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Inspector Ryga Mysteries #1
Death in the Cove
1950, Portland Island, Dorset.
A dead man is found by former war photographer Eva Paisley in a secluded bay on Portland Island. The victim was stabbed in the neck with a narrow-bladed knife.
Inspector Alun Ryga is called from Scotland Yard to investigate. But no one in the local community seems to know who the victim is.
The man appears to have been a labourer, but he is found dressed in a tailored pinstriped suit, silk underwear, handmade shoes and rare pink-diamond cufflinks. Something about him doesn’t add up . . .
Ryga quickly establishes a good working relationship with Eva Paisley. But the local police warn Ryga not to trust her.
It’s Ryga’s first solo investigation outside of London. He’s keen to prove his worth. But will it cost him his life?
A dead man is found by former war photographer Eva Paisley in a secluded bay on Portland Island. The victim was stabbed in the neck with a narrow-bladed knife.
Inspector Alun Ryga is called from Scotland Yard to investigate. But no one in the local community seems to know who the victim is.
The man appears to have been a labourer, but he is found dressed in a tailored pinstriped suit, silk underwear, handmade shoes and rare pink-diamond cufflinks. Something about him doesn’t add up . . .
Ryga quickly establishes a good working relationship with Eva Paisley. But the local police warn Ryga not to trust her.
It’s Ryga’s first solo investigation outside of London. He’s keen to prove his worth. But will it cost him his life?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2019
About the author
Pauline Rowson
63 books163 followersPauline Rowson is the author of thirty- one crime novels - nineteen featuring DI Andy Horton in the Solent Murder Mystery series; five in Art Marvik mystery thrillers series, six in the 1950s set historical mysteries with Scotland Yard's Inspector Ryga, who is sent out to solve baffling coastal crimes and two standalone thrillers. All her crime novels are set against the backdrop of the ever changing sea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 25, 2024
4.5+ New author and really hooked me in. I already have book two and look forward to dipping my toe back into 1950's
September 27, 2019
What a ripping yarn! Just pure detection mixed with a bit of history. Love these new characters and the setting is great. Thankfully the hero remained chaste in keeping with the times. Very well done.
January 28, 2024
4.75 stars
February 6, 2024
Excellent
I love old fashioned police procedurals, I find them so much more interesting as the investigation is carried out using legwork and checking on whatever they are told. It was also special as I spent a lot of years in and around Portland and Weymouth during my time in the Royal Navy. I loved the main characters from Inspector Ryga, Sonia Shepherd and Eva Paisley and will look forward to the next instalment.
I love old fashioned police procedurals, I find them so much more interesting as the investigation is carried out using legwork and checking on whatever they are told. It was also special as I spent a lot of years in and around Portland and Weymouth during my time in the Royal Navy. I loved the main characters from Inspector Ryga, Sonia Shepherd and Eva Paisley and will look forward to the next instalment.
May 18, 2022
I thought the plot was weak. The detective grasps at possible scenarios with no evidence to back them up and seems to tumble on to the answer
Character and location descriptions were nil
Character and location descriptions were nil
December 1, 2024
This was ok, i found it a bit tedious at times, the detective grasps at solutions that go against evidence he's just found which was confusing. Also, and I don't know if I just misread this part but at the end we learn that the victim was wearing fisherman's clothes, but was changed into a suit and smart shoes by the murderer to hide the victim's identity. The problem is that the victim was wearing diamond cufflinks, that wouldn't be worn with fisherman's clothes? And if the clothes were changed surely the murderer would change the shirt with the cufflinks? I may have misread it massively as I was getting tired but that bit niggled at me. The best part was the character Eva Paisley the war photographer, I'd read a series with her as the main character, Ryga was a bit meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2024
Good start
This book is well written with interesting and believable characters. The setting was interesting. The story unwinds at a good pace. I would like to read more in the series.
This book is well written with interesting and believable characters. The setting was interesting. The story unwinds at a good pace. I would like to read more in the series.
June 11, 2024
Tedious.
June 14, 2024
good book
It was an interesting book and it kept you interested, I had to keep the characters straight because of you never new who was the culprit.
It was an interesting book and it kept you interested, I had to keep the characters straight because of you never new who was the culprit.
June 8, 2024
engrossed
This is a good mystery! A man is found dead on a beach. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ryga, who unravels a twenty-five year old event that leads to three deaths. Rowson creates realistic characters to whom the reader can connect. The book is well-written and kept this reader engaged.
This is a good mystery! A man is found dead on a beach. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ryga, who unravels a twenty-five year old event that leads to three deaths. Rowson creates realistic characters to whom the reader can connect. The book is well-written and kept this reader engaged.
May 20, 2024
This is the first Inspector Ryga Mystery I've read and I can't wait for the next one! Really liked the fact that it's set in the 50s so that many of the things we take for granted today didn't happen then. A really good storyline on the Dorset coast, it will be interesting to see where Ryga goes next.
Julian Tremayne, Pocklington, East Yorkshire
Julian Tremayne, Pocklington, East Yorkshire
May 6, 2024
This was really enjoyable and is a great start to a series and left me wanting to read more. I loved the setting and the historical timeline in which it is set.
Ryga is an intriguing character as is Eva who I loved, being a determined, intelligent and independent woman. I always enjoy a story more when I take to the main character(s) so this was an easy read for me. Looking forward to seeing what is next in store for Ryga.
Ryga is an intriguing character as is Eva who I loved, being a determined, intelligent and independent woman. I always enjoy a story more when I take to the main character(s) so this was an easy read for me. Looking forward to seeing what is next in store for Ryga.
December 31, 2023
I suspect this is how murder investigations actually go: Lots of careful attention to details, talking to many people, piecing together theories and then discarding them as more evidence appears. So many clues, or possible clues, need to be sorted out. The reader is right there with Inspector Riga, following false trails and red herrings, dealing with reluctant or unreliable witnesses, and finally piecing together a story that seems to fit the facts.
Did I figure out whodunnit before the detective? Not at all; the ending was surprising but totally believable. It does get a bit tense at times, and the slowly revealed details were enough to keep me reading far later than intended. There are sequels. I wonder if the detective will ever see those two interesting women again.
Did I figure out whodunnit before the detective? Not at all; the ending was surprising but totally believable. It does get a bit tense at times, and the slowly revealed details were enough to keep me reading far later than intended. There are sequels. I wonder if the detective will ever see those two interesting women again.
July 8, 2023
Engaging. Focused in the detection, which I like. The setting was strongly evoked, which I also like. The romantic interest was superfluous but at least kept in the background. I was disappointed that the missing husband thread was left hanging, but will no doubt be resolved elsewhere in the series.
August 28, 2023
1950 Portland Island, Dorset. When an unusual male body is discovered in one of the coves Scotland Yard detective Alun Ryga is sent to investigate. But without an identification how will he succeed and will there be more deaths.
An entertaining and well-written post WW2 mystery with its likeable main character. A good start to this series.
An entertaining and well-written post WW2 mystery with its likeable main character. A good start to this series.
December 30, 2023
Much better than I thought it would be
I don't know why I thought this wouldn't be good because I really enjoy the Andy Horton series. It was actually very good and I certainly didn't guess who the killer was, even though all the information is given to the readers. I would definitely read another Inspector Ryga.
I don't know why I thought this wouldn't be good because I really enjoy the Andy Horton series. It was actually very good and I certainly didn't guess who the killer was, even though all the information is given to the readers. I would definitely read another Inspector Ryga.
January 7, 2024
Police procedural set in 1950s. Scotland Yard detective, Ryga, is sent to Portland in Dorset to investigate a body found on the beach. The body has been carefully laid out with no identification.
Clever story, unfolding with twists and turns. Good characterisation. I will look out for more from this author
Clever story, unfolding with twists and turns. Good characterisation. I will look out for more from this author
November 3, 2019
Excellent read
Thoroughly enjoyed this well written book which gives an excellent introduction to what I hope will be a new series with an interesting central character. Very engaging story with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Kept me enthralled to the final chapter.
Thoroughly enjoyed this well written book which gives an excellent introduction to what I hope will be a new series with an interesting central character. Very engaging story with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Kept me enthralled to the final chapter.
August 24, 2020
Good beginning to a new series. The only thing I didn’t like was that Ryga was attracted to the two women. It seemed superfluous. Otherwise I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
August 3, 2023
Intriguing plotlines
This story got my mind involved and solving the mystery.I can usually figure it out before the end of the book This book had me surprised nearly to the very end.That's a good mystery
This story got my mind involved and solving the mystery.I can usually figure it out before the end of the book This book had me surprised nearly to the very end.That's a good mystery
February 15, 2024
A body in a pin striped suit is found on the beach on an island and Scotland Yards newly appointed inspector Ryga is investigating the crime. Which is much more complex, intriguing and interwoven with historical facts than meet the eye.
A truely fascinating book.
A truely fascinating book.
July 26, 2023
Well done
Great read. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end and I'm usually pretty good at reading the clues now for the second book
Great read. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end and I'm usually pretty good at reading the clues now for the second book
August 9, 2023
Atmospheric and interesting, it draws you into the time period. The mystery was less of a who-dun-it and more of a character study. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
January 2, 2024
Tangled Web
Liked the fact that the policeman stayed with the facts and continued to dig into all the twists and turns until he solved this case.
Liked the fact that the policeman stayed with the facts and continued to dig into all the twists and turns until he solved this case.
January 13, 2024
Great 50s police thriller
Seemed a bit slow to start with but got in so much better as I got into it. Really good plot with twists and a few red herrings. Total unexpected ending!
Seemed a bit slow to start with but got in so much better as I got into it. Really good plot with twists and a few red herrings. Total unexpected ending!
January 31, 2024
I really enjoyed the story. With all the clues and characters it kept me reading long into the night. Ready for book 2
February 10, 2024
Intrequing
A book with many twists and turns, great characters and setting with history, art and photography themes throughout, really enjoyed
A book with many twists and turns, great characters and setting with history, art and photography themes throughout, really enjoyed
June 28, 2024
Scotland Yard has sent an inspector to look into a death. There has been a man found on the sandy beach. He is well dressed in a pin striped suit.
The Inspector is Alun Ryga. The time is shortly after World War II. Life is hard for the people of England. They faced bombings, rationing and loss of life. There are still a shortage of the things that make life easier
Ryga spent a good portion of the war in a German prisoner of war camp. It changed his life. But, one good thing came from it, he became a policeman and he loves his work. He is also very good at his job.
The small villages around the spot where the body was found are populated by interesting people. Many of the people are tied to the sea. Most of them have spent all their lives in the same place. And all of them are ready for life to become easier. Some of them are not above making money by breaking the law.
Ryga meets two women. One, Sonia, is the publican who provides a room for him. She is a widow with a small son. The other, Eva, is a professional photographer who took battlefield pictures during the war. She is professional as well as interesting.
I liked the mystery. The plot moves rather slowly at times, but it is a complete plot. The reader learns things at the same time as Inspector Ryga learns them. As events unfold and more people are drawn into the investigation. There is more danger and more bodies. Inspector Ryga is a thorough man. He solves puzzles whether they are situations or people.
This is a new to me author. I think if someone likes mysteries which make you think Stories which are not simple and easy, this would be a good story to read.
The Inspector is Alun Ryga. The time is shortly after World War II. Life is hard for the people of England. They faced bombings, rationing and loss of life. There are still a shortage of the things that make life easier
Ryga spent a good portion of the war in a German prisoner of war camp. It changed his life. But, one good thing came from it, he became a policeman and he loves his work. He is also very good at his job.
The small villages around the spot where the body was found are populated by interesting people. Many of the people are tied to the sea. Most of them have spent all their lives in the same place. And all of them are ready for life to become easier. Some of them are not above making money by breaking the law.
Ryga meets two women. One, Sonia, is the publican who provides a room for him. She is a widow with a small son. The other, Eva, is a professional photographer who took battlefield pictures during the war. She is professional as well as interesting.
I liked the mystery. The plot moves rather slowly at times, but it is a complete plot. The reader learns things at the same time as Inspector Ryga learns them. As events unfold and more people are drawn into the investigation. There is more danger and more bodies. Inspector Ryga is a thorough man. He solves puzzles whether they are situations or people.
This is a new to me author. I think if someone likes mysteries which make you think Stories which are not simple and easy, this would be a good story to read.
February 19, 2025
1950, Detective Inspector Alun Ryga of Scotland Yard is called to Portland Island, Dorset to investigate a murder after the local DI breaks his leg clambering down a cliff to view the body.
The body was found by a local resident, war photographer Eva Paisley, who the local police view with some suspicion (for wearing trousers, not being horrified by a corpse, photographing it, being 'unnatural', you name it). The body is dressed nattily in a pin-stripe suit but has no identification papers at all, no-one recognises him, and his face and hands belie the expensive underwear he was wearing. Can Ryga identify the body?
This was okay as a first book in a series. I wasn't keen on the insta-lurve aspects or the two love interests. Ryga appeared to run into speculative flights of fancy every time he connected someone new to the case, was the murder connected to a diamond robbery forty years ago, was it a conspiracy between the two women, its an unusual approach compared to today's police procedurals and several times I found myself exasperated at the way he spun two plus two into forty four with no evidence whatsoever.
Overall, I will definitely give the next book in the series a chance.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The body was found by a local resident, war photographer Eva Paisley, who the local police view with some suspicion (for wearing trousers, not being horrified by a corpse, photographing it, being 'unnatural', you name it). The body is dressed nattily in a pin-stripe suit but has no identification papers at all, no-one recognises him, and his face and hands belie the expensive underwear he was wearing. Can Ryga identify the body?
This was okay as a first book in a series. I wasn't keen on the insta-lurve aspects or the two love interests. Ryga appeared to run into speculative flights of fancy every time he connected someone new to the case, was the murder connected to a diamond robbery forty years ago, was it a conspiracy between the two women, its an unusual approach compared to today's police procedurals and several times I found myself exasperated at the way he spun two plus two into forty four with no evidence whatsoever.
Overall, I will definitely give the next book in the series a chance.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
June 10, 2024
Alun Ryga unravels a convoluted plot
This is the first of five novels featuring Inspector Alun Ryga. His unusual name (Welsh forename? Latvian surname?) is never explained. Of his background we learn only that he followed his father’s footsteps into the Merchant Navy before WW2, saw traumatic action during the war, then transitioned into the River Police and thence to Scotland Yard.
It’s 1950 and Britain is enduring an age of austerity in the wake of the war when rural crime squads were short-staffed and had few resources. The body of an expensively-dressed man, with the hands of a labourer, has been found laid on the sand of a secluded cove. There is no clue as to his identity and how he got there, so Scotland Yard is called in to assist. Inspector Ryga’s first task is to try and find out who this man is and how he got to the cove - far from an easy task even for an intelligent and methodical detective and the Yard’s resources.
There are many red herrings along the way… perhaps too many as the reader is led this way and that before the final denouement. Overall, an entertaining read for those who enjoy period pieces.
This is the first of five novels featuring Inspector Alun Ryga. His unusual name (Welsh forename? Latvian surname?) is never explained. Of his background we learn only that he followed his father’s footsteps into the Merchant Navy before WW2, saw traumatic action during the war, then transitioned into the River Police and thence to Scotland Yard.
It’s 1950 and Britain is enduring an age of austerity in the wake of the war when rural crime squads were short-staffed and had few resources. The body of an expensively-dressed man, with the hands of a labourer, has been found laid on the sand of a secluded cove. There is no clue as to his identity and how he got there, so Scotland Yard is called in to assist. Inspector Ryga’s first task is to try and find out who this man is and how he got to the cove - far from an easy task even for an intelligent and methodical detective and the Yard’s resources.
There are many red herrings along the way… perhaps too many as the reader is led this way and that before the final denouement. Overall, an entertaining read for those who enjoy period pieces.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews