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Sunday 23 April 2023

The House in the Woods (Atticus Priest #1) by Mark Dawson

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Four murders. Two detectives. One mystifying crime.

On Christmas Eve, DCI Mackenzie Jones is called to a shooting at a remote farmhouse. Ralph Mallender believes his father lies dead inside. When three more bodies are discovered, it’s clear a festive family gathering has turned into a gruesome tragedy.

At first it seems like an open and shut case: a murder suicide committed by Ralph’s volatile brother Cameron. Then new evidence makes Mack suspect the man who reported the crime is in fact the perpetrator.

But Mack isn’t the only one with a stake in the case. Private investigator Atticus Priest has been hired to get Ralph acquitted. That means unearthing any weaknesses in Mack’s evidence.

Irascible, impatient and unpredictable, Atticus has weaknesses of his own. Mack knows all about them because they share a past - both professionally and personally. This time round, however, they aren’t on the same side. And as Atticus picks at the loose ends of the case, everything starts to unravel in a way neither of them could ever have predicted..."

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A very good start to a new series and one I am very much looking forward to getting my teeth into.

A gruesome murder has occurred in an isolated farmhouse and DCI Mackenzie 'Mack' Jones and her team are sent in to investigate.  Their initial thought is that it's a tragic murder-suicide however, fingers soon point to the person who discovered the bodies of his family, Ralph Mallender and he is quickly arrested, charged and brought to court.

Ralph's wife is convinced of her husband's innocence and employs the services of disgraced ex-police officer and now private detective, Atticus Priest to try and find any evidence missed by the police which will help her husband's case.

Not being tied by the constraints of the police, i.e., the law! Atticus sets about the task at hand and quickly discovers things are not quite what they seem much to the annoyance of 'Mack' who just happens to be his former boss and with whom he has had a previous relationship.

The book is told from both Mack and Atticus' points of view and takes place during the court case which mixes police procedural, Atticus' unconventional methods of investigation and court room thriller.  The pace is initially a slow burner as there is a wealth of detail that, at times, seems a little unnecessary but once you get past that, it soon ramps up into a thrilling read with plenty of twists and turns.

Overall, a really enjoyable start to a new series and one I am very much looking forward to following and I must give a thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The House in the Woods.

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Other books by Mark Dawson I have read and reviewed:



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