Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and Kate Rhodes for my ARC of Ruin Beach. This author is rapidly becoming one of my all time favourites.

Once again, we are transported to the Scilly Isles with the amazing descriptive scenes to find a murder has taken place. Jude Trellon’s body is discovered anchored to a rock in a cave. As a professional diver it becomes clear that she was murdered but there are numerous possible culprits.

Ben Kitto, the main character, is a relatively new Deputy Chief of Police trying to find the killer. Originally from the Scilly Isles, he has a ‘shady’ past from working undercover in the Met for years where his previous partner committed suicide. As the story progresses the murder victim’s family become a target and a young man goes missing. All the residents pull together to help but somebody is still sending death messages.

Exceptionally great writing with numerous twists and turns. There are so many reasons that this novel is worthy of five stars: I couldn't put it down; the killer could have been anyone; unexpected twists and most of all I adore Shadow.

Brilliant read. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for a review copy of Ruin Beach, the second novel to feature DI Benesek “Ben” Kitto of the Scilly Isles police.

When diver Jude Trellon’s body is found in a dangerous cave it soon becomes apparent that she was murdered rather than dying accidentally as first thought. Jude, however, has been keeping secrets and it is these secrets that got her killed. Ben struggles to make sense of her death as nobody is talking.

I enjoyed Ruin Beach which is a bit of a slow burner with a great sense of location. It is told alternately from Ben’s point of view and that of Tom Heligan, Jude’s dive assistant, who knows more than he is saying, either to the police or the reader. To be perfectly honest I don’t think Tom’s narrative adds much to the plot and is a distraction from the main story so I skim read much of it. As I said the novel is a bit of a slow burner. With little in the way of forensics (the sea washes the evidence clean) and forensic support (distance and staff shortages) it harks back to an earlier time with interviews and deductive reasoning providing all the information but that takes time. There is no shortage of action scenes, where Ben is the hero, or suspects, where Ms Rhodes does a good job of making them all seem like potential perpetrators, to keep the reader occupied but actual forward momentum in establishing a viable suspect is slow going. I struggled with the conclusion which, while action packed, seems, due to the motive, a bit unconvincing. Don’t get me wrong, the motive is very plausible but in the context of the perpetrator I found it hard to swallow.

Ben Kitto is a fine perpetrator, a native son returned home after 10 years undercover with The Met, he knows the people and the location and, apart from ructions with his boss because he has a an appealing maverick streak, he has settled in well. Just as well there are a few murders to solve otherwise he’d be overqualified for the job! I don’t feel that I have got to know him well over the course of the two novels but it’s early days, I assume.

As a crime novel I would probably rate Ruin Beach at 3-3.5* but the vivid descriptions of the location and life on the islands really fired my imagination and added to my reading pleasure so I’ve bumped it up to 4*.

Really enjoyed this book. Good storyline and I like books set in places you don't normally find books set in. You get to meet the cast of characters one by one and you're left guessing as to who the culprit could be. Looking forward to reading more from this author