Cath Staincliffe

The first in the Donovan & Young detective series set in Yorkshire. A skeleton is discovered in caves on the fells. Tests reveal it is the remains of a young woman who went missing 22 years previously whilst attending a music festival with friends. Was it an accident or did she fall?

I enjoyed this intriguing mystery. I‘m always drawn to a story set in my home county being a Yorkshire lass myself! I found it gripping, a page turner. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app where staves are released every day, usually ten altogether. There are plenty of twists and turns as in all good mysteries and I always wanted to read on. I thought the detectives, Leo and Shan, made a great intrepid duo. Roll on book two in the series!… (mere)

cold-case, Yorkshire, new-series, first-in-series, new-partners, missing-persons, 1997, 2019, dual-narrations, dual-perspectives, dual-time-frames, relationship-issues, relationships, relatives, suspense, procedural****

The skeleton in the cave is that of an 18 y/o college student who vanished 22 years ago. The story is told in both of those timelines. Rookie detective Shan Young is ethnically Chinese and female, partnered with 50 y/o DI Leo Donovan in Yorkshire. The story is as much about the professional relationship as it is about the dead girl. The plot is complex with some very sneaky twists and excellent imagery.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
DetectivesDonovanAndYoungBk1… (mere)

I think one of the reasons for this book hitting me so hard when I read it is because of the current situation in the world with all the suicide bombers in the recent years. The thought that you are no longer safe that any time or anywhere a suicide bomber may be is a reality nowadays. And, this book really shows both sides to it. First, we have the ordinary citizens on the train with different reasons for being there, be it traveling for a job interview or a wedding, then among them is a man who for some reason has decided to become a martyr for a cause, and by taking as many lives with him as possible. And, at home, a little sister is checking her big brother's computer and finding something she never thought that she would find...

This book is heartbreaking and so chilling to read. The characters on the train are introduced in the beginning of the book one by one. And, by letting the reader get to know them, making the characters come alive and then turning the world upside down has Cath Staincliffe written a powerful book that from the beginning until the end is so gripping that I could hardly put it down. For me were the chapters with Saheel's little sister a very powerful inclusion in this book. Her side of the story, her point-of-view is just as tragic as the ones on the train. Saheel's action has such a big impact not only on the people on the train but also his own family. They will never be the same again.

It's terrifying how one person's actions can affect so many lives, and this book shows just how in an instant, all your hopes and dreams can be destroyed, but it also shows how people can after facing a terrible situation gathered together and not let evil triumph.

I want to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!… (mere)

I think one of the reasons for this book hitting me so hard when I read it is because of the current situation in the world with all the suicide bombers in the recent years. The thought that you are no longer safe that any time or anywhere a suicide bomber may be is a reality nowadays. And, this book really shows both sides to it. First, we have the ordinary citizens on the train with different reasons for being there, be it traveling for a job interview or a wedding, then among them is a man who for some reason has decided to become a martyr for a cause, and by taking as many lives with him as possible. And, at home, a little sister is checking her big brother's computer and finding something she never thought that she would find...

This book is heartbreaking and so chilling to read. The characters on the train are introduced in the beginning of the book one by one. And, by letting the reader get to know them, making the characters come alive and then turning the world upside down has Cath Staincliffe written a powerful book that from the beginning until the end is so gripping that I could hardly put it down. For me were the chapters with Saheel's little sister a very powerful inclusion in this book. Her side of the story, her point-of-view is just as tragic as the ones on the train. Saheel's action has such a big impact not only on the people on the train but also his own family. They will never be the same again.

It's terrifying how one person's actions can affect so many lives, and this book shows just how in an instant, all your hopes and dreams can be destroyed, but it also shows how people can after facing a terrible situation gathered together and not let evil triumph.

I want to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!… (mere)