overall, an enjoyable listen and I will be continuing with the series.