Book info

• Title Holy Island
• Author L.J. Ross
• Year 2015
• Genre Mystery

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island seeking sanctuary when he is forced to take sabbatical leave from his duties as a homicide detective. A few days before Christmas, his peace is shattered and he is thrust back into the murky world of murder when a young woman is found dead amongst the ancient ruins of the nearby Priory. When former local girl Dr Anna Taylor arrives back on the island as a police consultant, old memories swim to the surface making her confront her difficult past. She and Ryan struggle to work together to hunt a killer who hides in plain sight, while pagan ritual and small-town politics muddy the waters of their investigation. Murder and mystery are peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the spectacular Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, cut off from the English mainland by a tidal causeway.

Thoughts

I’ve seen these LJ Ross books so often that eventually I had to give in and buy one, they’re bestsellers and highly rated so I was interested in what was capturing so many people’s hearts and minds. I quite liked it, the setting is so atmospheric and interesting - the Holy Island of Lindisfarne - although the murders that take place are a little unbelievable. I liked the characters and the relationships that started to develop, even though I was suspicious of everyone all the way through. I’m not sure it completely grabbed me but I did enjoy reading while I did so.

Rating: 3 / 5