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Scott Jericho #1
Killing Jericho
Scott Jericho thought he'd worked his last case. Fresh out of jail, the disgraced former detective is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected.
Then a series of bizarre murders comes to light - deaths that echo a century-old fairground legend. The police can't connect the victims. But Jericho knows how the legend goes; that more murders are certain to follow.
As Jericho unpicks the deadly mystery, a terrifying question haunts him. As a direct descendant of one of the victims in the legend, is Jericho next on the killer's list?
Then a series of bizarre murders comes to light - deaths that echo a century-old fairground legend. The police can't connect the victims. But Jericho knows how the legend goes; that more murders are certain to follow.
As Jericho unpicks the deadly mystery, a terrifying question haunts him. As a direct descendant of one of the victims in the legend, is Jericho next on the killer's list?
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2023
148 people are currently reading
1185 people want to read
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December 19, 2022
In the U.K. it’s William Hussey as author but aka William Harker
4 - 5 stars
Scott Jericho #1
Meet Scott Jericho from a traveller fairground background, ex DC ex-con (refer to the former, he has a very good reason for the ‘con’), gay, troubled, haunted in fact, on pills, uses sex to distract, he is currently just existing. He gets a strangely delivered message from a former Cambridge professor informing him that the dead of Travellers Bridge are calling out to him. This is when over 100 years ago five travellers from a freak show drown in a river. He meets Professor Campbell, is repelled by him but he is drawn in when he shows him evidence of three modern day horrifying deaths that mimic the freak show travellers. Who is picking victims off one by one? How are they connected? Campbell gives Jericho a file in order to begin the investigation in what proves to be a race against time.
Wow, what a cracking read! First of all, I love the setting and focus around the travellers fairground life fully appreciating that we have something different here from the norm. This therefore makes it stand out for me. The patois is fantastic for example, joskins are non-travellers which adds some colour to the dialogue. Secondly, what of Jericho? To sum him up I’d say he’s absolutely fascinating. As a cop, he’s gifted, intuitive, his arrest record is impressive but temperamentally he’s abrasive. However, despite his predisposition to wading in sometimes fists first, this is a good man, his heart is in the right place. He remeets his former big love from university in Haz (Harry) Morehouse who is just wonderful. Jericho needs Harry and vice versa.
The horrifying mystery of the murders as it unfolds is strange and distinctly weird, Jericho makes mistakes, some deliberately but some unintentionally. It becomes very hard to put the novel down chiefly because of the enthralling way in which it is written. It’s dark and definitely twisted sister and so of course, I love it! As for the ending, I don’t see that one coming! What a surprise, yet, when you track back, it’s not left field by any means. Well played!
Overall, this is the darkly, atmospheric addictive page, turner, and I can’t wait to get my mitts on number 2!!
Ps I love the Sherlock and other literary references!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bonnier Books, Zaffre, for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
4 - 5 stars
Scott Jericho #1
Meet Scott Jericho from a traveller fairground background, ex DC ex-con (refer to the former, he has a very good reason for the ‘con’), gay, troubled, haunted in fact, on pills, uses sex to distract, he is currently just existing. He gets a strangely delivered message from a former Cambridge professor informing him that the dead of Travellers Bridge are calling out to him. This is when over 100 years ago five travellers from a freak show drown in a river. He meets Professor Campbell, is repelled by him but he is drawn in when he shows him evidence of three modern day horrifying deaths that mimic the freak show travellers. Who is picking victims off one by one? How are they connected? Campbell gives Jericho a file in order to begin the investigation in what proves to be a race against time.
Wow, what a cracking read! First of all, I love the setting and focus around the travellers fairground life fully appreciating that we have something different here from the norm. This therefore makes it stand out for me. The patois is fantastic for example, joskins are non-travellers which adds some colour to the dialogue. Secondly, what of Jericho? To sum him up I’d say he’s absolutely fascinating. As a cop, he’s gifted, intuitive, his arrest record is impressive but temperamentally he’s abrasive. However, despite his predisposition to wading in sometimes fists first, this is a good man, his heart is in the right place. He remeets his former big love from university in Haz (Harry) Morehouse who is just wonderful. Jericho needs Harry and vice versa.
The horrifying mystery of the murders as it unfolds is strange and distinctly weird, Jericho makes mistakes, some deliberately but some unintentionally. It becomes very hard to put the novel down chiefly because of the enthralling way in which it is written. It’s dark and definitely twisted sister and so of course, I love it! As for the ending, I don’t see that one coming! What a surprise, yet, when you track back, it’s not left field by any means. Well played!
Overall, this is the darkly, atmospheric addictive page, turner, and I can’t wait to get my mitts on number 2!!
Ps I love the Sherlock and other literary references!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bonnier Books, Zaffre, for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
February 5, 2023
Holy ...! This is good! Do you love superbly written British thrillers? Dark and twisted? With queer rep? The first of a series? Read this!
I love William Hussey’s writing! It’s fascinating and captivating, and unputdownable. William writes 'showing' like no other, whether it’s a YA contemporary or an adult thriller. Whereas his YA novels are written bluntly but on the softer side, this thriller is rougher and darker and sometimes more graphic.
Scott Jericho is an unusual detective with many flaws. He’s intelligent and insightful but also temperamental and abrasive. He loves books, and his dream has always been to become a writer. Until the Malanowski case. Oh, and he’s gay. It’s just a given, no more and no less. It’s refreshing to read queer rep like this. And I loved Haz, by the way!
This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve been reading thrillers from a young age, and the genre has always been one of my favorites. Somehow, I don’t read them so often anymore, but I’m so happy I picked up this one. Like I said, it’s dark and twisted, and next to that, William shows us so much of Scott’s life, including his connection to a traveling fair and showmen. And do you know that feeling when you’re at 60%, 70%, 80% of a book and still haven’t got a clue where it’s going and want to know whodunnit desperately? This is such a book! BUT ... I had my suspicions early on and found out that I was right in the end! Just a little proud of myself 😆! And that ending? I got goosebumps all over my body!
William Hussey was already on my list of favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read the second book of this series!
4.5 stars. I deducted half a star because I guessed who was the killer, and rounded it back up to 5 stars because William is an awesome author (check out his YA novels too!).
I love William Hussey’s writing! It’s fascinating and captivating, and unputdownable. William writes 'showing' like no other, whether it’s a YA contemporary or an adult thriller. Whereas his YA novels are written bluntly but on the softer side, this thriller is rougher and darker and sometimes more graphic.
Scott Jericho is an unusual detective with many flaws. He’s intelligent and insightful but also temperamental and abrasive. He loves books, and his dream has always been to become a writer. Until the Malanowski case. Oh, and he’s gay. It’s just a given, no more and no less. It’s refreshing to read queer rep like this. And I loved Haz, by the way!
This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve been reading thrillers from a young age, and the genre has always been one of my favorites. Somehow, I don’t read them so often anymore, but I’m so happy I picked up this one. Like I said, it’s dark and twisted, and next to that, William shows us so much of Scott’s life, including his connection to a traveling fair and showmen. And do you know that feeling when you’re at 60%, 70%, 80% of a book and still haven’t got a clue where it’s going and want to know whodunnit desperately? This is such a book! BUT ... I had my suspicions early on and found out that I was right in the end! Just a little proud of myself 😆! And that ending? I got goosebumps all over my body!
William Hussey was already on my list of favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read the second book of this series!
4.5 stars. I deducted half a star because I guessed who was the killer, and rounded it back up to 5 stars because William is an awesome author (check out his YA novels too!).
May 15, 2023
William Hussey (who also writes as Will Harker) is an author local to me: about forty miles down the road in Skegness and I do try to read a few local authors. This is a crime/detective novel with a bit of a twist. The protagonist Scott Jericho is an ex-cop who has been in prison for assaulting a particularly odious suspect. The twist is that Jericho is gay and is a traveller, born and raised in a travelling fairground. Hussey is better known for his YA novels addressing queer and trans issues. He does write of what he knows as he is a gay man and was brought up in a travelling family himself. Hussey has a good knowledge of the history, culture and folklore of fairground people and puts it to good use. Hussey has drawn on the diaries of a travelling showman (Tom Norman).
In the novel without going into too much detail a modern day serial killer is recreating a nineteenth century disaster called Traveller’s Bridge. A bridge collapsed with a traveller’s caravan on it and five members of a freakshow were killed. Again this is based on a real life in 1853. The collapse of Hartley Bridge where a number of travellers were killed.
The novel itself is rather macabre and violent with a gothic edge to it. As you would expect there are plenty of plot twists and misdirection. Hussey takes a few swipes at some current issues with some positivity about librarians and an exploration of the hatred and xenophobia in Britain at the moment. This works if you like this genre and the variation on the traditional tropes is welcome.
In the novel without going into too much detail a modern day serial killer is recreating a nineteenth century disaster called Traveller’s Bridge. A bridge collapsed with a traveller’s caravan on it and five members of a freakshow were killed. Again this is based on a real life in 1853. The collapse of Hartley Bridge where a number of travellers were killed.
The novel itself is rather macabre and violent with a gothic edge to it. As you would expect there are plenty of plot twists and misdirection. Hussey takes a few swipes at some current issues with some positivity about librarians and an exploration of the hatred and xenophobia in Britain at the moment. This works if you like this genre and the variation on the traditional tropes is welcome.
January 20, 2021
A Traveler, Former Cop, Gay Man...Enthralled In A Replay Of A Former Case
What an intriguing story with a smash ending I did Not see coming!! We are drawn into a story of Travelers, those folk who run carnivals and fairs all over the country, becoming a family of their own. Scott Jericho has been through it all, born into the Travelers, leaving to find something he loved more...School didn't work out, as a police officer he became too angry with a suspect who murdered three children....Attacking him and getting thrown off the force...Back to the Fair...Barely living, pills, alcohol and sex his main sustenance as he tries to forget...Until a man offers money to investigate what seems to be a replay of an incident from years ago...When a truck load of Travelers were crossing a bridge...Which collapsed...Killing five of the Fair crew...
It seems to be happening again...A murderer leaving no evidence...But bodies in positions that remind of those killed...Jericho feels himself waking up...Coming alive again to investigate just What is going on...But it is dangerous, and puts people from his past and present in serious jeopardy...
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic story by a new author to me, and look forward to more!!!
What an intriguing story with a smash ending I did Not see coming!! We are drawn into a story of Travelers, those folk who run carnivals and fairs all over the country, becoming a family of their own. Scott Jericho has been through it all, born into the Travelers, leaving to find something he loved more...School didn't work out, as a police officer he became too angry with a suspect who murdered three children....Attacking him and getting thrown off the force...Back to the Fair...Barely living, pills, alcohol and sex his main sustenance as he tries to forget...Until a man offers money to investigate what seems to be a replay of an incident from years ago...When a truck load of Travelers were crossing a bridge...Which collapsed...Killing five of the Fair crew...
It seems to be happening again...A murderer leaving no evidence...But bodies in positions that remind of those killed...Jericho feels himself waking up...Coming alive again to investigate just What is going on...But it is dangerous, and puts people from his past and present in serious jeopardy...
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic story by a new author to me, and look forward to more!!!
March 31, 2023
On my blog.
Rep: Traveller gay mc, gay li
CWs: child death, mentions of paedophilia, violence, gore, Islamophobia, homophobia, slurs
Galley provided by publisher
Killing Jericho was, in all honesty, an exercise in frustration. If you like the kind of mysteries that are typified (in my mind) by shows like Whitechapel, all theatrics and quite a lot of suspension of disbelief required, then it’s likely that you will get along with this one. I, on the other hand, did not.
Fair warning now: there will be substantial spoilers in this review, so look away if you don’t want to know. The (as vague as I can make it) tl,dr of it all is this: the twist at the end did little more than piss me off. The reveal that a certain character was behind everything, that every single thread in this book, even those seemingly unrelated, tied back to one thing, made me roll my eyes so hard they almost fell out of my head. The payoff for all of it was nil.
For the more spoiler-inclined of you, please read on as I relive my frustration.
Let’s start with Scott himself who, perhaps expectedly, is a sexy maverick genius detective. Because of course. Now, this would be less of an issue if he didn’t take it upon himself to keep reminding me of the fact. Like, I got it after the first five hundred mentions of how sexy and maverick genius of a detective you are. You can cool it with that now. Did that happen? Of course not! He’s so sexy and maverick genius that he even solved a crime for the police as a witness. How sexy and maverick genius of him!
(He also has this magical ability to spot a paedophile just by sight. Because sure.)
But moving on from our sexy maverick genius detective, we now arrive at the plot. For the bulk of the book, this actually wasn’t too bad. That is, it kept me interested enough to keep reading. The real killer here (pun not intended) was the reveal at the end. First, let me rewind a little to give some context.
Scott, having just got out of prison after being convicted for beating up a suspect in a murder investigation, is depressed. Among various attempts to get him out of this funk is his mentor (whose name I cannot for the life of me recall) bringing him case files which he (mentor) has apparently got stuck on. Because of course. Why not? He’s a sexy maverick genius after all.
This, surprise surprise, doesn’t work. But then what happens is that Scott somehow gets entangled with another mystery, one that’s a lot darker, that seems to be ritualistic and following an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair (coincidentally, relating to Scott’s family. How neatly this all ties together!). This is where Scott’s magical paedo spotting powers come in, since one of them is tasked with sending him a message about the murders, on behalf of the other, who wants him to investigate. Scott does not question this.
Meanwhile, Scott is also being harassed by the far-right white supremacist killer, the beating of whom landed Scott in jail in the first place. Who, it later turns out, is working with a photographer in order to get a picture of Scott beating him up again? I don’t know, this part seemed spurious, but I mention it now because it’ll play a role in a moment.
This, I think, provides us with sufficient background. This is all very well and good, a little over the top as a murder mystery plot I would say, but readable enough. And then there’s the twist. Now, I’m not saying that the twist couldn’t have worked! Maybe, with a bit more thought, it could have. But basically what happened is that the author tried to make everything tie together. Even the harassment by the white supremacist and his loyal photographer. This is where the book fell down for me.
Because who is the culprit? None other than Scott’s mentor. And why does he do all this? Well, apparently it’s because he’s been a psychopathic killer all along (which, he’s already got away with many years earlier) and he’s only doing this to snap Scott out of his funk. Every little aspect of the book is contained in that. He hires a guy to pretend to be someone to hire Scott, he sets up every part of the mystery himself, killing these people in a way that supposedly follows this legend, hiring Scott’s ex-boyfriend to gently push him towards the right conclusion. He even gets the white supremacist and photographer to harass Scott, to make sure he keeps investigating.
And not only this, but it turns out he is the one who, somehow, wound Scott up to the point that Scott would beat up this suspect and thus get himself kicked off the police force. Because, despite having got Scott hired in the first place, he knew that Scott, sexy maverick genius that he is, would eventually realise that his mentor was a psychopathic mass murderer. Because of course. Are you exhausted yet, because I am.
But I’m not done yet! The killings, it turns out, started before his mentor began trying to snap Scott out of it. Get this — he initially began the killings as a back-up plan. In case giving Scott case files to look over didn’t work. And were the fictional police ever the slightest bit confused about the killings? Did they ever show any sort of inclination to investigate them? Not really, because how else would this all end up in Scott’s lap, ripe for the solving? Who else might get to the bottom of things besides our sexy maverick genius main character?
This all felt like a twist for the sake of having a twist, not because it made any sort of sense. That it was Scott’s mentor, I could have lived with. That he did it solely for Scott, too, might have been okay (there are several examples in literature of a nemesis pitting their wits against the main character. None where the aim was an altruistic desire to get the main character back on their feet, but okay). But that he was behind everything in the book, not simply the murders, that he had such power as to be pulling the strings of every single person even tangentially connected, that he started it all as a back-up plan, just in case? Here my willingness to suspend my disbelief ran out quite abruptly. Instead of the twist being something that genuinely shocked me, it merely frustrated me. It was, in the end, an entirely stupid twist.
If you’ve made it this far, woops sorry, you won’t be able to experience it for yourself in all its frustrating glory. It’s one of those ones where I couldn’t possibly manage a non-spoilery review. But, joke’s on me: this was such a frustrating read that not even writing it all out in a review could provide me with catharsis.
Rep: Traveller gay mc, gay li
CWs: child death, mentions of paedophilia, violence, gore, Islamophobia, homophobia, slurs
Galley provided by publisher
Killing Jericho was, in all honesty, an exercise in frustration. If you like the kind of mysteries that are typified (in my mind) by shows like Whitechapel, all theatrics and quite a lot of suspension of disbelief required, then it’s likely that you will get along with this one. I, on the other hand, did not.
Fair warning now: there will be substantial spoilers in this review, so look away if you don’t want to know. The (as vague as I can make it) tl,dr of it all is this: the twist at the end did little more than piss me off. The reveal that a certain character was behind everything, that every single thread in this book, even those seemingly unrelated, tied back to one thing, made me roll my eyes so hard they almost fell out of my head. The payoff for all of it was nil.
For the more spoiler-inclined of you, please read on as I relive my frustration.
Let’s start with Scott himself who, perhaps expectedly, is a sexy maverick genius detective. Because of course. Now, this would be less of an issue if he didn’t take it upon himself to keep reminding me of the fact. Like, I got it after the first five hundred mentions of how sexy and maverick genius of a detective you are. You can cool it with that now. Did that happen? Of course not! He’s so sexy and maverick genius that he even solved a crime for the police as a witness. How sexy and maverick genius of him!
(He also has this magical ability to spot a paedophile just by sight. Because sure.)
But moving on from our sexy maverick genius detective, we now arrive at the plot. For the bulk of the book, this actually wasn’t too bad. That is, it kept me interested enough to keep reading. The real killer here (pun not intended) was the reveal at the end. First, let me rewind a little to give some context.
Scott, having just got out of prison after being convicted for beating up a suspect in a murder investigation, is depressed. Among various attempts to get him out of this funk is his mentor (whose name I cannot for the life of me recall) bringing him case files which he (mentor) has apparently got stuck on. Because of course. Why not? He’s a sexy maverick genius after all.
This, surprise surprise, doesn’t work. But then what happens is that Scott somehow gets entangled with another mystery, one that’s a lot darker, that seems to be ritualistic and following an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair (coincidentally, relating to Scott’s family. How neatly this all ties together!). This is where Scott’s magical paedo spotting powers come in, since one of them is tasked with sending him a message about the murders, on behalf of the other, who wants him to investigate. Scott does not question this.
Meanwhile, Scott is also being harassed by the far-right white supremacist killer, the beating of whom landed Scott in jail in the first place. Who, it later turns out, is working with a photographer in order to get a picture of Scott beating him up again? I don’t know, this part seemed spurious, but I mention it now because it’ll play a role in a moment.
This, I think, provides us with sufficient background. This is all very well and good, a little over the top as a murder mystery plot I would say, but readable enough. And then there’s the twist. Now, I’m not saying that the twist couldn’t have worked! Maybe, with a bit more thought, it could have. But basically what happened is that the author tried to make everything tie together. Even the harassment by the white supremacist and his loyal photographer. This is where the book fell down for me.
Because who is the culprit? None other than Scott’s mentor. And why does he do all this? Well, apparently it’s because he’s been a psychopathic killer all along (which, he’s already got away with many years earlier) and he’s only doing this to snap Scott out of his funk. Every little aspect of the book is contained in that. He hires a guy to pretend to be someone to hire Scott, he sets up every part of the mystery himself, killing these people in a way that supposedly follows this legend, hiring Scott’s ex-boyfriend to gently push him towards the right conclusion. He even gets the white supremacist and photographer to harass Scott, to make sure he keeps investigating.
And not only this, but it turns out he is the one who, somehow, wound Scott up to the point that Scott would beat up this suspect and thus get himself kicked off the police force. Because, despite having got Scott hired in the first place, he knew that Scott, sexy maverick genius that he is, would eventually realise that his mentor was a psychopathic mass murderer. Because of course. Are you exhausted yet, because I am.
But I’m not done yet! The killings, it turns out, started before his mentor began trying to snap Scott out of it. Get this — he initially began the killings as a back-up plan. In case giving Scott case files to look over didn’t work. And were the fictional police ever the slightest bit confused about the killings? Did they ever show any sort of inclination to investigate them? Not really, because how else would this all end up in Scott’s lap, ripe for the solving? Who else might get to the bottom of things besides our sexy maverick genius main character?
This all felt like a twist for the sake of having a twist, not because it made any sort of sense. That it was Scott’s mentor, I could have lived with. That he did it solely for Scott, too, might have been okay (there are several examples in literature of a nemesis pitting their wits against the main character. None where the aim was an altruistic desire to get the main character back on their feet, but okay). But that he was behind everything in the book, not simply the murders, that he had such power as to be pulling the strings of every single person even tangentially connected, that he started it all as a back-up plan, just in case? Here my willingness to suspend my disbelief ran out quite abruptly. Instead of the twist being something that genuinely shocked me, it merely frustrated me. It was, in the end, an entirely stupid twist.
If you’ve made it this far, woops sorry, you won’t be able to experience it for yourself in all its frustrating glory. It’s one of those ones where I couldn’t possibly manage a non-spoilery review. But, joke’s on me: this was such a frustrating read that not even writing it all out in a review could provide me with catharsis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2023
Scott Jericho has just left prison after serving time for GBH. Scott is a disgraced ex-police detective; a Traveller and he is also Gay. He is also a drug addict and has spells of violence and relives the horrors of three children being burnt alive. He has only one place left to go his Traveller family that he left behind. When he goes back to the fair ground that his father still lives, he gets a call from his old boss help him with a murder. He eagerly grabs the opportunity to solve the crime.
Thank you, Bonnier books, for a copy of Killing Jericho by William Hussey. I really wanted to enjoy this book from William Hussey. I found this to have a dark intriguing storyline. I found this really unique regards to the protagonist having a Police/Travellers background. I also thought it had a hint of supernatural elements to it. I found the first half of this book to be engaging but then felt that there was too much back story regarding his love life and time at the Police in the second half of this and not much of the actual plot that it dragged for me a little. 3.5 stars from me.
Thank you, Bonnier books, for a copy of Killing Jericho by William Hussey. I really wanted to enjoy this book from William Hussey. I found this to have a dark intriguing storyline. I found this really unique regards to the protagonist having a Police/Travellers background. I also thought it had a hint of supernatural elements to it. I found the first half of this book to be engaging but then felt that there was too much back story regarding his love life and time at the Police in the second half of this and not much of the actual plot that it dragged for me a little. 3.5 stars from me.
May 15, 2023
It can be difficult among the ocean of crime fiction that's out there to enjoy to conjure a sleuth who's undeniably fresh, while still feeling authentic as well (rather than try-hard or forced by the author's hand). A main character that seems very different to what's gone before but also real and organic to the particular story and setting, not just shoved in by the author in a 'look at this, look how unique my character is' way, like they've cobbled together a jigsaw puzzle of lesser-used character traits.
So it's really fabulous to discover award-winning kids’ and YA author William Hussey, whose oeuvre swarms across horror, crime, and romcoms, has done managed this hard task with real flair and aplomb in his first adult thriller, Killing Jericho. Like Hussey himself, Scott Jericho is a gay man who grew up in the travelling fairground community. Unlike Hussey, Jericho is a former cop recently out of prison, having lost his job and freedom for beating a violent arsonist during an interrogation. He's also balanced earlier stints of being a 'heavy' for bad men with university studies among dreaming spires.
And now he's hiding away, retreated into himself among the cocoon of his fairground family he once rejected. Alcohol, pill popping, casual sex; anything to numb his failures and escapes his ghosts. Burned children. Yet somewhat like Patrick Jane in television's The Mentalist, growing up in the showgrounds had once helped hone Jericho's rare observational skills and ability to read human nature to an uncanny degree. Not that he's using that insight lately; instead his life is withering on its self-poisoned vine.
It's only when Jericho is lured by a suspicious punter then an unexpected offer to privately investigate a bizarre series of murders linked to fairground folklore that he begins to come alive again. Does it take darkness and death for him to feel his best? And will his hunt bring death nearer to those he's loved?
Hussey casts a superb tale that plays with dark and light, while taking readers behind the frivolity of dodgems, candy floss, and Ferris Wheels to glimpse the backbreaking slog and prejudices casual and blatant faced by the travellers who bring fun and magic to fairgrounds and communities, before being shunted on. Killing Jericho is a gritty, tense thriller that’s vividly told and full of surprises, with some remarkable characters, including a lead who keeps readers (and most around him) off-kilter.
This may be Hussey's first adult thriller, but I certainly hope for several return visits.
So it's really fabulous to discover award-winning kids’ and YA author William Hussey, whose oeuvre swarms across horror, crime, and romcoms, has done managed this hard task with real flair and aplomb in his first adult thriller, Killing Jericho. Like Hussey himself, Scott Jericho is a gay man who grew up in the travelling fairground community. Unlike Hussey, Jericho is a former cop recently out of prison, having lost his job and freedom for beating a violent arsonist during an interrogation. He's also balanced earlier stints of being a 'heavy' for bad men with university studies among dreaming spires.
And now he's hiding away, retreated into himself among the cocoon of his fairground family he once rejected. Alcohol, pill popping, casual sex; anything to numb his failures and escapes his ghosts. Burned children. Yet somewhat like Patrick Jane in television's The Mentalist, growing up in the showgrounds had once helped hone Jericho's rare observational skills and ability to read human nature to an uncanny degree. Not that he's using that insight lately; instead his life is withering on its self-poisoned vine.
It's only when Jericho is lured by a suspicious punter then an unexpected offer to privately investigate a bizarre series of murders linked to fairground folklore that he begins to come alive again. Does it take darkness and death for him to feel his best? And will his hunt bring death nearer to those he's loved?
Hussey casts a superb tale that plays with dark and light, while taking readers behind the frivolity of dodgems, candy floss, and Ferris Wheels to glimpse the backbreaking slog and prejudices casual and blatant faced by the travellers who bring fun and magic to fairgrounds and communities, before being shunted on. Killing Jericho is a gritty, tense thriller that’s vividly told and full of surprises, with some remarkable characters, including a lead who keeps readers (and most around him) off-kilter.
This may be Hussey's first adult thriller, but I certainly hope for several return visits.
September 29, 2024
In a nutshell
For the first third of this book, I thouglht I'd found something remarkable and that I'd found a new crime series to read that was confined by the normal tropes of police procedural fiction.
By the middle of the book, I was still impressed by the quality of the writing and the vivid, credible complexity of Scott Jericho, the main character, but I was struggling to engage with the plot.
By the end of the book I felt deeply disappointed. The plot stretched my disbelief so far that it snapped, making me feel as if I'd just been conned into spending time on an absurdly improbable story.
I won't be continuing with the series.
My experience reading 'Killing Jericho'
@ 7%
Wow, what a start. Fast and vivid establishment of the main character and his recent history. Introduction to the world of travelling showmen. And a hook of a mystery. All done with a great control of pace and tension. I think this is going to be good.
@ 29%
Lots of things to love here:
how each chapter ends on a line that makes you want to read the next one at once,
how the character of Scott Jericho, a large, attractive, intelligent, gay man as comfortable using violence as he is using his intellect, dominates the narrative rather than the killings and the grotesquely mutilated corpses
how the showman world is the baseline for normal and the rest of us are odd.
@ 33%
The intertwining of Scott Jericho's past and present is fascinating. It does more than add tension to the thriller plot by revealing relevant details. It shows both how much Jericho has been damaged by trauma and that the angry, violent person that emerged from the trauma had always been part of the core of who he was. His rage at the world and his excitement in the face of risk are fundamental to him. Almost all the rest is learned behaviour.
@ 35%
Everything in this novel feels grounded and real except for the murders themselves. The murderer's actions feel incredibly theatrical and unnecessarily complex. I'm hoping there's going to be a good explanation for that. At the moment it feels so out of kilter with the rest of the story that I can't take the killings of the killer seriously.
Scott Jericho, not the plot, carries this story. He's satisfyingly complex. Broken rather than flawed, a little ashamed of his own excitement in pursuing darkness and slowly realising that darkness has made its home in him.
The murder plot isn't tense and there isn't really enough detail to make it a mystery the reader can get with. Even to the detectives, the crimes feel self-consciously Gothic and artificial.
The detailed descriptions of the desecration of the bodies of the murder victims feels like an attempt to garnish a flat plot. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
@ 58%
I know Jericho often falls into the grip of rage and I can see that he is being sorely provoked but as an former police officer, he must understand that he is constantly risking having his parole revoked and being returned to the prison that is the source of much of his trauma. I find it hard to accept that he'd take these risks with so few precautions.
@ 100%
What a disappointment. I'd become invested in Scott Jericho and the people around him. He's vividly drawn and I'd have loved to see him develop over the course of a series but, after that ending, I won't be going on with there books. The plot was too infeasible for me. I felt cheated by the solution. It was not only hard to believe, it was anticlimactic.
For the first third of this book, I thouglht I'd found something remarkable and that I'd found a new crime series to read that was confined by the normal tropes of police procedural fiction.
By the middle of the book, I was still impressed by the quality of the writing and the vivid, credible complexity of Scott Jericho, the main character, but I was struggling to engage with the plot.
By the end of the book I felt deeply disappointed. The plot stretched my disbelief so far that it snapped, making me feel as if I'd just been conned into spending time on an absurdly improbable story.
I won't be continuing with the series.
My experience reading 'Killing Jericho'
@ 7%
Wow, what a start. Fast and vivid establishment of the main character and his recent history. Introduction to the world of travelling showmen. And a hook of a mystery. All done with a great control of pace and tension. I think this is going to be good.
@ 29%
Lots of things to love here:
how each chapter ends on a line that makes you want to read the next one at once,
how the character of Scott Jericho, a large, attractive, intelligent, gay man as comfortable using violence as he is using his intellect, dominates the narrative rather than the killings and the grotesquely mutilated corpses
how the showman world is the baseline for normal and the rest of us are odd.
@ 33%
The intertwining of Scott Jericho's past and present is fascinating. It does more than add tension to the thriller plot by revealing relevant details. It shows both how much Jericho has been damaged by trauma and that the angry, violent person that emerged from the trauma had always been part of the core of who he was. His rage at the world and his excitement in the face of risk are fundamental to him. Almost all the rest is learned behaviour.
@ 35%
Everything in this novel feels grounded and real except for the murders themselves. The murderer's actions feel incredibly theatrical and unnecessarily complex. I'm hoping there's going to be a good explanation for that. At the moment it feels so out of kilter with the rest of the story that I can't take the killings of the killer seriously.
Scott Jericho, not the plot, carries this story. He's satisfyingly complex. Broken rather than flawed, a little ashamed of his own excitement in pursuing darkness and slowly realising that darkness has made its home in him.
The murder plot isn't tense and there isn't really enough detail to make it a mystery the reader can get with. Even to the detectives, the crimes feel self-consciously Gothic and artificial.
The detailed descriptions of the desecration of the bodies of the murder victims feels like an attempt to garnish a flat plot. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
@ 58%
I know Jericho often falls into the grip of rage and I can see that he is being sorely provoked but as an former police officer, he must understand that he is constantly risking having his parole revoked and being returned to the prison that is the source of much of his trauma. I find it hard to accept that he'd take these risks with so few precautions.
@ 100%
What a disappointment. I'd become invested in Scott Jericho and the people around him. He's vividly drawn and I'd have loved to see him develop over the course of a series but, after that ending, I won't be going on with there books. The plot was too infeasible for me. I felt cheated by the solution. It was not only hard to believe, it was anticlimactic.
dnf
June 15, 2023it's a no from me. again. .... why are the only books i finish the stupid ones.. dnf somewhere on like chapter ... 4?? less?? idk, idc
Read
April 12, 2024Admitting defeat with this one. It’s a shame because I love the premise of the story and the descriptions are really strong but the dialogue…
Everytime the MC and Harry speak it’s like the most bizarre interactions ever. Nobody speaks like that out loud. These long rambling monologues with way too much information.
DNF for me.
Everytime the MC and Harry speak it’s like the most bizarre interactions ever. Nobody speaks like that out loud. These long rambling monologues with way too much information.
DNF for me.
December 13, 2020
Amazing, as expected. Being familiar with the authors YA novel, I had high expectations. He met them.
This is a wonderful, dark, page turner of a detective novel. Great, flawed and loveable characters. Loved seeing inside the travelling fairground world (which incidentally I believe is a personal experience of the author).
If you like crime and detective books, read this immediately. If you don't like crime and detective books, read this immediately because you'll love the genre after this book!!
This is a wonderful, dark, page turner of a detective novel. Great, flawed and loveable characters. Loved seeing inside the travelling fairground world (which incidentally I believe is a personal experience of the author).
If you like crime and detective books, read this immediately. If you don't like crime and detective books, read this immediately because you'll love the genre after this book!!
April 15, 2023
I absolutely bloody loved this one, I can’t even begin to tell you how damn good it is. It kept me on the edge of my seat (it was a pillow because I was in bed, but let’s just go with a seat) and just kept ramping up the tension the further into I got. I never actually guessed who the killer was (I’m still a tad bitter with myself about that because I thought I was a good detective…), and I flew through it in a couple of hours because I just couldn’t put it down, but now I’m in desperate need of book two and it’s not going to be released for a while.
If you thought Benoit Blanc was your favourite queer detective then you’re absolutely wrong, it is very much Scott Jericho. So do yourself a favour and read this before I have to start gently tapping people round the head with it.. did I say please? No? Okay please read this, thank you very much. You best believe I’ve found myself a new instant buy author!
Characters? Perfect.
Plot? Perfekt.
Pace? Perfetto.
Writing? Parfait.
This author? Perfecto.
Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Bonnier Books for sending me a copy of this one and having me on the blog tour.
If you thought Benoit Blanc was your favourite queer detective then you’re absolutely wrong, it is very much Scott Jericho. So do yourself a favour and read this before I have to start gently tapping people round the head with it.. did I say please? No? Okay please read this, thank you very much. You best believe I’ve found myself a new instant buy author!
Characters? Perfect.
Plot? Perfekt.
Pace? Perfetto.
Writing? Parfait.
This author? Perfecto.
Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Bonnier Books for sending me a copy of this one and having me on the blog tour.
May 27, 2024
CW: child death, violence, gore, references to paedophilia
Disgraced former police detective Scott Jericho is newly released from prison - for beating the prime suspect on his last murder investigation to a pulp - and back at his dad's fairground. Depressed, bored and feeling disconnected from both his identity as a police officer and the community of travelling showmen he grew up in, Jericho resists attempts by friends, family and former colleagues to help him get back on his feet, until he finds himself drawn into investigating a series of brutal murders with a mysterious connection to Jericho's fairground family.
I can always be tempted by the promise of a new voice in British crime fiction, and my family on my dad's side have been travelling showmen for generations, so I am definitely the target audience for this twisty, theatrical story. The brilliant detective who must overcome his demons to crack the case is a well-worn archetype, but Scott Jericho is an exciting, original addition to the genre, his character and background illuminating a corner of society still shrouded in mystery and prejudice. Author William Hussey does an excellent job of bringing the vibrant showman community to life and celebrating its rich history and the unique bond its members share. The fact that Jericho is also gay adds a further refreshing dimension to the troubled detective trope.
With all this in mind, I wanted to love Killing Jericho, but ultimately I found the overwritten prose and far-fetched ending really detracted from a novel which had the potential to be really enjoyable.
Hussey's descriptions of the various murder scenes are graphic and gruesome, reminiscent of Se7en or the Hannibal television series, and one early scene is described in genuinely sickening detail. However, it is the way that the author overwrites mundane moments with unnecessary attention to detail that I found tedious. I don't need to know that Jericho has purchased his hot drink from 'the ubiquitous Costa Coffee', for example, and descriptions such as a businessman letting out a 'cattish shriek' when Jericho bumps in to him just made me laugh and took me out of the scene. Jericho also constantly tells the reader how good looking he is (irrelevant) and what an incredible detective he is (not true, based on the evidence of this story, wherein Jericho is repeatedly deceived and wrongfooted by the most obvious subterfuge.)
The conclusion is at once eye-rollingly pat and utterly wild.
However, there was much I did like about Killing Jericho, which would convince me to pick up the next in the series. Jericho himself is an interesting protagonist, I loved the way the story showcased the showman community, and the mystery was pacy and intriguing. I was unsurprised to learn that Hussey has made his name writing YA horror, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops his voice in future Jericho books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
Disgraced former police detective Scott Jericho is newly released from prison - for beating the prime suspect on his last murder investigation to a pulp - and back at his dad's fairground. Depressed, bored and feeling disconnected from both his identity as a police officer and the community of travelling showmen he grew up in, Jericho resists attempts by friends, family and former colleagues to help him get back on his feet, until he finds himself drawn into investigating a series of brutal murders with a mysterious connection to Jericho's fairground family.
I can always be tempted by the promise of a new voice in British crime fiction, and my family on my dad's side have been travelling showmen for generations, so I am definitely the target audience for this twisty, theatrical story. The brilliant detective who must overcome his demons to crack the case is a well-worn archetype, but Scott Jericho is an exciting, original addition to the genre, his character and background illuminating a corner of society still shrouded in mystery and prejudice. Author William Hussey does an excellent job of bringing the vibrant showman community to life and celebrating its rich history and the unique bond its members share. The fact that Jericho is also gay adds a further refreshing dimension to the troubled detective trope.
With all this in mind, I wanted to love Killing Jericho, but ultimately I found the overwritten prose and far-fetched ending really detracted from a novel which had the potential to be really enjoyable.
Hussey's descriptions of the various murder scenes are graphic and gruesome, reminiscent of Se7en or the Hannibal television series, and one early scene is described in genuinely sickening detail. However, it is the way that the author overwrites mundane moments with unnecessary attention to detail that I found tedious. I don't need to know that Jericho has purchased his hot drink from 'the ubiquitous Costa Coffee', for example, and descriptions such as a businessman letting out a 'cattish shriek' when Jericho bumps in to him just made me laugh and took me out of the scene. Jericho also constantly tells the reader how good looking he is (irrelevant) and what an incredible detective he is (not true, based on the evidence of this story, wherein Jericho is repeatedly deceived and wrongfooted by the most obvious subterfuge.)
The conclusion is at once eye-rollingly pat and utterly wild.
However, there was much I did like about Killing Jericho, which would convince me to pick up the next in the series. Jericho himself is an interesting protagonist, I loved the way the story showcased the showman community, and the mystery was pacy and intriguing. I was unsurprised to learn that Hussey has made his name writing YA horror, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops his voice in future Jericho books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
Read
July 16, 2023Not sure why there's like no reviews on Goodreads because I've seen this book around quite a lot?
2-3 🌟 I don't want to rate it and bring down the ratings when I feel like I just wasn't in the mood for this right now, personally. I really liked how the character was openly and unapologetically gay. I also got quite strong Luther type vibes from this novel. Like I said... Just wasn't vibing with it.
2-3 🌟 I don't want to rate it and bring down the ratings when I feel like I just wasn't in the mood for this right now, personally. I really liked how the character was openly and unapologetically gay. I also got quite strong Luther type vibes from this novel. Like I said... Just wasn't vibing with it.
May 1, 2023
Thriller gave me all the vibes of the tv show Luther (which I love!)
[AD: Thanks to PrideBookTours for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review]
SYNOPSIS:
"Murder this twisted demands a new kind of detective
Fresh out of prison, former Detective Constable Scott Jericho is a desperate man.
Disgraced and penniless after his assault on a violent suspect, he is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected. Now, troubled by his failure, Jericho’s brilliant mind stagnates.
That is until a series of bizarre murders reawaken his interest. Men and women with no obvious link to each other are being ritualistically slaughtered.
Slaughtered in ways that recall an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair.
Now, in a race against time, he must unpick the threads of a baffling mystery. But as his investigation unfolds and the corpses pile up, a shocking truth awaits him. A revelation that will test not only Jericho’s intellect but challenge the very core of his morality..." Goodreads.
MY THOUGHTS:
🎢 A new author (to me) introduces a brand new detective who gave me all the vibes of Luther but who's gay from a traveller community.
🎢 This unique story had all the elements I love about a thriller and more - a dark and gruesome series of murders, full of twists whilst feeling wholly original.
🎢 I know little about the traveller community so I loved this about the story and the main protagonist's life, this felt so unique to read in this genre and it was all the better for it. Also, I am here for all books with great LGBTQ+ rep!
🎢 I know it seems cliche to say, but it's true, this is a brilliant page-turner of a thriller!
🎢 It's a wild ride of a story filled with gothic tones, fairground/traveller myths and legends, grotesque series of murders, and twists I never saw coming until the very end.
🎢 I genuinely said (out loud to myself) "nooooo!" when the serial killer was revealed 😱
🎢 I want to read more of Detective Scott Jericho!
[AD: Thanks to PrideBookTours for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review]
SYNOPSIS:
"Murder this twisted demands a new kind of detective
Fresh out of prison, former Detective Constable Scott Jericho is a desperate man.
Disgraced and penniless after his assault on a violent suspect, he is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected. Now, troubled by his failure, Jericho’s brilliant mind stagnates.
That is until a series of bizarre murders reawaken his interest. Men and women with no obvious link to each other are being ritualistically slaughtered.
Slaughtered in ways that recall an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair.
Now, in a race against time, he must unpick the threads of a baffling mystery. But as his investigation unfolds and the corpses pile up, a shocking truth awaits him. A revelation that will test not only Jericho’s intellect but challenge the very core of his morality..." Goodreads.
MY THOUGHTS:
🎢 A new author (to me) introduces a brand new detective who gave me all the vibes of Luther but who's gay from a traveller community.
🎢 This unique story had all the elements I love about a thriller and more - a dark and gruesome series of murders, full of twists whilst feeling wholly original.
🎢 I know little about the traveller community so I loved this about the story and the main protagonist's life, this felt so unique to read in this genre and it was all the better for it. Also, I am here for all books with great LGBTQ+ rep!
🎢 I know it seems cliche to say, but it's true, this is a brilliant page-turner of a thriller!
🎢 It's a wild ride of a story filled with gothic tones, fairground/traveller myths and legends, grotesque series of murders, and twists I never saw coming until the very end.
🎢 I genuinely said (out loud to myself) "nooooo!" when the serial killer was revealed 😱
🎢 I want to read more of Detective Scott Jericho!
July 14, 2023
It might just be my lack of exposure to novels like this, but I found Killing Jericho very dark in places. It wasn't only the subject matter, but the delight the characters used in discussing the details of dark events that struck me. At a few points, it felt like I was reading a book-form of the film Seven. All my years of reading the work of Agatha Christie left me ill-prepared for this! 😀
Leaving that aside, this is a great book. Scott Jericho is a great character, and the mix of the various elements and experiences of his past really work.
Would I recommend this? Yes, indeed I would! I look forward to picking up the next book in the series soon.
Leaving that aside, this is a great book. Scott Jericho is a great character, and the mix of the various elements and experiences of his past really work.
Would I recommend this? Yes, indeed I would! I look forward to picking up the next book in the series soon.
January 4, 2024
Outstanding.
A unique thriller with the major character being one who has never been characterised as a (sort of) hero in the history of crime fiction.
Brilliantly written and beautifully narrated, this is a tale that is well worth the time for lovers of thrilling crime stories interlaced with twists that you won’t see coming.
Intense and shocking and very addictive.
A unique thriller with the major character being one who has never been characterised as a (sort of) hero in the history of crime fiction.
Brilliantly written and beautifully narrated, this is a tale that is well worth the time for lovers of thrilling crime stories interlaced with twists that you won’t see coming.
Intense and shocking and very addictive.
May 23, 2025
**2.5 rounded up**
This was a well written book but I just didn't care for the characters or the story. Would recommend giving it a go though as it just wasn't my thing.
This was a well written book but I just didn't care for the characters or the story. Would recommend giving it a go though as it just wasn't my thing.
July 20, 2024
Jesus Chriiiiiist I was not grown-up enough for this pitch-black, grisly novel but I was absolutely hooked throughout. A completely compelling central character and an interesting new world angle for a crime series to explore.
July 29, 2024
Different but classic detective story.
Really enjoyed this good story with lots of twists.
Being from a showman’s family myself I mostly enjoyed that aspect as it was quite accurate. Already have book two to start on.
Really enjoyed this good story with lots of twists.
Being from a showman’s family myself I mostly enjoyed that aspect as it was quite accurate. Already have book two to start on.
February 25, 2025
Al principio me estaba costando, pero conforme han ido pasando los capítulos se volvía cada vez más interesante y no me esperaba para nada ese final.
December 3, 2023
I've read and loved a few William Hussey books in the past, but they've all been YA, so I was excited to see how he got on with adult crime fiction. Firstly, I was very pleased to see the continuation of the LGBTQ representation in his books. The writing was also good, as anticipated and the plot was complex enough to maintain my interest throughout.
I suppose I have two criticisms. Firstly that the 'bad guys' were numerous and slightly one dimensional. I loved the main character and he felt like a fully fleshed out character, but I think perhaps he was the only one. The bad guys were just caricatures and seemed to lack motivation for their actions. Secondly, just that it was a bit convoluted and additionally the stakes never felt high enough.
However these things didn't ruin my enjoyment, merely prevented me from finding it to be a new all time favourite as 2 of his YA books are.
I was kindly given access to the audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley. The audio was an excellent production and I enjoyed the grittiness in the narrators voice. Highly recommended!
I suppose I have two criticisms. Firstly that the 'bad guys' were numerous and slightly one dimensional. I loved the main character and he felt like a fully fleshed out character, but I think perhaps he was the only one. The bad guys were just caricatures and seemed to lack motivation for their actions. Secondly, just that it was a bit convoluted and additionally the stakes never felt high enough.
However these things didn't ruin my enjoyment, merely prevented me from finding it to be a new all time favourite as 2 of his YA books are.
I was kindly given access to the audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley. The audio was an excellent production and I enjoyed the grittiness in the narrators voice. Highly recommended!
October 15, 2022
4.5 stars from me!
This book kept surprising me just as much as it kept teasing me throughout the story as a whole. Everyone a potential suspect you often didn't want to be guilty. Scott was the epitome of the anti-hero; disgraced, on the brink of death, full of apathy for a life that has deserted him, haunted by the one he couldn't save, promises he couldn't keep.
I'm no Sherlock, and even Scott took almost the whole book to understand who was behind it all, so of course I didn't guess the murderer! It was fun guessing, though. Fun as in very anxious inducing. Can't wait for book 2!!
I loved how this was casually queer. Scott is gay. There's no coming out, he's gay and that's it. Yes, he gets homophobia thrown at him here and there, but he's just gay and a former detective. No big deal. I love that, it not being the main theme of the book, since this was a murder mystery. I'm loving not being able to guess who's guilty.
This book kept surprising me just as much as it kept teasing me throughout the story as a whole. Everyone a potential suspect you often didn't want to be guilty. Scott was the epitome of the anti-hero; disgraced, on the brink of death, full of apathy for a life that has deserted him, haunted by the one he couldn't save, promises he couldn't keep.
I'm no Sherlock, and even Scott took almost the whole book to understand who was behind it all, so of course I didn't guess the murderer! It was fun guessing, though. Fun as in very anxious inducing. Can't wait for book 2!!
I loved how this was casually queer. Scott is gay. There's no coming out, he's gay and that's it. Yes, he gets homophobia thrown at him here and there, but he's just gay and a former detective. No big deal. I love that, it not being the main theme of the book, since this was a murder mystery. I'm loving not being able to guess who's guilty.
May 5, 2023
I wasn’t sure if this was for me when I started reading but I was soon pulled in. We have a damaged lead character and plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing (wrongly!) right to the end.
This is the first book in a new series by an author new to me and now I am looking forward to reading more.
Thanks both to Pigeonhole and William Hussey for the opportunity to read this.
This is the first book in a new series by an author new to me and now I am looking forward to reading more.
Thanks both to Pigeonhole and William Hussey for the opportunity to read this.
May 6, 2023
Boasting a loveable cast, a very human protagonist, and a resplendent catalogue of murders all linked by a haunting folktale, this is an excellent first tale in the saga of DCI Jericho - a gay ex-cop dragged into a mystery that may affect everything he holds dear.
December 22, 2020
Will, yet again you are amazing. Is there any type of fiction you cannot excel at?
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.
June 12, 2023
‘A murder mystery full of all the Gothic trappings of a Victorian freakshow.’
A nightmarish miasma of darkness, unsettling and disturbing and, consequently, superb.
A nightmarish miasma of darkness, unsettling and disturbing and, consequently, superb.
August 13, 2023
I still can't decide if I enjoyed this book but it did make me want to read it until the end! The characters were interesting and I liked the style of writing but I think it was just a bit weird 😆
February 13, 2023
Firstly a huge thank you to Abi at Bonnier PR for sending me a proof copy of Killing Jericho.
I can’t remember where I first saw the talk of Killing Jericho by William Hussey but as soon as I saw the cover, I just knew it was a book I needed to read and I’m so glad I have!
And from the very opening pages I was hooked! Killing Jericho is an absolutely unique and ground-breaking crime thriller. Not only is our main protagonist, Scott Jericho, a Traveller but he is also Gay, plus he used to be in the Police! The latter 2 things do not sit well within the Traveler society, but William Hussey has managed to describe precisely the impact on Scott Jericho’s life, that this has had and how fabulous to read a crime thriller AND learn about a section of our society that often sees prejudices and misconceptions.
We meet Scott while he is living in a trailer at his dad’s Travelling fairground. There has never been a Traveller Detective in fiction until now, and in Scott Jericho, we have an amazing main character, he is damaged by his past but has the rare skill of being able to read people with aplomb, he is a complex but ultimately loveable character, I’ve fallen for him from this, the first book in an (i hope long!) series!
The plot and storyline are also superb, I’m not going to give too much away. Still, it revolves around some seemingly unconnected killings, that seem to be connected to a century-old fairground legend. there is a marvellous array of characters, which really makes Killing Jericho a vibrant and lively novel, but the theme running through, death and murder, is almost gothic in its intensity.
Killing Jericho needs to be on every crime fiction fans list, it is written extremely well by William Hussey, you can feel his love and passion for his people (the son of a travelling showman himself) and it is an important book within the travelling community and also the LGQBT+ community, and I really hope that Killing Jericho wins prizes and gets the recognition that is so deserved.
I’m almost welling up writing this because I really cannot explain how much I adore Killing Jericho, I’ve read many crime fiction books, but this one is a real GEM, and I feel honoured to be able to review it! I was gripped from the first page, and the plot is excellent, culminating in a hugely surprising ending (which I did not see coming!)
I am left bereft now I’ve finished Killing Jericho! I hope we don’t have to wait too long for book two! A stunning and masterful read from a hugely talented author.
Absolutely fabulous unique bookbanger 5-star read from me.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I can’t remember where I first saw the talk of Killing Jericho by William Hussey but as soon as I saw the cover, I just knew it was a book I needed to read and I’m so glad I have!
And from the very opening pages I was hooked! Killing Jericho is an absolutely unique and ground-breaking crime thriller. Not only is our main protagonist, Scott Jericho, a Traveller but he is also Gay, plus he used to be in the Police! The latter 2 things do not sit well within the Traveler society, but William Hussey has managed to describe precisely the impact on Scott Jericho’s life, that this has had and how fabulous to read a crime thriller AND learn about a section of our society that often sees prejudices and misconceptions.
We meet Scott while he is living in a trailer at his dad’s Travelling fairground. There has never been a Traveller Detective in fiction until now, and in Scott Jericho, we have an amazing main character, he is damaged by his past but has the rare skill of being able to read people with aplomb, he is a complex but ultimately loveable character, I’ve fallen for him from this, the first book in an (i hope long!) series!
The plot and storyline are also superb, I’m not going to give too much away. Still, it revolves around some seemingly unconnected killings, that seem to be connected to a century-old fairground legend. there is a marvellous array of characters, which really makes Killing Jericho a vibrant and lively novel, but the theme running through, death and murder, is almost gothic in its intensity.
Killing Jericho needs to be on every crime fiction fans list, it is written extremely well by William Hussey, you can feel his love and passion for his people (the son of a travelling showman himself) and it is an important book within the travelling community and also the LGQBT+ community, and I really hope that Killing Jericho wins prizes and gets the recognition that is so deserved.
I’m almost welling up writing this because I really cannot explain how much I adore Killing Jericho, I’ve read many crime fiction books, but this one is a real GEM, and I feel honoured to be able to review it! I was gripped from the first page, and the plot is excellent, culminating in a hugely surprising ending (which I did not see coming!)
I am left bereft now I’ve finished Killing Jericho! I hope we don’t have to wait too long for book two! A stunning and masterful read from a hugely talented author.
Absolutely fabulous unique bookbanger 5-star read from me.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 15, 2024
3.5/5 stars
Killing Jericho is the first in a new mystery thriller series following gay disgraced former detective constable Scott Jericho. Forced back into the Traveller fair life he grew up in and previously rejected, Scott is drawn back into the crime fighting world when a series of bizarre ritual murders mirrors a family tragedy more than a century prior. Meanwhile, he has to deal with the criminal he let get away that led to his downfall, his prescription drug addiction, a journalist hounding his every move, the family he left behind, and the reemergence of his first love.
I did not love this book as much as I thought I would. I have no idea what I was expecting, but this was a lot darker and grittier and more horror-adjacent than I wanted. I liked Scott Jericho and how atypical of a gay protagonist he was. Depressed, unmotivated, and haunted by his past failure, he sets the somewhat solemn and dreary tone of the book. He exhibits moments of brilliance that made him a great detective, but the book has him make some pretty foolish choices that just frustrated me to no end (mostly about keeping unnecessary secrets and delaying important discussions for no good reason). The mystery itself is twisty and well thought-out, the crimes macabre and horrifying, and the atmosphere gothic and sort of menacing. There was also this subtext about the Traveller subculture which I had known nothing about so it mostly went over my head.
I do think Killing Jericho delivers on its premise; I may just have missed with my expectations so that’s on me.
Killing Jericho is the first in a new mystery thriller series following gay disgraced former detective constable Scott Jericho. Forced back into the Traveller fair life he grew up in and previously rejected, Scott is drawn back into the crime fighting world when a series of bizarre ritual murders mirrors a family tragedy more than a century prior. Meanwhile, he has to deal with the criminal he let get away that led to his downfall, his prescription drug addiction, a journalist hounding his every move, the family he left behind, and the reemergence of his first love.
I did not love this book as much as I thought I would. I have no idea what I was expecting, but this was a lot darker and grittier and more horror-adjacent than I wanted. I liked Scott Jericho and how atypical of a gay protagonist he was. Depressed, unmotivated, and haunted by his past failure, he sets the somewhat solemn and dreary tone of the book. He exhibits moments of brilliance that made him a great detective, but the book has him make some pretty foolish choices that just frustrated me to no end (mostly about keeping unnecessary secrets and delaying important discussions for no good reason). The mystery itself is twisty and well thought-out, the crimes macabre and horrifying, and the atmosphere gothic and sort of menacing. There was also this subtext about the Traveller subculture which I had known nothing about so it mostly went over my head.
I do think Killing Jericho delivers on its premise; I may just have missed with my expectations so that’s on me.
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