Category Archives: Lara Dearman

September 12, 2018 · 11:56 pm

Review: Dark Sky Island by Lara Dearman

Title: Dark Sky Island by Lara Dearman
Jennifer Dorey Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 289 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Dark Sky Island, Lara Dearman’s follow-up to the first Jennifer Dorey mystery is sure to find fans in readers of Susie Steiner and Sharon Bolton.

An inspector and journalist join forces to uncover long-buried secrets, simmering resentments, and a chilling murder in a tiny, remote island in the English Channel.

The tiny island of Sark lies isolated in the dark waters of the Channel Islands. No cars are allowed. No streetlamps light its paths. It is the world’s only Dark Sky Island. This breathtaking patch of land seems the picture of tranquility—but at its heart lies a web of murder, deceit, and hidden danger.

When bones are discovered on Derrible Bay and an elderly resident is violently murdered, DCI Michael Gilbert from the nearby island of Guernsey is called in to tackle the case. With his department under fire, he needs to find the killer—and fast. Joining him is newspaper reporter Jennifer Dorey, whose father died in a mysterious drowning off the island. As Michael struggles to crack the case and Jennifer launches her own investigation, the island’s residents are left reeling and soon, their dark secrets begin to unravel threatening everything.

On an island steeped in superstition, where tales of hauntings and devil craft abound, Michael and Jenny race to discover the truth in Dark Sky Island, the second tantalizing installment of Lara Dearman’s Jennifer Dorey mysteries.

Review:

Dark Sky Island by Lara Dearman is a very atmospheric mystery. This second installment in the Jennifer Dorey Mystery series can easily be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first novel as well.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gilbert and Detective Constable Stephen Marquis are called to Sark island to investigate the discovery of bones in a cave. Local newspaper reporter Jennifer “Jenny” Dorey is tipped off about the case so she, too, makes her way from Guernsey to Sark. Not long after the three arrive, one of the islander is brutally murdered. Both Gilbert and Dorey believe the two cases are related but will they find the connection before it is too late?

Michael has a theory about the identity of the person that was found in the caves but the current murder takes priority. Sark is an insular community and no one is exactly forthcoming when questioned about the dead man. There are plenty of seething resentments and unsubstantiated rumors swirling about and Michael is quickly frustrated by his lack of progress.

Luckily, Jenny is making headway as she begins researching her stories. People easily open up to her and she gleans a few interesting tidbits that she shares with Michael.  The best source of information is the young lad who discovered the murder victim but his mother, Tanya LePage, is extremely protective of her son.  Jenny gains the boy’s trust and he provides her with intriguing details about what he witnessed but will this clue lead Michael to the killer?

Jenny also has a personal reason for heading to Sark. She has unearthed information that her father Charlie’s death two years earlier has a link to Sark island. Unbeknownst to Jenny, DCI Gilbert has been keeping secrets that prove her theory that Charlie’s death might not have an accident.  Could it possible his death and the events in the present are connected?

Interspersed with the events in the present, flashbacks to the late 1970s through the late 1980s from a woman called Rachel detail her arrival and subsequent life on Sark. Her marriage to an islander is not a happy one but the birth of a son proves to be quite joyous. However, Rachel begins receiving a series of letters that become more ominous over time. The significance of these passages will finally become clear as the story wends its way to its conclusion.

Dark Sky Island is an perplexing mystery with an absolutely enthralling setting. Between the foggy weather, lack of modern amenities and  secretive islanders, Sark Island is a very atmospheric location. Jenny is not afraid to push for answers as she interviews members of the community. Her quest for the truth sometimes leads to risky choices that put Jenny in dangerous situations. Michael’s investigation takes an unexpectedly perilous turn that leaves him in a very precarious position.  With surprising twists and breathtaking turns, Lara Dearman brings this fascinating mystery to a stunning finale. Old and new fans of the Jennifer Dorey Mystery series do not want to miss this exciting adventure.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Dark Sky Island, Jennifer Dorey Series, Lara Dearman, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense

January 8, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Devil’s Claw by Lara Dearman

Title: The Devil’s Claw by Lara Dearman
Jennifer Dorey Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 332 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Following a traumatic incident in London, journalist Jennifer Dorey has returned home to Guernsey, taking a job as a local newspaper reporter. When she finds a drowned woman on a beach, Jennifer uncovers something much bigger and more sinister than she first thought.

Jennifer enlists the help of DCI Michael Gilbert, an officer on the verge of retirement, to investigate a pattern of similar deaths over the last fifty years. They follow a dark trail of island myths and folklore to the illegitimate son of a Nazi soldier, whose painstakingly executed work has so far gone undetected. But as Jennifer gets closer to the truth of the killer’s identity, she finds herself stepping deeper into his grasp.

Jennifer thinks she’s safe, but the dark hides sinister things in The Devil’s Claw, Lara Dearman’s exhilarating debut novel.

Review:

The Devil’s Claw by Lara Dearman is a beguiling mystery set on the island of Guernsey. This first installment in the Jennifer Dorey series stars an intrepid newspaper reporter who unearths a series of murders  that stretches over a span of 50 years.

Jennifer “Jenny” Dorey  returned to her small hometown following the death of her father and a rather traumatic incident in London. She is a thorough reporter who uncovers some very unsettling information following the recent drowning death of a local young woman, Amanda Guille. Discovering a startling pattern of young women’s deaths that begins in the 1960s, Jenny teams up with Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gilbert to learn the truth about what happened to these troubled young women who bear an eerie yet striking resemblance to one another.

Jenny has suffered a couple of traumas in her life and at the start of the story, she cannot be certain whether or not someone is following her. Could the person who threatened her on her last story in London have tracked her down in Guernsey? Or is someone much closer to home responsible? Before she can get to the bottom of her personal mystery, Jenny is distracted by her mother’s recollection of the drowning death of her childhood friend back in the 1960s. This startling revelation catches her attention and she begins researching the deaths of several young women who have drowned over the past half century.

Well aware of the implications for the police department’s handling of these deaths, Michael  immediately begins reviewing the old case files. Although he is not particularly well-liked by his colleagues, no one can deny that Gilbert is a thorough investigator with incredibly well-honed instincts. Once he finds definitive proof that indicates a serial killer has most likely been operating under the radar for nearly fifty years, Michael has no choice but to go public with these findings in hopes of uncovering new evidence.

Interspersed with the chapters which follow Jenny and Michael’s investigations are entries from the killer’s point of view. His identity is unknown but startling details about his parentage, unhappy childhood and his derisive opinion about his mother offer insight into this very troubled man. Will Michael and Jenny unmask his identity before he kills again?

The Devil’s Claw is a clever mystery that incorporates elements of Guernsey’s history and folklore into the storyline. Jenny and Michael are wonderfully developed characters who both have somewhat tragic and troubled backstories that are easy to relate to. Lara Dearman’s descriptive prose brings Guernsey and its inhabitants vibrantly to life. The truth about the killer’s identity is carefully concealed right up until the novel’s nail biting conclusion. Fans of the genre are sure to enjoy this first installment of the Jennifer Dorey series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Jennifer Dorey Series, Lara Dearman, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Devil's Claw