Another stunning book!

Thoroughly enjoyed this 3rd book in the Matt Ballard books. Things have changed and Matt is no longer in the force but along with Liz his partner  has set up a PI agency.
The story runs with a couple of threads with ex colleagues involved and the Fens as  usual provide a very atmospheric background..
I don’t want to spoil the story for others so suggest you get your copy and start reading!

Not read the others in this series but jumped at the chance to review this book as enjoyed the other books I have read by Joy Ellis.

In this one we have an old lady’s garden whose garden is vandalised and then the cottage is covered in graffiti, which has everyone stumped, and Matt’s friend and his wife seemed to have increasing issues with their relationship. Can Matt and his partner resolve these seemingly intractable problems.

This is book 3 in the series but despite  that and not having read the others I felt the book held up very well as a standalone. I really liked the main character in the story and interesting to see how he struggled as his friend’s marriage seemed to dissolve around him. If I had a problem I’d want Matt there to help me! 

I enjoyed this book more as it  progressed. This book had a bit of everything, although the original crime they were investigating ending up being a small part of the book, but led to a good twist at the end. Quite a heavy mental health theme running through this book. 

I strongly recommend this book and can’t wait to catch up with the others in the series. I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to me for an open and honest review.

A different type of story line for Joy Ellis following the mental decline of one of the characters. Not quite what I was expecting..  It was very well written but the main topic was emotionally disturbing and tough to read.  I prefer Matt Ballard solving murders and hope he will return to investigating these.

Once again Joy Ellis has written a brilliant psychological thriller. The book has an almost gothic feel to it. The characters are intense and the setting while it should be beautiful feels dark. There is no murder in this book but, the mystery is there. I love this series and I will anxiously await book 4.

Once again Joy Ellis has written a book that was nearly impossible to put down, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It kept me wondering all the way through! It covered areas that are very difficult and how people are effected and how that then goes on to effect others. The ending really took me by surprise as I was not expecting it. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading a really great thriller.

I've LOVED reading this book! A definite page turner.  This is the first time I have come across this author,  but I'll definitely be looking out for more! Highly recommended

I’ve read a lot of books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed them. This book was the 3rd book in this series and it took on a different turn as the main characters were now not in the police and are working as private investigators. I found the book a little slow at the start but then it became really gripping and quite dark and spooky !! A great addition to a good series.

Retired police turned private investigators take on the case of a good friend whose neighbor is the victim of a hate crime.  The friend himself, Will, is facing his own mystery as his wife seems to be turning into a completely different person.  Oh, and the fens. They are always such a mysterious and creepy setting.  

The strange behavior of Will's wife Kate set the mood.  She is suddenly angry, morose, tired, cheerful...with no real clues as to what is leading her behavior.  Will excuses her as being overworked but you're wondering how long it will be before this becomes so bad he has to face it.  

The secondary story of the woman being victimized by someone are less creepy and more disgusting.  It seems strange that people don't seem to be taking it as seriously as it should be.  Killing pets?  Anti-semitic graffiti?  This is very disturbing, outrageous stuff.  Who would do such a thing?

There are a lot of things going on in the fens.  Aren't there always?  Getting a peak at these little towns and their history creates a  complete, engrossing world with mysteries I couldn't wait to solve.  Now, I want to go back and read previous books.  More books on a list that never gets shorter!

I usually like Joy Ellis’ Fenland books so was looking forward to reading this one. I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed. I felt myself becoming frustrated with the characters especially Will and the storyline, which started with such promise, descended into the supernatural. I hate books about the supernatural and would not have started if I had realised that this would happen.
Would I recommend this book? No
Would I read another Joy Ellis? Probably, based on other books of hers I have read.
Thank you Netgalley and Joffe for giving me the opportunity to give my opinion.

Retirement Issues....
Book three in the Detective Matt Ballard series finds Matt with a whole host of issues on his hands despite his retirement. A well written mystery but with a storyline that is rather depressing, dark and morose and characters which display too many unlikeable characteristics to be properly enjoyed. The series has become far removed  from the authors’ other works.

The Dying Light is my favourite by the very talented: Joy Ellis. 
I felt more intrigued with this particular book: why is somebody targeting an innocent, vulnerable elderly widow? What could she have possibly done to someone for them to inflict such abuse and threatening behaviour upon her?! ...Could it be a random attack? Did her late husband make any enemies?
Then there was Kate. Kate's behaviour was strange to say the least. But why?!
I have to say that my heart went out to Kate and Will. Kate for what she had been through and Will, for what he had been through and for trying his hardest to look after Kate. 
I have always been a believer in the unexplained and the author really made me feel that there was more to Holland House than met the eye. As the story unfolded, I broke out in goosebumps quite a few times and I couldn't wait to find out what on earth was going on and why.
Why is someone being secretive? Where do innocent children come into this living nightmare?
I loved how Matt and Liz, whilst still going about their private investigating business, still had time for their friends and wanted to help in any way they could with the strange comings and goings on Whisper Fen.
The Dying Light is a well thought out, perfectly tuned story, that gripped me until the end.
This book is the third in the Matt Ballard series but can easily be read as a standalone and I highly recommend it!

My thanks to Joffe books, via NetGalley and Books n All Promotions.

This is my honest and unbiased review.

I have read all of the ‘Fenland’ books by Joy Ellis.  I am an avid fan of this author and love her portrayal of the fens and those who live there.

This is the third in the Matt Ballard series but can be read as a stand-alone. Matt is an ex-detective and his wife, Liz, is an ex-sergeant. Their friends Will (who is also and ex-detective) and Kate move into Holland House which is a few miles away from Matt and Liz.

Kate and Will have lost a child and Kate’s mental health is getting worse leaving Will frustrated and needing help. He speaks to his close friends about some strange things happening on the Fen. One of their neighbours, Emilia, is having her house vandalised and they are trying to help.

As usual Joy Ellis handles some delicate subjects with care. Cleverly plotted, with characters who bring the story to life as the storyline twists and turns towards a surprising ending.

Thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Another excellent read and highly recommended.

I love Joy Ellis' detective stories and this one started off well with two of her former detectives settling into being private investigators. I was fine with the cases and the fact that their old friends Will and Kate also moved into the neighbourhood to start anew. Kate's frame of mind then just took over the whole shebang and the detecting, whilst eventually all tying together nicely, was subsumed within her grief and deteriorating state of mind. Whilst that was extremely well written and I felt for Will's helplessness much of the time, it was not what I was wanting to read - hence the 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not a bad read. If you found it in a hotel and took it the pool you'd be happy enough. I probably won't read any more

I am a BIG Joy Ellis fan and love her quick, easy to read books that always keep me interested and usually on the edge of my seat! This one didn’t disappoint a new main character for me but instantly took to him in book 1 so was pleased to be given the chance to read book 3 of the series!  Now on to book 2...

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It has been published in July 2020.

"The Dying Light" by Joy Ellis was a disappointing read.
First of all, too slow-paced: it takes forever to get the plot started, and the suspense never really takes off.
The different subplots felt disjointed to me, like they didn't belong in the same novel.
The characters are painfully stereotyped.
The narration would have benefited from the application of the "show, don't tell" rule.
The psychological explanations inserted in the book feel like lectures... the really boring, pedantic kind.
Besides, I didn't appreciate the use of bullet points in the narration. It screamed "lazy writing" to me.
There are unexcusable repetitions all throughout the story, for instance when the protagonist explains away the same supposed "prophetic dream" twice, both times using almost the same words. I get it that he's talking to two different characters, but why do I have to read it twice?
And by the way, there's a great deal of talking in this book. Far more talking than action, really. Pointless chatting, for the most part, and even when the conversations do have a point, they're too lengthy, drawn out.
The "big reveal" in the ending was exactly what I was expecting.

I just Love Joy's Books and when her latest one came out called The Dying Light by Joy Ellis I had to stop everything I was doing and open my kindle and read it. I was not disappointed it. This is book three in the Detective Matt Ballard series. Matt is fifty three years old and is still very fit, he is retiring from the police force. 
But, Liz his partner fails her medical, after an attempt on her life and is also retiring from the police force. They have to come up with a new venture together. Their new venture they are setting up is to become private investigators. Together, they crack their first case, but, it won't be easy they do it by working as a team! 

I loved this book and was well written. I am looking forward to book four in this series.

I highly recommend all Joy Ellis Books. They will not disappoint!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Joy Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up
Well, this was a very different book for Joy Ellis.  Not your typical mystery at all.  
Matthew Ballard and Liz Haynes are now retired and have hung out their shingles as PIs.  They take on helping an elderly neighbor of a friend, Will,  who has had her cat killed and her garage trashed.  But it’s Will who provides the bigger mystery.  His wife, Kate, has changed.  She’s become secretive, angry and hyper.  A nasty manic, to be honest.  
While not what I was expecting from Ms. Ellis, I enjoyed it.  It’s an engrossing story with an underlying feeling of tension and suspense.  Lately, I’ve been disappointed with most psychological thrillers I’ve read.  But this one captured my attention.  I quickly became emotionally invested in Will, who has no idea what to do for his wife and spends the days walking on eggshells.  That said, I could see the ending coming from a mile away, especially as it pertained to Sophie.  
My thanks to netgalley and Joffre Books for an advance copy of this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Joy Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Number 3 in the Matt Ballard series. Set in the fens this is slightly different from other books by Joy Ellis and has a more supernatural feel to it. That being said it’s a gripping read with a excellent ending

This is the 3rd book in the Matt Ballard series, somehow I skipped book 2 (having read Book 1- Beware the past). This book is a bit different of a take from Ellis. Here you have 2 officers, no longer on the force. One puttering around with a new detective business, and the other dealing with the needs of his illustrator wife. Unfortunately, it's not the usual page turner we expect from Ellis- it's trying to be part Gothic mystery, but the characters just don't grab you like they should. By middle of the book I wanted to chuck Kate into the fens, tell Will to move on, and burn down Holland House. Honestly, no matter what happened in the previous books,  there just wasn't the excuse for Kate to be like she was when they moved (ie before the house). Kudos to Will for wanting to stay with her, but they are written as being in 2 different worlds...

 I knew Ellis wouldn't let the reader wander away, so she brings in Sophie, who wasn't wanted to begin with by Will or Kate (though how a man would NOT want his niece, when they can't HAVE kids, seemed just TOO far fethed.. It's like adding kerosene to a already fast burning fire. Once she's introduced back into the story, the reader can quickly surmise where the book is headed and whle you stay with the book out of knowing Ellis' style and wondering what twist she will pull, it does leave you wondering why you did....I'm hoping if there's a fourth book in the series that it will get some more procedural back to it, or I'll be walking from this series....