Review: Pulpit Rock (DI Ben Kitto #4) by Kate Rhodes

I've been a fan of this detective series set on the Isles of Scilly since the first book, Hell Bay, and was thrilled to receive an early copy of Pulpit Rock. I love that cover! 

It's the height of the tourist season and a serial killer is stalking lone women on St Mary's. DI Ben Kitto has no choice but to force a lockdown to prevent anyone from leaving the island. Everyone is a suspect, islander and tourist alike, as Ben and his team search for a killer who dresses their chosen victims as brides.

I love this series because of the great characters (particularly Ben and his wayward dog, Shadow) and the atmospheric setting of the Scilly Isles. I enjoyed the snippets of history and the superstitions relating to the jewellery the sailors bought their wives. The story is fast-paced with a real sense of time running out as another woman is attacked and then a third disappears. I got to the halfway point and was so gripped I could not put the book down until I'd finished it. Cleverly plotted so that everyone seems to have a motive, I was convinced I knew who the killer was - but was completely wrong! I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!

Recommended to anyone who loves traditional murder mysteries and authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Ellis.

 

Thank you to Kate Rhodes and Simon & Schuster (UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Ruin Beach (Ben Kitto #2) by Kate Rhodes

Hell Bay (Ben Kitto #1) by Kate Rhodes 

Review: Ruin Beach (Ben Kitto #2) by Kate Rhodes

When I read the first book in this series of mysteries set on the Scilly Isles (Hell Bay), I fell in love with DI Ben Kitto - so I was eager to read Ruin Beach as soon as I saw it!

Although a native of the islands, Ben's career was based in London until the death of his partner forced him to transfer back home - along with his partner's dog, Shadow, a Czechoslovakian wolfdog. In this story Ben is investigating the death of professional diver, Jude Trellion, who has been found deliberately tied to a cliff.

I love these stories because of the characters: Ben, his enthusiastic if rather naive sidekick Eddie, and the disloyal Shadow - who will go off with anyone who feeds him! The books have a terrific sense of place; the Scilly Isles are so brilliantly described they are practically a character themselves and make me long to visit. I love history, so I found all the legends of the shipwrecks around the islands fascinating, and the parts about diving were well-researched and sounded authentic. Running alongside the main plot is also the story of a character who knows why Jude was killed, putting them firmly in the sights of the murder. This gives the book a thriller-like edge, leading to a nail-biting finish.

The only negative for me, as for the first book, is the character of Ben's boss, although he does seem to be gradually warming up to him!

I loved Ruin Beach; it's my favourite of the series so far and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next one, Burnt Island, due to be released in 2019.

Recommended to anyone who loves traditional murder mysteries, and authors such as Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths, and Caroline Graham.

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Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes 

Review: Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes

Detective Inspector Ben Kitto takes a leave of absence from the Metropolitan Police Force and returns to his childhood home on Bryher, one of the Scilly Isles. He is hoping to work in his uncle's boatyard, but no sooner has he arrived than a teenage girl is found murdered and the local Detective Chief Inspector asks him to take on the role of investigating officer. Everyone on the island is under suspicion and it doesn't take long for Ben to realise that all have secrets to hide.

I really enjoyed this traditional murder mystery. I loved the character of Ben, who has come to the island hoping to get over a traumatic event in his past, only to be thrust back onto the front line of a murder investigation. I thought the island of Bryher, bleak and desolate out of the holiday season, was a terrific setting, and the eccentric inhabitants (especially Rose) made up a great cast of characters. Shadow the dog was a lovely addition and there was a little bit of a romance too. This is exactly the kind of crime fiction I love to read and I do hope it will be the start of a new series.

The only negative for me was that I did find it slightly unbelievable that an officer on a leave of absence from one police force would be assigned investigating officer with another (and without returning to work first), and that he would be expected to conduct an enquiry with only the help of one constable.

Apart from that, I really enjoyed it!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published in ebook and hardback on the 25th January 2018, and in paperback on the 3rd  May 2018.

Thank you to Kate Rhodes, Simon & Schuster UK, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.