First off, my thanks to Louise for allowing me to read an ARC of Angel, I was more than a little excited to be asked 😊 I’ve read and loved the previous three books in the series, and you can click the links below to catch up on my reviews:
About the author:
Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, LJ Ross moved to London where she graduated from King’s College London with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Law. After working in the City as a regulatory lawyer for a number of years, she realised it was high time for a change.
Her first book, ‘Holy Island’, has consistently been listed as an Amazon bestseller since its release in January 2015 and hit the Amazon UK Kindle #1 position in May 2015. Its sequels, ‘Sycamore Gap’, ‘Heavenfield’ and ‘Angel’ have all been #1 bestsellers.
About the book:
He’ll make you his angel, but first you have to die…
After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally beginning to return to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée.
Then, on Good Friday morning he is called out to a crime scene at one of the largest cemeteries in Newcastle. The body of a redheaded woman has been found buried in a shallow grave and the killer has given her wings, like an angel.
Soon, another woman is found at a different cemetery, followed quickly by another. Panic spreads like wildfire as a new serial killer is born, and Ryan’s band of detectives must work around the clock to unmask him before he can strike again.
My thoughts:
I’m pretty certain that the DCI Ryan series is improving with the release of each book and that’s evident with Angel as it’s the best in the series so far in my opinion.
I feel sorry for poor Ryan, he always draws the crazy people and this book is no different. This time we have a killer who believes he is essentially a messenger of God and killing in His name. Posing them in the position of an angel, the symbolism is not lost on the team of investigators.
Angels have long been a symbol in religion, and though this book has religious references and connotations, it is done in a sympathetic way and stays true to the story. Though Angel has its roots in religion, the book stays with the characters and their various investigations which means it’s not something the reader has to focus on.
I absolutely adore Louise’s writing style, and it’s getting better and more assured with each book. Angel is gory, gruesome but packed to the rafters with action and mystery. The familiar cast of characters are all there, but I’m pretty sure Ryan is still my favourite 😊
I won’t give anything away about the story, but it is brilliant! Heart-pounding cat and mouse games are prevalent in Angel and I’m pretty certain that I held my breath more than once as I raced toward the conclusion! Which, if I’m honest, I WAS NOT EXPECTING!!!!!*
*This is code for please get the next DCI Ryan book out as fast as possible please and thank you!* (You’ll understand when you read it! 😉
I love this series, I love the characters and I really love how invested I become in the fates of the fictional characters. Angel is most definitely the best book in the series so far, and they are all superb, but Angel is exceptional!
All the stars for this one! Highly recommended 😊
Angel is out in ebook on August 26th and you can pre-order your copy by clicking the link:
Angel: A DCI Ryan Mystery by LJ Ross
Happy Reading 😊
