The Shrine (The Detective's Daughter book 10) - Lesley Thomson

A decades-old murder. A haunting legacy. A plot for revenge.

Stella Darnell knows her partner Jack is hiding something. After following him one evening, she discovers he's been consulting a psychic in a desperate attempt to reach his dead mother. A sceptic by nature, and feeling betrayed by his lies, Stella fears what this means for their relationship.

Seeking distraction, she accepts DI Toni Kemp's invitation to join her for a holiday in a small village in Gloucestershire. But the visit is derailed when a body is discovered at a shrine where a woman died decades earlier.

Drawn into the investigation, Stella must confront the legacy of a once-famous psychic whose shadow still hangs over Prestbury – while in the darkness, someone bent on revenge waits patiently for the perfect moment to strike...

Perfect for fans of LJ Ross and Kate Rhodes, this is the tenth gripping mystery in this must-read series that can be enjoyed in any order.

What did I think?

The Shrine is book 10 in The Detective's Daughter series but don't be put off if you haven't read any of the earlier books as it works brilliantly as a standalone.  I joined the series at book 8 so it was great to catch up with Stella again but there's enough information about her personal history for new readers to not feel lost.

This story is told from a dual point of view as we follow Stella's investigation and learn Jane's heartbreaking story.  The way that the stories interweave is breathtaking and I was completely riveted from start to finish.  It's like a double hook with the mystery of the present day murder and the avenging of an older tragedy.  Add in the story of the famous village psychic and the book becomes impossible to put down.

The beauty of The Detective's Daughter books, thanks to Lesley Thomson including concise recaps where necessary, is that you can pick each one up and enjoy the self-contained mystery without having to know Stella's history.  It does, however, make you want to find out and I definitely want to read the earlier books in the near future.

Compelling, intriguing and incredibly atmospheric, The Shrine is an entertaining and enthralling mystery with a fantastic female main character who virtually pops out of the page.  Another cracker from Lesley Thomson and a highly recommended read.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

©Michael White

Lesley Thomson is the bestselling author of The Detective’s Daughter series, which has sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. The tenth instalment, The Shrine, marks a major milestone in the acclaimed series. Renowned for her atmospheric, character-driven mysteries, Thomson’s writing has been likened to Barbara Pym for its keen psychological insight and wit. Her debut, A Kind of Vanishing, won the People’s Book Prize, cementing her reputation as a distinctive voice in crime fiction. She lives in Sussex with her partner and their dog. 

Visit her website at www.lesleythomson.co.uk

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Instagram: @lesleythomson

Twitter: @LesleyjmThomson

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BLOG TOUR: The Distant Dead: 8 (The Detective's Daughter) - Lesley Thomson

 

LONDON, 1940

Several neighbours heard the scream of the woman in the bombed-out house. One told the detective she thought the lady had seen a mouse. Another said it wasn't his business what went on behind closed doors. None of them imagined that a trusting young woman was being strangled by her lover.

TEWKESBURY, 2020

Beneath the vast stone arches of Tewkesbury Abbey, a man lies bleeding, close to death. He is the creator of a true-crime podcast which now will never air. He was investigating the murder of a 1940s police pathologist - had he come closer to the truth than he realised?

Stella Darnell has moved to Tewkesbury to escape from death, not to court it. But when this man dies in her arms, Stella, impelled to root out evil when she finds it, becomes determined to hunt down his killer and to bring the secrets he was searching for into the light...

What did I think?

When I picked up The Distant Dead, I didn't realise that it was book 8 in the Detective's Daughter series but I have to say that it works brilliantly as a standalone.  I didn't feel at all confused or disadvantaged by jumping in mid-series but I definitely want to go back and read the earlier books.

I'm always delighted to find maps inside books and The Distant Dead has something just as good: a plan of Tewkesbury Abbey.  With a real life 'googleable' setting, it's really easy to visualise a lot of the scenes in the abbey (as pictured on the cover).  I have to say that my imagination was way out regarding the cadaver tomb; I had never heard of them before so I had to google it and although it did make me go 'eww' I found the history of cadaver tombs fascinating.  I love books that teach me something as well as providing entertainment through their storytelling.

In a dual timeline setting, a spate of modern day murders have a link to a cold case from 1940.  The murder of Maple Greenhill in 1940 is just one of many wartime crimes that remain unsolved but it had a snowball effect that has repercussions throughout the following decades.  Fast forward to 2019 and Stella (the detective's daughter in the series of the same name) is thrust into the middle of a killing spree that could see her becoming the next victim if she gets too close to solving Maple's murder.

The Distant Dead is wonderfully plotted, there's so much going on that it's impossible to work out what's going to happen next.  It's so fast-paced and gripping that it makes the pages turn effortlessly and I was equally riveted by both timelines.  I loved Stella's friend Lucie; she's absolutely hilarious and slightly crazy but fiercely loyal.  It's the characters of Lucie and Stella that make me want to read the earlier books in the series - I really want to find out their stories.

The Distant Dead is a hugely enjoyable read; it's intriguing, surprising and very atmospheric.  Lesley Thomson's writing is so vivid that I could almost feel the chill of the abbey and hear the echo of whispers.  The Detective's Daughter series fans will devour this one and I've no doubt that Lesley Thomson will pick up a few new fans too.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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About the author:

Lesley Thomson is the author of the Detective's Daughter series of West London-set mysteries featuring private investigators Stella, a cleaner, and Jack, a tube driver. The first novel, The Detective's Daughter, became an ebook phenomenon in 2013, staying at number 1 in the digital charts for 3 months. Since then, the series has gone on to sell 800,000 copies worldwide. Lesley is an active member of the UK crimewriting community, and appeared at several crime festivals in 2019, including CrimeFest, Harrogate, Morecambe & Vice and Capital Crime. She lives in Lewes with her partner and her dog.

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Website: lesleythomson.co.uk

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