Angel by L.J. Ross #BookReview

About this book…

He’ll make you his angel, but first you have to die…

After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally beginning to return to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée.

Then, on Good Friday morning he is called out to a crime scene at one of the largest cemeteries in Newcastle. The body of a redheaded woman has been found buried in a shallow grave and the killer has given her wings, like an angel.

Soon, another woman is found at a different cemetery, followed quickly by another. Panic spreads like wildfire as a new serial killer is born, and Ryan’s band of detectives must work around the clock to unmask him before he can strike again.

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

My review…

This is a series that really packed a punch right from the first book, Holy Island, and sometimes it can be difficult to keep up the momentum as a series progresses. But LJ Ross has such a captivating writing style that her books just seem to be getting better with each one! I will also say that each one is pretty self-contained so they can be read as standalone novels although the personal threads running through are so interesting that you will surely want to read them all anyway so I recommend you read them in the order they were written.

There’s such an intriguing case here for DCI Ryan to solve. When bodies start turning up, buried in graveyards and all looking similar, the police force realise that they have a serial killer on their hands. Even worse, it looks like red headed Mackenzie also fits the description of the murdered women so the race is on to discover the identity of The Graveyard Killer before he kills again. There’s barely time to take breath once the team start their investigations and there’s definitely not much time for personal relationships so they are put on the back burner for most of Angel. Is this the work of a religious zealot or is there a much deeper motive for the killing spree?

The first chapter really set the tone and pace for the rest of the book and once it grabbed me, it wasn’t letting go. I loved the camaraderie between the characters and the easy way they all came together, like a perfectly oiled machine! As usual the beautiful setting of Northumberland acts as a picturesque contrast to the dark and disturbing crimes committed here. In particular, at its heart, is the spectacular attraction The Angel of the North, a stunning visual landmark welcoming vistors to that part of the country. The comparison with the way the bodies were displayed was hard to miss and just added to my enjoyment of this gripping crime thriller. And now I just can’t wait to read the next one!  Highly recommended by me.

Angel: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Book 4) is available to purchase from Amazon UK now.

Meet the author…

L.J. Ross is the author of the international #1 bestselling series of DCI Ryan mystery novels. Her debut, Holy Island, was released in January 2015 and reached number one in the Amazon Kindle UK bestsellers chart. Its sequels, Sycamore Gap, Heavenfield and Angel are also #1 bestsellers. The fifth book in the series, High Force, is scheduled for release towards the end of 2016 or early 2017. The novels are all available to purchase in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats on the Amazon store. Holy Island is also available in German translation.

Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and studied abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a regulatory lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write.

Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Bath. She enjoys reading all manner of books, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

If you would like to connect with LJ Ross, she would be very happy to hear from you:

https://www.facebook.com/LJRossAuthor
https://twitter.com/ljross_author
http://www.ljrossauthor.com
http://www.lovesuspense.com
lj_ross@outlook.com

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