Cleverly plotted psychological crime novel. ( )

DCI Matt Ballard is taken to the brink when a past case comes back to haunt him, with new killings occurring twenty-five years later.
A great read, a well-written mystery with some interesting characters, kept me interested right to the end.
Received an Advanced Reader Copy ( )

Over 25 years have passed since DCI Matt Ballard started working on the Gibbert Fen case that has haunted him ever since. Back in the 90’s Matt Ballard was fresh on the force and eager to make his career a highly successful one. At the same time a serial killer was striking the remote Gibbert Fen area. The killer had successfully abducted and murdered three young boys, all while leaving behind zero evidence. Through diligent police work, Ballard was able to determine the killer was a man named Paul Underhill. Before he was able to prove this theory, Underhill was killed by an erratic driver and left to die on the side of the road.

Matt has always harbored his doubts about the killer behind the Gibbert Fen case, despite another murder with a similar M.O. not occurring since the death of Underhill. Now that he is knocking at the door of retirement, Matt is planning to secretly continue investigating this case, however, it appears he won’t need to wait. Photos of the old crime scenes taken prior to the murders have started showing up in Matt’s mail and fellow police officer, Gemma’s mail. When a young boy is kidnapped and killed in a manner eerily similar to the Gibbert Fen deaths the department has no choice but to open this cold case. It seems that the killer is back and this time wants more than just his victims, he also wants to take down Matt Ballard. As the days tick by Matt is forced to reveal secrets from his past and his life in order to track down this killer. Matt’s life and reputation are on the line. Can he catch this killer before both are lost?

Joy Ellis drew me in to BEWARE THE PAST within the first several pages and didn’t let me go until I hit the last sentence. I was instantly drawn to Matt Ballard. I wanted to know more about the Gibbert Fen case, how it impacted him, and how his current case/situation would play out. Ellis created a story that focused on the main character of Matt, but also allowed the secondary characters, his co-workers, close friend, and the killer, to also play a substantial role in making the book a well thought out read. The chapters were short, but had alternating viewpoints within each one, which helped drive the story and keep things fresh. BEWARE THE PAST is an addictive read that will keep you at the edge of your seat and up well past your bedtime! ( )

# Beware the past
Found a superb and new British cop ,mystery write - Joy Ellis - see [Joy Ellis (Author of Their Lost Daughters)](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4108600.Joy_Ellis)

This is set in the Fens area of England - a low lying, sparsely populated, area north and slightly east of London and just south of ‘The Wash’. The area was reclaimed centuries ago so while farmland it is marshy and riven by waterways. Mysterious and moody you say!

Starts somewhat slowly, I think is a common criticism of her work, which was okay now I knew what would come. The cops have their issues, naturally, however this isn’t overdone as often is the case. The characters though in general are not deep, somewhat superficial, however it’s the story that counts and no complaints.

There are lots of twists and turns in the story and certainly I didn’t see what was coming. The story has a lot of moving parts and developments but is not at all difficult to follow like some of its ilk. Two comments on the conclusion, without spoilers, is the seemingly unresolvable predicament the central characters faces is resolves too simply. Lucky would be an understatement. Plus a personal unsolvable romantic issue is resolved by a serendipitous gift!

A quick read and a superb book. I’ll be reading more this lady’s!

@Copperfield55/ ( )

It was his most important case, 25 years ago, and now it all seems to be coming back to him. Detective Matt Ballard was still young when a series of murders of three boys hit the remote area of Gibbet Fens. The killing suddenly stopped when their main suspects was killed in an accident, but nevertheless, doubts remained and now the killers seems to have resumed his series. The team is working around the clock and soon they have to realise that this is not just a normal murder case, it is a cat and mouse play with Matt Ballard at the centre. The killer wants his full attention and he want to hurt the detective – therefore everybody close to him is in the highest danger.

Joy Ellis’ thriller is just want I’d suspect from a crime novel: full of suspense, many clues and leads that only lead to dead-ends. Interesting characters with a past and buried secrets. A fast paced story with twists and turns and quite a surprising motive of the predator.

For me, the strongest aspect of the novel was actually the plot and the motivation of the killer. It is hard not to tell too much since it really comes as a surprise, but the way Joy Ellis drafted the novel, the killer’s procedure and the solution of the case was just brilliant. I was kept in the dark about who is behind it all for such a long time – ok, one might have guessed, but actually, the fact that I was totally taken by surprise makes it an outstanding thriller for me. ( )