Holy Island By LJ Ross

A good review from me (mainly) on a good read. I picked up this novel “Holy Island” by LJ Ross simply because it was a cheap download for kindle and I was stuck for something to read. I did not expect much from it. 99p.

First the good points. The book gripped me from the start, the premise sound and the telling adequate. It improved as the story developed and the murder mystery bordering on a horror tale grew as the novel deepened. After a few pages I was hooked and had to read to the end which ties up nicely whilst leaving room for a sequel or two.

This is a good detective novel, DCI Ryan is perhaps a little too perfect. His counterpart (Anna Taylor) is rather sketchy and perhaps too pretty but I am possibly being picky here as this is a really enjoyable detective novel, reminiscent of Ragnar Jonasson or Camilla Lackberg.

I would recommend this for a read.

There are a couple of downsides however, the writing lacks finesse (it is a first novel and I am sure that will improve) a little lack of direction and clarity in progression of the narrative are present and this will never be anyone's favourite detective novel (a little too much Mills and Boon for me) but a great debut novel. It is.