Simply Angela : Solace House by Joy Ellis

Holly Stewart moved into Solace House thinking it would be a fresh start for her and her family. She knew a tragic murder had taken place there, but she didn’t know the full ghastly history of the house.

Now, her husband has lost his job, the children are bullied at school, and someone is prowling around the garden at night. Someone who wants them gone.

Detective Jackman wants to help. Instead he’s been pulled into a 20-year-old cold case. The gruesome murder of a young woman whose head was never found. A new witness comes forward. He claims to have crucial evidence on what really happened that night.

Days later, a group of litter-pickers uncover black sacks containing dismembered human limbs. Attending the scene, DS Marie Evans is shocked to see a strange symbol carved into the victim’s flesh: the same symbol found on the headless girl all those years ago.

The murders must be connected. But why has the killer struck again — after 20years?

As the threats to the Stewart family escalate, Jackman must choose between helping people in the present and solving the crimes of the past.

Series: Jackman and Evans #9 | Publisher: Audible | Narrator: Richard Armitage | Length: 11 hrs 56 min | Genre: Thriller/Mystery | Source: Publisher | Rating: 5

Spooky houses, ritualistic cults, and random body parts popping up make for a thrilling time as Detectives Jackman and Evans race to crack the case in the latest installment of Jackman & Evans. Keep reading to see why this is my favorite book from the series.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve had my ups and downs with the series. Something happened in the middle of this series and the writing seemed to go downhill for a minute, but it’s been building back up and I’m happy to say that this one was a 5-Cup book for me.

Here’s what’s going on: When the constabulary has a lull in cases, they decide to look into the dark history of Solace House to figure out who could be behind a string of events terrorizing the young family that recently bought the place. Although things aren’t quiet for long. When body parts are discovered and a member of a cult decides it’s time to break his silence, things start swiftly moving although the team’s not sure if all is what it appears. As the investigation heats up, a death of one of their own rocks the constabulary leaving a key member sidelined.

Oh my goodness, this was the best book in the series, honestly, the best book I’ve read so far this year. Not only are there shady things going on at Solace House, there’s a creepy cult that’s into ritualistic murders with a member ready to talk, and there’s also an unexpected death. There was so much happening in this book but every single detail was in place and was woven seamlessly together without overcrowding the others.

The investigations in this one were in depth and full of twists and turns. There were a few avenues that turned up interesting clues and brought previous characters back into play. The Solace House aspect was interesting as it was the scene of a previous investigation that took place off the pages at the start of the series, while it was referenced to in different books it never really went into too much detail so it’s shown here in full view. Things do get a little creepy with the cult but it’s not overly graphic or gory. There’s also the start of a new plot arc that formed in this book and I’m curious to see where it goes and how it develops because it has a very sinister feel.

While the investigations are a prime aspect of the book, there’s always a bit of personal history mixed in so that we get to know the characters, especially Ruth Evans and Rowan Jackman but this one provided even more insight into the characters and I enjoyed that. We also get to see softer side of Jackman and Evans.

Very rarely am I shocked with plot twists, especially when it comes to this series, but when the unexpected death occurred, I had to stop the audiobook and sit for a moment because I did not see it coming. I remember saying, “What just happened?” and trying to sort it out.

This was a long audiobook, just a little under 12 hours but it was so fast-paced that it felt as though it flew by yet nothing was missing from the story and it wasn’t rushed. Of course, as always, Richard Armitage does such a brilliant job narrating this one; he truly brings the characters to life and I’m excited to see how it goes when he plays Jackman in the television series.

While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading this series in order to get the feel for the characters and the situations they find themselves in.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better installment. The book knocked me for a loop and I’m excited to see where the lovely and talented Joy Ellis takes the series next.