A Guardian Angel

DCI Boyd #13

by Alex Scarrow

A fire amid the historical 'net huts' of Hastings' fishing village, Rock A' Nore - a local tourist attraction - exposes the mummified remains of a small and unidentifiable body that may well have been concealed inside for quite some time.

Is this the body of an unfortunate rough sleeper? An overdosed drug addict? A desperate and nameless immigrant... or, an unresolved misper sitting on East Sussex Police Force's LEDS database?

Boyd takes on the case, determined to put a name and a face to the pitiful remains of a person who surely must once have been loved by someone.

Genres: Crime

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2025

About the author

I live a nomadic existence with my wife Frances, and son Jacob. For now we're living in Norwich. I spent the first 10 years out of college in the music business chasing record deals and the next 12 years in the computer games business as a graphic artist and eventually a games designer. For those of you who like their computer games, here's some of the titles I've worked on:
Waterworld, Evolva, The Thing, Spartan, Gates of Troy, Legion Arena
Since signing up as an author with Orion, I seem to spend most of my time hunched over my laptop in various cafes and coffee bars sipping lattes, tapping keys and watching the ebb and flow of shoppers outside on the street. As I write this, I'm awaiting the launch of my next book - the sequel to , LAST LIGHT, and getting ready to find a publisher for the first book in a separate series, ELLIE QUIN. Ahead of me, lies research work for my next thriller, and also some screenplays I'm looking forward to writing. Although I'm glad to be where I am now, I do occasionally kick myself for not having succumbed to the writing bug much earlier. But then we all just muddle along through life, don't we? There's rarely a plan.
-Source: http://www.scarrow.co.uk/page9.html

Reviews

[Andrew Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story ruined

Loved the story, very cleverly put together. But, fuck me, the number of typos 😬🧐🤬 Please hire someone (I am available!) for future books because that was deplorable.

[Katrina Ferrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story telling apart from the distractions of the typos. I would have given it a 5* but for that and the fact that I didn't really understand the ending unfortunately. It was made clear that the mummified body had been identified... Am I missing something?

[Siân Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The amount of spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes in this book is insane! How have they been missed?! Repeated words and phrases…took away from the actual book which is a shame. That being said, it’s an easy read and I’ve loved following Boyd’s story.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After events in the last book, we're back in the UK this time. Minter is in charge of the investigation into the discovery of a dead body in a burnt hut, while Boyd has to identify a man who jumped in front of a train.

While I enjoyed the last book , this feels like a return to form. The usual characters are all here and we have a new detective to meet. While Boyd is not involved in Minter's investigation , I liked how it was crafted to bring him into it albeit more closely than I could have imagined. It was an eye opener into his younger self. Overall the story is a sad but riveting tale which did make me think deeper as the book came to an end and we learn the truth. I loved it.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this story begins, DS Samantha Okeke continues to worry about her boyfriend Jay after his adventures in the USA and is hoping he will somehow make it home soon. Boyd is still concerned for daughter Emma’s ex-boyfriend who is clearly troubled and has been missing for several days. Every report of an unidentified body has him dreading that it might be Dan. A strange new case comes in for the detectives. Four of the sixteenth century fishing net huts at Rock-a-Nore which should have been locked up have been destroyed by a fire and shockingly the mummified body of a woman is discovered among the ashes. She didn’t perish in the fire but more likely died a year ago. As well as finding out who she is and how she died, the team of detectives at East Sussex CID in Hastings comprising DCI William Boyd, DI Steven Minter and DCs Eddie Warren and Ravindra Rajan, and their newest recruit, DC Alex Goh, also have to investigate the suicide of a man who jumped in front of a train the day after the fire. Could these cases possibly be connected? Running alongside this is the story of a newly qualified Met PC, Alison Jones, who became a national treasure in 1999 after single handedly tackling a gunman. As she lay dying in the street she remembers being saved by a scruffy angel. Who was the mysterious Beanie and what happened to him? How did Alison fall from grace so badly? As Boyd’s team work to identify their two bodies, the inspector finds himself being dragged back to a tragic time in his own life.
This is a great really twisty story with multiple timelines and different threads being cleverly woven together. There is a slower pace to this story than in some of the others in the series, with less grisly murders and action and much more by the way of historical accounts, some of them extremely sad and touching. Boyd has a real crisis of conscience as we continue to learn about the man and his life, even after 12 previous stories there are some surprises to be had. I really liked DC Goh, who worked in US law enforcement before coming to the UK and starting again at the bottom. She clearly has no shortage of confidence and experience, and she makes a great addition to the team. I’m definitely looking forward to Book 14, Let’s Play!

[Lesley]

4.25-4.5⭐️

DCI Boyd book 13

I enjoy this series as the character relationships are as interesting as the crimes to be solved.
I skipped the last book as the US setting didn’t appeal to me, so I have no idea if there’s any open threads from that book going into this one. There are three threads which don’t appear to be connected. The main thread is that of Alison a police officer.

There’s a new member of the team DC Goh, was doesn’t come across as very likeable.
Okeke is mostly absent from the team.
I liked the inclusion of some local myths, although no idea if they are real or not.
There’s a throw back to Covid restrictions.

I really enjoyed that this book was very character driven, we got good depth of character especially for Alison. I really enjoyed it.

I had this book for free.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, it is rarely that a book reduces me to tears but this one certainly did! The DCI Boyd series is up with the best in the crime fiction genre for the writing, plotting and characterisation. Boyd is very believable as a character and this latest read delves more into his younger self, as well as a new character being introduced to the team. The plotting is so good with it's different threads and tension throughout and my heart went through the wringer with Alison! This is my best read of the year and one I can highly recommend to lovers of crime fiction, but start with the first in the series if you haven't already discovered it. I can't wait to find out what is next in store for Boyd, his team and his family.

[angela holdcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

A national hero, or a killer cop?
When PC Alison Jones is shot in London, her 'guardian angel' comes to her rescue. Who is he? Has she imagined him?
Hailed as a national hero, Alison then faces life changing accusations, and yet again, when she needs him most, that same guardian angel comes to her rescue.
Meanwhile, in Hastings, a fisherman's hut fire reveals a mummified body of a woman, and Boyd attends a suicide on the rail lines. With the grisly find, Boyd becomes increasingly worried it could be Dan, the missing father of his grandchild.
This book is quite an emotional roller coaster of a ride, as the detectives unravel the sad life of the Jane Doe, which affects Boyd on a very personal level. Very cleverly written, and well worth the wait!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guardian Angel by Alex Scarrow is book 13 in the DCI Boyd series. There are a few different threads through the story. One of them is PC Alison Jones being shot while on duty having only just finished her probationary period. Another thread is the body found in one of the 4 historic net huts burnt to the ground. We also have another body on the railway tracks. These threads weave their way through the story, and what a great story it is. We have humour, tragedy and murder. It’s a twisty read and it makes you think. This is set in Hastings mainly and the characters are a wonderful part of this great series.

[M R B Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

Boyd has his past creep up on him. An ex PC who has had difficult times following a lone attempt to arrest a murderer and gets shot. But the murderer is also shot and dies. The PC tried to make amends, but time has moved on. The sequence of events are finally revealed.

[Loretta Moulpied · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guardian Angel

I really enjoyed this, not what I expected at all so many twists. Alisons story being unveiled gradually as the investigation progressed kept me riveted. I started it early Sunday morning and only put it down to have breakfast.
Best book I've read for ages.

[Deb Khoriaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs better editing!

Looked forward to this book for several months. The plot was okay but the editing was horrible. There are missing words, words out of context in a sentence and duplicated phrases. Impacts the narrative and makes the story uneven and hard to read.

[kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite so far! Boyd is back in this book, with a twist I didn't see coming. The plot had me in all sorts of emotions and was very well written. We meet a new character in this book however I didn't warm to her at all, is she going to be good or bad, I'm looking forward to finding out.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Yet

This was a rollercoaster. What a convoluted tale and a real "can't out it down".
I have enjoyed this series but this one kept me up late reading. Bring on more like this.

[edward fillingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Well worth the wait, enjoyed every page.
The two stories entwined and running side by side is fantastic.
Keeps the suspense till the end when all is revealed.
Fabulous series,looking forward to the next one and catching up with Boyd and the rest of his team.

[Karen McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant read

It is another great book in the series. Highly recommended, but read the series in order for the back story

[Coralene Davies Ynwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Another amazing read from Alex . Loved the concept and the way it all came together. Great message for your readers at the beginning, I'm with you x

[David Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

Boyd is Back and this is Possibly His most intriguing story . Past catches up with the Present and it is one of My very favourite Boyd Stories.

[mrs jill a phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best of this series - I thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't like the last one which I think made the mistake of taking the story too far away from the series locus and main characters.

[Andrew White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best yet. This book actually transcends the crime fiction genre in my opinion. I’m usually good at working out plot twists, but this one suprised me (twice)!

[kevin appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

another Classic

Love this series i wish the books were longer as I read them too quickly, not 100% sure on the ending I think it could have used a bit more explaining

[Kerrie Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, loved how it all came together.

[Irene Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book in the series. Loved the way it was written and absolutely loved the ending. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

[Sallie Greenhalgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guardian Angel by Alex Scarrow

This latest instalment in the DCI Boyd series takes us back over a decade, following Boyd and former Met officer Alison Jones as they revisit old wounds and unanswered questions. Boyd is still searching for his daughter’s ex-partner, whose mysterious disappearance raises serious concerns for his welfare.

As always, Alex Scarrow delivers a tightly written, twist-filled story that kept me guessing right to the end — I genuinely didn’t see the conclusion coming. It was great to return to the familiar setting of the South Coast after our detour to the US in the previous novel, though there are still lingering worries about Jay’s future that keep the emotional stakes high.

A fab read — gripping, emotional, and full of surprises. I’m already looking forward to the next one!