Ruin Beach: The Isles of Scilly Mysteries: 2: Volume 2
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By Kate Rhodes
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1 review
THE ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES # 2
‘Gripping, clever and impossible to put down’ ERIN KELLYTHE ISLAND OF TRESCO HOLDS A DARK SECRET SOMEONE WILL KILL TO PROTECT.
Ben Kitto has become the Scilly Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police. As the island’s lazy summer takes hold, he finds himself missing the excitement of the murder squad in London. But when the body of professional diver Jude Trellon is discovered, anchored to the rocks of a nearby cave, his investigative skills are once again needed.
At first it appears that the young woman’s death was a tragic accident, but when evidence is found that suggests otherwise, the islanders close ranks. With even those closest to the victim refusing to talk, it seems that plenty of people might have had reason to harm her. As the islanders remain guarded, Ben Kitto suspects a killer is on the loose in Tresco.Everyone is a suspect.
Nobody is safe.
PRAISE FOR KATE RHODES:
‘Kate Rhodes directs her cast of suspects with consummate skill, keeping us guessing right to the heartbreaking end. I’m a fan’ Louise Candlish
‘Evocative, immersive, twisty’ Sarah Vaughan
‘A vividly realised protagonist whose complex and harrowing history rivals the central crime storyline’ Sophie Hannah, Daily Express
‘A pacy psychological thriller’ Laura Wilson, Guardian
‘Kate writes so beautifully and with such an authentic sense of place. The whole book tingles with tension. I hope it does for the Scilly Isles what Ann Cleeves did for Shetland’ Melanie McGrath
‘Both the plot and the writing keep one thoroughly engaged throughout’ Daily Mail
‘One of the most absorbing books I’ve read in a long time – perfectly thrilling’ Mel Sherratt
‘Gripping, clever and impossible to put down’ Erin Kelly
‘Rhodes does a superb job of balancing a portrayal of a tiny community oppressed by secrets with an uplifting evocation of setting’ Jake Kerridge, Sunday Express
‘Expertly weaves a sense of place and character into a tense and intriguing story’ Metro
‘An enjoyably scary chiller’ Sunday Mirror
‘The pace never slackens from the first page to the last’ Rachel Abbott, author of Only the Innocent
‘Fast paced and harrowing, this gripping novel will leave you guessing until the end’ Bella
‘Great twists, turns and surprises’ Sun
Reviews
This is an author I’d never tried before, although at one of our meetings a member of our group did recommend her. Mainly I chose this because it’s set in the Scilly Isles. But I enjoyed it so much that I’ll be looking for more by Kate Rhodes.
Ruin Beach is Book 2 in the DI Ben Kitto series, which launched in January 2018 with Hell Bay. Book 3 (Burnt Island) was published in 2019 and Book 4, Pulpit Rock, will appear later this year.
Kitto has returned home to the Scilly Isles having worked in London in the murder squad. He’s Deputy Chief of Police and the plan is that he will be promoted to Chief when his boss retires. This story starts with the body of a young, professional diver being discovered anchored to the rocks outside a cave known as Piper’s Hole.
Retrieving the body is difficult because of treacherous tides, and at first everyone thinks it was just a tragic accident. Then the post-mortem reveals that she’d been killed by having a small bronze figurine of a mermaid rammed down her throat. Asphyxiation, not drowning.
Kitto’s investigation in this small, island community is complicated by the fact that everyone knows everyone else. And as in Ann Cleeves’s Shetland series, the relationships between island families often sends things off in different (and wrong) directions.
The story meanders around the island of Tresco as Kitto unpicks the clues. Descriptions of scenery and nature are vivid and the characters are well-drawn and credible. I found myself caring about what was going to happen next. And the solution to the mystery, when it is revealed, is a surprise. Unexpected because Rhodes has been carefully leading the reader in another direction. It’s well done and rewarding. And Kitto himself is an interesting character.
As I’ve said, I really enjoyed this book. The setting, characters and plot all combine to make an interesting whole and I’ll certainly read the other books in this series. I give this one 4+ Stars.
Review by: Cornish Eskimo
