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Summer Suspense Mysteries #5
The Lizard
There’s nothing so deadly as the sea, and the man who survives it . . .
Bryher Enys is the proud owner of Cornwall's newest restaurant, Panorama.
When she isn't whipping up culinary feasts, she volunteers with the local lifeboat crew — a tight-knit team who regularly risk their lives to save others.
With no immediate plans to settle down, life is pretty much perfect.
Until one stormy night, when a distress signal shatters the calm. A luxury yacht is going down fast, and Bryher joins the rescue.
Too late to save the vessel, they search the raging seas for survivors — but find only one...
A man with no name, no memory and the power to turn her world upside down.
Bryher Enys is the proud owner of Cornwall's newest restaurant, Panorama.
When she isn't whipping up culinary feasts, she volunteers with the local lifeboat crew — a tight-knit team who regularly risk their lives to save others.
With no immediate plans to settle down, life is pretty much perfect.
Until one stormy night, when a distress signal shatters the calm. A luxury yacht is going down fast, and Bryher joins the rescue.
Too late to save the vessel, they search the raging seas for survivors — but find only one...
A man with no name, no memory and the power to turn her world upside down.
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2026
About the author
L.J. Ross
44 books3,808 followersLJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide.
Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, a further eighteen of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.
Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.
The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.
In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries.
Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.
To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.
If you would like to connect with LJ Ross, she would be very happy to hear from you:
https://www.facebook.com/LJRossAuthor
https://twitter.com/ljross_author
www.lovesuspense.com
lj_ross@outlook.com
Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, a further eighteen of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.
Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.
The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.
In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries.
Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.
To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.
If you would like to connect with LJ Ross, she would be very happy to hear from you:
https://www.facebook.com/LJRossAuthor
https://twitter.com/ljross_author
www.lovesuspense.com
lj_ross@outlook.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
August 5, 2026
Underwhelmed
I am a huge LJR fan and have loved all her books. This one, however, left me a bit cold. Despite being a decent enough story, it never really grabbed me. It does prove she is human and that I am not a sycophant.
I am a huge LJR fan and have loved all her books. This one, however, left me a bit cold. Despite being a decent enough story, it never really grabbed me. It does prove she is human and that I am not a sycophant.
August 4, 2026
Deserved a one star, but I’m loyal to Miss LJ, so she earned another for that. But really, poor plot & writing, and just plain ridiculous at times.
August 13, 2026
The front cover gets a 4.5* because it's lovely.
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.
A few errors in the writing... An alright story line but felt like there was definitely something missing. Maybe I prefer the "who done it" vibe...
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.
A few errors in the writing... An alright story line but felt like there was definitely something missing. Maybe I prefer the "who done it" vibe...
August 16, 2026
3.5 stars, not the usual LJRoss read. It was very slow at the start and lacked real excitement.
August 3, 2026
My least favourite of all her books
August 19, 2026
This Summer Suspense Mysteries series is all encompassing in the warm glow of Cornwall. Read these and you want to be there. This #5 The Lizard follows a successful formula with great characters and a wholesome plot, full of suspense and a somewhat delayed love story. Well, it had to have one.
An individual saved from the sea when a large yacht gets into serious trouble and founders. He cannot remember anything not even his name, nor the beautiful woman Bryher Enys, a member of the lifeboat crew (apart from running a Michelin star restaurant) with whom he had a love affair when they lived in London (some coincidence, huh?) before he disappeared without trace or further contact. In the following two years Bryher has moved back to Cornwall and achieved huge success with The Panorama restaurant.
Whilst the stranger - they call him Patrick - needs help to carry on, hoping his memory will return, Bryher offers him a temporary job in her restaurant, strongly suspecting he was her lover of two years previous. Many characteristics remind her so much of him.
What occurs is a story of derring-do, suspense, MI6, secret service and the inevitable villains.
Definitely worth a punt. I hope that there will be another in this series.
An individual saved from the sea when a large yacht gets into serious trouble and founders. He cannot remember anything not even his name, nor the beautiful woman Bryher Enys, a member of the lifeboat crew (apart from running a Michelin star restaurant) with whom he had a love affair when they lived in London (some coincidence, huh?) before he disappeared without trace or further contact. In the following two years Bryher has moved back to Cornwall and achieved huge success with The Panorama restaurant.
Whilst the stranger - they call him Patrick - needs help to carry on, hoping his memory will return, Bryher offers him a temporary job in her restaurant, strongly suspecting he was her lover of two years previous. Many characteristics remind her so much of him.
What occurs is a story of derring-do, suspense, MI6, secret service and the inevitable villains.
Definitely worth a punt. I hope that there will be another in this series.
August 19, 2026
this book was INCREDIBLE!!! i LOVED this book so much!! i was so excited to dive back into the series with these characters and this book did NOT disappoint!!
the story from start to finish was so engaging and interesting i didn’t want to put it down!!!
the plot line was VERY twisty and i loved the story development through the story!!
this book was so fast paced and got straight to it from chapter 1!! i REALLY enjoyed this book!!!
i HIGHLY recommend it and i cannot WAIT to read more from LJ Ross!!!
the story from start to finish was so engaging and interesting i didn’t want to put it down!!!
the plot line was VERY twisty and i loved the story development through the story!!
this book was so fast paced and got straight to it from chapter 1!! i REALLY enjoyed this book!!!
i HIGHLY recommend it and i cannot WAIT to read more from LJ Ross!!!
November 2, 2026
I always enjoy an L J Ross book and this was no exception. A page turner full of drama and interesting characters. From a cooking course to a romance, the opening of a restaurant to a ship wreck. Characters with a number of identities and a police duo, with some light hearted humour to balance the mystery. My only criticism was the use of memory loss which was sometimes inconsistent perhaps to enable the story to move on.
October 16, 2026
This started well as a coastal romance, then morphed to a predictable plot line mystery with unconvincing characters.
September 24, 2026
Quite refreshing to read a mystery after a lot of thrillers!
August 5, 2026
3 stars is being generous. Not sure where the suspense was or any romance. It was more the Nell and Sophie show rather than the main characters. Might as well start reading from 50% in as it gets into second gear at 80%. And you still wouldn't miss much. The banter between Sophie and Alex was the best thing about the book.
A shame because the author started off so well, but the last few books she has written have been really shockingly disappointing. I feel she maybe needs to take a year or two away from writing and reread her first couple of books and then create better storylines instead of churning out half hearted ones every year. As she has a big loyal audience her books are generally highly rated but they aren't that good any more. I feel bad for anyone who paid more than 2.99 for this book.
A shame because the author started off so well, but the last few books she has written have been really shockingly disappointing. I feel she maybe needs to take a year or two away from writing and reread her first couple of books and then create better storylines instead of churning out half hearted ones every year. As she has a big loyal audience her books are generally highly rated but they aren't that good any more. I feel bad for anyone who paid more than 2.99 for this book.
September 2, 2026
CONTAINS SPOILERS
This is the 5th in the author's summer series, set in Cornwall, and definitely the worst, in fact a couple of times it nearly hit the wall.....2 years ago, Bryher was a professional chef, and whilst teaching in London she had a brief romance with a man called David, who's one of her students, until one day he suddenly leaves, with no explanation at all. She is devastated but rebuilds her life and when we meet her again in the present day, on the opening night of her new restaurant in Cornwall, her pager goes off, because, as well as being a top chef, she's also a lifeboat volunteer and, as with all of Ross's characters, is an all round super woman. The call is to a luxury yacht in trouble, but by the time the crew get there it's obvious there's not much left of the yacht, until a possible body is spotted in the water. Naturally Bryher is the one to launch herself and rescue the man, and I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that she recognises him as her lost love. He's lost his memory though, so once he's recovered in hospital the police decide it's best to let him stay in the village, so Bryher, of course, gives him a job in her restaurant, while the police have asked her if she can gently coax some memories from him. And when the lifeboat is called out to another rescue, naturally he comes with them, despite having no training, though hey, guess who dives in to help Bryher when she gets into difficulties, rescues her, and then carries her back up the cliffside in his big strong arms. It gets more ludicrous as it goes on, and I not only suspended disbelief but basically threw it out of the window under a passing bus....I know these books are meant to be light reads and that's fine, but this one is so far-fetched it makes James Bond look believable. I had suspected the true nature of the Mystery Man's background, and when I discovered I was right the book nearly flew, but I carried on to see how much dafter it could get, and the final showdown is totally unconvincing, including members of the public turning up armed with rifles (licenced but still) to help the police, including shooting a suspect. As usual, the good characters are one stop short of sainthood, which is a cloying feature of all her books.
She's now signed a mega deal with Penguin, of which this is the first release, but to be honest I don't think a new author would get a book deal based on this book alone, but she's a guaranteed bestseller so they know they're onto a winner, fair enough and good for her. But I'd have thought Penguin could at least afford a proper proof reader, or someone to check the final proofs, as there are lots of extra words, and words missed out , and in one scene the character name changes to another character, who isn't even in that scene. The cover is lovely though.
This is definitely her weakest series, her best series is the DCI Ryan series (now in it's low 20s) but that too can be eye-rollingly unbelievable at times, and there's also the Alex Gregory series, featuring a psycho analyst who's basically a clone of Ryan, who appears occasionally, and seems to have authority all over the world.
4/10
This is the 5th in the author's summer series, set in Cornwall, and definitely the worst, in fact a couple of times it nearly hit the wall.....2 years ago, Bryher was a professional chef, and whilst teaching in London she had a brief romance with a man called David, who's one of her students, until one day he suddenly leaves, with no explanation at all. She is devastated but rebuilds her life and when we meet her again in the present day, on the opening night of her new restaurant in Cornwall, her pager goes off, because, as well as being a top chef, she's also a lifeboat volunteer and, as with all of Ross's characters, is an all round super woman. The call is to a luxury yacht in trouble, but by the time the crew get there it's obvious there's not much left of the yacht, until a possible body is spotted in the water. Naturally Bryher is the one to launch herself and rescue the man, and I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that she recognises him as her lost love. He's lost his memory though, so once he's recovered in hospital the police decide it's best to let him stay in the village, so Bryher, of course, gives him a job in her restaurant, while the police have asked her if she can gently coax some memories from him. And when the lifeboat is called out to another rescue, naturally he comes with them, despite having no training, though hey, guess who dives in to help Bryher when she gets into difficulties, rescues her, and then carries her back up the cliffside in his big strong arms. It gets more ludicrous as it goes on, and I not only suspended disbelief but basically threw it out of the window under a passing bus....I know these books are meant to be light reads and that's fine, but this one is so far-fetched it makes James Bond look believable. I had suspected the true nature of the Mystery Man's background, and when I discovered I was right the book nearly flew, but I carried on to see how much dafter it could get, and the final showdown is totally unconvincing, including members of the public turning up armed with rifles (licenced but still) to help the police, including shooting a suspect. As usual, the good characters are one stop short of sainthood, which is a cloying feature of all her books.
She's now signed a mega deal with Penguin, of which this is the first release, but to be honest I don't think a new author would get a book deal based on this book alone, but she's a guaranteed bestseller so they know they're onto a winner, fair enough and good for her. But I'd have thought Penguin could at least afford a proper proof reader, or someone to check the final proofs, as there are lots of extra words, and words missed out , and in one scene the character name changes to another character, who isn't even in that scene. The cover is lovely though.
This is definitely her weakest series, her best series is the DCI Ryan series (now in it's low 20s) but that too can be eye-rollingly unbelievable at times, and there's also the Alex Gregory series, featuring a psycho analyst who's basically a clone of Ryan, who appears occasionally, and seems to have authority all over the world.
4/10
August 9, 2026
I have read all of the Summer Suspense Mysteries and really enjoy their Cornish based setting, with the rugged coastlines, sparkling seas and beautiful sunshine lending a serene backdrop to these mystery stories.
Whilst this can be read as a standalone novel, there are characters in this story who have appeared in the previous novels and if you read them in order it gives you extra details about the characters of the town that our main character Bryher meets along her journey.
We start The Lizard meeting Bryher, a chef training people to be executive chefs when she feels a connection to one of the students, leading to a hot and passionate romance that leaves her burnt.
Licking her wounds Bryher takes up a chef position in Cornwall near The Lizard peninsula and throws herself into her craft and her community, where she also volunteers for the local RNLI team.
I have visited The Lizard peninsula, full of high, dramatic cliffs and rough, wild and beautiful coast, so it was very easy to place myself with Bryher and the community. One night a call comes in that there has been a shipwreck with one person reported alive, the team race to get to them but Bryher realises she recognises them from her past.
The Lizard is another suspenseful page turner from LJ Ross, I loved returning to familiar characters and learning about a new member of the community and felt a lot of empathy for Bryher and her journey. It wasn't my favourite novel from the summer suspense series as at times I felt I had to suspend my belief a tad too far, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it as I did, just the others in the series have felt more rooted in circumstances I could see myself in. Its a great summer read.
Whilst this can be read as a standalone novel, there are characters in this story who have appeared in the previous novels and if you read them in order it gives you extra details about the characters of the town that our main character Bryher meets along her journey.
We start The Lizard meeting Bryher, a chef training people to be executive chefs when she feels a connection to one of the students, leading to a hot and passionate romance that leaves her burnt.
Licking her wounds Bryher takes up a chef position in Cornwall near The Lizard peninsula and throws herself into her craft and her community, where she also volunteers for the local RNLI team.
I have visited The Lizard peninsula, full of high, dramatic cliffs and rough, wild and beautiful coast, so it was very easy to place myself with Bryher and the community. One night a call comes in that there has been a shipwreck with one person reported alive, the team race to get to them but Bryher realises she recognises them from her past.
The Lizard is another suspenseful page turner from LJ Ross, I loved returning to familiar characters and learning about a new member of the community and felt a lot of empathy for Bryher and her journey. It wasn't my favourite novel from the summer suspense series as at times I felt I had to suspend my belief a tad too far, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it as I did, just the others in the series have felt more rooted in circumstances I could see myself in. Its a great summer read.
July 30, 2026
Victim or perpetrator?
What a fantastic return to the Cornwall series and some of our favourite characters, this time we get the addition of the lovely Bryher who returns for a fresh start. She rejoins the community and old friends, but she can never quite escape her past.
This is a twisted tale of secrets, corruption and true love with more than one couple finding their HEA. Returning to this series and it's unique cast is like returning to visit family, they welcome you with open arms, are a little quirky, slightly crazy but you enjoy every minute of their company. I listened to this on Audible.
What a fantastic return to the Cornwall series and some of our favourite characters, this time we get the addition of the lovely Bryher who returns for a fresh start. She rejoins the community and old friends, but she can never quite escape her past.
This is a twisted tale of secrets, corruption and true love with more than one couple finding their HEA. Returning to this series and it's unique cast is like returning to visit family, they welcome you with open arms, are a little quirky, slightly crazy but you enjoy every minute of their company. I listened to this on Audible.
August 1, 2026
Another enjoyable book by LJ Ross.
Bryher Enys has overcome a lot in life to get to where she is today. With the support of her close friends she is celebrating the opening of her own restaurant. As the evening draws to a close she, together with a number of other guests who are also lifeboat volunteers are called to a rescue. Too late to save the luxury yacht they search in vain for survivors. Bryher spots a body in the water and sets off to save them. Taken to the local hospital the survivor has no recollection of who he is or what he was doing on the yacht….but Bryher knows who he is.
Bryher Enys has overcome a lot in life to get to where she is today. With the support of her close friends she is celebrating the opening of her own restaurant. As the evening draws to a close she, together with a number of other guests who are also lifeboat volunteers are called to a rescue. Too late to save the luxury yacht they search in vain for survivors. Bryher spots a body in the water and sets off to save them. Taken to the local hospital the survivor has no recollection of who he is or what he was doing on the yacht….but Bryher knows who he is.
August 3, 2026
The Lizard
Absolutely brilliant LJ, I couldn’t put the “book” down. A great story, with characters popping up from the previous Summer Suspense Mysteries novels. I loved the story line, though I suspected about ‘David’. As usual LJ, thank you for being full of great stories which I’ll get to read in the coming months.
Absolutely brilliant LJ, I couldn’t put the “book” down. A great story, with characters popping up from the previous Summer Suspense Mysteries novels. I loved the story line, though I suspected about ‘David’. As usual LJ, thank you for being full of great stories which I’ll get to read in the coming months.
September 6, 2026
I was expecting a slightly more noir book, based off of the blurb and the tagline of a suspense mystery. This was more a romance book than anything else but it was perfectly readable. It would have benefited from a slightly slicker storyline and a bit more intrigue to make the reader feel like there really were stakes at risk. A bit more uncertainty as to whether the nameless man hauled out of the sea could be trusted would also helped to build more of the suspense vibe the tags were hinting at.
More than anything else, it would have benefited exponentially from better editing. The number of glaring typing errors (words being repeated, characters' names changing, misspellings) made you feel like you were reading a first draft rather than a published novel. It made the whole book feel like it was an adequate read that was rushed to print without any great care being taken to ensure it was a well written story they were publishing.
More than anything else, it would have benefited exponentially from better editing. The number of glaring typing errors (words being repeated, characters' names changing, misspellings) made you feel like you were reading a first draft rather than a published novel. It made the whole book feel like it was an adequate read that was rushed to print without any great care being taken to ensure it was a well written story they were publishing.
July 30, 2026
The Lizard by LJ Ross
The Lizard by L J Ross is book 5 ofThe Summer Suspense Mysteries and I downloaded it last night and finished it this afternoon.
One day I will manage to read Louise’s books more slowly, possibly!
I liked the characters, the location and the storyline and found the book easy to read,engrossing, engaging and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
The Lizard by L J Ross is book 5 ofThe Summer Suspense Mysteries and I downloaded it last night and finished it this afternoon.
One day I will manage to read Louise’s books more slowly, possibly!
I liked the characters, the location and the storyline and found the book easy to read,engrossing, engaging and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
August 3, 2026
I've been waiting since last summer for this book and it didn't disappoint. This is the latest installment in the Summer Suspense series and, as is usual for these stories set in Cornwall, Louise has crafted an intriguing mystery with her trademark smattering of romance between her main characters.
August 10, 2026
Loved it! Light hearted and fun. Such an easy read. Pure escapism.
September 13, 2026
2.5*
Started off well, but got very farcial especially towards the end.
Quite a few errors in the wording too, which should have been picked up by proofreaders.
Started off well, but got very farcial especially towards the end.
Quite a few errors in the wording too, which should have been picked up by proofreaders.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2026
Read on holiday. I’d been looking forward to reading it and I was a bit disappointed to be honest. I felt myself ‘eye rolling’ at various points. It’s the first thing I’ve read by this author and this didn’t ’move me’ to seek out other titles sadly.
September 28, 2026
Loved it! Want to read all her books
October 6, 2026
Disappointed had a good plot but kinda boring by the end
October 24, 2026
A quick read and although enjoyable I think I prefer the Ryan books to these ones. But will read more if there are more later on.
July 30, 2026
Read it the day I got it
And wasn’t disappointed at all. Only sadness is I’ve got to wait for the next LJ Ross book!!
No pressure!!
And wasn’t disappointed at all. Only sadness is I’ve got to wait for the next LJ Ross book!!
No pressure!!
September 23, 2026
First LJ Ross book I've not enjoyed. Always found the Summer Suspense series my least favourite series of hers but still enjoyed them. The story felt generally quite thin but the main character makes some baffling decisions I just can't overlook. Mild Spoilers - main character is in a relationship with a man for a few weeks who disappears and when she goes to his flat hes moved out without telling her. She assumes she was just a fling to him and probably married. Few years later he's in an accident and losing his memory and she is the person who saves his life not realising it's him. Within 2 days she back in bed with him despite him not knowing his name, why he left her, if he's married. Later his memory starts to comes back and he thinks he might have killed someone and he doesn't know why. He tells her about the potential murder which results in her immediately jumping back into bed with him in the same scene. She has all the logic of an 80s.slasher movie victim.
September 5, 2026
A very pleasant and enjoyable storyline with a little mystery mixed with a lot of romance, but maybe a little predictable at times.
August 13, 2026
The Summer Suspense Mysteries have a little bit of everything; a beautiful location, great characters and a mystery to solve. This storyline was interesting and a bit different to what I’ve read before which made it a great, engaging read. I loved it.
September 12, 2026
The only redeeming quality of this book is that much like ripping off a plaster, it’s painful but over before you know it.
The somewhat intriguing premise is almost instantly overshadowed by cheap dialogue and a ridiculous plot line, demanding of readers an obscene amount of suspension of belief.
A tedious who-dunnit that feels like the illegitimate love child of the Notebook and a bad Reacher fan-fiction.
Personal lowlight is the corny to-and-fro between a country DI and her PC in the middle of a shootout with villains straight out of Johnny English.
The somewhat intriguing premise is almost instantly overshadowed by cheap dialogue and a ridiculous plot line, demanding of readers an obscene amount of suspension of belief.
A tedious who-dunnit that feels like the illegitimate love child of the Notebook and a bad Reacher fan-fiction.
Personal lowlight is the corny to-and-fro between a country DI and her PC in the middle of a shootout with villains straight out of Johnny English.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews