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Detective Jan Talantire #1
The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle
She must solve the ultimate riddle… DI Jan Talantire is called to a cottage in Ilfracombe, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally. Documents found at her house indicate her name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, but DI Talantire knows that this cannot be true.
Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered – stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. It is impossible for this to be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match.
With a brutal killer at large, DI Talantire must work quickly to solve the most complicated case of her how can a woman die twice?
A twisty and unputdownable crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Kate Ellis.
Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered – stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. It is impossible for this to be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match.
With a brutal killer at large, DI Talantire must work quickly to solve the most complicated case of her how can a woman die twice?
A twisty and unputdownable crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Kate Ellis.
306 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2024
103 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Nick Louth
41 books290 followersNick Louth is a freelance journalist and author, based in Lincolnshire UK.
Before beginning writing fiction, he was a foreign correspondent for Reuters news agency, and a regular contributor to the Financial Times, MSN, and many financial magazines.
Before beginning writing fiction, he was a foreign correspondent for Reuters news agency, and a regular contributor to the Financial Times, MSN, and many financial magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
May 11, 2025
In a Nutshell: The first book of a new police procedural series. Not so impressed. While the mystery is dark and the plot contains enough twists, the lead detective is incompetent, much of the plot is extremely coincidental, and the ending has one of the most illogical infodumps I have ever read. I don’t think I’ll continue with this series. This is an outlier review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
✔ A great premise and title – eye-catching and creating an instant hook.
✔ The setting of Ilfracombe – loved how the location was used throughout the plot.
✔ The focus on the racism and sexism within the force.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
⚠ Some interesting supporting characters in the police team, but they do not get enough page space as the spotlight is mainly on Talantire.
⚠ The plot routinely mentions the personal lives of the detectives, be it struggles with a new relationship or marital issues or the aftermath of a divorce. While this adds to their character, the information is too scattered to be relevant. Some things are left dangling, especially with Jan’s potential suitor. (Might be tackled in the next book of the series; who knows!)
⚠ The plot goes at a steady pace without feeling rushed. Until the final few chapters, which zoom by at F1 speed.
⚠ The struggles to find the paper documents of the original investigation felt so real. But some of the later reveals about what happened to the evidence of the historical crime were ridiculously farfetched.
⚠ There are a couple of twists and red herrings that caught me by surprise. However, when the rationale for these twists is later established, they seem exaggerated. Also, one of the major reveals is just outlandish, and, I think, fairly offensive to the group in question.
⚠ The police procedural parts have a mostly realistic feel. However, many of the decisions lack common sense and most members of the police team (both past and present) commit clumsy mistakes along the way. When the team succeeds at the end, it seems more a result of luck than brains.
⚠ This is just something I found odd. The initial few chapters randomly switch between ‘Jan’ and ‘Talantire’, but later, the DI is called only Talantire. However, the rest of her team and most other characters are referred to by their first names. Given that Talantire is the protagonist of the series, calling her Talantire kept her more distant from me.
Bookish Nays:
❌ I didn’t like DI Jan Talantire. For someone in her late thirties and with so much experience in the force, she comes across as impulsive, naïve, shortsighted, presumptive and careless – none of which are preferred attributes for the DI lead of a series.
❌ The crucifix that has a main role in both murders is used to generate a dark religious undertone to the crime. But this potential is almost entirely wasted. It felt like some magical realism was being forced into the story, but it just didn’t work.
❌ There are big chunks of fact dumps at times during the conversations connected to the historical background of the crucifix and the cottage. It felt like a Wikipedia entry was being thrown our way.
❌ The investigation is intriguing at the start but soon gets too convoluted and relies too much on coincidences. There are also logical loopholes and plot gaps unexplained till the end. Talantire takes some investigative decisions that just don’t make sense, until we see that the identity of the culprit lies in that direction. Sorry to say this, but it felt like very lazy plotting.
❌ THE ENDING! Tanked the overall experience! I hate infodumps with all my heart, but this is among the worst infodumps I have read, especially considering the background of the person revealing everything. The person’s actions during the finale as well as the revelations made defy all logic. What an anticlimactic climax!
All in all, I was sure at the start that this would be a winner for me. I enjoy police procedurals far more than regular thrillers or cozy mysteries for they often have the best combination of investigation, action, and resolution. In this book though, the investigation is a mixed bag of coincidences, the action is almost non-existent until the end, and the resolution merits no mention. Even if the rest of the book was above average, the ending could have elevated it. But sadly, the finale turned out to be a disappointment of mammoth proportions.
For most of the way, I had been shuffling back and forth between 3 and 3.5 stars as my rating, but the ending made my decision easy.
If you look at the other reviews though, you will see that most readers are highly impressed with this work. So please go through them before you take a call as I am quite the outlier in this opinion. My journey with this series will stop here.
2 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through The Pigeonhole. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Ilfracombe, England. DI Jan Talantire has been called to a little cottage where a senior citizen has been murdered, impaled with a crucifix. When she discovers that the name of the victim is Ruth Lyle, she is stunned. Almost exactly fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle had been murdered, also impaled with a crucifix, at exactly the same location. The old evidence is now inaccessible due to the passage of time and the shoddy maintenance of paper documents, and the new evidence suggests that the victims are the same. How is this possible? Is someone copying the earlier murder? Was someone else killed earlier and the body misidentified? How can one woman die twice?
The story comes to us in the shifting third person perspectives of various characters, but mostly from Jan Talantire’s point of view.
Bookish Yays:
✔ A great premise and title – eye-catching and creating an instant hook.
✔ The setting of Ilfracombe – loved how the location was used throughout the plot.
✔ The focus on the racism and sexism within the force.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
⚠ Some interesting supporting characters in the police team, but they do not get enough page space as the spotlight is mainly on Talantire.
⚠ The plot routinely mentions the personal lives of the detectives, be it struggles with a new relationship or marital issues or the aftermath of a divorce. While this adds to their character, the information is too scattered to be relevant. Some things are left dangling, especially with Jan’s potential suitor. (Might be tackled in the next book of the series; who knows!)
⚠ The plot goes at a steady pace without feeling rushed. Until the final few chapters, which zoom by at F1 speed.
⚠ The struggles to find the paper documents of the original investigation felt so real. But some of the later reveals about what happened to the evidence of the historical crime were ridiculously farfetched.
⚠ There are a couple of twists and red herrings that caught me by surprise. However, when the rationale for these twists is later established, they seem exaggerated. Also, one of the major reveals is just outlandish, and, I think, fairly offensive to the group in question.
⚠ The police procedural parts have a mostly realistic feel. However, many of the decisions lack common sense and most members of the police team (both past and present) commit clumsy mistakes along the way. When the team succeeds at the end, it seems more a result of luck than brains.
⚠ This is just something I found odd. The initial few chapters randomly switch between ‘Jan’ and ‘Talantire’, but later, the DI is called only Talantire. However, the rest of her team and most other characters are referred to by their first names. Given that Talantire is the protagonist of the series, calling her Talantire kept her more distant from me.
Bookish Nays:
❌ I didn’t like DI Jan Talantire. For someone in her late thirties and with so much experience in the force, she comes across as impulsive, naïve, shortsighted, presumptive and careless – none of which are preferred attributes for the DI lead of a series.
❌ The crucifix that has a main role in both murders is used to generate a dark religious undertone to the crime. But this potential is almost entirely wasted. It felt like some magical realism was being forced into the story, but it just didn’t work.
❌ There are big chunks of fact dumps at times during the conversations connected to the historical background of the crucifix and the cottage. It felt like a Wikipedia entry was being thrown our way.
❌ The investigation is intriguing at the start but soon gets too convoluted and relies too much on coincidences. There are also logical loopholes and plot gaps unexplained till the end. Talantire takes some investigative decisions that just don’t make sense, until we see that the identity of the culprit lies in that direction. Sorry to say this, but it felt like very lazy plotting.
❌ THE ENDING! Tanked the overall experience! I hate infodumps with all my heart, but this is among the worst infodumps I have read, especially considering the background of the person revealing everything. The person’s actions during the finale as well as the revelations made defy all logic. What an anticlimactic climax!
All in all, I was sure at the start that this would be a winner for me. I enjoy police procedurals far more than regular thrillers or cozy mysteries for they often have the best combination of investigation, action, and resolution. In this book though, the investigation is a mixed bag of coincidences, the action is almost non-existent until the end, and the resolution merits no mention. Even if the rest of the book was above average, the ending could have elevated it. But sadly, the finale turned out to be a disappointment of mammoth proportions.
For most of the way, I had been shuffling back and forth between 3 and 3.5 stars as my rating, but the ending made my decision easy.
If you look at the other reviews though, you will see that most readers are highly impressed with this work. So please go through them before you take a call as I am quite the outlier in this opinion. My journey with this series will stop here.
2 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through The Pigeonhole. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
April 22, 2024
The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle (Detective Jan Talantire, #1) by Nick Louth
Synopsis /
DI Jan Talantire is called to a cottage in Ilfracombe, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally. Documents found at her house indicate her name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, but DI Talantire knows that this cannot be true.
Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered – stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. It is impossible for this to be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match.
With a brutal killer at large, DI Talantire must work quickly to solve the most complicated case of her how can a woman die twice?
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Canelo Publishing, and author Nick Louth, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for May 2, 2024.
I love a good police procedural. Read that again. And the one thing I like better, is a police procedural where the whole team is involved. As you know, there's no 'I' in team. This is your daily reminder that team members should prioritise the collective good and collaborate with one another. So let's start this review off with three cheers for Nick Louth, 📣📣📣 , for prioritising the Team in this thoroughly engaging new police procedural series.
So, let's meet the team then, shall we!
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire heads the team working for Devon and Cornwall police and based in Barnstaple. Her Deputy, Detective Sergeant Maddy Moran is smart and savvy. Maddy is the sole income provider and works to support her husband and three children. When new team member, Primrose Chen asked Maddy if she had a 'boyfriend', her reply was 'I've got a Neville, which is a bit like a husband, but without the income or any smart clothes.' Next is DC Dave Nuttall; Digital Evidence Officer, Primrose Chen and CSI Evidence technician, Pavel Kaminski. Bringing up the rear, working the nightshift is DI Lockhart (otherwise referred to as the Prince of Darkness). DI Lockhart works permanent nightshift so he can spend more time with his kids during the day. Cue the music to Robert Palmer's 'Simply Irresistible' [but change it to "he's so fine…."]. I think I may have just become the unofficial chair of the DI Lockhart fan club.
So now you have our main core of characters, let's turn to the plot. And again, I'm going to give three cheers the author, 📣📣📣 , for originality.
So let me get this right, Maddy said. Not only do we have the same person killed in the same place by the same weapon as happened exactly fifty years ago to the day, but according to the DNA it was done by the same perpetrator.
In case you missed it: Two Ruth Lyles, both dead at the same address fifty years apart.
There's no fantasy, time travel, science fiction elements at play here, even though with nicknames like 'Prince of Darkness', you might be led in that direction. Nope. What you have here is good old-fashioned boots on the ground, 'boys in blue', 'the Old Bill', law enforcement 'constabulary'; investigation - with a side of witty banter, take-away foods, caffeine and, of course (let's not forget why we're here), two dead Ruth Lyles.
The plot may be creepy, but the characters are captivating, and the ending is enjoyably satisfying. Perfectly paced with enough twists to keep the well-seasoned crime reader engaged.
A most welcome addition to this genre. Bring on book #2!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo Publishing for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
#TheTwoDeathsofRuthLyle #NetGalley
Synopsis /
DI Jan Talantire is called to a cottage in Ilfracombe, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally. Documents found at her house indicate her name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, but DI Talantire knows that this cannot be true.
Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered – stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. It is impossible for this to be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match.
With a brutal killer at large, DI Talantire must work quickly to solve the most complicated case of her how can a woman die twice?
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Canelo Publishing, and author Nick Louth, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for May 2, 2024.
I love a good police procedural. Read that again. And the one thing I like better, is a police procedural where the whole team is involved. As you know, there's no 'I' in team. This is your daily reminder that team members should prioritise the collective good and collaborate with one another. So let's start this review off with three cheers for Nick Louth, 📣📣📣 , for prioritising the Team in this thoroughly engaging new police procedural series.
So, let's meet the team then, shall we!
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire heads the team working for Devon and Cornwall police and based in Barnstaple. Her Deputy, Detective Sergeant Maddy Moran is smart and savvy. Maddy is the sole income provider and works to support her husband and three children. When new team member, Primrose Chen asked Maddy if she had a 'boyfriend', her reply was 'I've got a Neville, which is a bit like a husband, but without the income or any smart clothes.' Next is DC Dave Nuttall; Digital Evidence Officer, Primrose Chen and CSI Evidence technician, Pavel Kaminski. Bringing up the rear, working the nightshift is DI Lockhart (otherwise referred to as the Prince of Darkness). DI Lockhart works permanent nightshift so he can spend more time with his kids during the day. Cue the music to Robert Palmer's 'Simply Irresistible' [but change it to "he's so fine…."]. I think I may have just become the unofficial chair of the DI Lockhart fan club.
So now you have our main core of characters, let's turn to the plot. And again, I'm going to give three cheers the author, 📣📣📣 , for originality.
So let me get this right, Maddy said. Not only do we have the same person killed in the same place by the same weapon as happened exactly fifty years ago to the day, but according to the DNA it was done by the same perpetrator.
In case you missed it: Two Ruth Lyles, both dead at the same address fifty years apart.
There's no fantasy, time travel, science fiction elements at play here, even though with nicknames like 'Prince of Darkness', you might be led in that direction. Nope. What you have here is good old-fashioned boots on the ground, 'boys in blue', 'the Old Bill', law enforcement 'constabulary'; investigation - with a side of witty banter, take-away foods, caffeine and, of course (let's not forget why we're here), two dead Ruth Lyles.
The plot may be creepy, but the characters are captivating, and the ending is enjoyably satisfying. Perfectly paced with enough twists to keep the well-seasoned crime reader engaged.
A most welcome addition to this genre. Bring on book #2!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo Publishing for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
#TheTwoDeathsofRuthLyle #NetGalley
April 15, 2024
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire knows that the 60-something woman murdered by being stabbed with a crucifix can’t be Ruth Lyle. After all, 16-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered with a crucifix 50 years ago. So who is this latest victim?
Author Nick Louth has another couple of detective series going on —, but this is the debut for a new series and the first outing for me of reading any of his books. And what a wild ride it was! Louth provides surprise after twist after unexpected development. If this thriller were an amusement park ride, it would be amongst the best roller coasters. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait for the sequel!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review.
Author Nick Louth has another couple of detective series going on —, but this is the debut for a new series and the first outing for me of reading any of his books. And what a wild ride it was! Louth provides surprise after twist after unexpected development. If this thriller were an amusement park ride, it would be amongst the best roller coasters. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait for the sequel!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2024
The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is the first book in the Detective Jan Talantire series by award-winning, best-selling British author, Nick Louth. The audio version is narrated by Mandy Weston. Just as she‘s thinking her dating app might have got it right with Adam, Detective Inspector Jan Talantire has to abandon the date to attend a grisly murder scene. The victim, in her sixties, has apparently already been dead over forty-eight hours when the inexperienced constable arrives and unintentionally contaminates the scene.
“A blood-drenched woman was lying spreadeagled but fully dressed on a kitchen table, with six inches of a crude iron crucifix protruding from her chest.”
With the CSI team busy elsewhere, Jan processes the scene with what she has available, even improvising to help get a time-of-death estimate. But things quickly get strange when one of her older colleagues points out that the woman, whose belongings identify her as Ruth Lyle, has the same name, manner and date of death as a sixteen-year-old girl murdered in the same place, fifty years earlier. A copycat killing?
If that’s not puzzling enough, fingerprints and DNA at the scene and on the weapon have Jan and her team questioning whether the original weapon (surely secured in police evidence?) has been used in this crime. And when they learn that the youth jailed for the murder in 1974 has been released some months earlier, they wonder if this is a copycat, or a repeat.
Hindering their investigation is the fact that, fifty years on, they can’t locate the physical evidence: has it been stored somewhere, or discarded? The case files, too, are difficult to locate: not digitised; maybe stored amongst a mess of cardboard boxes full of old files in a storage facility; maybe thrown out. And then the pathologist delivers a bombshell about this Ruth Lyle discovered during the autopsy. And another when the dental expert offers his opinion: curiouser and curiouser!
Jan is lucky to have a very competent team at her disposal, although the roadblocks they encounter are frustrating, especially when higher-ups interfere, but they do some excellent detective work. At a certain point, though, “She was looking at the end of her career. She had ignored her boss, gone out on a limb to make a high-profile arrest, and now it was all rebounding horribly upon her.”
This first instalment features name changes and stolen identities, blackmail with Polaroids, theft of evidence, drugs, reputation-destroying secrets, phone tracking, and a huge volume of fingerprint and DNA analysis. There’s enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. Louth easily evokes his setting, and his characters and dialogue are thoroughly credible. More of this cast will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Wavesound Audio.
“A blood-drenched woman was lying spreadeagled but fully dressed on a kitchen table, with six inches of a crude iron crucifix protruding from her chest.”
With the CSI team busy elsewhere, Jan processes the scene with what she has available, even improvising to help get a time-of-death estimate. But things quickly get strange when one of her older colleagues points out that the woman, whose belongings identify her as Ruth Lyle, has the same name, manner and date of death as a sixteen-year-old girl murdered in the same place, fifty years earlier. A copycat killing?
If that’s not puzzling enough, fingerprints and DNA at the scene and on the weapon have Jan and her team questioning whether the original weapon (surely secured in police evidence?) has been used in this crime. And when they learn that the youth jailed for the murder in 1974 has been released some months earlier, they wonder if this is a copycat, or a repeat.
Hindering their investigation is the fact that, fifty years on, they can’t locate the physical evidence: has it been stored somewhere, or discarded? The case files, too, are difficult to locate: not digitised; maybe stored amongst a mess of cardboard boxes full of old files in a storage facility; maybe thrown out. And then the pathologist delivers a bombshell about this Ruth Lyle discovered during the autopsy. And another when the dental expert offers his opinion: curiouser and curiouser!
Jan is lucky to have a very competent team at her disposal, although the roadblocks they encounter are frustrating, especially when higher-ups interfere, but they do some excellent detective work. At a certain point, though, “She was looking at the end of her career. She had ignored her boss, gone out on a limb to make a high-profile arrest, and now it was all rebounding horribly upon her.”
This first instalment features name changes and stolen identities, blackmail with Polaroids, theft of evidence, drugs, reputation-destroying secrets, phone tracking, and a huge volume of fingerprint and DNA analysis. There’s enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. Louth easily evokes his setting, and his characters and dialogue are thoroughly credible. More of this cast will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Wavesound Audio.
April 1, 2024
Jan Talantire has seen most things during her career in the police or at least she thought she had! Now a DI with the Devon and Cornwall force she finds herself in Ilfracombe investigating the killing of a woman in her sixties called Ruth Lyle, except this shouldn't actually be possible because Ruth has been dead for fifty years!
With Jan and her team trying to separate the present from the past, and the fanciful from the facts, the pressure to solve the case grows within the force as well as for those who were left bereft or under suspicion in the nineteen-seventies. When did Ruth Lyle really die, and who is the other victim?
Nick Louth's DCI Craig Gillard is one of my all-time favourites, and I was sad to see his adventures end. I imagine beginning all over again with a new main protagonist would be incredibly difficult and worrying. Step up DI Jan Talantire, who is worth the worry and doubts, is absolutely his equal and will hopefully be around at least as long as her illustrious predecessor. This is brilliant and one of the best series starters I've had the pleasure of reading for a very long time. The twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments are plentiful while Jan and her team are already believable, personable, and work well together. I am fully invested in this new series and impatient for book two.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Canelo, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it highly whether you have read the author's other work or not.
With Jan and her team trying to separate the present from the past, and the fanciful from the facts, the pressure to solve the case grows within the force as well as for those who were left bereft or under suspicion in the nineteen-seventies. When did Ruth Lyle really die, and who is the other victim?
Nick Louth's DCI Craig Gillard is one of my all-time favourites, and I was sad to see his adventures end. I imagine beginning all over again with a new main protagonist would be incredibly difficult and worrying. Step up DI Jan Talantire, who is worth the worry and doubts, is absolutely his equal and will hopefully be around at least as long as her illustrious predecessor. This is brilliant and one of the best series starters I've had the pleasure of reading for a very long time. The twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments are plentiful while Jan and her team are already believable, personable, and work well together. I am fully invested in this new series and impatient for book two.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Canelo, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it highly whether you have read the author's other work or not.
June 3, 2024
Detective Jan Talantire must leave her first date in ages for a murder case. A sixty-year-old woman is in her kitchen, stabbed to death with a metal cross. And if this weren’t bad enough, she bears the same name as a teen murdered 50 years earlier in the church that used to be in the same location, and also stabbed with a metal cross. The girl’s name was Ruth Lyle, which is the same name as the murder victim. And, on top of all the other coincidences, it’s the same cross from the previous murder.
Jan and her team have a hard task ahead of them, as evidence and people (whether the suspects or the investigative team) from the older crime are either missing, or no longer in the area, or deceased. And though the team is running ragged investigating, they manage to maintain a sense of humour.
Despite interference from the higher-ups, Jan and her brilliant team (DS Maddy Moran, Primrose Chen, DC Dave Nuttall) are determined to reinvestigate the earlier case, seeing as it has some bearing on their current case. They discover all sorts of dirty and sad secrets, and author Nick Louth gives us an intricately constructed story which was suspenseful, occasionally shocking, and kept me guessing about parts of the case. The resolution was satisfying (even though I knew who the murderer was), and I am eager to read the next book in this new series, as I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Jan, Maddy, and Primrose.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Canelo for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Jan and her team have a hard task ahead of them, as evidence and people (whether the suspects or the investigative team) from the older crime are either missing, or no longer in the area, or deceased. And though the team is running ragged investigating, they manage to maintain a sense of humour.
Despite interference from the higher-ups, Jan and her brilliant team (DS Maddy Moran, Primrose Chen, DC Dave Nuttall) are determined to reinvestigate the earlier case, seeing as it has some bearing on their current case. They discover all sorts of dirty and sad secrets, and author Nick Louth gives us an intricately constructed story which was suspenseful, occasionally shocking, and kept me guessing about parts of the case. The resolution was satisfying (even though I knew who the murderer was), and I am eager to read the next book in this new series, as I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Jan, Maddy, and Primrose.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Canelo for this ARC in exchange for my review.
June 25, 2024
Overall I really enjoyed this novel. There were parts which weren’t as convincing as they could have been and I did struggle with the opening: the descriptions of the characters felt very clunky when they were first introduced. But the novel settled into itself and I found myself pretty gripped.
November 24, 2025
3.75 / 5.0
Great book from start to finish, a unique plot and storyline with a conundrum at the start of the ‘two deaths of Ruth Lyle’. It’s unpredictable and thrilling, heavy with the police procedures and detective work. It’s great to see a book take on a great plot I’ve not read before. There’s enough mystery and uncertainty that creates the consistent unpredictability which is hard to maintain throughout the book. I like the dynamic of the team and how natural the relationship of the team comes off, we also gain an insight into Jan Talantire personal struggles as she navigates her personal life. I would say there’s enough police politics (like office politics) in this book that it’s manageable but it’s borderline to a point where it becomes a tad unbearable.
The book centres around DI Jan Talantire where she is called out to a small cottage in Illfracombe to find a female occupant found dead impaled by a crucifix. The woman has been renting the house for a few months, and is known locally as Ruth Lyle, but Talantire knows this can’t be true. Why? Because 50 year ago a 16 year old Ruth Lyle was murdered, stabbed with a crucifix in the same location. Is it possible to be the same woman with all available information matching or is this a copycat killer, how can a women die twice?
Overall it’s a great solid read, a great book to get into!
Great book from start to finish, a unique plot and storyline with a conundrum at the start of the ‘two deaths of Ruth Lyle’. It’s unpredictable and thrilling, heavy with the police procedures and detective work. It’s great to see a book take on a great plot I’ve not read before. There’s enough mystery and uncertainty that creates the consistent unpredictability which is hard to maintain throughout the book. I like the dynamic of the team and how natural the relationship of the team comes off, we also gain an insight into Jan Talantire personal struggles as she navigates her personal life. I would say there’s enough police politics (like office politics) in this book that it’s manageable but it’s borderline to a point where it becomes a tad unbearable.
The book centres around DI Jan Talantire where she is called out to a small cottage in Illfracombe to find a female occupant found dead impaled by a crucifix. The woman has been renting the house for a few months, and is known locally as Ruth Lyle, but Talantire knows this can’t be true. Why? Because 50 year ago a 16 year old Ruth Lyle was murdered, stabbed with a crucifix in the same location. Is it possible to be the same woman with all available information matching or is this a copycat killer, how can a women die twice?
Overall it’s a great solid read, a great book to get into!
April 25, 2024
This perplexing crime thriller by the author of the brilliant DCI Craig Gillard series introduces a new main character, industrious North Devon detective Jan Talantire. I beta read this by private arrangement with the author in September 2023, then reread the final ARC version ahead of publication. My memory for plots is so poor that while I did remember the ingenious twist, I had completely forgotten who the baddie was so got to enjoy being bamboozled all over again!
When an elderly woman is brutally murdered in her own home, DI Talantire is shocked to discover that she shares a name with the teenage victim of an infamous murder in the small coastal town of Ilfracombe, who died exactly fifty years earlier - and in exactly the same way. Then they learn that the perpetrator was quietly released under a new name not long before, and has now gone missing, but the authorities are refusing to identify him, saying he has an alibi. Can Jan and her hardworking team solve the mystery of the two Ruths?
Nick Louth is one of the most deviously clever crime writers currently out there, and once more had me wondering what on earth was going on here. I thoroughly enjoyed both the mystery aspect - even if it did seem far-fetched - and the new characters, especially Jan, her mouthy sidekick, Maddy, and her serious IT whizz Primrose. There’s some snarky humour and funny puns, I loved the banter between the team. I’ve never been to that part of Devon so enjoyed looking at pictures on Google Maps to see what Ilfracombe and was happy to discover that the Verity statue described is real - and enormous!
As mentioned, I didn’t guess the perpetrator at all, and was very satisfied by the ending, so look forward to reading more about Jan’s adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is published on May 2nd.
When an elderly woman is brutally murdered in her own home, DI Talantire is shocked to discover that she shares a name with the teenage victim of an infamous murder in the small coastal town of Ilfracombe, who died exactly fifty years earlier - and in exactly the same way. Then they learn that the perpetrator was quietly released under a new name not long before, and has now gone missing, but the authorities are refusing to identify him, saying he has an alibi. Can Jan and her hardworking team solve the mystery of the two Ruths?
Nick Louth is one of the most deviously clever crime writers currently out there, and once more had me wondering what on earth was going on here. I thoroughly enjoyed both the mystery aspect - even if it did seem far-fetched - and the new characters, especially Jan, her mouthy sidekick, Maddy, and her serious IT whizz Primrose. There’s some snarky humour and funny puns, I loved the banter between the team. I’ve never been to that part of Devon so enjoyed looking at pictures on Google Maps to see what Ilfracombe and was happy to discover that the Verity statue described is real - and enormous!
As mentioned, I didn’t guess the perpetrator at all, and was very satisfied by the ending, so look forward to reading more about Jan’s adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is published on May 2nd.
May 25, 2024
I've read a lot of police procedural novels in my time and I have to say that this one had one of the most intriguing crimes.
Fifty years ago, a sixteen year old girl named Ruth Lyle was murdered in a Chapel in Infracombe, on the North Devon Coast. Now, a sixty-six year old woman named Ruth Lyle has been murdered in the same building (which has now been converted to an Air B&B). Not only that, but she was murdered with the same weapon, possessed the first Ruth's original birth certificate, and their dental records matched!
It is this intriguing and perplexing crime that DI Jan Talantire is tasked with solving.
I immediately liked Jan Talantire. In her late thirties, she has recently been separated from her husband, and is finding her personal life quite lonely. She is an avid runner and a devoted, diligent, and tenacious police officer. Her CID team, who work out of Barnstaple, were also quite personable and interesting and I look forward to hearing more about them in future books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the team's banter and appreciated their camaraderie during a stressful and baffling investigation. In particular, I liked Primrose Chen, the newest member of the team who is an expert at examining digital evidence.
The obvious ties to the first murder which took place fifty years previously sees Talantire and her team re-examining the cold case. With no DNA testing back then, and sketchy documentation, they are facing a difficult challenge.
All in all, "The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle" was an engrossing series debut. Nick Louth is a 'new-to-me' author, but now I am interested in reading his previous series featuring DCI Craig Gillard. Also, the second novel in the DI Jan Talantire series is due out later this year and is titled "The Last Ride".
Highly recommended to all fans of the police procedural sub-genre.
4.5 stars rounded up
Fifty years ago, a sixteen year old girl named Ruth Lyle was murdered in a Chapel in Infracombe, on the North Devon Coast. Now, a sixty-six year old woman named Ruth Lyle has been murdered in the same building (which has now been converted to an Air B&B). Not only that, but she was murdered with the same weapon, possessed the first Ruth's original birth certificate, and their dental records matched!
It is this intriguing and perplexing crime that DI Jan Talantire is tasked with solving.
I immediately liked Jan Talantire. In her late thirties, she has recently been separated from her husband, and is finding her personal life quite lonely. She is an avid runner and a devoted, diligent, and tenacious police officer. Her CID team, who work out of Barnstaple, were also quite personable and interesting and I look forward to hearing more about them in future books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the team's banter and appreciated their camaraderie during a stressful and baffling investigation. In particular, I liked Primrose Chen, the newest member of the team who is an expert at examining digital evidence.
The obvious ties to the first murder which took place fifty years previously sees Talantire and her team re-examining the cold case. With no DNA testing back then, and sketchy documentation, they are facing a difficult challenge.
All in all, "The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle" was an engrossing series debut. Nick Louth is a 'new-to-me' author, but now I am interested in reading his previous series featuring DCI Craig Gillard. Also, the second novel in the DI Jan Talantire series is due out later this year and is titled "The Last Ride".
Highly recommended to all fans of the police procedural sub-genre.
4.5 stars rounded up
April 13, 2024
A flying start to a new series. The plot line was very different to most “whodunnits” in the best possible way. It really grabbed my attention. Two murders fifty years apart, with the same weapon and bafflingly the same victim, but if this is the case, how is it possible? DI Talantire and her team are under pressure to find out.
The “religious” aspect of the story intrigued me because I always like a why, and the story unfolded brilliantly to give me the answer’s. I liked the fact that the female team members battled misogyny and racism, and spoke out about it, it felt like a natural but important part of the story, and I felt like I knew the team well by the end of the book.
There’s a major development in the case, that I can’t really go into without dropping major spoilers that initially didn’t sit very well with me, but it got there in the end, and was handled pretty sensitively. I’m looking forward to book 2 in the series.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator done a great job, the characters were easy to differentiate and she added great suspense to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.F Howes for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.
The “religious” aspect of the story intrigued me because I always like a why, and the story unfolded brilliantly to give me the answer’s. I liked the fact that the female team members battled misogyny and racism, and spoke out about it, it felt like a natural but important part of the story, and I felt like I knew the team well by the end of the book.
There’s a major development in the case, that I can’t really go into without dropping major spoilers that initially didn’t sit very well with me, but it got there in the end, and was handled pretty sensitively. I’m looking forward to book 2 in the series.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator done a great job, the characters were easy to differentiate and she added great suspense to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.F Howes for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2024
Intriguing mystery with many plot twists. I was enthralled
May 24, 2024
The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is the first book in the Detective Jan Talantire series by award-winning, best-selling British author, Nick Louth. Just as she‘s thinking her dating app might have got it right with Adam, Detective Inspector Jan Talantire has to abandon the date to attend a grisly murder scene. The victim, in her sixties, has apparently already been dead over forty-eight hours when the inexperienced constable arrives and unintentionally contaminates the scene.
“A blood-drenched woman was lying spreadeagled but fully dressed on a kitchen table, with six inches of a crude iron crucifix protruding from her chest.”
With the CSI team busy elsewhere, Jan processes the scene with what she has available, even improvising to help get a time-of-death estimate. But things quickly get strange when one of her older colleagues points out that the woman, whose belongings identify her as Ruth Lyle, has the same name, manner and date of death as a sixteen-year-old girl murdered in the same place, fifty years earlier. A copycat killing?
If that’s not puzzling enough, fingerprints and DNA at the scene and on the weapon have Jan and her team questioning whether the original weapon (surely secured in police evidence?) has been used in this crime. And when they learn that the youth jailed for the murder in 1974 has been released some months earlier, they wonder if this is a copycat, or a repeat.
Hindering their investigation is the fact that, fifty years on, they can’t locate the physical evidence: has it been stored somewhere, or discarded? The case files, too, are difficult to locate: not digitised; maybe stored amongst a mess of cardboard boxes full of old files in a storage facility; maybe thrown out. And then the pathologist delivers a bombshell about this Ruth Lyle discovered during the autopsy. And another when the dental expert offers his opinion: curiouser and curiouser!
Jan is lucky to have a very competent team at her disposal, although the roadblocks they encounter are frustrating, especially when higher-ups interfere, but they do some excellent detective work. At a certain point, though, “She was looking at the end of her career. She had ignored her boss, gone out on a limb to make a high-profile arrest, and now it was all rebounding horribly upon her.”
This first instalment features name changes and stolen identities, blackmail with Polaroids, theft of evidence, drugs, reputation-destroying secrets, phone tracking, and a huge volume of fingerprint and DNA analysis. There’s enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. Louth easily evokes his setting, and his characters and dialogue are thoroughly credible. More of this cast will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canelo Crime.
“A blood-drenched woman was lying spreadeagled but fully dressed on a kitchen table, with six inches of a crude iron crucifix protruding from her chest.”
With the CSI team busy elsewhere, Jan processes the scene with what she has available, even improvising to help get a time-of-death estimate. But things quickly get strange when one of her older colleagues points out that the woman, whose belongings identify her as Ruth Lyle, has the same name, manner and date of death as a sixteen-year-old girl murdered in the same place, fifty years earlier. A copycat killing?
If that’s not puzzling enough, fingerprints and DNA at the scene and on the weapon have Jan and her team questioning whether the original weapon (surely secured in police evidence?) has been used in this crime. And when they learn that the youth jailed for the murder in 1974 has been released some months earlier, they wonder if this is a copycat, or a repeat.
Hindering their investigation is the fact that, fifty years on, they can’t locate the physical evidence: has it been stored somewhere, or discarded? The case files, too, are difficult to locate: not digitised; maybe stored amongst a mess of cardboard boxes full of old files in a storage facility; maybe thrown out. And then the pathologist delivers a bombshell about this Ruth Lyle discovered during the autopsy. And another when the dental expert offers his opinion: curiouser and curiouser!
Jan is lucky to have a very competent team at her disposal, although the roadblocks they encounter are frustrating, especially when higher-ups interfere, but they do some excellent detective work. At a certain point, though, “She was looking at the end of her career. She had ignored her boss, gone out on a limb to make a high-profile arrest, and now it was all rebounding horribly upon her.”
This first instalment features name changes and stolen identities, blackmail with Polaroids, theft of evidence, drugs, reputation-destroying secrets, phone tracking, and a huge volume of fingerprint and DNA analysis. There’s enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. Louth easily evokes his setting, and his characters and dialogue are thoroughly credible. More of this cast will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canelo Crime.
July 27, 2024
I realize I'm an outlier here, but I did not like this book. The title and the premise make it sound so promising, but, for me, it just did not deliver. It's a few hours of reading I'll never get back and, all in all, I'd rather have read, and tried to pronounce, the ingredients list on ultraprocessed food packaging.
May 3, 2024
It’s a massive spoiler, but one of the key plot points is that a character is a Transwoman who transitions because of the influence of a significant death in their past. Utterly relying on the trans person is mentally ill trope. Just no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2025
Could have been better…
The characters have no hook, the dialogues is stilted & predictable, the locations are confusing to someone who lived in the area as some are real & some appear false and the story has a disappointing ending.
Jan Tallantire is a DI in the Devon & Cornwall force.
She is called in on a Saturday night to investigate a brutal murder in Ilfracombe.
Only the next day does she discover that the victim has the same name as a murder victim from exactly 50 years ago & that they were both killed by the same instrument in exactly the same place.
The story rolls along well enough, although some parts are very guessable, but with a change of “whodunnit” it could have been so much better - and there were several other potential killers on the periphery
The characters have no hook, the dialogues is stilted & predictable, the locations are confusing to someone who lived in the area as some are real & some appear false and the story has a disappointing ending.
Jan Tallantire is a DI in the Devon & Cornwall force.
She is called in on a Saturday night to investigate a brutal murder in Ilfracombe.
Only the next day does she discover that the victim has the same name as a murder victim from exactly 50 years ago & that they were both killed by the same instrument in exactly the same place.
The story rolls along well enough, although some parts are very guessable, but with a change of “whodunnit” it could have been so much better - and there were several other potential killers on the periphery
February 15, 2025
Probably a high 3 stars, maybe a 4 if it hadn’t taken me so long to read it (my fault). I really liked how different the plot was, I did like the randomness of it and it was v different to a usual murder book which is a breath of fresh air.
I didn’t loooove who the dark Angel was, I didn’t think he was an important enough character (forgot who he was when it was revealed). I think if it was Vaizey I would’ve liked it more. It made sense. I thought I would’ve hated how confused I got with the murder victims having the same name but I actually liked it because it kept me thinking all the time. The post-mortem reveal was good! As was the James Quince reveal! Liked how the whole band came together and all the characters were linked. Big up Maddy Jan and Primrose !!
Yeah ok I did like it. But not the best book in the world, an easy and enjoyable bit of entertainment
I didn’t loooove who the dark Angel was, I didn’t think he was an important enough character (forgot who he was when it was revealed). I think if it was Vaizey I would’ve liked it more. It made sense. I thought I would’ve hated how confused I got with the murder victims having the same name but I actually liked it because it kept me thinking all the time. The post-mortem reveal was good! As was the James Quince reveal! Liked how the whole band came together and all the characters were linked. Big up Maddy Jan and Primrose !!
Yeah ok I did like it. But not the best book in the world, an easy and enjoyable bit of entertainment
April 20, 2024
An excellent and very twisty police procedural set in Cornwall.
Ruth Lyle was murdered in the 1970s, aged 16 and her convicted killer has been released with a new identity.
When police detective Jan Talantire is called out to a murder scene, the victim is identified as… Ruth Lyle! How can this be?
What follows is a fascinating and well written investigation, which takes Jan and her team back to the original murder and has plenty of twists, I was completely gripped!
5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nick Louth and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Ruth Lyle was murdered in the 1970s, aged 16 and her convicted killer has been released with a new identity.
When police detective Jan Talantire is called out to a murder scene, the victim is identified as… Ruth Lyle! How can this be?
What follows is a fascinating and well written investigation, which takes Jan and her team back to the original murder and has plenty of twists, I was completely gripped!
5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nick Louth and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
April 18, 2024
A new series from Nick Louth. His new main character is Jan Tallantire, a detective working for Devon and Cornwall police and based in Barnstaple. A murder at a cottage in Ilfacombe appears to be a copycat killing of one that took place exactly fifty years ago. There are so many unexplained coincidences that the police are struggling to make sense of the crime.
As with Louth's previous series, the characters are well-defined and interesting. There are hints that there is more to the background of the main character with a promise of further developments to come.
This is an entertaining and gripping story with plenty of twists and surprises. My only gripe is that the guilty person confessed too readily at the end. Otherwise, a great new series.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
As with Louth's previous series, the characters are well-defined and interesting. There are hints that there is more to the background of the main character with a promise of further developments to come.
This is an entertaining and gripping story with plenty of twists and surprises. My only gripe is that the guilty person confessed too readily at the end. Otherwise, a great new series.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
July 13, 2024
4.5* A new series for this author and what an exceptional start. It is a well plotted, engaging police procedural that keeps your attention throughout. It is well paced with a cast of believable characters,which I hope will grow more as the series progresses. Looking forward to the next one
September 26, 2024
3.5 stars. Slightly more interesting than my usual mystery reads. Some goods twists in this.
March 25, 2025
A bit complicated in parts but very good mystery.
April 16, 2025
Enjoyed this. A nice murder mystery with some twists to keep you guessing
October 21, 2024
While I was entertained the trans representation ruined it for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2025
Honestly loved it, so early doors the chartered flowed really nicely. As the case progressed it had some seriously good twists and theories, I loved how the police would open discuss their thinking instead of just plucking a conviction from nowhere but the story of the case was seriously interesting.
Going to be a book I reccomend to people.
Going to be a book I reccomend to people.
June 9, 2024
This was fantastic, up until the last 10% of the book, the ending felt rushed with everything too neatly wrapped up to be believable.
January 20, 2025
Since discovering the British author Nick Louth last year I’ve been working my way steadily through his DCI Craig Gillard series, which I’ve really enjoyed. The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is the first book in a completely different series about Detective Jan Talantire. I listened to it as an e-audiobook on BorrowBox and it’s excellent! Clever, unexpected, and gripping.
The novel begins with the discovery of a woman’s body in a cottage in Ilfracombe, Devon. The victim (who had been renting the house for a few months) has been stabbed with an iron crucifix and is identified as Ruth Lyle. The trouble is that fifty years earlier, a sixteen-year-old girl with the same name had been murdered in exactly the same way in that exact location.
In order to solve the crime, DI Jan Talantire must, therefore, work out how the two murders can be connected, as well as the true identity of the most recent victim. Fairly early in the story there’s a very surprising twist, which makes it difficult to say much more without spoiling the plot for you. But as the police start digging all the evidence shows that the two crimes aren’t just connected, they are inextricably linked.
The two elements of the story – old and current cases – are dealt with very smoothly by Nick Louth and you never feel you’re bouncing back and forth in time as the story progresses. But of course, 50 years after the original murder the witnesses and involved parties are now very different characters, so there’s lots for Jan Talantire to untangle.
My verdict
The twist near the start of this novel turns everything upside down, and from that point onwards I couldn’t stop listening. When I started this I’d wondered if it could live up to the DCI Gillard series but it does. It’s a twisty and gripping plot that keeps you guessing all the way and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book (The Last Ride) which was published in November 2024. (It also looks as if there are three further titles in the pipeline, so Louth has obviously been working hard!)
I didn’t really feel that DI Jan Talantire leapt off the page as a fully-formed lead character, but then neither did Craig Gillard in the first book of that series. I suspect Nick Louth prefers to build his protagonists quite carefully. Of course the reader knows Talantire must have an interesting backstory that’s made her who she is, but you don’t need to worry about that too much at this stage. I’m expecting to find out more about her when I read the next book.
This is an excellent murder mystery, which feels bang up to date. The case is solved by good, solid police work. Nothing too flashy or unbelievable, just Talantire running down the clues to prove what happened, and why. And that made it really enjoyable to listen to, because there were no improbable leaps in the plot to contend with – things happened in a precise and methodical way. I guess you could describe it as good, old-fashioned storytelling. Whatever the case, I loved this and, if you enjoy police procedurals, I'd also highly recommend the Craig Gillard series.
Review by: Cornish Eskimo, Oundle Crime
The novel begins with the discovery of a woman’s body in a cottage in Ilfracombe, Devon. The victim (who had been renting the house for a few months) has been stabbed with an iron crucifix and is identified as Ruth Lyle. The trouble is that fifty years earlier, a sixteen-year-old girl with the same name had been murdered in exactly the same way in that exact location.
In order to solve the crime, DI Jan Talantire must, therefore, work out how the two murders can be connected, as well as the true identity of the most recent victim. Fairly early in the story there’s a very surprising twist, which makes it difficult to say much more without spoiling the plot for you. But as the police start digging all the evidence shows that the two crimes aren’t just connected, they are inextricably linked.
The two elements of the story – old and current cases – are dealt with very smoothly by Nick Louth and you never feel you’re bouncing back and forth in time as the story progresses. But of course, 50 years after the original murder the witnesses and involved parties are now very different characters, so there’s lots for Jan Talantire to untangle.
My verdict
The twist near the start of this novel turns everything upside down, and from that point onwards I couldn’t stop listening. When I started this I’d wondered if it could live up to the DCI Gillard series but it does. It’s a twisty and gripping plot that keeps you guessing all the way and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book (The Last Ride) which was published in November 2024. (It also looks as if there are three further titles in the pipeline, so Louth has obviously been working hard!)
I didn’t really feel that DI Jan Talantire leapt off the page as a fully-formed lead character, but then neither did Craig Gillard in the first book of that series. I suspect Nick Louth prefers to build his protagonists quite carefully. Of course the reader knows Talantire must have an interesting backstory that’s made her who she is, but you don’t need to worry about that too much at this stage. I’m expecting to find out more about her when I read the next book.
This is an excellent murder mystery, which feels bang up to date. The case is solved by good, solid police work. Nothing too flashy or unbelievable, just Talantire running down the clues to prove what happened, and why. And that made it really enjoyable to listen to, because there were no improbable leaps in the plot to contend with – things happened in a precise and methodical way. I guess you could describe it as good, old-fashioned storytelling. Whatever the case, I loved this and, if you enjoy police procedurals, I'd also highly recommend the Craig Gillard series.
Review by: Cornish Eskimo, Oundle Crime
April 27, 2024
Nick Louth kick starts his new crime series featuring his new North Devon protagonist, DI Jan Talantire with a breathtaking, bizarre, and strangest police thriller. I read the book and listened to this on audio, approximately just over 10 hours and 10 minutes long, and beautifully and compulsively narrated by Mandy Weston, who conveyed the drama and wide case of distinct characters with style. A lonely Jan is on that rarest of events in her life, given the paucity of suitable local men, a date, when she gets the phone call alerting her to a brutal murder in Ilfracombe of an elderly woman in her home. Little does she know she and her terrific close knit police team are embarking on the most twisted case she could ever imagine, as at the crime scene she creatively uses a kitchen meat thermometer to help in determining the time of death.
The victim is killed with the same MO, at the same place, a church, with the same weapon, same DNA forensics, of a 50 year old murder, of 16 year old Ruth Lyle, and weirdly, the name of the latest victim is impossibly Ruth Lyle too! There is much banter and humour in Jan's team, desperately required given the challenges and obstacles they are to face from the police hierarchy and the slippery nature of the perpetrators of the crime. This includes DS Maddy Moran, married to the hopeless artist, Neville, with 3 children, recent Met arrival, digital detective, Primrose Chen, DC Dave Nuttall, and it would be remiss of me to leave out the standout night DI Richard Lockhart, aka The Prince of Darkness, and Dr Crippen, the coffee dispenser. The old original case notes and physical evidence are missing, and the special needs teen who had been convicted of the crime has just been released under a new name.
Jan and the team must re-investigate the old case to find answers to their latest murder inquiry. Louth's headspinning plotting is thrillingly eye opening and will keep readers on their toes as they try to figure out precisely what is going on this gripping, insane mystery of the 2 Ruth Lyall murders, separated by 50 years. There are riveting twists and turns galore before the satisfying final reveals, although sure, you will have to suspend your sense of disbelief, but it is so worth it. Cannot recommend this enough to fans of the crime and mystery genre, in either format, both the book and audio are wonderful. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC and to WF Howes Ltd for the ALC.
The victim is killed with the same MO, at the same place, a church, with the same weapon, same DNA forensics, of a 50 year old murder, of 16 year old Ruth Lyle, and weirdly, the name of the latest victim is impossibly Ruth Lyle too! There is much banter and humour in Jan's team, desperately required given the challenges and obstacles they are to face from the police hierarchy and the slippery nature of the perpetrators of the crime. This includes DS Maddy Moran, married to the hopeless artist, Neville, with 3 children, recent Met arrival, digital detective, Primrose Chen, DC Dave Nuttall, and it would be remiss of me to leave out the standout night DI Richard Lockhart, aka The Prince of Darkness, and Dr Crippen, the coffee dispenser. The old original case notes and physical evidence are missing, and the special needs teen who had been convicted of the crime has just been released under a new name.
Jan and the team must re-investigate the old case to find answers to their latest murder inquiry. Louth's headspinning plotting is thrillingly eye opening and will keep readers on their toes as they try to figure out precisely what is going on this gripping, insane mystery of the 2 Ruth Lyall murders, separated by 50 years. There are riveting twists and turns galore before the satisfying final reveals, although sure, you will have to suspend your sense of disbelief, but it is so worth it. Cannot recommend this enough to fans of the crime and mystery genre, in either format, both the book and audio are wonderful. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC and to WF Howes Ltd for the ALC.
May 5, 2024
This started off so well. A woman in her mid-sixties called Mrs Ruth Lyle is found stabbed to death with a crucifix, in her cottage in Ilfracombe. Aha! A crucifix! That sounds just up my street. I love a gory murder with religious undertones. Like the TV series Messiah in the 2000s.
But this murder is far more complex than a religion-obsessed lunatic on the loose. Because in 1973, a teenager named Ruth Lyle was stabbed to death – you guessed it – with a crucifix in exactly the same location. Except it wasn’t an Airbnb called Bluebird Cottage back then. It was known as The Dimpsy Chapel, previously St James Without (in other words St Philip and St James minus the Philip).
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire of the Devon and Cornwall police is in charge of the investigation. We are also introduced to her team – DS Maddy Moran, DC Dave Nuttall, new digital evidence officer Primrose Chen and DI Richard Lockhart, known as The Prince of Darkness because he always works the night shift. I expect they will all feature in the next book.
In 1973, Gawain Entwistle, a fifteen-year-old with learning difficulties, was sentenced to life for Ruth’s grisly murder. He has recently been released under a new, secret identity and lives miles away in the north of England, so did he return to commit the second murder? Jan doubts it, but many disagree with her.
There are a lot of characters in the book, a lot of red herrings, and a lot of suspects. It’s all quite complicated, with a huge twist, which we would never have guessed, and another which we all worked out. Pigeonhole readers that is. We read it together in ten ‘staves’ over ten days, so we got to play amateur detective.
And what a corker it could have been, if in the last ‘stave’ we weren’t given the entire explanation in a convenient confession. While it means you know exactly what happened, it’s not a plot device that I like. I also found it a bit dated at times compared to some of the new authors that I mainly read. However, I still enjoyed it immensely and the story was very interesting and clever.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
But this murder is far more complex than a religion-obsessed lunatic on the loose. Because in 1973, a teenager named Ruth Lyle was stabbed to death – you guessed it – with a crucifix in exactly the same location. Except it wasn’t an Airbnb called Bluebird Cottage back then. It was known as The Dimpsy Chapel, previously St James Without (in other words St Philip and St James minus the Philip).
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire of the Devon and Cornwall police is in charge of the investigation. We are also introduced to her team – DS Maddy Moran, DC Dave Nuttall, new digital evidence officer Primrose Chen and DI Richard Lockhart, known as The Prince of Darkness because he always works the night shift. I expect they will all feature in the next book.
In 1973, Gawain Entwistle, a fifteen-year-old with learning difficulties, was sentenced to life for Ruth’s grisly murder. He has recently been released under a new, secret identity and lives miles away in the north of England, so did he return to commit the second murder? Jan doubts it, but many disagree with her.
There are a lot of characters in the book, a lot of red herrings, and a lot of suspects. It’s all quite complicated, with a huge twist, which we would never have guessed, and another which we all worked out. Pigeonhole readers that is. We read it together in ten ‘staves’ over ten days, so we got to play amateur detective.
And what a corker it could have been, if in the last ‘stave’ we weren’t given the entire explanation in a convenient confession. While it means you know exactly what happened, it’s not a plot device that I like. I also found it a bit dated at times compared to some of the new authors that I mainly read. However, I still enjoyed it immensely and the story was very interesting and clever.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
June 3, 2024
I liked this book and the characters enough to seek out the second one in the series. The main character was sympathetic and the interaction was credible. I liked some of the plot twists and, as I read it over about four hours, I’d have to say it’s a page-turner.
I agree with some other reviews that the ending was a bit too convenient. I think one of the things most of us love about a good detective story is that you get to figure it out as you read so that when the denouement comes you have that really satisfying “Oh of course!” moment and maybe I missed the signs but I think it more likely that they were absent so the ending and the big reveal all felt a bit unsatisfactory.
Annoyingly, there were a couple of inconsistencies that a copy editor should have picked up on. One was that in one chapter, it seems important to mention that a character is photographed with grandchildren. Two chapters on, the same character, who is in his sixties, goes home to see his children doing their homework and later on the children are mentioned again but there is no further mention of grand children. I know none of that is impossible, but it felt careless rather than deliberate. Another central character is referred to at one point as having been a “middle-aged woman” when something occurred when in reality she would have been about 21! It’s not a big deal; I find things like that jarring but not completely off-putting.Hopefully this author’s other books are a bit more detail-focused.
I agree with some other reviews that the ending was a bit too convenient. I think one of the things most of us love about a good detective story is that you get to figure it out as you read so that when the denouement comes you have that really satisfying “Oh of course!” moment and maybe I missed the signs but I think it more likely that they were absent so the ending and the big reveal all felt a bit unsatisfactory.
Annoyingly, there were a couple of inconsistencies that a copy editor should have picked up on. One was that in one chapter, it seems important to mention that a character is photographed with grandchildren. Two chapters on, the same character, who is in his sixties, goes home to see his children doing their homework and later on the children are mentioned again but there is no further mention of grand children. I know none of that is impossible, but it felt careless rather than deliberate. Another central character is referred to at one point as having been a “middle-aged woman” when something occurred when in reality she would have been about 21! It’s not a big deal; I find things like that jarring but not completely off-putting.Hopefully this author’s other books are a bit more detail-focused.
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