Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is the second book in a series, and unfortunately I haven't read the first book yet. The book however read nicely as a standalone and I can't wait to read some more by this author. Recommended.

I didn’t realise that this one was part of a series until I had started reading, so unfortunately I did have to DNF this one. However it’s a series that I’d be open to reading in the future!

When diver Jude Trellion is found dead it sends shockwaves through the small and close knit community of the Scilly Isles. the fact that Jude was murdered makes it all the more difficult. For police officer Ben Kitto there are more personal links and he is determined to see justice done. On a island group with inhabitants numbered in the hundreds there can't be many suspects but as one of his colleagues is attacked, then the boy working with Jude and finally Jude's partner, Ben knows that the link to a sunken treasure ship is a good motive for someone.
I haven't read any of the previous books in the series and this never seemed to be a hindrance in my enjoyment of this novel. Similarly I've never been to the Scilly Isles but they are imagined brilliantly here. My slight misgivings about the book are due to a lack of characterisation throughout and a rather straightforward plot but that is to be too negative about what is a fairly undemanding but very entertaining procedural.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and the author, Kate Rhodes, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Ruin Beach in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was really well thought out and written with intriguing characters. It really was a compelling read. 3.5 stars.
Worth a read.

I loved Hell Bay and Ben Kitto, therefore was very excited for the next instalment. Although, overall, I felt a little bit 'meh' about this one I'm afraid to say. Ben is a charming and strong character and I think he was what made me continue reading on if I'm honest. The brooding and atmospheric feeling to the island was once again there with Rhodes writing, but unfortunately the murder mystery itself seemed very weak compared to the first book, it felt rather loose and not at all tightly weaved together like in Hell Bay and for me a little too improbable. I still think there's a lot more to discover about Ben, so I would pick up further books for that reason, and for the reason of my enjoyment for the first mystery in Hell Bay, maybe this was just one of those unfortunate times you don't click with a story.

I really enjoyed the first novel featuring D.I. Ben Kitto, who first appeared in, “Hell Bay.” Some time has passed and Ben is now the Deputy Chief of Police in the Scilly Islands; although he is clearly on probation and looked on with a certain amount of disfavour by his superior, D.C.I. Alan Madron. Still, Ben has now given up his life in London and has returned to his childhood home and he is intending to stay there.

The peace of these tranquil islands is disturbed by the murder of diver, Jude Trellon. Jude was a popular woman, who taught Ben – and countless others – how to dive. She was a confident and experienced diver, so, even if she was diving alone, and at night, she should not have met her end in the sea…

Of course, the great attraction of this series is the setting and Kate Rhodes uses this to the full. I like the atmosphere of this series; the characters who all know each other, the little ferries which chug between the islands and the harsh landscape, which comes to life during tourist season. This was not quite as successful in my opinion, as the first book, but I will continue with the series. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I went straight for this book after finishing listening to the audio version of Hell Bay, the first book in the series. It was so good, and I was so pleased to have the sequel, Ruin Beach waiting for me. Now, we all have our favorite kind of settings when it comes to books. I LOVE reading crime novels set in isolated milieus. The grittier surrounding the better. This series that takes place on the Scilly Isles (had to Google it) was just my kind of series.

Before I start the review will I just say that, yes, you can read the books as stand-alone. However, they are so good so if you have the chance to go for book one first. Do so!

Ben Kitto returned home to the Scilly Isles in Hell Bay and even though he didn't plan on staying on was it exactly what he did. He's now Deputy Chief of Police of Scilly Isles after working several years in London. The peace on the Isle is broken when the body of a young diver Jude Trellon is found. The body has been anchored to the rocks of a nearby cave, and Ben quickly realize that she's been murdered. Now, Ben must find out who wanted Jude Trellon killed, and why. Someone on the little Isle wanted Jude dead, and now Ben must investigate those close to her to find out who hated her enough to kill her.

Ruin Beach is just as Hell Bay and excellent crime novel. The writing is superb and there are many suspects to choose from. I've become quite fond of this series and I really like Ben Kitto. The only drawback with this book is that I now have no more books in this series to read...

DI Ben Kitto (and Shadow the dog) return in the sequel to Hell Bay. Kitto investigates a murder on the island of Tresco, when a young diver, Jude Trellon, is found drowned in suspicious circumstances, and it seems all the inhabitants of the island have their own secrets.

I found myself really enjoying this one. Like the first book, it had plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing, although I did correctly guess who the guilty party was. I also found myself liking the main character more in this book, but DCI Madron is another kettle of fish altogether, and I wonder just what his problem is. Definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Simon & Schuster UK, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Ruin Beach is the first book in a new series by Kate Rhodes

It stars Ben Kitto who has returned home as the Deputy Chief of Police.

This is a police procedural that follows the usual format of many twists and turns until the case is finally solved by Kitto and his colleagues and friends.

The story kept me entertained throughout and I look forward to the next instalment

Recommended

Kate Rhodes returns us to the stunning location of the Scilly Isles, surrounded by dark, murky and dangerous waters. In this, the follow up to the great Hell Bay, DI Ben Kitto has settled back home and installed as the Deputy Police Chief, becoming accustomed to a dog he is not sure he ever wanted, the wolfhound, Shadow. He is yearning to have a relationship with Zoe Morrow, although she is seeking to experience the big wide world after a life time of island living. Ben finds himself on the scene when a body is recovered off the rocks of Tresco. What seems to be a tragic accident turns out to be murder. The dead woman is the highly experienced charismatic diver, Jude Trellon, well known throughout the islands for her risk taking diving exploits. Jude is in a relationship with Swedish marine researcher, the reclusive Ivar, with whom she has a young daughter, Frida.

In the small enclosed community, her death sends reverberating shockwaves as it soon sinks in that they are harbouring a murderer. Ben is determined to find the killer, although his job is hampered by the risk averse DCI Alan Madron, his boss, a controlling figure who has Ben's fate in his hands as his probation period nears its end with a critical upcoming performance review. Whilst Ben is short on leads and evidence, with the sea washing away any clues, as the investigation proceeds, a host of suspects emerge, from Jude's volatile and aggressive brother, Shane, to a downright unpleasant academic marine archaeologist obsessed by shipwrecks. The Scilly Islands are inundated with a huge number of shipwrecks from the long gone past, and no-one has been able to document just how many there are or where, although myth and rumour abound. Jude, it appears, had been interested in the wrecks, and it seems her diving adventures might be the reason she was killed, and she is not the first person to be murdered. Moreover, the killer has others in his sights, will Ben find the murderer before others die?

One of the highlights of this series for me is the way Kate Rhodes brings the Scilly Isles to vibrant life with her detailed and rich descriptions, from the unforgiving and unsettling seas to the nature of small town island communities, and their hostility to outsiders. It takes time to get to know and understand the islanders, they are unforthcoming with information but will turn out to help and support when other need it. This is a brilliant read, so very atmospheric, packed full of drama, unexpected twists, and with plenty of suspense and tension. I like the character of the central protagonist, Ben Kitto with his traumatic past in the London police, but who is now making a new life for himself as a Scilly Isles cop, and taking to it like a duck to water. I look forward to the next in the series with great anticipation. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

On Tresco,one of the many islands of Scilly, a young professional diver is found murdered in a famous (or infamous) cave. The year before another young woman was found drowned in the same place. Coincidence? D.I. Ben Kitto,a local man, back after a spell in the big Metropolis, has to find the culprit of this horrendous murder. Very soon the place is awash with rumours about a mythical Roman shipwreck. And as this is a close and small community,there is no lack of suspects...
It is a good murder mystery, a good storyline(although a bit long winded ),a fabulous setting and most of the characters are believable and well elaborated except D.I. Kitto ,it feels as if this character is not quite finished yet. Perhaps a firmer editing?
And then there is the dog,admittedly Kitto is not the willing and voluntary owner of Shadow but still...I don't think he calls the dog even once by his name,the dogs gets wounded but after some very basic treatment Shadows just limps on...Weird...

The main protagonist of this atmospheric thriller is The Scilly Isles setting itself which is beautifully described by the author and really made me want to visit at some point.
This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Ben Kitto who has left London after his partner was killed and moved back to his childhood home of Bryher.
In this book Ben is called on to investigate the murder of Jude Trellon, a local diver whose body is found in Piper’s Hole, a cave near Ruin Beach.
The story itself is quite slow moving but it held my attention and there were enough clues throughout the book which served to throw me off the scent on a number of occasions when I thought I’d worked out the murderer.
The story is told from Ben’s point of view as well as that of Tom Heligan, a teenage diver who knows Jude’s secrets and why she has been killed.
There is also a gentle budding romance between a Ben and his childhood friend Zoe which I hope will continue in the next book but who knows?
Overall this is an enjoyable read and a worthy sequel to Kate Rhode’s first book, Hell Bay.
I shall certainly be looking out for the next book in the series.

We first meet DI Ben Kitto in Hell Bay. After the death of his partner, Ben took a break from solving murders in London and he moved back to the Scilly Islands to recover. The move was supposed to be temporary, just a few months, but he found himself investigating a murder on the island and, at the end of the novel, he decided to remain in the place where he spent his childhood.

In RUIN BEACH, we find Ben settled down and Deputy Chief of Scilly Island’s Police. He has to investigate the death of Jude Trellon. She was a professional diver and her body was found tied to the rocks by a cave in Piper’s Hole. She was hiding a secret and the people who knew her are not talking. For Ben, everyone on the island is a suspect, even the people he’s known his entire life.

Even though the novel is slow-paced, the author knows how to keep the suspense always high, by adding a second point-of-view alongside the protagonist’s. The story is told mostly in first person by Ben’s point-of-view, but we also read Tom’s story, a young man who knows why Jude was killed. Like Ben, I found myself suspecting of everyone involved in the story. You never know who is telling the truth, who is keeping secrets, who you can trust.

I really like the character of Ben Kitto. I enjoyed reading his interactions with his sidekick Eddie, an enthusiastic young officer, with his dog Shadow, and with his friend Zoe, for whom he has a huge crush. He is well-developed, vividly-drawn and likable and I look forward to read more about him.

What I really love about this novel is the setting. The Isles of Scilly are the real protagonists of the novel. They are just off the coast of Cornwall and they are beautiful and atmospheric and they come to life thanks to the author’s attention to details.

RUIN BEACH is evocative, chilling, and engrossing, an excellent second book in a brilliant series and I’d like to thank Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of the book.

I very much enjoyed Hell Bay last year so was delighted to see Ruin Beach appear on NetGalley in preparation for the paperback publication in February. Second books are supposedly difficult to keep to the standard of the first but with Ruin Beach Kate Rhodes has not only written a book as good as the first but, in my opinion, even better. This is an excellent story full of atmosphere, with a great sense of place and terrific characters.

DI Ben Kitto is fast establishing himself as a trusted detective back on his home Island of Bryher. Still he has yet to have his position confirmed his review is imminent. As he pays his uncle a visit a frantic islander turns up saying that there is something Ben needs to see at Piper’s Hole, locally considered a notoriously dangerous spot. Upon investigation a body is found, that of Jude Trellon, at first it appears that this is a tragic accident another islander had drowned there the previous year. However, it is soon established that Jude has been murdered. What follows is a terrific detective story as Ben tries to find the murderer, then a Police Officer is attacked and then there is a kidnapping. Will Ben solve the murder? Can he find the kidnap victim in time? Who has committed these heinous crimes? Is there more than one perpetrator? Are the crimes connected? We follow Ben’s investigation as he tries to figure out what is happening and why.

Ruin Beach will have you guessing until the final reveal, there are several suspects and Kate Rhodes cleverly leads you from one to another as the story of why these terrible crimes are being committed is finally revealed. The tension builds as you read and you are gripped by the story, the setting, the characters and the plot.

Kate Rhodes writes beautifully her prose vividly summon up The Scilly Isles and you find yourself thinking what a wonderful place they would be to visit. (The tourist board must be delighted as I’m sure that this is how all the readers of the Hell Bay Series feel.) She also has a wonderful way of drawing you into the plot and you will not want to put this book down until it is finished.

This was my last read of 2018 and I’m delighted that it was, it’s just the sort of book I enjoy and I think this may be my favourite book of the year. What a terrific book, I would highly recommend it to everyone.

I will be purchasing the paperback in February to go with my copy of Hell Bay, the first in the series, and eagerly await Burnt Island the third book of this excellent series.

With thanks to Simon and Schuster UK via NetGalley for an eCopy of Ruin Beach by Kate Rhodes. All thoughts are my own, I have not received any payment for the review of this book.

I read this on the back of 'Hell Bay' which had a tense and brooding atmosphere about it - this sequel feels looser, much less tightly-wound, and with a rather improbable plot that reminded me irresistibly of the Famous Five... never a good thing if you're going for serious and dark! The descriptions of the sea and island life are good but at heart this is a straightforward police procedural with nothing stand-out about it.

Ruin Beach by Kate Rhodes

After years of service in the Metropolitan Police, DI Ben Kitto has now settled back into life on the Scilly Isles where he grew up and where he realises he belongs. He is the Deputy Chief of Police for the islands. It’s not always easy – the chief is no friend to Ben – but Eddie the constable is warming to him and there’s hardly a soul on the islands, barring the influx of summer visitors, that Ben doesn’t know. Surely, then, there can be no room for secrets on these islands where everybody knows everyone else’s business?

When the body of local professional diver Jude Trellon is discovered anchored to the rocks in a cave, it is initially assumed that her death was a tragic accident. That’s until a curious artefact is found wedged in her mouth and a message inside a bottle is found tied to her ankle. It’s clear to Ben that there is a killer loose on the islands and they have something to say. Jude’s murder is just the beginning.

I loved Hell Bay, the first of Kate Rhodes’ novels to feature DI Ben Kitto. He is such a fascinating detective. He has a history he’s trying to forget but he deals with it by returning to the little island of Bryher where he is confronted by his past every single day. Ben is renewing his friendships with people he abandoned years before but he also has a new companion – Shadow, a wolfhound who has chosen to adopt Ben for the time being. They spend much of their time walking across the Scilly Isles, along its rugged coast, past its smugglers’ cottages, ruined abbeys and sailing its inviting yet dangerous seas. Kate Rhodes’ richly evocative prose makes sure that we’re there with them every step of the way. It’s wonderful and feels such a distance away from the London that Ben has left behind.

Alongside the beauty there is the danger – the storms, the relentless tides, the killer. There is also the discomfort of living in such a small community. If a bad thing happens, one might never be allowed to forget it. It is possible to think you know someone too well when in reality you don’t know them at all. I love how we get to know the islanders, watching them interact, pull together when tragedy strikes. Ruin Beach has such a good plot to go along with the beautiful location, the warm sunshine and the menacing mood. It develops at the perfect pace for the setting. It takes its time, leading us a gorgeous dance around the islands, until the final chapters which are explosive.

Ruin Beach is such an engaging and engrossing read. There is an escapist feel to it which I really enjoyed. Island life is every bit as important, if not more so, than the crime under investigation. When one person is harmed, so many others suffer. Plus there’s the fact that the number of potential suspects is so limited and the majority of these may be people that an islander has known all their lives. I love Kate Rhodes’ elegant, descriptive prose and Ben Kitto, perhaps the tallest man on the islands, stands out in so many ways. It’s a very strong follow up to Hell Bay and I know that when Burnt Island is published in 2019 it will go straight to the top of my reading pile.

Other reviews
River of Souls
Hell Bay

Kate Rhodes launched her Scilly Isles based crime series at the beginning of this year with “Hell Bay”. I was particularly impressed by the intensity she managed to build up around the location of Bryher, the smallest inhabited island with less than one hundred permanent residents. The ramifications of murder on such a close-knit isolated community were fascinating. Perhaps, understandably, the author has widened her net a little here (she couldn’t keep bumping off those poor Bryher residents) and focused the action on the neighbouring island of Trescoe with double the population and a more touristy feel.

This population begins to decline when a diver is found dead in a cave. An object found jammed in her mouth suggests that this was no accident. D I Benesek Kitto, who grew up on and has now returned to the Scillys, together with Czechoslovakian Wolfhound Shadow (in the course of two novels already up there amongst the best dogs in fiction) are on hand to investigate. We get a first-person narrative from Kitto interspersed with some short third person sections which drive the plot forwards.

It becomes apparent that Jude Trellon, the diver, has been killed because of what she knows about shipwrecks around the coasts of the islands and secrets kept means others are in peril. Kate Rhodes does characterisation very well and as well as developing her human (and canine) characters she is also able to convey the sea convincingly as a main character in the novel, which is like some of the island residents, calm and co-operative one minute and destructive and deadly the next. Atmosphere-wise, however, I do not feel that this has that edgy intensity I enjoyed so much in “Hell Bay” and the plot here did not feel as impressively tight, there did seem to be quite a lot of recapping which affected pace at times but this is a very satisfying crime series and with the next novel “Burnt Island” planned I will certainly be looking out for it.

Ben Kitto has become the Scilly Isles' Deputy Chief of Police. As the lazy summer sets in, he finds himself missing the excitement of the murder squad in London. But when the body of professional diver Jude Trellon is discovered, his investigative skills are once again needed. At first it appears the young woman's death was a tragic accident but when evidence suggests otherwise, the islanders close ranks. As the islanders remain guarded, Ben suspects a killer is on the loose in Tresco. 

This did not excite me. I enjoyed the read but I was not gripped or compelled by the plot which was a real shame. This started off strong and I was into the plot but then it lags, it became dull and dare I say it, boring. There was little meat to the plot, it trundles along nicely with no massive thrill to inject some excitement into the plot. I just feel a bit meh and let down about the whole plot. Then, and I really did not think I would say this about a book, but the setting of Tresco, although perfect atmospherically, does come across far fetched for all these murders that are happening, it just does not ring true. 

Despite this rather big negative, I did enjoy a lot of the read, it was great to be back on Tresco, it really is the perfect setting for such a bleak, dark crime read, on these winter nights, I loved immersing myself in a cold, desperate landscape. As with all books in a series it was fantastic to be in the company of known characters, following Ben again was most enjoyable, as was catching up with the rest of the islanders, I do love establishing a relationship with characters and Rhodes certainly does this. 

So there are positives to this read but overall I was not excited by the read and felt largely let down by it. The characters are the main thing I can take away from this largely forgettable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

I read the first book and enjoyed this one just as much if not more. I like how the character of Ben is developing throughout the books and I like the setting. The author does a good job of helping to describe the location so it is as if you are almost there. Lots of suspects to choose from (always good) and no obvious clues as to whodunit! Look forward to reading to next one.