B. A. Steadman

Death on the Coast by Bernie Steadman
West Country Crime Mysteries #3

Mind-boggling, horrifying, devious and deadly are terms I would label the wannabe cult members committing murders on the coast of Exeter. Step in CDI Dan Hellier and his team of investigators and you end up with a police procedural that had dedicated police men and women working almost around the clock to stop murderers that kill in a way nobody should die.

Knowing from the beginning who the killers are does not take away from the suspense of catching the group. Finding out the whys and the underlying reason behind the creation of the group and what fuels the determination for revenge made my skin crawl…as did finding out who the true mastermind actually was.

With each book the author asserts herself as an author to reckon with and follow as she fleshes out each member of the team solving murders. Dan started the series a bit heartbroken and without friends with a sister with issues and by book three he is in a relationship, has at least one good friend and the issues with his sister are becoming clearer to Dan and to the reader.

This was an intense story that had me reading into the wee hours of the night. It had me wondering how people could do what they did in the book even knowing that worse has been done in the past.

Words that come to mind after reading (and not being able to go to sleep quickly after I finished) are:
*Sacrifice
*Revenge
*Cults
* Manipulation
*Emotions
*Family
*Team
*Treason
*Growth
*and more

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will it stick with me for a while? Definitely
Do I want to read more about this author? Without a doubt

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (meer)

Death on Dartmoor by Bernie Steadman
A West Country Crime Mystery #2

Detective Inspector Dan Hellier is settling into life in Exeter after once being in the big city. He is making friends, has a love interest met in book one, is working well leading his team and is getting along with his superior. When a body is found in a bog the first question is whether or not it landed there long ago or more recently. With the assistance of a forensic archaeologist and pathologist determining the bodies not historically significant the hunt is on for the murderers. The team has few leads but perseveres only to have to set aside one case for another when drugs kill a youth in the community. With two cases now on his plate Dan is feeling a wee bit stretched as he and his team work hard following the letter of the law to uncover two mysteries.

This was an absorbing story that kept me interested not only in the cases but also engaged with the characters. I wanted to find out more about Dan and his girlfriend Claire, wondered if any of the others on the team might find romance, enjoyed observing Dan’s friendship begin with Neil (the archaeologist), wanted to find out who killed the bodies in the bog and wondered if the drug dealer/maker would be found and put out of business. The way all the pieces were gradually fitted into the overall puzzle was seamless and intriguing and also provided a surprise or two. I enjoyed seeing people I could relate to and might wish to have as friends learn and grow personally and professionally. And, I want to read more about them in the future.

Now, being from the USA originally and not all that conversant with the geography of England I decided to take a look at where Exeter (where Dan is stationed), Dartmoor (where the bodies are found) and Devon (the county Exeter is in) are located in relationship to London. Educational in more ways than one because I can now visualize where Ian and his team work and also might one day wish to go see some of the locations mentioned. Two other items I found of interest, as a non-Brit, were the rankings of police and the Flowerpot Men. Both were looked up and I now know that “The Flowerpot Men” was a television show on TV with…animated “men” made of flower pots. Since Bill and Ben are the names of the men on the team and also the names of the animated characters I now understand the reference. As for the police rankings…as I find myself reading more mysteries set in England I may write them down to refer to later ;)

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will I read more books by this author? Definitely
Should you read book one first? Not necessarily but it would give background and a bit of context to Dan and his team.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (meer)

Death in the Woods by Bernie Steadman
West Country Crime Mysteries #1

Detective Inspector Dan Hellier is lead in his first murder investigation soon after he transfers to Exeter from the big city. Supervising him as his senior advisor is soon to retire, Ian Gould.

Who was murdered? Sixteen year old, Carly Braithwaite, who seemed to have a big successful future ahead of her.
Who found her? Schoolmates out to sneak a smoke in the woods
How many potential killers are there? More than a handful

As Dan begins the case he is full of himself and a bit brash but as time passes he realizes that there is much more to the job than he thought. He has let his temper rule him in the past and is trying to rein in his impetuousness as he leads his team in finding out what happened to Carly and who ended her life.

As an introduction to a new crime solving series this was filled with action, dealt well with the police procedural aspect of the story, introduced characters that will be seen throughout the series and made me care about more than one character while learning some rather horrific things as another criminal activity was uncovered. The story does deal with pedophilia, pornography, an Eastern European gang and a few things that may be triggers for some readers. It made me think again about how important it is for parents to be involved in their children’s lives and for them to maintain lines of communication with their children. I enjoyed the way those on Dan’s team began to work together as he found his place with them and I was thrilled that the bad guys were ultimately found and dealt with.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes
Will I read more in the series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars… (meer)

Death and the Good Son is the second in the DI Hellier series. I had not read the first and this doesn't matter - the book stands alone well. Having said that, I will probably go back and read number one, as this one was so good.

DI Hellier is based in Exeter. He picks up one case somewhere in Dartmoor and a second case on the edge of town. The two stories are cleverly twisted together and you are left wondering whether there could be a connection. Also intriguing is the book title and when or how this will be referenced into the storyline. It all comes together in the end!

The writing style reminded me very much of James Patterson in that the chapters are short and there are lots of them. I particularly like this as it means I can read little bits at a time and get to a good place to stop again quickly. Lots of my reading time is structured like this.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)