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DCI Louisa Smith #1
Under a Silent Moon
Two women share one fate.
A suspected murder at an English Farm. A reported suicide at a local quarry.
Can DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather the evidence and discover a link between them, a link which sealed their fate one cold night, Under a Silent Moon?
A tense, compelling and unsettling novel mystery brimming with source material and evidence set over just six days, Under a Silent Moon will keep you gripped until the very last page and asks:
Can you connect the clues and name the Killer?
In the crisp, early hours of an autumn morning, the police are called to investigate two deaths. The first is a suspected murder at a farm on the outskirts of a small village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, her cottage drenched with blood. The second is a reported suicide at a nearby quarry. A car with a woman's body inside was found at the bottom of the pit.
As DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather evidence, they discover a shocking link between the two cases and the two deaths-a bond that sealed their terrible fates one cold night, under a silent moon.
In this first entry in a compelling new detective series, Elizabeth Haynes interweaves fictional primary source materials-police reports, phone messages, interviews-and multiple character viewpoints to create a sexy, edgy, and compulsively readable tale of murder, mystery, and unsettling suspense.
A suspected murder at an English Farm. A reported suicide at a local quarry.
Can DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather the evidence and discover a link between them, a link which sealed their fate one cold night, Under a Silent Moon?
A tense, compelling and unsettling novel mystery brimming with source material and evidence set over just six days, Under a Silent Moon will keep you gripped until the very last page and asks:
Can you connect the clues and name the Killer?
In the crisp, early hours of an autumn morning, the police are called to investigate two deaths. The first is a suspected murder at a farm on the outskirts of a small village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, her cottage drenched with blood. The second is a reported suicide at a nearby quarry. A car with a woman's body inside was found at the bottom of the pit.
As DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather evidence, they discover a shocking link between the two cases and the two deaths-a bond that sealed their terrible fates one cold night, under a silent moon.
In this first entry in a compelling new detective series, Elizabeth Haynes interweaves fictional primary source materials-police reports, phone messages, interviews-and multiple character viewpoints to create a sexy, edgy, and compulsively readable tale of murder, mystery, and unsettling suspense.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2013
280 people are currently reading
4645 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Haynes
24 books2,062 followersElizabeth Haynes grew up in Seaford, Sussex and studied English, German and Art History at Leicester University.
She previously worked as a police intelligence analyst and lives in Norfolk with her husband and son.
She previously worked as a police intelligence analyst and lives in Norfolk with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
July 15, 2023
3,5 Sterne
Für einen Thriller fand ich das Buch zu wenig spannend. Anfangs recht verwirrend und nicht wirklich packend, obwohl die Grundidee wirklich gut ist! Aber es hat ein wenig gebraucht, mich in die Geschichte einzulesen. Das mag auch daran gelegen haben, dass mir eigentlich keine der handelnden Charaktere irgendwie nahe gekommen ist.
Dennoch gab es irgendwann einen Punkt, wo mich die Handlung dann etwas mehr hat fesseln können, aber auch nicht durchgehend.
Eine gute Unterhaltung war es trotzdem und ich habe es gerne gelesen.
Für einen Thriller fand ich das Buch zu wenig spannend. Anfangs recht verwirrend und nicht wirklich packend, obwohl die Grundidee wirklich gut ist! Aber es hat ein wenig gebraucht, mich in die Geschichte einzulesen. Das mag auch daran gelegen haben, dass mir eigentlich keine der handelnden Charaktere irgendwie nahe gekommen ist.
Dennoch gab es irgendwann einen Punkt, wo mich die Handlung dann etwas mehr hat fesseln können, aber auch nicht durchgehend.
Eine gute Unterhaltung war es trotzdem und ich habe es gerne gelesen.
November 27, 2024
This is an interesting engrossing British police procedural written by someone who actually held the position of a police intelligence analyst.
So... It makes sense that she would write the story from this perspective.
The characters are complex and the story is compelling.
This book follows an investigation into two deaths using dispatch logs, emails and some charts.
So... As a reader you are having the opportunity to work along with the Detective Chief Inspector and her team to solve the crimes.
So... It makes sense that she would write the story from this perspective.
The characters are complex and the story is compelling.
This book follows an investigation into two deaths using dispatch logs, emails and some charts.
So... As a reader you are having the opportunity to work along with the Detective Chief Inspector and her team to solve the crimes.
June 22, 2014
So I have to tell a personal story, and if you don’t like it, that’s just tough bananas and crackers. Sometimes it pays to wander around aimlessly in the middle of a mystery conference. You never know what wonderful solutions you might stumble upon. In this particular instance, I happened upon Elizabeth Haynes, and her newest novel UNDER A SILENT MOON. Of course, I had to bypass a slightly impaired individual first, who when I asked her, “What’s everybody in line for?” She promptly and without the slightest hint of a smirk or a smile responded, “A book signing.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. Here would have been the perfect opportunity to offer up any number of wisecracks, all of which slipped right on by me in my semi-agitated state.
But I walked around, burned off a bit of steam, and discovered a treasure trove when I made it all the way to the front of the line. I received one signed ARC courtesy of Elizabeth Haynes and one signed hardcover courtesy of Alafair Burke, so yeah, I’d say it was worth the trouble. I also conveyed to Ms. Haynes how much I enjoyed INTO THE DARKEST CORNER, and I didn’t even need to fib. That alone probably could have put Albany on the map for me, but there are other stories to tell. None of which have anything remotely to do with this novel, so I’ll save them for another round on the merry-go-round.
Unfortunately, though, my complete intoxication made her newest novel just an okay read for me. Sure, it was a police procedural; sure, Louisa Smith (or Lou for short) has a soft voice, a sweet body, and a good head above her breastbone; sure, there was more than one body deader than a skunk on the side of the road; sure, the pace moved along in a rather efficient manner once I dipped a bit more than my toes in the water; sure, there was more than one bout of suffocation sexcapades that really set my imagination afire; and sure, the women and men were all equal parts intriguing and mind-boggling. And there might have even been a free love department marathon, not that yours truly was complaining.
But this novel didn’t make my toes curl, the way her debut novel did. I mean that was some serious shit, and this was merely minor shit. And I know I shouldn’t compare the two novels, and I know Ms. Haynes can write circles around plenty of writers and still have a few more spins left in the tank, and I know I probably would have enjoyed this novel had I not read her debut novel, but I can’t erase the image of that particular masterpiece from the equation, since it touched me on some deeper level, and nearly caused me to forget who I was for about six hours. While this tale just was strictly a wee bit of entertainment.
Oh, and I’d be a bit remiss, if I didn’t mention the situation near the end of this story, so cover your eyes and ears, if you’d prefer not to see how your eggs are cooked.
Otherwise, I’d say we’re doing just fine here. Just not fine enough for my heightened expectations.
I received this ARC for free at Bouchercon.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
But I walked around, burned off a bit of steam, and discovered a treasure trove when I made it all the way to the front of the line. I received one signed ARC courtesy of Elizabeth Haynes and one signed hardcover courtesy of Alafair Burke, so yeah, I’d say it was worth the trouble. I also conveyed to Ms. Haynes how much I enjoyed INTO THE DARKEST CORNER, and I didn’t even need to fib. That alone probably could have put Albany on the map for me, but there are other stories to tell. None of which have anything remotely to do with this novel, so I’ll save them for another round on the merry-go-round.
Unfortunately, though, my complete intoxication made her newest novel just an okay read for me. Sure, it was a police procedural; sure, Louisa Smith (or Lou for short) has a soft voice, a sweet body, and a good head above her breastbone; sure, there was more than one body deader than a skunk on the side of the road; sure, the pace moved along in a rather efficient manner once I dipped a bit more than my toes in the water; sure, there was more than one bout of suffocation sexcapades that really set my imagination afire; and sure, the women and men were all equal parts intriguing and mind-boggling. And there might have even been a free love department marathon, not that yours truly was complaining.
But this novel didn’t make my toes curl, the way her debut novel did. I mean that was some serious shit, and this was merely minor shit. And I know I shouldn’t compare the two novels, and I know Ms. Haynes can write circles around plenty of writers and still have a few more spins left in the tank, and I know I probably would have enjoyed this novel had I not read her debut novel, but I can’t erase the image of that particular masterpiece from the equation, since it touched me on some deeper level, and nearly caused me to forget who I was for about six hours. While this tale just was strictly a wee bit of entertainment.
Oh, and I’d be a bit remiss, if I didn’t mention the situation near the end of this story, so cover your eyes and ears, if you’d prefer not to see how your eggs are cooked.
Otherwise, I’d say we’re doing just fine here. Just not fine enough for my heightened expectations.
I received this ARC for free at Bouchercon.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
January 17, 2019
This is a difficult book for me to review. I am a huge fan of all of Elizabeth Haynes' books, each and every one. This book threw me a bit as I found it to be quite different to the other books I had read, I'll try and explain...
I found the plot slow to begin with, I was hoping for more psychological thrill than what I got, it meandered along for some time, this novel having a strong focus on police procedures throughout which was interesting, but still I was wanting more dark psychological stuff.
I didn't take to DCI Louisa Smith, I wanted her to be a touch more gutsy than what she was, but that's just my opinion. For me, Suzanne was a fantastic character and all the parts of the book with her featuring in it were really interesting, age brought that dark twist I was hoping for, but I didn't get enough of it overall. Maybe I was expecting something different and that clouded my reading experience?
Don't get me wrong, the book is excellently written, I just at times felt it lacked some pace, twists and that dark and nasty element that was so fantastic in other books by Elizabeth Haynes.
I can't reveal as it will be a spoiler but there were aspects of the book that left you with no closure, things were never revealed fully, like a sub plot that didn't quite get wrapped up, to do with transport...
I liked it one minute, felt complacent the next, really loved the last few chapters, yes! There it is, the fast paced thrill I so badly wanted from this novel.
I was confused a bit at the beginning as the book switched POV over the course if a few days of events, it took a while for me to get into a reading rhythm. The interview reports are an interesting thing to eject into the book, again showcasing Haynes' excellent knowledge of behind the scenes police procedures.
3.5 stars as I fluctuated between a 3 star and 4 star read. Liked but didn't love like I did other books by the same author. I am a huge fan so it's a hard review to write.
I found the plot slow to begin with, I was hoping for more psychological thrill than what I got, it meandered along for some time, this novel having a strong focus on police procedures throughout which was interesting, but still I was wanting more dark psychological stuff.
I didn't take to DCI Louisa Smith, I wanted her to be a touch more gutsy than what she was, but that's just my opinion. For me, Suzanne was a fantastic character and all the parts of the book with her featuring in it were really interesting, age brought that dark twist I was hoping for, but I didn't get enough of it overall. Maybe I was expecting something different and that clouded my reading experience?
Don't get me wrong, the book is excellently written, I just at times felt it lacked some pace, twists and that dark and nasty element that was so fantastic in other books by Elizabeth Haynes.
I can't reveal as it will be a spoiler but there were aspects of the book that left you with no closure, things were never revealed fully, like a sub plot that didn't quite get wrapped up, to do with transport...
I liked it one minute, felt complacent the next, really loved the last few chapters, yes! There it is, the fast paced thrill I so badly wanted from this novel.
I was confused a bit at the beginning as the book switched POV over the course if a few days of events, it took a while for me to get into a reading rhythm. The interview reports are an interesting thing to eject into the book, again showcasing Haynes' excellent knowledge of behind the scenes police procedures.
3.5 stars as I fluctuated between a 3 star and 4 star read. Liked but didn't love like I did other books by the same author. I am a huge fan so it's a hard review to write.
October 30, 2013
I loved Into the Darkest Corner, wasn't too enamoured with Revenge of the Tide, but loved the last, Human Remains and eagerly anticipated this one.
I have the say that this fell a little flat for me somehow. There is something distinctly lacking overall; there isn't the wow factor and even the psychological suspense, but more police procedures and analysis, which then, ultimately, leads on to a lot of repetition of the events which we have already read about.
I do like DCI Louisa Smith, but leading up to halfway through the book there was one massive clue as to who the murderer was, which the Police sadly overlooked, but from that point on I knew who it was which sadly took a little of the edge off it for me. The Police were missing vital clues, which to me were glaringly obvious, and I felt that someone as clever as Lou should have and would have picked up. I know she was distracted with events in her personal life but as a professional she wouldn't have missed this.
I thought the whole Maitland family were a little weird and was left wondering why Nigel conducted the business that he did. All very strange really.
All in all a well written novel but but, like I say, sadly lacking a little something.
As I like Lou Smith I will definitely be reading the next in the series but hope the next book has a little edge to it.
I have the say that this fell a little flat for me somehow. There is something distinctly lacking overall; there isn't the wow factor and even the psychological suspense, but more police procedures and analysis, which then, ultimately, leads on to a lot of repetition of the events which we have already read about.
I do like DCI Louisa Smith, but leading up to halfway through the book there was one massive clue as to who the murderer was, which the Police sadly overlooked, but from that point on I knew who it was which sadly took a little of the edge off it for me. The Police were missing vital clues, which to me were glaringly obvious, and I felt that someone as clever as Lou should have and would have picked up. I know she was distracted with events in her personal life but as a professional she wouldn't have missed this.
I thought the whole Maitland family were a little weird and was left wondering why Nigel conducted the business that he did. All very strange really.
All in all a well written novel but but, like I say, sadly lacking a little something.
As I like Lou Smith I will definitely be reading the next in the series but hope the next book has a little edge to it.
October 23, 2013
Under a Silent Moon is a departure from the previous books by Elizabeth Haynes as this is more of a police procedural than a psychological thriller.
This book follows an investigation into two deaths discovered in Morden Village. Using dispatch logs, emails and some nifty charts representing the work of a police intelligent analyst which was the author’s previous job. The first body found was that of Polly, a beautiful woman who had many liaisons throughout her time in the village. Polly was found by a friend, bludgeoned to death in her cottage. Soon afterwards the police were reporting to Taryn Lewis that her father Brian Fletcher-Norman was in hospital having suffered a heart-attack and her stepmother had been found dead after her car plunged into a nearby quarry. The police soon suspect that these two deaths ‘under a silent moon’ may be connected.
Each of the six days the investigation took forms the chapters of the book, these are further broken up by the timings detailing the information and decisions being made by the police as well as the actions of the other characters in the village. I found this interesting but it did take a while to get into the book until the characters became more defined. There is the obligatory relationship problems between DCI Louisa Smith and her team, especially Andy Hamilton who have history! The characters are mainly fairly unlikeable, even poor Polly who is now dead but that just gives the reader more perpetrators to choose from.
A good read which is probably best read in as few sessions as possible to allow the investigation to flow and for the reader to immerse themselves in trying to guess whodunit.
Published on Cleopatra Loves Books
This book follows an investigation into two deaths discovered in Morden Village. Using dispatch logs, emails and some nifty charts representing the work of a police intelligent analyst which was the author’s previous job. The first body found was that of Polly, a beautiful woman who had many liaisons throughout her time in the village. Polly was found by a friend, bludgeoned to death in her cottage. Soon afterwards the police were reporting to Taryn Lewis that her father Brian Fletcher-Norman was in hospital having suffered a heart-attack and her stepmother had been found dead after her car plunged into a nearby quarry. The police soon suspect that these two deaths ‘under a silent moon’ may be connected.
Each of the six days the investigation took forms the chapters of the book, these are further broken up by the timings detailing the information and decisions being made by the police as well as the actions of the other characters in the village. I found this interesting but it did take a while to get into the book until the characters became more defined. There is the obligatory relationship problems between DCI Louisa Smith and her team, especially Andy Hamilton who have history! The characters are mainly fairly unlikeable, even poor Polly who is now dead but that just gives the reader more perpetrators to choose from.
A good read which is probably best read in as few sessions as possible to allow the investigation to flow and for the reader to immerse themselves in trying to guess whodunit.
Published on Cleopatra Loves Books
September 29, 2018
An excellent police procedural.
It follows the usual route of detective mystery but it does it really, really well.
Very thorough and the characters are complex and the story compelling.
This is why Elizabeth Haynes is one of my favourite authors - she has never let me down whatever genre she is writing.
I shall carry on happily reading everything she has ever written!
It follows the usual route of detective mystery but it does it really, really well.
Very thorough and the characters are complex and the story compelling.
This is why Elizabeth Haynes is one of my favourite authors - she has never let me down whatever genre she is writing.
I shall carry on happily reading everything she has ever written!
October 15, 2019
This was SO close to "dnf". Let's be clear - I really enjoyed Darkest Corner and I read book 2 of this series a few weeks back. Coming across this one in a charity shop I thought it might be ok. However this is nothing like book 2. Silly plot lines and some very under developed characters made this a poor read IMO. The characters - some the same - are much better in the second book. Ho hum.
March 7, 2024
Rather than being described as a "sexy, edgy, and compulsively readable tale of murder, mystery and unsettling suspense", the summary should have been something more like, "long, slow intro finally leads to incompetent, perverted detectives figuring out how 2 unlikable women ended up dead, but by that time readers will no longer care". As I've said before, books ought to have a clearly marked rating such as the system we use for movies. Not that I'm vehemently opposed to "R-X rated" books but I'd like to know that is part of the content before I start reading. "Sexy" is not an adequate adjective for this story.
The first 100 pages introduce us to the investigative team whose women go by men's names (Lou, Sam) and men go by women's names (Ali, Leslie) and the case goes by a name that makes no sense and is never explained. Beyond that, they do little more than tell us that the dead girl was a slut. The story then becomes interesting for about 20 pages before it moves into some weird, explicit sex scenes that drive the remainder of the novel. Don't be fooled by the intriguing title or cover art, the lighted sphere in the sky is not the image of a "moon" you will visualize. I don't DNF a book very often but this one was close. There was just enough curiosity about "who done it" to make me push through, hoping for some redeeming quality toward the end. The only upside to the novel was the author's personal police insider expertise and decent writing.
And...there were cows.
The first 100 pages introduce us to the investigative team whose women go by men's names (Lou, Sam) and men go by women's names (Ali, Leslie) and the case goes by a name that makes no sense and is never explained. Beyond that, they do little more than tell us that the dead girl was a slut. The story then becomes interesting for about 20 pages before it moves into some weird, explicit sex scenes that drive the remainder of the novel. Don't be fooled by the intriguing title or cover art, the lighted sphere in the sky is not the image of a "moon" you will visualize. I don't DNF a book very often but this one was close. There was just enough curiosity about "who done it" to make me push through, hoping for some redeeming quality toward the end. The only upside to the novel was the author's personal police insider expertise and decent writing.
And...there were cows.
February 16, 2014
I wasn't very excited about this book. The characters were okay, but for a suspense novel this felt rather tedious. It was more of a procedural than a page-turner, I understand that, but it just didn't work for me. Plus, the investigation seemed rather bungled and the plot twist didn't come as much of a surprise. More complete review to come.
Full review:
Under a Silent Moon strives to be a layered, complicated mystery with the usual twists and turns, but it also seeks to shine some light on a little-known side of law enforcement in England: that of the intelligence analyst. Ultimately, I don't think the book succeeds all that well at either. This is my first Haynes novel, so I don't know if the structure of it is typical of her other books, but the scope felt too broad, which I think diluted the impact of the book. If you enjoy procedurals, this novel may appeal to you, but I thought the procedural side of it got in the way of the mystery. Some minor spoilers to follow.
Haynes's appendix includes some insight into the duties of a police intelligence analyst, and she explains the tension of attempting to incorporate the intelligence side into the book while also maintaining a page-turning pace. To me, this mix simply didn't work. If the intention is to write about an analyst, I think it would have made more sense to have an analyst as the main character, rather than focusing mostly on Lou. However, I do understand why Haynes took the approach she did. Unfortunately, for me, the intelligence reports sprinkled throughout the book interrupted the flow and weren't something I found particularly interesting. I can see where they'd be helpful in a police investigation in the real world, but I didn't think they added much to a work of fiction, particularly because they were often repetitive. I think Haynes would have been better off at providing either a full behind-the-scenes view or narrowing her focus to Lou and the investigation.
There are a lot of subplots to this book, and I didn't find most of them all that compelling. I thought the book would have benefited from shaving some of them off. Getting insight into what makes Lou tick makes sense as she's the protagonist, but I didn't really see the point in the long scenes describing Andy's actions. From a technical standpoint, I know they were there to document his downward spiral, but I think this could have been done using less page space. I didn't like his character and wasn't interested in reading so many detailed accounts of what he was doing. They detracted from the more interesting aspects of the plot, such as what was happening with Flora and her family. There's always a danger when using shifting perspectives because more often than not it works against the novel; some of the perspectives will be more interesting to the reader than others, and the less interesting ones feel like slogging through homework. This book is no exception.
The mystery itself was a good concept, but I didn't like the execution of it. Plenty of red herrings appear in the novel, none of which are all that confusing. There were many instances where the police missed things that came across as glaringly obvious, which just made them look incompetent rather than making the murderer seem especially clever. It didn't seem so much that Haynes was making a point about how human inclination might lead the police to focus on one suspect while ignoring others as it was a sort of inexplicable blindness on the part of the police. Their failure to connect the dots is pretty staggering, and I wasn't at all surprised by the "big" reveal.
Overall, my impression is that this book aims to be a procedural, an intriguing tale of murder, a glimpse into the obscure inner workings of the police, and a tale about human psychology. For me, that sentence clearly shows why the novel is ultimately overambitious. This bothers me because it felt like there was a decent novel there, it was simply buried under sub plots running amok.
Full review:
Under a Silent Moon strives to be a layered, complicated mystery with the usual twists and turns, but it also seeks to shine some light on a little-known side of law enforcement in England: that of the intelligence analyst. Ultimately, I don't think the book succeeds all that well at either. This is my first Haynes novel, so I don't know if the structure of it is typical of her other books, but the scope felt too broad, which I think diluted the impact of the book. If you enjoy procedurals, this novel may appeal to you, but I thought the procedural side of it got in the way of the mystery. Some minor spoilers to follow.
Haynes's appendix includes some insight into the duties of a police intelligence analyst, and she explains the tension of attempting to incorporate the intelligence side into the book while also maintaining a page-turning pace. To me, this mix simply didn't work. If the intention is to write about an analyst, I think it would have made more sense to have an analyst as the main character, rather than focusing mostly on Lou. However, I do understand why Haynes took the approach she did. Unfortunately, for me, the intelligence reports sprinkled throughout the book interrupted the flow and weren't something I found particularly interesting. I can see where they'd be helpful in a police investigation in the real world, but I didn't think they added much to a work of fiction, particularly because they were often repetitive. I think Haynes would have been better off at providing either a full behind-the-scenes view or narrowing her focus to Lou and the investigation.
There are a lot of subplots to this book, and I didn't find most of them all that compelling. I thought the book would have benefited from shaving some of them off. Getting insight into what makes Lou tick makes sense as she's the protagonist, but I didn't really see the point in the long scenes describing Andy's actions. From a technical standpoint, I know they were there to document his downward spiral, but I think this could have been done using less page space. I didn't like his character and wasn't interested in reading so many detailed accounts of what he was doing. They detracted from the more interesting aspects of the plot, such as what was happening with Flora and her family. There's always a danger when using shifting perspectives because more often than not it works against the novel; some of the perspectives will be more interesting to the reader than others, and the less interesting ones feel like slogging through homework. This book is no exception.
The mystery itself was a good concept, but I didn't like the execution of it. Plenty of red herrings appear in the novel, none of which are all that confusing. There were many instances where the police missed things that came across as glaringly obvious, which just made them look incompetent rather than making the murderer seem especially clever. It didn't seem so much that Haynes was making a point about how human inclination might lead the police to focus on one suspect while ignoring others as it was a sort of inexplicable blindness on the part of the police. Their failure to connect the dots is pretty staggering, and I wasn't at all surprised by the "big" reveal.
Overall, my impression is that this book aims to be a procedural, an intriguing tale of murder, a glimpse into the obscure inner workings of the police, and a tale about human psychology. For me, that sentence clearly shows why the novel is ultimately overambitious. This bothers me because it felt like there was a decent novel there, it was simply buried under sub plots running amok.
September 21, 2013
Coming Soon
Thank you very very very VERY much to the author and publisher for the advanced copy of this book for review.
A Murder. A Suicide. Two Women share One Fate. Can you connect the clues to discover the killer? Solve the crime alongside DCI Louisa Smith and her team.
I will start by saying that initially, when I first heard that the next novel by Elizabeth Haynes was to be the start of a series rather than another stand alone book, I was concerned. For me, her particular brand of storytelling is of an extremely high standard, always stunning and never without its own unique twist on whatever subject was at its heart. By its very definition a series has to entail at least somewhat of a change of direction so lets take a look....
Well. Oh me of little faith. I forgot that Ms Haynes was clever. First of all by giving the investigation a healthy dose of authenticity, and then by setting the whole thing over a period of just 6 days. Also as the little blurb I gave above says...inviting us, the readers, to solve the crime right there alongside the main protagonist. Intelligently written as always and living up to the promise of allowing you to see, without prevarication, all the clues as and when they are discovered by the Police, it is an involving and creative reading experience. Thats not to say there are not plenty of surprises along the way and you will pause in your reading to ponder....
I loved Louisa (she eats muffins and cornish pasties whats not to love?) and the cast of characters surrounding her create perfect little pockets of yin and yang. Enough background and consolidation will pique your interest and almost guarantee that you will want to pick up the next instalment...yet as a complete, well rounded tale it also works extremely well.
The great thing about this is, if you were to ask me "Well what is different about this book from any other police procedural?" I would not be able to put my finger on it. After all, we have a murder, we have a Police team trying to solve it and we have various suspects, the story moves along apace in what might be termed a fairly definitive way - and yet there is something here that makes it that bit better. Perhaps it is simply that Elizabeth Haynes knows her stuff, is a hell of a writer and makes it as real as you can possibly get in a fictional setting...
Highly recommended. I want more Louisa Smith without a doubt. I also want more stand alone books. In fact I'll take anything. Could we hurry this along please?
Happy Reading Folks!
Thank you very very very VERY much to the author and publisher for the advanced copy of this book for review.
A Murder. A Suicide. Two Women share One Fate. Can you connect the clues to discover the killer? Solve the crime alongside DCI Louisa Smith and her team.
I will start by saying that initially, when I first heard that the next novel by Elizabeth Haynes was to be the start of a series rather than another stand alone book, I was concerned. For me, her particular brand of storytelling is of an extremely high standard, always stunning and never without its own unique twist on whatever subject was at its heart. By its very definition a series has to entail at least somewhat of a change of direction so lets take a look....
Well. Oh me of little faith. I forgot that Ms Haynes was clever. First of all by giving the investigation a healthy dose of authenticity, and then by setting the whole thing over a period of just 6 days. Also as the little blurb I gave above says...inviting us, the readers, to solve the crime right there alongside the main protagonist. Intelligently written as always and living up to the promise of allowing you to see, without prevarication, all the clues as and when they are discovered by the Police, it is an involving and creative reading experience. Thats not to say there are not plenty of surprises along the way and you will pause in your reading to ponder....
I loved Louisa (she eats muffins and cornish pasties whats not to love?) and the cast of characters surrounding her create perfect little pockets of yin and yang. Enough background and consolidation will pique your interest and almost guarantee that you will want to pick up the next instalment...yet as a complete, well rounded tale it also works extremely well.
The great thing about this is, if you were to ask me "Well what is different about this book from any other police procedural?" I would not be able to put my finger on it. After all, we have a murder, we have a Police team trying to solve it and we have various suspects, the story moves along apace in what might be termed a fairly definitive way - and yet there is something here that makes it that bit better. Perhaps it is simply that Elizabeth Haynes knows her stuff, is a hell of a writer and makes it as real as you can possibly get in a fictional setting...
Highly recommended. I want more Louisa Smith without a doubt. I also want more stand alone books. In fact I'll take anything. Could we hurry this along please?
Happy Reading Folks!
May 3, 2015
Review: UNDER A SILENT MOON by Elizabeth Haynes (DCI LOUISA SMITH #1)
An engrossing British police procedural. UNDER A SILENT MOON is also very psychological and delves into the extremes of human emotions, including some of emotion' s perverse aspects. Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Smith is experienced in policing, but the killing of Polly Leuchars is her first session as leader of a Major Crime investigation. She must prove herself qualified before her superintendent and before her team, at the same time forced to work with Detective Inspector Andy Hamilton, a loose cannon in search of trouble. UNDER A SILENT MOON is a good introduction to this author and encouragement to continue the Series.
An engrossing British police procedural. UNDER A SILENT MOON is also very psychological and delves into the extremes of human emotions, including some of emotion' s perverse aspects. Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Smith is experienced in policing, but the killing of Polly Leuchars is her first session as leader of a Major Crime investigation. She must prove herself qualified before her superintendent and before her team, at the same time forced to work with Detective Inspector Andy Hamilton, a loose cannon in search of trouble. UNDER A SILENT MOON is a good introduction to this author and encouragement to continue the Series.
July 30, 2014
I was looking forward to reading this, but as I got through the beginning pages, had a gut feeling it was going to be tedious to finish it. First of all, way too many characters to keep track of, and even with a character guide in the beginning of the book, I still had trouble keeping each character and storyline straight. Also, the style of writing with including snippets of the police procedural really took away from the story (or what little there was.) It was choppy and disconnected, in my opinion. I thought I had figured out who the murderer was about halfway through, but forced myself to finish reading it because I don't generally stop reading a book in the middle. Turns out, I was right about the murderer, and should have just put the book down and walked away instead of forcing myself to keep reading.
I really liked "Into the Darkest Corner" and was hoping this book would live up to that one. It did not. I would be very hesitant to read the next book in this series, which is unfortunate because I know Elizabeth Haynes can do better!
I really liked "Into the Darkest Corner" and was hoping this book would live up to that one. It did not. I would be very hesitant to read the next book in this series, which is unfortunate because I know Elizabeth Haynes can do better!
April 22, 2014
This was a good police procedural, but I was infuriated by the lead detective, Louisa Smith.There are so few good female lead detectives in crime fiction. Why did this female writer portray this character as immature, indecisive, and mostly concerned with her sexual relationships with some of the male detectives who work for her? Maddening!
I hope her next book has Loisa Smith grow up (or get fired). At times this book reads like a bad bodice-ripper romance novel. I don't mind romance and steamy sex with the main characters of books, but it needs to be more realistic and mature. I may give the second book a chance to see if there is some improvement in the main character. If not, forget it.
I hope her next book has Loisa Smith grow up (or get fired). At times this book reads like a bad bodice-ripper romance novel. I don't mind romance and steamy sex with the main characters of books, but it needs to be more realistic and mature. I may give the second book a chance to see if there is some improvement in the main character. If not, forget it.
May 19, 2014
A very 'procedural' police procedural...
A young woman is found brutally murdered in her cottage, and her female neighbour is later found dead at the bottom of the local quarry, having apparently driven her car over the edge. The coincidence of two deaths happening at the same time in a small village lead the police to think they may be linked, so newly promoted Louisa Smith finds her first case as DCI leading the Major Crime team head is to investigate both. She soon discovers that the murder victim Polly has been the cause of jealousy in more than one relationship around the village, and that she also had links to local gangster Nigel Maitland, on whom the police have never been able to get enough evidence to charge with anything…
This is probably the most ‘procedural’ police procedural I’ve read. Haynes, who apparently was a police intelligence analyst for several years in real life, gives a very detailed and convincing picture of how a police investigation works. She includes copies of reports, departmental e-mails and other case documents as a method of providing a feeling of verisimilitude to her story. On the whole this works well – Haynes keeps it down to a level where it remains interesting. However, she also includes fairly in-depth descriptions of team meetings and briefings, and while these make the investigation feel very realistic they also slow the plot down a little too much. The picture that most investigations are probably 90% routine tedium is, I’m sure, more accurate than the usual action-fest, but perhaps the book veers a little too much towards authenticity at the expense of entertainment on occasion.
The plot is complex and interesting, if a bit patchy at times – the obvious gets overlooked or we revert back to something that has already been considered earlier and dismissed. There are a couple of fairly lengthy episodes of S&M sex but, while the detail is considerably more graphic than necessary, they are integral to the plot. Some of the characterisation is excellent, particularly of the police officers, while in other cases it can be a bit superficial and less credible, and occasionally Haynes changes a character’s personality midway through to fit in with a twist in the plot. DCI Smith herself is an appealing detective – ambitious and hard-working and without the usual angst issues. She has a fairly strong moral code which she tries hard to live up to and is a conscientious boss, loyal to her colleagues.
Overall, I found this a good read – not perfect, but with some solid writing and original touches that lifted it well above average. I don’t know whether Haynes intends to make this into a series, but I’d be happy to meet Louisa Smith and her colleagues again. Recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A young woman is found brutally murdered in her cottage, and her female neighbour is later found dead at the bottom of the local quarry, having apparently driven her car over the edge. The coincidence of two deaths happening at the same time in a small village lead the police to think they may be linked, so newly promoted Louisa Smith finds her first case as DCI leading the Major Crime team head is to investigate both. She soon discovers that the murder victim Polly has been the cause of jealousy in more than one relationship around the village, and that she also had links to local gangster Nigel Maitland, on whom the police have never been able to get enough evidence to charge with anything…
This is probably the most ‘procedural’ police procedural I’ve read. Haynes, who apparently was a police intelligence analyst for several years in real life, gives a very detailed and convincing picture of how a police investigation works. She includes copies of reports, departmental e-mails and other case documents as a method of providing a feeling of verisimilitude to her story. On the whole this works well – Haynes keeps it down to a level where it remains interesting. However, she also includes fairly in-depth descriptions of team meetings and briefings, and while these make the investigation feel very realistic they also slow the plot down a little too much. The picture that most investigations are probably 90% routine tedium is, I’m sure, more accurate than the usual action-fest, but perhaps the book veers a little too much towards authenticity at the expense of entertainment on occasion.
The plot is complex and interesting, if a bit patchy at times – the obvious gets overlooked or we revert back to something that has already been considered earlier and dismissed. There are a couple of fairly lengthy episodes of S&M sex but, while the detail is considerably more graphic than necessary, they are integral to the plot. Some of the characterisation is excellent, particularly of the police officers, while in other cases it can be a bit superficial and less credible, and occasionally Haynes changes a character’s personality midway through to fit in with a twist in the plot. DCI Smith herself is an appealing detective – ambitious and hard-working and without the usual angst issues. She has a fairly strong moral code which she tries hard to live up to and is a conscientious boss, loyal to her colleagues.
Overall, I found this a good read – not perfect, but with some solid writing and original touches that lifted it well above average. I don’t know whether Haynes intends to make this into a series, but I’d be happy to meet Louisa Smith and her colleagues again. Recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 28, 2013
If you like detective fiction you have to read this book. From her first novel, Into The Darkest Corner to this her fourth book Ms Haynes has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with. Each book she has written has a unique story, is extremely well crafted and will leave you desperate to read her next book. Many people will compare this book and her others to Into The Darkest Corner and say that it lacks something, well I disagree. A pet peeve is when authors write a carbon copy of a previous book, the four books published so far showcase just what a versatile and talented author Ms Haynes is In this book we are introduced to Lou Smith, a feisty female detective in charge of the investigation into the murder of a pretty young thing and the apparent suicide of Barbara, wife to a near neighbour. As the story unfolds we are drawn into the investigation by many twists and turns which keep us guessing. The use of witness statements on police forms and emails as they would be sent on a real case add authenticity to what already feels like a very well researched and thought out book. The characters are believable and I found myself really drawn to Lou- I liked her. She is not 100% perfect, she has flaws and she makes mistakes, sometimes she admits she's not sure- that just makes her all the more believable and three dimensional. The murder's MO was different from previous books I've ever read (and I have read loads). Before Elizabeth Haynes came along my favourite authors were Val McDermid, PD James, Ruth Rendell and others, however, move over ladies, there is a new queen of crime fiction- and that is Elizabeth Haynes.
June 20, 2014
This was too painful to read.
How is it possible to have characters (3-5 in multiples) mentioned in a single page over and over again, with some of them talking about other characters and expecting the reader to follow all those dialogue threads which really lead nowhere within a chapter and then in subsequent chapters?
You need a character guide (like those historical novels) to keep everyone on the straight.
It almost comes across as being autistic (the writing, people) and while Haynes enjoys working from a spreadsheet (her work) it is extremely disorienting and very hard to read as a novel if that is what she has done in this book.
It is almost as if Haynes cut/paste reports into this novel with no regards for readers who might want to read a novel with a coherent plot.
It is so devoid of colour/life.
How is it possible to have characters (3-5 in multiples) mentioned in a single page over and over again, with some of them talking about other characters and expecting the reader to follow all those dialogue threads which really lead nowhere within a chapter and then in subsequent chapters?
You need a character guide (like those historical novels) to keep everyone on the straight.
It almost comes across as being autistic (the writing, people) and while Haynes enjoys working from a spreadsheet (her work) it is extremely disorienting and very hard to read as a novel if that is what she has done in this book.
It is almost as if Haynes cut/paste reports into this novel with no regards for readers who might want to read a novel with a coherent plot.
It is so devoid of colour/life.
April 14, 2024
Detektyvei vyresniajai inspektorei Luisai Smit ir jos komandą pasiekia gautas pranešimas apie jaunos moters mirtį atokiame ūkyje – ji randama gulinti kraujo klane. Netrukus gaunamas ir kitas iškvietimas – netoli to paties ūkio esančiame karjere randamas nuo skardžio nulėkęs automobilis su moters kūnu...Ar šios mirtys tarpusavyje susijusios? Ar pavyks detektyvei Luisai ir jos komandai surasti abiejų moterų žudikus? Prasideda pilnas įtampos ir veiksmo tyrimas, kuris truks vos šešias dienas, per kurias išaiškės, kas prisidėjo prie dviejų visiškai skirtingų moterų nužudymų...Įdomus ir iki pat pabaigos prikaustantis detektyvas, nors veikėjų gausa šiame detektyve iš tiesų nemaža, bet jie ryškūs, įtraukiantys ir įdomūs, kaip ir pats tyrimas.
December 14, 2015
A suspected murder in a farm outside a small English village, a young woman was found dead with blood all over the cottage. At the same time the police are called in to investigate what looks like a suicide by driving into a quarry. DCI Louisa Smith and her team are assigned this case, they discover a link between the two deaths, a link that sealed the fate of these two woman. It all happened one dreadful cold night under a silent moon.
Elizabeth Haynes’s novel Into the Darkest Corner was one of the best books I read in 2011. I still have both Revenge of the Tide and Human Remains sitting on my shelf and I probably should read them soon. I decided to read Under a Silent Moon first because it is her latest offer and I was interested to read her take on the police procedural genre. This is a new direction for this author and I really wanted to see how her style translated.
What I loved about Into the Darkest Corner was how dark and disturbing that psychological thriller was. It was the type of book that I loved but couldn’t recommend to everyone because it might have contained triggers; it felt too realistic and unsettling. Some of her dark psychological style is definitely in this novel but there is something so different about Under a Silent Moon.
The novel felt like a very technical police procedural, I have no idea how a detective investigates crimes, my knowledge comes from men like Philip Marlowe who are hard-boiled and so smart that you often miss the clues (sometimes I think the clues never existed in the novel). I’m not sure how accurate or researched this novel was, but I think it worked well; she got that balance between technical and plot right. I liked how this book had police reports, notes and other documents to help drive the plot and give the reader a deeper insight into the crimes.
The major problem I had was that I wanted something darker; this felt too much like a generic crime thriller but Elizabeth Haynes style was evident and I like how detailed the book was. It was a slightly different take on the police procedurals I’ve read but it also felt the same. I also didn’t think much of the characters, there could have been more to them and I know this is the start of a series so I suspect that will come in future books.
In turn, I want to like all the uniqueness of Under a Silent Moon; I definitely like Hayne’s style but I just think there are too many crime novels that are similar. Sure, they all sell well, I just like when I book stands above the rest. There are so many things that were great about this novel, and I will be reading the next chapter in the series when it gets released. I think I prefer the dark psychological thriller style found in Into the Darkest Corner and was secretly hoping for something like that. I probably should try Revenge of the Tide and Human Remains first but if you haven’t read Elizabeth Haynes before and are not afraid of something that will disturb you, then I recommend Into the Darkest Corner instead.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
Elizabeth Haynes’s novel Into the Darkest Corner was one of the best books I read in 2011. I still have both Revenge of the Tide and Human Remains sitting on my shelf and I probably should read them soon. I decided to read Under a Silent Moon first because it is her latest offer and I was interested to read her take on the police procedural genre. This is a new direction for this author and I really wanted to see how her style translated.
What I loved about Into the Darkest Corner was how dark and disturbing that psychological thriller was. It was the type of book that I loved but couldn’t recommend to everyone because it might have contained triggers; it felt too realistic and unsettling. Some of her dark psychological style is definitely in this novel but there is something so different about Under a Silent Moon.
The novel felt like a very technical police procedural, I have no idea how a detective investigates crimes, my knowledge comes from men like Philip Marlowe who are hard-boiled and so smart that you often miss the clues (sometimes I think the clues never existed in the novel). I’m not sure how accurate or researched this novel was, but I think it worked well; she got that balance between technical and plot right. I liked how this book had police reports, notes and other documents to help drive the plot and give the reader a deeper insight into the crimes.
The major problem I had was that I wanted something darker; this felt too much like a generic crime thriller but Elizabeth Haynes style was evident and I like how detailed the book was. It was a slightly different take on the police procedurals I’ve read but it also felt the same. I also didn’t think much of the characters, there could have been more to them and I know this is the start of a series so I suspect that will come in future books.
In turn, I want to like all the uniqueness of Under a Silent Moon; I definitely like Hayne’s style but I just think there are too many crime novels that are similar. Sure, they all sell well, I just like when I book stands above the rest. There are so many things that were great about this novel, and I will be reading the next chapter in the series when it gets released. I think I prefer the dark psychological thriller style found in Into the Darkest Corner and was secretly hoping for something like that. I probably should try Revenge of the Tide and Human Remains first but if you haven’t read Elizabeth Haynes before and are not afraid of something that will disturb you, then I recommend Into the Darkest Corner instead.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
March 20, 2014
I have read Haynes’ three previous mystery novels and though I enjoyed some more than others, I still had high hopes for this one, her fourth. Especially after how much I liked her third novel, Human Remains. This one, slated to be the first in a series, marks a drastic change from her earlier books. Rather than being a character-driven, this is purely a police procedural novel. Haynes uses her own intimacy with the legal system in the UK (she worked as a police analyst) to create primary source documents that support the evidence of the two deaths that open up the novel.
Unfortunately, the opening is a bit overwhelming. It is busy - flitting through a variety of perspectives which makes it a bit difficult to initially connect any of the disparate parts with one another. But as more of the connections become clear, the storyline becomes more intriguing. But the format tends to foster an excess of repetition. The prose offers facts and then these are repeated within the reports, witness summaries and then the briefings as well. This really slows down the pacing and the “romance” (really, this is just sex - similar to my other least favorite of her novels - Dark Tide) angle is awkwardly fitted in amongst the fragments of the murders. This is a rather disappointing read. The characters - who are all unified in their focus on sex and affairs - are not sympathetic. The only aspect of the book that feels fresh is the presence of the supporting documents. The plot is predictable and if this is the style that Haynes plans on using for this series, I will not be continuing on with it. The ending resolves the main mystery, but there are some subplots left dangling that could have easily been wrapped up into a more satisfying resolution. It’s a lacklustre book that really wasn’t even worth finishing.
Unfortunately, the opening is a bit overwhelming. It is busy - flitting through a variety of perspectives which makes it a bit difficult to initially connect any of the disparate parts with one another. But as more of the connections become clear, the storyline becomes more intriguing. But the format tends to foster an excess of repetition. The prose offers facts and then these are repeated within the reports, witness summaries and then the briefings as well. This really slows down the pacing and the “romance” (really, this is just sex - similar to my other least favorite of her novels - Dark Tide) angle is awkwardly fitted in amongst the fragments of the murders. This is a rather disappointing read. The characters - who are all unified in their focus on sex and affairs - are not sympathetic. The only aspect of the book that feels fresh is the presence of the supporting documents. The plot is predictable and if this is the style that Haynes plans on using for this series, I will not be continuing on with it. The ending resolves the main mystery, but there are some subplots left dangling that could have easily been wrapped up into a more satisfying resolution. It’s a lacklustre book that really wasn’t even worth finishing.
October 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this read which, unlike the author’s previous work, is a police procedural rather than a psychological thriller. It did not, therefore, have that sense of underlying menace which ran through Into The Darkest Corner and which made that book so special for me, but it is still a very good read indeed, much better than Revenge of the Tides, and possibly Human Remains. We follow DCI Louisa Smith leading her time to solve the murder of Polly Leuchars in a plot which twists and turns and keeps you guessing as to whodunnit right to the end. I liked Louisa, especially the way we saw her human side, as we learn slowly through the book just what the history is between her and DI Andy Hamilton.
The story itself is told through a six day timeline from discovery of the body to solving the case. Interspersed throughout the book are witness statements, and I did get a bit miffed at one of these, which did not quite fit into the kindle formatting and left words missing at the end of each line. My only other gripe was the characters of Sam and Ali – I kept getting confused as to which was male and which was female!
There is a good mix of characters, some good, some bad, some nice, some annoying and some downright nasty ones in there. The story flows well, is gripping and one which I found difficult to put down. I am looking forward to the next Louisa read now.
The story itself is told through a six day timeline from discovery of the body to solving the case. Interspersed throughout the book are witness statements, and I did get a bit miffed at one of these, which did not quite fit into the kindle formatting and left words missing at the end of each line. My only other gripe was the characters of Sam and Ali – I kept getting confused as to which was male and which was female!
There is a good mix of characters, some good, some bad, some nice, some annoying and some downright nasty ones in there. The story flows well, is gripping and one which I found difficult to put down. I am looking forward to the next Louisa read now.
April 15, 2020
3.5 stars. A difficult book to review as it’s very different from the other Elizabeth Haynes books I’ve read and loved (three of them). The main difference with this one being that it’s a police procedural, which never ever blows me away. I usually find there are too many characters, often called by first names one minute and surnames the next which can be very confusing, so I did approach this with some trepidation. And another problem is that the author set the bar so high with Into the Darkest Corner (one of my most terrifying reads EVER) that it’s hard for anything else to reach those dizzy heights. So a fair bit of pressure here for Elizabeth Haynes!
Nevertheless this was an interesting read; two deaths have occurred in a small country village, and it’s up to DCI Louisa Smith and her team to find out who is responsible. A clever tale with some strong characters, and given extra points by the creepiness of one of the characters towards the end, oh and the freaky subject matter. (I found myself googling smother boxes to find out if they were real. They are! I think I’ve led a sheltered life!)
If you like police procedurals I think you’ll really enjoy this.
Nevertheless this was an interesting read; two deaths have occurred in a small country village, and it’s up to DCI Louisa Smith and her team to find out who is responsible. A clever tale with some strong characters, and given extra points by the creepiness of one of the characters towards the end, oh and the freaky subject matter. (I found myself googling smother boxes to find out if they were real. They are! I think I’ve led a sheltered life!)
If you like police procedurals I think you’ll really enjoy this.
April 23, 2019
Boring. If I had to use a word to describe
Under a Silent Moon,
it's boring.
Boring characters, boring mystery, boring descriptions, boring, boring, blah blah blah.
I didn't like any of the characters. NOT ONE SINGLE ONE.
I didn't like any of the characters in Gone Girl either, but at least, I wasn't indifferent to the characters and story. I wanted to know what happened and I wasn't speed reading the last 100 pages, like I'm doing now.
Boring characters, boring mystery, boring descriptions, boring, boring, blah blah blah.
I didn't like any of the characters. NOT ONE SINGLE ONE.
I didn't like any of the characters in Gone Girl either, but at least, I wasn't indifferent to the characters and story. I wanted to know what happened and I wasn't speed reading the last 100 pages, like I'm doing now.
March 12, 2022
This is how long I have been reading this book
https://media4.giphy.com/media/l4FB8F...
Really. For.ev.er.
At first I was captivated by the idea of including the analyst reports and phone messages and so on. Right up until I realized that the info they contained was being repeated in dialogue, the mental musings of DCI Louisa Smith, and yet again in the team briefings. Rather than unspooling the intel in the same manner and time our character received it so that I could solve the mystery too these clues just became tedious speed bumps that slowed down the pace. Reader, I did skim and it still took me what must surely have been forever to finish.
And then there’s the characters. ALL the men in this book are awful. Ok, maaaybe there was one or two with one or two lines that weren’t truly awful. I think Taryn’s husband was a decent bloke. I felt no connection or sympathy with any of the characters.
In my skimmery I caught this pertinent bit:
“Andy didn’t answer. If she told him something important it would be completely inadmissible. He should never have come back. The moment he realized she might be involved, he should have gone straight to Lou and told her everything and bloody hoped for the best. The longer he stayed, the more he put everything at risk. Not only his marriage or his role on this inquiry — he was risking the investigation, he was risking his whole career, he was risking the reputation of the force.”
Right you are, Andy boy, and you are not the only one doing stupid in and around Briarstone.
I want so very badly to add some bits of spoiler comment but will forbear. Putting Elizabeth Haynes solidly in the Hit or Miss column going forward and will proceed with utmost caution. As an aging member of the population hurtling towards qualifying for senior discounts I really don’t have the time or patience to spend on such disappointing fare.
https://media4.giphy.com/media/l4FB8F...
Really. For.ev.er.
At first I was captivated by the idea of including the analyst reports and phone messages and so on. Right up until I realized that the info they contained was being repeated in dialogue, the mental musings of DCI Louisa Smith, and yet again in the team briefings. Rather than unspooling the intel in the same manner and time our character received it so that I could solve the mystery too these clues just became tedious speed bumps that slowed down the pace. Reader, I did skim and it still took me what must surely have been forever to finish.
And then there’s the characters. ALL the men in this book are awful. Ok, maaaybe there was one or two with one or two lines that weren’t truly awful. I think Taryn’s husband was a decent bloke. I felt no connection or sympathy with any of the characters.
In my skimmery I caught this pertinent bit:
“Andy didn’t answer. If she told him something important it would be completely inadmissible. He should never have come back. The moment he realized she might be involved, he should have gone straight to Lou and told her everything and bloody hoped for the best. The longer he stayed, the more he put everything at risk. Not only his marriage or his role on this inquiry — he was risking the investigation, he was risking his whole career, he was risking the reputation of the force.”
Right you are, Andy boy, and you are not the only one doing stupid in and around Briarstone.
I want so very badly to add some bits of spoiler comment but will forbear. Putting Elizabeth Haynes solidly in the Hit or Miss column going forward and will proceed with utmost caution. As an aging member of the population hurtling towards qualifying for senior discounts I really don’t have the time or patience to spend on such disappointing fare.
October 17, 2020
DCI Lou Smith works her first murder scene since her promotion. Polly Leuchars was beaten to death in her cottage at the farm where she worked as a groom. Since she was not monogamous, suspects are aplenty.
This was a good police procedural. For me, the style in which the story was presented caused confusion. There are a lot of different characters and the narrative shifted back and forth without a pattern that I could discern. Settings changed suddenly. I had to go back and re-read on many occasions to figure out what was happening. Other parts of the book were easy to read. I thought some of the sections broke up the natural flow of the story but I liked the witness statements being injected at random points. I really liked Lou. I've read several books by this author and Into the Darkest Corner is still my favorite.
This was a good police procedural. For me, the style in which the story was presented caused confusion. There are a lot of different characters and the narrative shifted back and forth without a pattern that I could discern. Settings changed suddenly. I had to go back and re-read on many occasions to figure out what was happening. Other parts of the book were easy to read. I thought some of the sections broke up the natural flow of the story but I liked the witness statements being injected at random points. I really liked Lou. I've read several books by this author and Into the Darkest Corner is still my favorite.
March 16, 2018
Fantastic thriller, I do really enjoy Elizabeth Haynes’ books. Plenty of characters and an interesting underlying ‘love’ story.
May 16, 2022
Maybe because I was really impressed by Elizabeth Hayne’s other books my expectations were too high, but this was really dull, i wasn’t grasped by any of the characters and it was an effort to read.
March 5, 2023
A young woman is found bludgeoned to death in her home whilst an older woman is found dead in her car at the bottom of a quarry in an apparent suicide. Are these cases linked? New DCI Louisa Smith and her team must find out what really happened that night. Great police procedural with plenty of suspects and a few surprising twists.
September 21, 2013
Under A Silent Moon is something of a new direction for Elizabeth Haynes and follows a murder investigation headed up by DCI Louisa Smith. Told over a six-day period and interspersed with source documents, readers are able to interpret the evidence alongside Lou and her team.
A suspected murder and a suspected suicide - both on the same night, both victims living within yards of each other, both victims linked to many of the same people. Lou Smith is the newly-appointed Detective Chief Inspector, this is the first time she's been in charge of a murder investigation and she is determined that the killer will not get away.
Elizabeth Haynes has delivered a well-researched, incredibly well-written crime novel. Her vast knowledge gained when working as a police intelligence analyst is apparent throughout the story, this is an exciting, compelling and extremely gripping crime drama. Lou and her team are characters that are so realistic that they become part of your life when reading about them. Lou has an especially difficult relationship with her DI, Andy Hamilton, they have a past, he's a bit of a playboy and something of a loose cannon. Her relationship with Canadian Jason, her assigned analyst is much easier and their relationship develops throughout the story.
There is nothing that I hate more than solving a crime mystery half way through the book, there was absolutely no chance of this happening during Under A Silent Moon. This is a tightly plotted story, with many twists and turns, lots of associated characters and so many potential suspects, just when you think you've solved it, something else happens, and bang! you realise that you were so so wrong.
The sub-plots, the lives of the associated characters and the mechanisms of the murder team all work so very well together, they all blend seamlessly together, and although this could be an overly complicated story, it really works. Each individual strand is told so well and then sewn so well into the main story that it flows effortlessly.
Huge applause for Elizabeth Haynes, this really is a fine crime story. A police procedural novel with a difference. The added extras - the witness statements, the texts, emails and telephone analysis all work so well and add another dimension to the whole story.
I believe that this is the first in the series that will feature DCI Lou Smith - what a brilliant beginning, I'm already looking forward to the next instalment
A suspected murder and a suspected suicide - both on the same night, both victims living within yards of each other, both victims linked to many of the same people. Lou Smith is the newly-appointed Detective Chief Inspector, this is the first time she's been in charge of a murder investigation and she is determined that the killer will not get away.
Elizabeth Haynes has delivered a well-researched, incredibly well-written crime novel. Her vast knowledge gained when working as a police intelligence analyst is apparent throughout the story, this is an exciting, compelling and extremely gripping crime drama. Lou and her team are characters that are so realistic that they become part of your life when reading about them. Lou has an especially difficult relationship with her DI, Andy Hamilton, they have a past, he's a bit of a playboy and something of a loose cannon. Her relationship with Canadian Jason, her assigned analyst is much easier and their relationship develops throughout the story.
There is nothing that I hate more than solving a crime mystery half way through the book, there was absolutely no chance of this happening during Under A Silent Moon. This is a tightly plotted story, with many twists and turns, lots of associated characters and so many potential suspects, just when you think you've solved it, something else happens, and bang! you realise that you were so so wrong.
The sub-plots, the lives of the associated characters and the mechanisms of the murder team all work so very well together, they all blend seamlessly together, and although this could be an overly complicated story, it really works. Each individual strand is told so well and then sewn so well into the main story that it flows effortlessly.
Huge applause for Elizabeth Haynes, this really is a fine crime story. A police procedural novel with a difference. The added extras - the witness statements, the texts, emails and telephone analysis all work so well and add another dimension to the whole story.
I believe that this is the first in the series that will feature DCI Lou Smith - what a brilliant beginning, I'm already looking forward to the next instalment
December 11, 2013
4 stars.
I've read all of Haynes' work to date, so enamoured was I with 'Into the Darkest Corner', her debut, that I've been interested to see the path her writing career takes. Which is unusual for me as crime is not my preferred genre.
But Haynes doesn't really 'do' typical crime novels (Revenge of the Tide being the most straightforward and unremarkable of her back catalogue). So far we've seen a victim's struggle before and after a violent crime with dual-diary narrative, and a police analyst caught up in a very sick predator's web from both points of view. Little twists on the genre that make them feel fresh.
Under a Silent Moon works for me because it continues the 'slightly different' approach. As an occasional-reader of crime, I've not seen an example before of the book that delves into the criminal investigation from the Major Incident Room as its setting. This gave it added interest, as well as having a Christie-like 'whodunnit' structure where we have many possible perpetrators introduced and developed through the story.
We follow newly-promoted DCI Louisa Smith on her first big case - what at first appears to be a single, rather brutal murder of a young woman quickly grows to encompass another local woman's suspicious death, connected to the first victim. With spouses, children and friends all questioned, nobody comes up smelling of roses. And that's before we even see the complicated relationships within the investigating officers.
There is some sexual content I felt wasn't wholly necessary (as well as some S&M-level scenes, but they could be deemed necessary to the plot), but the story moves along quickly, and you really have to concentrate to follow the various strands of plot that may or may not connect the two deaths.
One of the fascinating aspects of the book is the insight you get into police procedure, conditions and psychology. I think there's a few digs in there aimed at Haynes' former profession (substandard buildings and equipment given a drubbing), but it's really interesting to see how a crime is called in, dealt with, the response planned and carried out systematically.
This works well as an audiobook, even with a large cast of characters, though you need to keep concentration!
Very competent crime thriller. It isn't quite, for me, as good as 'Human Remains' and 'Into the Darkest Corner' but I will still be looking out for Haynes' next...
I've read all of Haynes' work to date, so enamoured was I with 'Into the Darkest Corner', her debut, that I've been interested to see the path her writing career takes. Which is unusual for me as crime is not my preferred genre.
But Haynes doesn't really 'do' typical crime novels (Revenge of the Tide being the most straightforward and unremarkable of her back catalogue). So far we've seen a victim's struggle before and after a violent crime with dual-diary narrative, and a police analyst caught up in a very sick predator's web from both points of view. Little twists on the genre that make them feel fresh.
Under a Silent Moon works for me because it continues the 'slightly different' approach. As an occasional-reader of crime, I've not seen an example before of the book that delves into the criminal investigation from the Major Incident Room as its setting. This gave it added interest, as well as having a Christie-like 'whodunnit' structure where we have many possible perpetrators introduced and developed through the story.
We follow newly-promoted DCI Louisa Smith on her first big case - what at first appears to be a single, rather brutal murder of a young woman quickly grows to encompass another local woman's suspicious death, connected to the first victim. With spouses, children and friends all questioned, nobody comes up smelling of roses. And that's before we even see the complicated relationships within the investigating officers.
There is some sexual content I felt wasn't wholly necessary (as well as some S&M-level scenes, but they could be deemed necessary to the plot), but the story moves along quickly, and you really have to concentrate to follow the various strands of plot that may or may not connect the two deaths.
One of the fascinating aspects of the book is the insight you get into police procedure, conditions and psychology. I think there's a few digs in there aimed at Haynes' former profession (substandard buildings and equipment given a drubbing), but it's really interesting to see how a crime is called in, dealt with, the response planned and carried out systematically.
This works well as an audiobook, even with a large cast of characters, though you need to keep concentration!
Very competent crime thriller. It isn't quite, for me, as good as 'Human Remains' and 'Into the Darkest Corner' but I will still be looking out for Haynes' next...
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