Ryan is drawn into the case, though he isn’t alone. Doctor Anna Taylor is a police consultant with roots on Holy Island. As she struggles to overcome her old memories, Ryan and Anna work together to catch a killer. In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries. It soon becomes evident that a body found in 2011 was indeed that of her mother and the police investigation becomes Operation Showstopper. I've missed this cast of characters. The identity of the murderer was a bit predictable, but I really enjoyed the reading experience. The developments between the couples were sweet, but that cliffhanger was really uncool. However, Ryan is no genius. L.J. Ross chooses to not burden him with some extraordinary gift which allows him to better solve crimes. While such abilities tend to set the heroes of most crime fiction series apart, the fact that Ryan is sometimes presented as just another Detective Chief Inspector who just happens to work really hard once he catches the scent of a case allows the DCI Ryan series to stand out.

The Moor - LJ Ross

fools in love were much more likely to behave irrationally in the heat of passion. More likely to make mistakes – for love, or through jealousy: More likely to kill…”Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

the-moor - LJ Ross

Look, I need to know if this is the right place,” she said, unconsciously mirroring his stance. “You look like him.” Initial research shows some relevant results from a cold case. The case is reopened and as a vulnerable minor, Sam is treated as a protected witness. Ryan and Phillips find themselves at the circus trying to navigate through the lies and subterfuge and unravel the eight year old mystery, which initially seems like a physical impossibility. This book sets the tone for all the books in the DCI Ryan series that follow. Anyone that has read crime fiction will recognize the style and themes present in the DCI Ryan books. As with most literary crime dramas, the DCI Ryan books are led by a tortured law enforcement operative. While she will always be a northerner at heart, she currently lives with her husband and their son in Bath on the outskirts of London where she spends her days writing her detective mysteries. Ross loved books from a very early age when she would find old books from her mother’s chest that she would staple and illustrate during her middle school years. Even as she has a varied taste in the types of novels that she reads, and will not mind reading the odd women’s fiction or a romance. Ryan and his team must break through their closed ranks to uncover a secret which has lain buried for eight years, before the killer strikes again - this time, to silence the only living witness....And the killers in the DCI Ryan series are hardly the most brutal and depraved in the crime fiction genre. It is worth noting that while the DCI Ryan books are a series featuring recurring characters like DCI Ryan, his girlfriend Anna Taylor and veteran DS Frank Phillips, many of the novels can be read as standalones. When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to tell him she’s witnessed a murder, he has no idea he’s about to step into his most spellbinding case yet. The circus has rolled into Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with it a troupe of daring acrobats, magicians, jugglers—and one of them is a killer.

The Moor: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries) The Moor: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries)

Because these books are categorized under the ‘DCI Ryan Mysteries’ name, it isn’t surprising to learn that Detective Chief Inspector Ryan takes center stage in this series. When he is first introduced, Ryan has been forced to undertake a sabbatical leave.I loved the setting of the circus in the novel. This is one of your more old fashioned circuses rather than your modern day ones. Even so, I can’t say I really envy life in one, with the constant travelling. Whilst the people in the circus tend to be close knit, there seems to be a lot of animosity around in this one. The Moor is such a great read. The story line had me so engrossed that I read it in one afternoon/evening. I’m really hoping that we get to see more of Samantha in up coming books as she was to much of a great character to be confined to only one. An addictive series that just gets better and better. Brilliant! I did find that the ending of the main plot line felt a little rushed but once again one part of story was left slightly open ended so as to lead into the next book. When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to tell him she’s witnessed a murder, he has no idea he’s about to step into his most spellbinding case yet. The circus has rolled into Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with it a troupe of daring acrobats, magicians, jugglers – and one of them is a killer. Nonetheless, it is the vintage crime authors such as Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, which have had the most influence on her work with her DCI Ryan Mysteries. After practicing law for nearly ten years in London, the stressful environment and the long hours began to take their toll.