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DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime #2

Jawbone Walk: Text V For Vengeance

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When does coincidence stop being coincidence?A gruesome discovery is made when the naked body of a man is found lashed to a rock off the coast of Whitby. DCI Frank Finnegan and his team are soon on the case, and realise that whoever the killers are, they are sending a brutal warning - vengeance!As the body count rises, DCI Finnegan suspects a link between the deaths and a recent case involving two missing schoolgirls. But who is committing the murders and why?When a covert government agency enters the fray, and suggests the police curtail their investigations, it leaves Finnegan with only one option—intensify his efforts and catch the killers before they strike again.His pursuit of the assassins takes a menacing turn when one of his top officers disappears.It appears the hunter… is now the hunted.A powerful, nerve-jangling, murder mystery thriller that races through the brooding countryside of North Yorkshire, from the coast to the moors.Book 2 in the DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller series.Jawbone Walk—Text V For Vengeance. Start reading this brand new series today!

343 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2022

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About the author

Ely North

22 books32 followers
Ely North writes British crime fiction the way his detectives drink—steadily, seriously, and with the occasional lapse in judgement.

He is the author of the DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thrillers and the DI Prisha Kumar Yorkshire Cold Case Mysteries, fast-paced police procedurals set in Whitby and across North Yorkshire. His books have amassed tens of millions of pages read on Kindle Unlimited, with readers across the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Europe and beyond.

Ely writes about Whitby because it is the most beautiful and atmospheric place he knows—and he has never trusted anywhere that pretty.

At the centre of the DCI Finnegan series is Frank Finnegan—old, old-school, and not remotely bothered about either. Raised on The Sweeney and seventies cop shows, he still thinks Regan and Carter had the right idea about most things. Finnegan doesn't have much time for procedure, feelings or technology. He'd rather get on with the bit that matters—catching the bastards.

The setting matters almost as much as the murders. Whitby brings the harbour, the abbey, the 199 Steps, sea fret rolling in off the North Sea, cobbled streets, narrow alleys and hidden-away yards. Bodies are supplied courtesy of Ely. Readers have been known to follow the investigations on Google Maps, and a few have even booked holidays inspired by the books. None, so far, have been found unresponsive on the beach—touch wood.

Ely doesn't write cosy crime, but neither does he dwell on gore for the sake of it. He writes about coppers who are good at their jobs and bad at most other things, villains who believe they're the hero, and the kind of gallows humour that gets you through a twelve-hour shift—or a long-running series.

If you grew up with Taggart, Morse, Columbo, Heartbeat and The Professionals, and have spent the years since wondering where all the proper coppers went, you may just have found them.

When he isn't killing people on paper, Ely cooks. Badly, according to his wife. Enthusiastically, according to him. The cats—of which he has none—have refused to comment, as have his daughters, of which he has two.

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5 stars
528 (58%)
4 stars
272 (30%)
3 stars
83 (9%)
2 stars
9 (1%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
304 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2025
Not a bad tale if a little far fetched for sleepy Whitby. I like the characters and there is a bit of humour as well. these are not really standalone stories you really have to start with book one to get the full gist of what is going on. this book end with a couple of loose ends that obviously have to be rectified.
Profile Image for Kevin M.
173 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2025
Jawbone Walk sets the stage for Ely North’s coastal crime world, drawing us into an earlier case that blends small-town intrigue with an investigation that spirals into unexpected territory. From the moment the first unsettling incident is reported, the pace hardly lets up — suspects emerge, motives shift, and the line between truth and deception gets blurrier with every chapter.

It’s undeniably a page-turner, with short, gripping scenes that keep you reading well past bedtime. That said, the plot edges into the far-fetched at points, and some twists strain credibility enough to take the edge off what could have been a truly great read. Still, the atmosphere is immersive, the characters are engaging, and the momentum never really falters.

For fans of tightly paced mysteries who don’t mind suspending disbelief, this prequel is worth the ride — even if it veers a little off the road.
586 reviews2 followers
October 28, 2025
This no2 in the f finnegan stories(yorkshire crime) and is a great read. Frank and trisha have certainly got their hands full on this crime scene, and there is a real twist in the ending to this storyline. We have murders , mi5, two missing schoolgirls and plenty of suspects.(no spoilers). There is a continuation from book which seems to be a theme for this writer, so read book 1 first and you will understand book 2 better. All in all a great read, what are you waiting for, get and read this book and ENJOY. Oh and bye the way this book concerns trisha fumar and frank takes a back seat.
1 review
July 30, 2025
The book started out very poorly for me. People use the word consternation when writing but I can't see a torturer using that word or all the other college grade sentences when criminals are talking. It was a immediate dissatisfier for me. The book got a bit better after that, but too often the author wanted to let you know how smart he was. Overall, I was thought it was a mediocre book in the crime genre.
750 reviews4 followers
December 8, 2022
Really good copper story

Frank is the typical English copper, overweight, dry sense of humor overbearing and food is his release. But what great stories are spun, once you start you can't put it down. Really thoughtful cases that suck you in until the end, can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,000 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2025
A freebie on Kindle Unlimited.

Frank and the team are investigating what looks like a contract killing. They are also still puzzling over old cases.

In some ways this was better than the first but the storyline got a bit daft so it loses a star.

As with the first in the series, it could do with a few edits. The characters are growing on me and I'll be reading the next one in due course.
1,181 reviews6 followers
November 23, 2024
Another Excellent Story

Another excellent story by Ely North in the DC I Finnegan series. All the usual characters w a great storyline that linked in well with the previous book.Looking forward to reading more.
74 reviews
January 30, 2025
It was a thoroughly good read and got very exciting when thd police were looking for Tiffany and the DI shdn they were running away from the Russians,
My only disappointment wasTiffany getting away with the help from the DI.
They must have known she lied .
86 reviews
March 17, 2023
Black Nab.

I was pleasantly XDsurprised at how good and easy to read it was. Good story, believable characters and the prospect of more good books to come
Profile Image for Pauline Margaret Dean.
157 reviews
July 17, 2024
Jawbone Walk

Really really enjoyed this book brilliant storyline and the chatacters are great too .Full of twists and turns and being set in Yorkshire is a bonus.Book 3here I come.
Profile Image for Douglas Law.
765 reviews
December 23, 2024
A great continuation of Black Nab story which really needs to be read first. Great characters & locations, gruesome crimes but with a touch of humour. A strong 4 to 4.5 star rating.
1,006 reviews3 followers
April 20, 2025
Jawbone Walk

You must read this if you have read book one. All the unanswered questions from book one are finally solved.
Profile Image for Allan Pendlebury.
282 reviews2 followers
April 29, 2025
Really enjoyed the story; espcially the ending. I hope our somewhat bad girl on the run comes back for a later DCI Finnegan story.
Profile Image for Roxanne Rampage.
252 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2025
Another great read with lots of twists and turns and a plausible plot.
Profile Image for M R B Davis.
755 reviews5 followers
September 27, 2025
More to come?

The loose ends from the first book are tied up but there is still the problem of tiffany. Zac spotted Prisha was lying. What happens next?
Profile Image for Arabella .
76 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2026
Jumped the shark way too hard. Like a weird cross between Jason Bourne & Midsomer Murders.
Profile Image for Karen Wrobel.
524 reviews7 followers
January 18, 2024
Decent procedural, and Prisha is much less obnoxious in this outing. Lots of proofing errors, which could be distracting.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews