Penshaw

DCI Ryan, Book 13

By: LJ Ross

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

When you sell your soul, the devil gives no refunds....

When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders. When everyone had a motive, can he unravel the secrets of the past before the killer strikes again?

Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, trouble is brewing with rumours of a mole in Ryan’s department. With everyone under suspicion, can he count on anybody but himself?

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

©2019 Louise Ross (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

“LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers.” (The Times)

“A literary phenomenon.” (Evening Chronicle)

“LJ Ross is the Queen of Kindle.” (Sunday Telegraph)

Penshaw

This is one of my favourite Dective stories and have read all of them, eagerly awaiting my pre-ordered next copy. I love DCI Ryan and now all his team and they are so real to me. If this was made into a TV series, I would tape and keep all episodes. Anyone wanting a good Detective series, try this, guaranteed you'll be hooked soon. Excellent stories and narrated in the best possible voice. loved every minute of it. thank you

Excellent Story - Nice narration

OMGoodness! There is a LOT going on in Northumberia and we all need our running shoes on to keep up with it. Ryan and Lowerson are placed in untenable and dangerous positions, dead bodies are turning up in Penshaw, a dangerous villain from previous books turns up, and it appears there is more corruption within the constabulary. OH! MY! As always, the fast-paced, can’t-put-it-down mystery is filled with twists-and-turns that will keep your head spinning.

There has been a marked increase in crime and at the same time, a decrease in successful apprehensions and prosecutions. Because of his sterling reputation, DCI Ryan has been tasked with heading up a task force consisting of all of the various units such as drugs, fraud, major crimes, digital forensics, organized crime, etc. His task is to foster information sharing across agencies so that they can all help each other catch, prosecute, and imprison the culprits responsible for the mayhem. At the same time, Ryan is approached by his boss, Chief Constable Sandra Morrison, and DCI Andrew Blackett, of what is known as the Ghost Squad. They are sure that the policing forces have been compromised – at all levels – and that there is even a mole in Ryan’s own team. OH! MY! Ryan’s task is to figure out who, throughout the policing forces, have been compromised. Ryan is sure nobody in his squad would be compromised – one of them cannot be a mole on this very task force. Or, can they?

While all of that is happening, we are learning about the sad death of Alan Watson in Penshaw. Alan had been a robust, active, dedicated miner for years – until the great strike in the fall of 1984. Alan had been a major organizer and leader of the union and the strike, but when it failed, a rumor started, and it accused him of providing information to the government about the union's plans. It broke him for his close-knit community to think that of him and he took to drink. Now, over 30 years later, his charred remains have been pulled from their burning home by his wife. She’s seriously burned, but Alan didn’t survive. Was he murdered or did he die of a heart attack and drop his cigarette, thus causing the fire? MacKenzie and Lowerson catch the Watson case and something about it just seems ‘off’ to MacKenzie. As they investigate, and more deaths and betrayals occur, they figure out that there is something much bigger going on.

You’ll love the mystery and you’ll see Ryan’s angst and dismay at dealing with yet more corruption within the constabulary. He thought they’d taken care of all of that two years ago and yet it is back again. It was good to see, and hope, that Lowerson is finally finding himself and realizing what is really important in life. I also liked seeing the growth in Trainee Detective Constable Melanie Yates and look forward to seeing more of her in future books.

Great read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Brilliant

Just completed reading LJ Ross’s Penshaw. Brilliant writing, as expected. Brilliant performance by Jonathan Keeble, as always. Brilliant well researched historically centered story. Always sad to reach The End of a Ross book. Can’t wait for her new series, and more DCI Ryan!

LJ Ross doesn't disappoint

This novel is a roller coaster. In one chapter you're shown the meticulous planning and attention to details that police use to investigate crimes, in the next there's a heartwarming scene with the child Sam from the previous book, and then the coaster tips and careens downhill amid screams.
Thanks for another enjoyable story where the good guys do a good job and the bad guys go to jail.

Another terrific read

Great series - about to download the next book. The Narrator Jonathan Keeble is outstanding and elevates the already excellent work by LJ Ross

Outstanding! Loved the book and the narration..

It says this is book 13 of 14 and I would hate to think the next one is the last. It’s a great series and I love Maxwell Ryan and his wife Anna, his partner and best friend Frank Phillips and wife Denise. And that Jack Lowerson, I was wondering if Jack was going to make it out alive. He was always getting in messes.

This book was no different for Jack. And he had to work himself into a near nervous breakdown before he asked for Ryan’s help. All the while Ryan was working undercover trying to ferret out bad cops. It was an excellent story-line. I can’t wait for Borderlands to come out September 29th.

There was no sex, but it was a good love story. Ryan and Anna were wonderful together. There was also no swearing.

As to the narration: Jonathan Keeble is as great with this book as he was with all 12 of the others. Loved Ryan’s sexy voice and Franks rough gravelly one. Everyone had their own voice to where it didn’t have to tell you who was speaking, you recognized the voice automatically.

Good story

Johnathan Keeble did another excellent job. I do hope LJ Ross has some more Ryan books for us

More please

I listened to the entire DOC Ryan series and loved all of them. The characters were excellent. Will we hear more from the DOC Ryan series. This has been my favorite of all the series I've listen to. The writing was superb.

love this series!

I really enjoy all DCI Ryan books, and this one is no exception - great characters, dialogue humour criminals treachery all that! and beautiful backdrop of the North East and a dash of coal mining community- fantastic! The narrator of this series is 5 star too!

Great plot!

I really enjoyed this book! Interesting plot. Twists and turns, good humored banter between the police/detective teams, love the accents that Mr. Keeble so masterfully performs (love his voice in general), learning about some of the local history, and glimpsing parts of the personal lives of the main characters. Have to chuckle from time to time at some of the expressions that are used. I often feel as if I'm sitting in the room with the characters On to the next book.
Due to the Corona Virus, I've been laid off work, and have been binging on listening to LJ Ross's books. Please write fast Ms. Ross, and write a lot! You are helping me enjoy my voluntary quarantine.
Scotty,
Santa Fe, NM