Gothic Fog: The Strawman Cometh: A DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller - Book 6

DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime #6

by Ely North

As fog descends... evil rises!When a dense veil of fog shrouds the cobbled streets of Whitby, the stage is set not just for carnival revelry but for concealed menace. As the town is swept up in the eerie charm of the Whitby Goth Festival, a sinister Victorian circus raises the stakes, weaving a spellbinding atmosphere amidst the festivities. Yet beneath the din of celebration, the drone of the Wurlitzer whispers of darker deeds.While DCI Frank Finnegan finds a moment's peace in the joy of a family reunion, a disquieting series of events a peeping Tom casts a shadow as a silent predator of the night, and somewhere in the thickening fog, a young girl vanishes without a trace.Bound by time's unyielding march, Finnegan must navigate this dual enigma, his resolve tested as he confronts the cryptic dance of his own haunted past. Aided by the mercurial DI Kumar and the steadfast DS Stoker, this formidable trio is thrust into a labyrinth of urgency and dread.

Join forces with DCI Finnegan in 'Gothic Fog,' the engrossing sixth instalment in the DCI Finnegan series, and plunge into a world where every secret unveiled could be the key to salvation… or the final step towards peril. Can they catch a shadow before innocence is forever lost?

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2023

About the author

Start your DCI Finnegan journey with AQUA PHOBIA (The Body in the River) — absolutely free on BookFunnel. No sign-up, just click and download: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/1j1hkjlw6olink


Ely North is the bestselling author of the DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller series—gritty, gripping, contemporary British police procedurals set against the haunting beauty of Whitby, the North York Moors, surrounding coastal villages, and the majestic Yorkshire Dales.

Leading the charge is DCI Frank Finnegan—a sharp-witted, old-school detective with Irish-Welsh roots and a Yorkshire tongue. With his dry humour and “never back down” attitude, Finnegan is a fan favourite: “a good policeman and a great character.” He’s flanked by DS Zac Stoker, known for his blunt honesty and dogged loyalty, and DI Prisha Kumar, a smart, modern counterbalance to Finnegan’s old-fashioned methods. Their camaraderie—and the occasional clash—gives the series heart as well as edge.

Since its 2022 debut, Ely North’s series has captivated readers worldwide, earning over 33 million Kindle Unlimited page reads, with Black Nab alone topping 5 million.

North’s storytelling blends “twists and turns that keep you guessing” with authentic characters and a strong sense of place.

One reviewer called it “as addictive as anything by Ann Cleeves,” while another said, “Ely North is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.” Perfect for fans of Dervla McTiernan, Peter Robinson, and Joy Ellis.

Ely North’s novels offer crime fiction with atmosphere, dark secrets, and the occasional laugh in the face of murder.

The DCI Finnegan series is set to continue for many more books to come.

Reviews

[John Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up!

This was an enjoyable police procedural thriller that was centred upon the East Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. The place where the infamous Count Dracula first set foot upon British soil. A fictitious story that has inspired gothic horror aficionados the world over resulting, in recent times, the town becoming the Goth capital of England. It was during one such twice yearly Goth festival that real life horror intervened. A peeping tom, a serial rapist, a missing child, a suspicious death and an overworked and under resourced police force nearing melt down. A fast paced and enjoyable story.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Storytelling

I've read all six of the DCI Finnegan novels and I think that this has been the best so far. As a regular visitor to Whitby, ageing Goth and attendee of WGW / Tomorrow's Ghosts, I thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of the festivals in this story. The plot is good and the book is well written. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

[SkyeWake · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first four books in this series were really good, characters developing nicely and interesting stories. Books five and six are not up to the same standard, ideas repeated, things you can see coming a mile off and some characters becoming caricatures. Shame.

[Roxanne Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended by a close friend of mine. Have you heard the saying don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well it surely holds true for this book for me! As I read the back cover I thought that maybe this book wasn’t for me BUT because it came so highly recommended, I decided to give it a try. Much to my surprise, I nearly immediately became engrossed in the book and couldn’t wait to read each and every day. A great story and this is my first , but not my last book by Ely North. I really enjoyed reading this one!

[Mrs G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracker of a story. Frank Finnegan at his best, his long-suffering wife Meera trying her best to stop him working 24 hours a day. Set in Whitby all the favourite, and not so favourite, characters are there. Set mainly round a travelling circus/fairground a young child goes missing. Frank and his team try their best to find her . It's Goth weekend in Whitby with thousands of extra people hampering the case. A man who can literally disappear and rolling fog doesnt help either..I love these books as they are mostly set around Whitby in North8 Yorkshire, a place I know quite well.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A freebie on Kindle Unlimited.

Frank et al have a peeping tom in Whitby. When it gets more serious, they up the ante to find him.

Then a child goes missing. It's the carnival, goth weekend and the weather isn't helping. Can the team solve both cases before the suspect escapes?

The usual format. It was ok but the humour was overdone. I'm like a broken record but these books need editing. It wasn't one of my favourites but I'll continue with the series as they're free.

[M R B Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner

A single lady is nearly raped and a girl goes missing when the circus comes to town. Prisha uses ingenuity and intuition and strikes a good working relationship with Zac. Simple proves his worth and Frank steers them in the right direction, keeping the Super off their backs. All's well in the end.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read

Well another page turner I couldn’t put down - could job it’s a day off. What a good number of twists too. Off to get book 7 to see how relationships are getting on and what other case a twists you have in store.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great coper stories

If you like reading old English Bobby coper stories you will love these. We'll thought out and keep your interest.

[Steve Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of Ely's Whitby based books so far and can honestly day they are a great read and very true to Whitby which is one of my favourite places

[Christine Rennard · Rating 5 out of 5]

another brilliant book

Book 6 and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Full of twists and turns, will never get sick of reading your books.

[JANE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

Fully enjoyed reading this book. Nice reading about Whitby have camped a few times near the Abbey in my youth.
Sorry well written

[Sarah Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read as usual.

I am thoroughly enjoying the characters and story lines in these well written fast paced books. A great find and a great writer.

[Douglas Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

A steady 4 stars for this 6th episode in this Yorkshire Crime Thriller series.

[Linda Woodley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read,your heart is in your mouth, hoping they find Rosie alive
Although the story was serious I laughed when Frank and whittle got stuck together in the old boys caravan

[Roxanne Rampage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good storyline, fast paced and a lot happening. Enjoyed this one, with a nice smattering of humour.