The Angel Falls

DC Ryan Jarrod #1

by Colin Youngman

Six weeks. Just forty-two short days. That’s all it takes to rip the heart out of a city and change the lives of those who live there. Forever. One such life belongs to Ryan Jarrod. In the early hours of a wet winter’s morning on Tyneside, Ryan Jarrod approaches the end of his second shift as a Special Constable when he stumbles across the body of a savagely beaten Teddy McGuffie, a down-at-heel taxi driver.On the same night, an explosion rips through the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne’s student community. Casualties are high; the city brought to a standstill. And the University blast is only the beginning of a bloody reign of terror which threatens the very fabric of the region. With the McGuffie case shelved, Ryan vows to investigate it himself. When he uncovers links between the assault on McGuffie and a series of letters which seem to foretell the terror attacks, members of the force ridicule his theories. Except for one DCI Stephen Danskin. Danskin sees a lot of himself in the young Special. He breaks protocol. Invites Jarrod into the case. Together, they dive deeper into the tangled lives of those associated with the letters – and lay a trap to lure the killer to one of the region’s most iconic The Angel of the North.What could possibly go wrong?Think of Anne Cleeves or LJ Ross with a gritty, urban twist - that's the DC Ryan Jarrod series.

Genres: Crime

298 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2020

Reviews

[Denise Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the local setting & the plot was fairly interesting but for me, the book just had far too many characters. It was made even more confusing by the large number of police & press being referred to by first name, last name & sometimes nicknames. It was also crucial to the plot that we remembered certain facts about each of their backgrounds. I lost track of much of this & just read the story, hoping the author would remind me of the facts I needed when they were relevant.

I liked Ryan Jarrod as a character but I think it’s highly unlikely that a special constable would be allowed to play any part in an investigation.

[M Patricia Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists and turns to the last page.

I loved the references to my local area but more than that, the plot was gripping. You just think you know 'who dunnit', then another event or piece of information makes you second guess your assumption. The characters are very believable. I look forward to the second in the series.

[MR MD LITTLEMORE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely terrific, man.

This is a truly riveting tale with more twists and turns than a basketful of snakes. The writing is sophisticated even with the clever Geordie-isms. Just when you think it’s all over; it isn’t. Colin keeps the suspense up right to the end, with a surprising final twist. I enjoyed the occasional nods and winks to the movies and was glad that I got them—‘Inspector, you’re gonna need a bigger boat.’
The Homer Simpson joke made me laugh out loud.
I have not enjoyed a crime mystery so much in a long time.
The DC RYAN JARROD books are crying out for an AUDIBLE audio version, though. Recommended read, still.

[MRS HAZEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed

As I am from the Northeast I enjoyed reading about local places but thought the writing and storyline a bit amateurish

[Victor S Southern · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and I tried even though the sentiment about Newbiggin by the Sea (where I live) were far from complimentary. I desperately wanted to identify with the locale which is set right up my street almost. But, the unevenness of the writing and the increasingly implausible plot prevented me from even half-liking the book. The only plausible character with clear and simple motivations was the old lady who writes to The Editor daily.

Conversely imagine the protagonist's younger brother, family name Jarrod, being called Jam Jar in his own house, not James, not Jim, but Jam Jar. Beyond a joke.

[Alison Waltham · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time readying a book centred around my local area which was enjoyable, loved the little nods to certain locations, the only reason I struggled with this book was due to the amount of characters. For me, there were just too many names and people for me to keep track of and found myself getting confused about who was who in the different groups of people! The plot certainly kept you guessing the whole way through and wasn’t obvious at all which was interesting, but parts did seem a little unbelievable, however of course I understand this is a thriller novel and that’s kind of the point! Wasn’t my favourite but still interested in reading more from this author!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped I might. I’m from the area it’s set in and was therefore prepared to love it. I didn’t - too many editing/copy mistakes (which jar and take you out of the zone) and I don’t think the writing is as tight as it could be. I felt it was quite disjointed until the last 25% or so. However, I didn’t think it was terrible - far from it, so I will be downloading the next in the series to see how it goes. Many authors take a few books to really get into their stride and I’m prepared to give a fellow Tynesider the benefit of the doubt.

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

A great first story in what I hope will become a long series. Ryan Gerrard has that quality about him as a character that makes you want to read more. The book has good strong characters and being set in an area where I live makes it more appealing. The story line was a little difficult to read personally having lost a family member in the Manchester Arena bombing but it was well crafted and written. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

[Linda Joan Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff

Good characters and as far as I can tell, a good sense of place. Liked everything about the plot except for the twist at the end. Wasn't convinced by it being Milton. Confronted by a popped balloon, he basically froze. Find it hard to go from there to him setting off explosions. The financial gain made a bit of a motive but the whole thing of him taking the last cab didn't really work for me. Absorbing read though

[BARRY MOON · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time I read this author books and very enjoyable and the first book the angel falls was true to life about the world today with the police understaffed and no clues but due to the work of a special constable the case was finally solved but a red herring at the end the person we suspected was not the culprit but someone else.
The local paper staff were more interested in getting viewers and subscribers than reporting the truth and making sure they had people evidence.
So overall a good read and I enjoyed Ryan Jarrod and in the coming books see how his career develops and his love life with the boss stepdaughter gets on.

[David Peat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent book in this genre. Great use of the local area. The characters were well observed and there was some interesting interplay. The big suspension of disbelief was a a special constable joint the case when anti-terrorism would have been running it. However, many books in this genre require this jump to make them work. Once you’re over that you can go with it. Enjoyable.

[L M Mugridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking forward to reading this as it’s set around the north east where I live, however I found it hard to get into and there were too many characters with lots of complex backgrounds that I switched off reading some of it. Just didn’t feel there was enough substance to the story and the plot that I ended up skim reading it just to get to the end.

[Neely Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan is a special constable who has big dreams and high hopes. His opportunity for moving up appears at an unlikely time. There’s a bombing in Yorkshire and Ryan literally dives into the rubble trying to save lives. But it’s his unrelenting desire for the truth that brings him to the attention of a DCI. This is a good book almost ruined by the use of virtual voice.

[Miss Michelle Ridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down

As someone who lives in Whickham and works at Benton park view it was brilliant to know exactly what the author was writing about. But aside from that, I loved the story, the characters and the thought of another book. I can’t wait for it to be released!

[Alison Halliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Newcastle and I liked that the story was based in Newcastle. The characters were well described and were Geordie, without being over the top. The plot was fast with enough twists and turns to keep me engrossed. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

[jennifer richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book especially as I recognised all of the !ocations. I thought I had guessed the murderer but was totally wrong. It kept you guessing right to the end. A really impressive debut novel.

[Anne Lackenby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

A fantastic crime novel with an exceptional eye for detail! Literally could not put this down and have consequently ordered the next 2 books in the series. I look forward to this being developed and brought to life on TV.

[Mr David Bevan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmmm. Sort of enjoyed it but felt disappointed with plot. Characters were OK but some a bit lightweight. Read this because I'd read No 3 in the series and felt I missed too much by not reading series in order. Will read next in series to see if characters are built on an enhanced.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading ths book ages ago, finished it tonight. 5*/5* Brilliant read, i love a good story, especially when i know the locations mentioned. This book is based in and around Newcastle, well wrote, flows nicely, full of twists and turns
looking forward to book 2 'The Girl On The Quay'

[Maureen Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

As I am a geordie this book was very interesting to me because I new most of the places in the story. The story itself was exciting and I did not guess who the Tyneside tyrant was. The characters in the book were very believable. All in all a very good book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how to express it but it felt very mid. The story was decent, but there was quite a lot going on to keep on top of, and it felt quite obvious at the end to me. A few twists, but overall not very suspenseful.

[Mrs C Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down. I can't wait for the next one. Thanks Colin

[Linzi Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Gripping and fast paced with many twists. Great to read some familiar locations, as it helps put you right at the scene of the action.

[CAROLYN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good I read it in 1 day.

[Christine Goulden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read, read from start to finish, just couldn't put it down.

[kathleen lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

Really enjoyed this book good story line and really liked knowing all the places looking forward to the next book

[Joan Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Angel falls

Absolutely fantastic can't wait to start reading the next book in the series you have such a way with words

[eric armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start introducing all characters and confusing needs concentration in reading. Built up well later on

[Love2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just couldn't get gripped by this book. Too many characters to keep track of.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like it :)

Nicely written story with all colours of Newcastle area dialect. I'll be reading more of Mr Youngman novels for sure.