Death in a Lonely Place: A Novel

I fell under the main character's spell in Stig Abell's first book, Death Under a Little Sky, and I did it again with Death in a Lonely Place. Jake Jackson has almost convinced me that I would love to live his life. He has no near neighbors. He's given fields and trees literary names. He inherited a wonderful crime fiction library where he can sit and read by the fire in the evenings. He has nature at his doorstep and a lake to swim in... if only there were a few more amenities like hot, running water in the house.

Abell makes his setting live and breathe, and I always look out for the heron who's a regular visitor on Jake's property. The author puts me in tune with the earth and sky, and I love it.

I was wondering how this second book show more would deal with crime once again coming to such a small, isolated community, and Jake's old cold case was the perfect way to do it. None of the villagers were connected to the case, and Jake found out just how many friends he'd made. Although I am rather tired of plot devices involving secret gangs of the super-rich doing whatever they want, the one called No Taboo was handled very well-- and with a surprising bad guy.

As much as I love Jake and the remote setting, I still think it's going to be interesting to see what the author does in future installments. Livia and her daughter Diana can be used as threats only so many times before I, for one, will start rolling my eyes. But Abell did very well in this second book, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the third.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

Rich and powerful people need bigger thrills and try to break the rules, No Taboo is an organisation that can provide anything - for a fee. When Jake Jackson is approached to help with the disappearance of a young girl, he feels that there is a connection with a couple of cold cases and so he comes to the attention of No Taboo. Now his quiet life is being invaded and his nearest and dearest are in danger.
I loved the first Jake Jackson book and this is even better. The premise of the anti-hero, burnt out in society and reinventing himself in a remote place is clever. However it is the plot that really grips, conspiracy theorists will love it!

Having read these books pretty much one after the other, I'm going to do a combined review. This is a new series, DEATH UNDER A LITTLE SKY was released in 2023, and DEATH IN A LONELY PLACE in April 2024. Both book feature recently resigned Police Detective Jake Jackson whose leaving the force was precipated by a couple of major life changes. Firstly his uncle died, leaving him a remote property in the middle of the countryside, a place that is offgrid, offroad and very much out of the world he's been used to in London. At the same time a teetering marriage lurched to divorce, a previously loving relationship not able to survive ongoing fertility problems, and a general movement apart.

show more target="_top">https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/death-under-little-sky-death-lonely-plac... show less

DNF, read to 45% and I lost interest in finishing the book.