The Bala Lake Killings : A Snowdonia Murder Mystery

by Simon McCleave

There's no place to hide...A local MP is murdered by a far-right extremist gang in Snowdonia. DI Ruth Hunter and DS Nick Evans arrest one of the killers, Raymond Clarke, who agrees to give evidence if he and his family are taken into protective custody. Ruth is sure they'll be out of harm's way in the remote wilds near Bala Lake.

But the location of the safe house is leaked and Clarke's family is kidnapped.

Ruth and her team must pursue the gang across North Wales and work out where the leak came from before it's too late.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep you reading into the early hours. Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, JM Dalgliesh and LJ Ross.

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 27, 2025

Reviews

[Karen Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A local MP is shot at during an event. He dies. His death is attributed to British Action, a far-right terrorist group.
The Team are under pressure to find the killer, who has been on the run since the attack. Known to have links to some very dubious people, it’s clear that time is of the essence.
It’s hard to recreate such an event authentically, and there did seem to be a lot of time spent focusing on characters waiting around. Some drama ensues as the man ready to talk is put under pressure to withdraw his cooperation.
Left on a suitable tense moment suggesting where the next book’s focus might be.

[J Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult case for Ruth Hunter and her team.
This is Simon McCleave's 22nd Ruth Hunter novel.Despite that, the series shows no signs of staleness. He continues to comes up with interesting new scenarios whilst giving readers plenty of excitement, shocks, development of the regular characters and beautiful descriptions of the North Wales landscape.
These books always seem to read like screenplay to me, and this one is no exception. This time there's a lot in interaction with other police forces, special teams and security organisations, and there is a surprising ending.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nail biting, full of mystery, read

This book kept me guessing all of the way, I couldn’t put it down until I reached the end of the book. An excellent read if you are looking for an exciting mystery story.

[Lisa Tabon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book either needs a better editor or stop using ChatGPT. Names are wrong, story lines introduced early are changed in later chapters, the exact same text is used in several places. What is going on with this writer?

[Valerie Douthwaite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Simon I have read all the Ruth Hunter series and never been disappointed. They're great page turners and have already ordered the Liverpool Killings. Being careful not to type any spoilers

[Patricia Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read

I missed a Ruth and crew this was great read leading up to some future stories I believe. You gotta love these folks…..

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one bites the dust!

Simon McCleave doesn't just write books. He writes edible books. I have spent the past few hours consuming every word in The Bala Lake Killings.

Ruth Hunter and her team never fail to grab my attention from page one; and none of these books reads like the last. There is always a new take on the type of cases they work on and the horrors they have to deal with.

The Bala Lake Killings starts with the assassinaton of a politician at a rally. The perpetrators are part of a far right group.

The book brings in Counter Terrorism, Witness Protection, Armed Response Units, kidnapping, cross border cooperation but sadly no dog units!

There is an obvious leak from within. Ruth is torn apart trying to find out who is passing on so much information. How could her colleagues not be trusted.

The answer is one of Simon's best thought out surprises.

I'd count this a winner as only one of the team is shot and about to leave hospital as the book ends. Or is she?

[sally hawkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Errors with characters names

Sorry, but the mix up with names etc, ruined it for me. Did this get proof read? It distracted so much from the enjoyment of reading that I had to give up after 30%.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one .

[Georgina Shackleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novel as one expects of Simon.

Great characters great descriptions of North Wales and other parts of the country. A great twist at the end of the novel

[Susan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series but the name inconsistencies really drive me insane as well as the over use of the word sardonically.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

exceptional, as always

[Alex Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint. I almost read it in one sitting but had to eat. Fast paced and a cracking storyline. Can't wait for the next installment.