Wrapped up February with Book 7 in the DCI Ryan Mysteries series, Dark Skies by LJ Ross. Ross builds on her signature mix of a stunning setting, fast-paced plot, and engaging characters. The story is set in the Keilder Forest in the western part of Northumberland. This area, known as the Northumberland and Kielder Water and Forest International Dark Sky Park, is the second-largest protected area of night sky in Europe. In Kielder, the skies can be so dark that the Milky Way and even the planet Jupiter can cast shadows, a phenomenon many have never seen. The story takes us to many of the interesting spots in Keilder including Keilder Observatory and Keilder Castle, the former hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland.
Dark Skies starts with the gruesome discovery of a body at the bottom of Kielder Water, a large made-made reservoir, that was created in the 1960s. It was the body of a young teen who had apparently been murdered and buried there before the reservoir was created. As the story unfolds, another murder occurs in this remote and peaceful location. DCI Ryan and his team are tasked to solve these two seemingly unrelated cases. As with most Ross stories, the plot develops quickly. She introduces some new dynamics and twists in the characters and their relationships.
So, follows a formula, but a fun read.
Dark Skies by LJ Ross
“Beware what lies beneath…”
One fateful, starry night, three friends embark on a secret camping trip but only two return home. Thirty years later, the body of a teenage boy rises from the depths of England’s biggest reservoir and threatens to expose a killer who has lain dormant…until now.
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan returns from honeymoon to face danger from all sides. In the depths of Kielder Forest, a murderer has escaped justice before and will do anything to protect the secrets of the past. Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, an old foe has taken the helm as Superintendent and is determined to destroy Ryan at any cost.
Who will prevail in Ryan’s most dangerous case yet?