What a way to start off my reading in 2023.

Absolutely superb crime fiction with a quirky, dark and utterly compelling main protagonist, a deeply disturbing yet completely addictive mystery all brought together with some fantastic writing and a genuine sense of emotion throughout.

I read it all in one go just could not bear to put it down. Was even late for work one day, luckily they forgave me.

Absolutely highly recommended. As a reader I appreciate this level of skill, you don't find it everywhere.

Don't miss it.

A really good read loved that it was based around the traveller community.A gripping story that kept me hooked throughout look forward to reading more by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the ARC

I read and watch a lot of thrillers, so I often guess the twists and who is involved and I was wrong, which I always love, but I wasn't far off.

This is a book that will take you on a ride until the very last page.

The book will keep twisting and turning, will keep you guessing and reevaluating until the very very end. A perfect thriller for any time of the year.

Gripping storyline from the beginning to the end. Such an unusual setting based around the traveller community. A good read.

I really enjoyed this - it’s been a while since a thriller captivated me enough to read it in a couple of days but this definitely did. The main character comes from the traveler community which adds a unique perspective to the imaginative deaths and lore that is explored. Add to this a queer love story and small town politics, this is an easy recommendation and a great start to a new series.

This novel publishes the boundaries of crime fiction by focusing on the showmen community who do not often feature in fiction. The thriller introduces former Detective Constable Scott Jericho who has fallen on hard times after his own run-in with the law. After fighting against the violent suspect in one of the cases he was sent to investigate, Scott had been imprisoned for assault. Upon his release, he builds links once more with the traveller community he grew up in. But no sooner has he returned to the place of his upbringing when a series of murders shocks the Jericho Travelling Fair that his family symbolises. Can Scott make the connections between the individual murders and bring the series of grisly killings to an end?
Occasionally a little too vivid and violent for my liking, this was nevertheless a worthy read. I look forward to reading more from the same author who has apparently received a three-book deal, so there should be at least more Scott Jericho books in the pipeline. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that enabled this honest book review.

This first foray into murder & mayhem from one of my favourite authors (William Hussey) is my first read of 2023 and oh my god, the rest of this year’s reads have been set an impossibly high standard to match up to! Terrifying, intriguing and with more turns than the average hall of mirrors, I have been glued to the story unfolding in front of me on the page and I am very , very glad that this is the first in a series as I need to know more about Scott Jericho, and the traveller community he was born into. Simply stunning, this one is going to leave me with a huge book hangover.

Given that the Amazon description of the book includes the following:'... a series of bizarre murders comes to light - deaths that echo a century-old fairground legend.'... I don't feel it is giving anything away to say that this is a serial killer novel. And having said that, I should also say that I don't tend to choose to read serial killer novels much these days after feeling a bit burned out by so many of them over the years.
That said, I requested this book because the premise of the protagonist fascinated me - a gay, disgraced former detective fresh out of jail, finding refuge in the traveller family working fairs: a life he abandoned long ago. Yes, he haunted by demons from a previous case that (amongst other things) have given him a substance abuse issue, but that aside, it felt like a very different type of hero from your bog standard 'world weary cop with a drinking problem...
While this isn't my usual sub genre of crime these days, my rating reflects how well I think it works in the arena it is set in while recognising it isn't a subject I would normally read- that is; an interesting cast of characters, a striking killer motif, and well written scenes and dialogue.
Other reviewers have commented that they guessed the killer and, as is the nature of the serial killer novel, if one follows the 'rules' it may be that it is easy to narrow down potential suspects. How the reader feels about the motif for the killings and the mechanisms required to make it all work, will depend on them (the novel itself is happy to reflect on its' own 'coincidences' in a psuedo meta manner.
Yes, there are a couple of ' I'll tell you when we meet' tropes where you can guess, if you've read any murder mysteries before that the promiser isn't going to make that meeting... but it's a small quibble in the big scheme of things.
I read the book in two sittings which gives an idea of the speed at which it moves along and there was enough about the characters, both said and half revealed that would make me happy to read a sequel (from the author's afterword it appears there is indeed going to be more books in the series): particularly if the next case is not in the serial killer oeuvre.
Fans of this particular sub genre will, I'm sure find a whole lot to like here, and fans of crime/ mystery novels in general will find much to enjoy in a new and interesting protagonist.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the chance to read an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Dark, creepy and atmospheric, it is safe to say that I loved this read. It was full of mystery and suspense with twists that kept me guessing and the romance elements worked really well levelling out the darkness of the book. A great read

Holy ...! This is good! Do you love superbly written British thrillers? Dark and twisted? With queer rep? The first of a series? Read this!

I love William Hussey’s writing! It’s fascinating and captivating, and unputdownable. William writes ' showing ' like no other, whether it’s a YA contemporary or an adult thriller. Whereas his YA novels are written bluntly but on the softer side, this thriller is rougher and darker and sometimes more graphic.

Scott Jericho is an unusual detective with many flaws. He’s intelligent and insightful but also temperamental and abrasive. He loves books, and his dream has always been to become a writer. Until the Malanowski case. Oh, and he’s gay. It’s just a given, no more and no less. It’s refreshing to read queer rep like this. And I loved Haz, by the way!

This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve been reading thrillers from a young age, and the genre has always been one of my favorites. Somehow, I don’t read them so often anymore, but I’m so happy I picked up this one. Like I said, it’s dark and twisted, and next to that, William shows us so much of Scott’s life, including his connection to a traveling fair and showmen. And do you know that feeling when you’re at 60%, 70%, 80% of a book and still haven’t got a clue where it’s going and want to know whodunnit desperately? This is such a book! BUT ... I had my suspicions early on and found out that I was right in the end! Just a little proud of myself 😆! And that ending? I got goosebumps all over my body!

Actual rating 4.5 stars. I deducted half a star because I guessed who was the killer, and rounded it back up to 5 stars because William is an awesome author!

William Hussey aka William Harker

4 - 5 stars
Scott Jericho #1

Meet Scott Jericho from a traveller fairground background, ex DC ex-con (refer to the former, he has a very good reason for the ‘con’), gay, troubled, haunted in fact, on pills, uses sex to distract, he is currently just existing. He gets a strangely delivered message from a former Cambridge professor informing him that the dead of Travellers Bridge are calling out to him. This is when over 100 years ago five travellers from a freak show drown in a river. He meets Professor Campbell, is repelled by him but he is drawn in when he shows him evidence of three modern day horrifying deaths that mimic the freak show travellers. Who is picking victims off one by one? How are they connected? Campbell gives Jericho a file in order to begin the investigation in what proves to be a race against time.

Wow, what a cracking read! First of all, I love the setting and focus around the travellers fairground life fully appreciating that we have something different here from the norm. This therefore makes it stand out for me. The patois is fantastic for example, joskins are non-travellers which adds some colour to the dialogue. Secondly, what of Jericho? To sum him up I’d say he’s absolutely fascinating. As a cop, he’s gifted, intuitive, his arrest record is impressive but temperamentally he’s abrasive. However, despite his predisposition to wading in sometimes fists first, this is a good man, his heart is in the right place. He remeets his former big love from university in Haz (Harry) Morehouse who is just wonderful. Jericho needs Harry and vice versa.

The horrifying mystery of the murders as it unfolds is strange and distinctly weird, Jericho makes mistakes, some deliberately but some unintentionally. It becomes very hard to put the novel down chiefly because of the enthralling way in which it is written. It’s dark and definitely twisted sister and so of course, I love it! As for the ending, I don’t see that one coming! What a surprise, yet, when you track back, it’s not left field by any means. Well played!

Overall, this is the darkly, atmospheric addictive page, turner, and I can’t wait to get my mitts on number 2!!

Ps I love the Sherlock and other literary references!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bonnier Books, Zaffre, for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an arc of this book.

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of William Hussey’s new book and so I was really excited to be approved to read and review an arc. This was a much darker read than I’m used to but I found the story very gripping and wanted to know more. The case was mysterious and the romance plot was much sweeter than I expected given the rest of what was going on. I enjoyed the twists and turns and would rate it a four star.

The only thing that let it down for me was the ableist language/remarks, I hadn’t been expecting this from the author and so felt quite let down.

CW’s animal cruelty, talk of pedophiles, gruesome descriptions.