Well, well, well, here we go again! After diving headfirst into The Mayfly and loving it, I was itching to join lawyer Charlie Priest and his trusty colleague, Georgie Someday, on another dark and, let's be honest, kinda bizarre adventure. These characters are like a bag of chips - once you start, you just can't stop!

Now, fair warning, this time the subject matter takes a darker turn, and boy, oh boy, it wasn't always easy to read. But you know what? Charlie and Georgie are so darn entertaining that they kept me hooked, like a fish on a line! And the best part? They're not your typical detectives or police types. Nope, they're lawyers, breaking rules left and right in ways the police can only dream of. Now, that's what I call fun!

The plot is like a twisty rollercoaster ride, and you've gotta keep your wits about you to follow along. But that unease and the unknown? Oh, it creates an atmosphere that's downright unsettling. And believe it or not, I kinda enjoyed that spine-tingling feeling!

I'll admit, this one didn't grab me quite as tight as The Mayfly, but hey, it's still a heck of a read! It's like a bag of tasty snacks - you can't stop at just one. So, while it didn't have me going bonkers with addiction, it's still a solid, great read that's worth a go. If you're up for a dark and intriguing ride, this book's got your name written all over it! Three stars, no doubt about it!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Good storyline. Took me a little while to get into but enjoyed getting to know Priest and Someday. Thanks for the opportunity to read

This is the second book in the lawyer Charlie Priest series, and I would recommend you read The Mayfly first.
Charlie has to defend his latest client, but his main witness ends up dead. This sets the tone for a thrilling read until the end. Recommended.

Charlie Priest and his team are getting ready to go to court to defend the magazine “ The Real Byte” on a libel charge. The charity have been accused of taking money. Alexia Elias the C.E.O is suing the magazine. When their star witness Simeon Ali fails to turn up to court and is later found dead it looks like the court case is in jeopardy, but when another body is discovered connected to the case Charlie and his team are soon looking into their murders.

There are some great characters in this story, loved the partnership between Charlie and Georgie who twist the rules when need be.

Although this is the second book in the series and I have not read the first, I was able to read this as there are hints about Charlie’s life, which means you can keep up with the story.

I was gripped by this book and it’s many twists and surprises. I came away wanting to read more of James Hazel’s works.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review.

Having really enjoyed The Mayfly, I was looking forward to being thrown back into the dark (and, at times, rather bizarre) world of lawyer Charlie Priest and his colleague Georgie Someday. The characters are what makes this novel so enjoyable; the subject matter in this novel is a lot darker, and at times was quite difficult to read, but both Charlie and Georgie are great to read about and made me want to keep reading on. The fact that they're not detectives or part of the police, but instead lawyers, allows them to break the rules sometimes in ways that the police can't, and this adds to the fun.

The plot has twists and turns, and requires some concentration to keep track of what exactly is going on, whilst there's a definitely sense of unease and the unknown which created a pretty unsettling atmosphere, which (though it sounds weird) I did enjoy!

I didn't find this quite as much of an addictive read as The Mayfly but it's still a great read.

Overall a decent read, but can't quite put my finger on what stops it from being a great one. Good pace to it, interesting plot and characters, but didn't quite have that compelling quality that makes me turn pages at a rate of knots. Enjoyed enough to look out for more from the author though.

Although I have James’ first book called ‘The Mayfly’ on my ever growing ‘To Be Read’ mountain, I haven’t actually got around to reading it yet. Big mistake…. I now realise just what it is I have been missing and I can guarantee that ‘The Mayfly’ won’t be on the ‘TBR’ mountain for much longer. I absolutely loved ‘The Ash Doll’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to admit that I took to Charlie Priest practically from the moment I first came across him. He is a former police officer and he is now a hotshot fraud lawyer. Priest also has his issues. He isn’t very good at socialising and he does have dissociative personality disorder. I found Charlie Priest to be a loveable rogue, who is very savvy in certain areas and not somebody you would like to come up against.
‘The Ash Doll’ has to be one of the most original, creepy and graphic thrillers that I have had the pleasure of reading in 2018. There were certain parts of the book which sent a shiver down my spine. I guess I am one of those people who just loves to be scared and I like to be kept on my toes. I found it very easy to get into reading ‘The Ash Doll’ as it is brilliantly written. The author certainly knows how to get your attention from the start, he draws you in to the story and before you know it you are addicted to the book. That’s what happened to me at any rate. For me The Ash Doll’ hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. I found it near impossible to put the book down. By that I don’t mean that the book was glued to my hand but it might as well have been because the book came everywhere with me. Over the page lay surprise after surprise and shock after shock. I felt a compulsion to keep turning those pages. The more I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages turned over. At one point the pages were turning so quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. It seemed to take next to no time at all (but in reality was probably only a matter of hours) for me to plough through the book. I was so into the story and characters that I didn’t notice how quickly the time was passing. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat but not in this case. The book had enough to keep my interest and I was able to concentrate. I loved all the court stuff but then I am a ‘Law & Order’ addict and I love anything like that. Reading this book was much like being on a very scary and very unpredictable rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns, shocks and surprises around every corner. This is one book guaranteed to get your heart rate pumping, your blood pressure rising and will give you one hell of an adrenaline rush.
To conclude, I absolutely loved, no make that adored, reading ‘The Ash Doll’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. ‘The Ash Doll’ can be read as a standalone but because I am a bit OCD, I like reading things in order and I have a soft spot for Charlie Priest, I fully intend to read ‘The Mayfly’ first and then re-read ‘The Ash Doll’. I can’t wait to see what James Hazel comes up with next. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The Ash Doll by James Hazel

Day one is about to dawn on lawyer Charlie Priest’s big new case. It’s caught the attention of the media and the general public and it’s not surprising. Priest’s team is defending the small, independent magazine First Byte against the Elias Children’s Foundation, a massive charity that the First Byte has accused of channelling some of its money into terrorist organisations, with the full knowledge and cooperation of its CEO Alexia Elias.

Priest has a card up its sleeve, the testimony of ex-charity worker Simeon Ali, but when Simeon fails to turn up in court on the first day, Charlie Priest begins to worry. And then the murders begin…

The Ash Doll is the second novel by James Hazel to feature lawyer Charlie Priest and his team. The series began with the extraordinary and marvellous The Mayfly, a book that made me instantly fall for Charlie and, most of all, his assistant Georgie Someday. Charlie and Georgie are not your normal investigators. Charlie has a dissociative order that disconnects him from the world – and from himself – for worrying periods of time; Georgie has an intense, sharp vulnerability that makes one care deeply for her, especially as you know how much she continues to test and stretch herself. It’s hard to imagine anyone more brave than Georgie Someday. How good it is to see her again.

Although The Ash Doll is book two in the series, you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this, although I think you really should. But, if you haven’t, you’ll find The Ash Doll an absorbing stand alone crime thriller, that’s both clever and exceedingly well-written.

The Ash Doll takes the reader into very dark territory indeed and I have to say that it was a little darker than I’m usually prepared to go. It’s never easy reading about child abuse and the corruption of innocence but that is a theme that overshadows this novel and I did struggle with sections of it. Nevertheless, this is a beautifully written novel, exhilarating and exciting from start to finish, with a complex, layered plot that kept me fascinated. But, even better than that, are its wonderful characters. I love Charlie Priest and Georgie Someday, and I love them all the more for their quirks and eccentricities. They are each packed full of character and personality. I can’t wait to spend time with them again.

Other review
The Mayfly

This is the second in the Charlie Priest series, but I have to say that it's so well written that it's not necessary to have read the first book in the series, 'The Mayfly' to enjoy this. Suffice to say, I got three chapters in to this book and immediately bought the first book. I can see Charlie Priest becoming my new book obsession!
We're thrown right in to the action on the first page with a small girl, who appears to be on the verge of throwing herself off a cliff in front of a group of hikers. No one knows who she is or where she has come from.
We then flash forward to the present day, and the court case that Charlie Priest and his colleagues are involved with - a libel case between a charity and a magazine. Believe me, I couldn't see how there could possibly be any kind of connection between the two.
The start of the book isn't particularly pleasant (trigger warnings here for anyone that doesn't like reading about child abuse!), but it really drew me in: who is the child? What has happened to her? Ho what she come to be imprisoned and abused? Yes, there's some pretty graphic content, both with regards to her treatment and the murders.
Charlie and his sidekick, Georgie Someday, are so likeable, and Charlie's medical condition adds an interesting layer to the story.
I would highly recommend this, especially if you like dark, well written thrillers.
Many thanks to Readers First, NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to read.

This is the second in the Charlie Priest series
I loved his first book The Mayfly and I am afraid I was expecting more of the same.
I was disappointed but saying that I understand that if your debut novel is a smash hit the pressure is on.
I think that would have enjoyed this book more if I had not the debut first.
I am afraid I found it very hard to get into this book and ultimately to finish it.
This is no Mayfly but saying that I am still a fan of this author.
I would like to thank the author James Hazel, Bonnier Zaffre and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Actually 4.5 stars.
This is the second outing for lawyer Charlie Priest and, as he is a bit complex with a convoluted backstory, although the main story is self contained in this book, I would recommend you read The Mayfly first.
So, Charlie is in court just starting to defend his latest client, a small independent magazine. They are up on a libel charge as they had previously published an article about a charity being embroiled in terrorist dealings. There's a main key witness and, as we start the action on day one of the trial, he has failed to turn up. The reason for his no-show is evident when he is found dead. But has his death anything to do with the trial? Bit coincidental if not!? But Charlie and his team are on the case to figure out what happened and it soon becomes evident that they are dealing with much more than just a libel charge.
As already mentioned, Charlie is a bit complex. He suffers from the same dissociative disorder as his currently incarcerated serial killer brother but, on the whole, he manages this condition quite well. His main sidekick work wise is the brilliantly named Georgie Someday who I thought came into her own very well in this book. I connected with both characters very early on in book one and that connection remained string throughout this sequel.
The story told in this book was very different to that in The Mayfly but, in itself, was just as compelling and kept me rapt throughout. It's fast paced and gritty all the way through with a heart-stopping ending that near blew me away!
As with The Mayfly, it was an immensely readable book. Both books deal with some really quite awful topics but they manage to do so in a very clever way, introducing some quite witty humour throughout, ensuring that things do not take too dark a path and remain balanced. There are twists and turns aplenty, scattered throughout the narrative which also kept me on my toes right until the end. And with a conclusion that left me completely satisfied.
Whilst I can't say that it quite managed to reach the heady heights The Mayfly did for me, it is definitely a very worthy follow-up book. Roll on book three, I can't wait to reconnect with Charlie and see what the author has in store for him next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Second in the Charlie Priest series.

James Hazel was a lawyer before turning his talents to crime writing – and it shows. This is his second novel, and I bought his first (The Mayfly) when only 20% into The Ash Doll and hoped that reading them out of sequence would not spoil my enjoyment of either. Time will tell.

Charlie Priest is a high-profile, if slightly eccentric lawyer, who has never lost a case. He has taken on the defence of a small publication, being sued for libel by a children's charity established and run by two seemingly upright members of society who are major and well-known benefactors. On the morning of the first day of the trial, his star witness fails to appear and so the fun starts.

Someone is pulling everyone's strings, and the plot takes us from London to the Norfolk coast and back again. At times it's a race against time, and at others, it is an opportunity to catch one's breath and reflect on developments and what is known. The change in pace adds variety and interest. The characterisation is excellent and the plot brilliant. There are of course twists, some of which can be seen coming and others which come as a complete surprise. You can almost smell the atmosphere, but in the final analysis, it's the complete package which was of such huge appeal, and I have already started The Mayfly.

James Hazel has been compared to the likes of Jeffery Deaver and Thomas Harris which is in one sense a compliment, but the comparisons don't do him justice as he writes in a style which satisfies me more than either of those more established authors. His writing is tight with more than a touch of dry humour which comes through in spades, particularly in the dialogue between Charlie Priest and sidekick, Georgie Someday. It feels very real and down to earth. These feel like actual people you could have a beer with. It's also easy to recognise the different character types but in no sense are they stereotypes – each is unique.

New authors can very often produce an excellent first novel, but the trick is to follow up with an equally good second and third etc. Despite having not yet read his first offering, James Hazel has managed to produce a riveting second and deserves all the recognition he receives. If you enjoy this genre, you will love this book.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

This was the second in a series. I hadn't read the first but, other than curiosity about how certain characters knew each other, that did not impact on this. I'm a fan of this genre and did enjoy this although the writing style was sometimes a tad aggravating in the way the author 'hid' the true identity of the villain. A very abrupt unravelling at the end and some unsatisfactorily tying off of loose threads.

An unusual book with a storyline that is made clear in the last few chapters and is unexpected. Definitely recommended for those fans of this genre.

I loved The Mayfly and jumped at the chance to get my hands on The Ash Doll. I must admit that unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much, as everything I liked about the first book was missing in the second. What happened to the gripping plot, witty dialogue and realistic characters? I was bored by the first 25 percent and it hasn’t improved as story lines got more far fetched and ridiculous. I only finished it out of love for Charlie Priest. This one wasn’t for me, I am afraid.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Zaffre Publishing for the ARC.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and James Hazel for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Ash Doll.
This is the second book in a series, though I didn't realise it until after I had read the novel. Having said that, I had no trouble getting into the storyline or the back stories of the central characters.
I found the storyline to be well thought out and fast paced. It had me hooked right from the start.
Would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a face-paced thriller. Can't wait to read more from this author in the future. ( and I have just purchased the first book in the series. )

other brilliant Charlie Priest novel from James Hazel. Such an engaging compelling main character and group dynamic. Loved it. Creepy too and quite emotional.

It’s quite a dark book in a lot of ways but offset that with the lighter moments mostly involving the indomitable Georgie Someday, as well as Charlie’s sister and we must not forget the fish, means we have  an absolutely compelling and intricately woven story that is highly addictive.

Charlie and his particular issues are utterly engaging and unusual enough to stand out within the genre. The mystery elements are dark and unsettling with a huge dose of unpredictability that keeps you turning those pages until the final resolution.

I loved The Mayfly and I also loved this, it’s just the type of crime fiction that keeps me hooked on the books. Beautifully written, indelibly fascinating, bring on more Charlie Priest novels is what I say.

Highly recommended.

The Ash Doll is the follow up to the excellent Mayfly by James Hazel and it is another excellent crime thriller.

The main characters of Charlie Priest and his sidekick Georgie Someday are both back and face numerous numerous twists and turns whilst trying initially to locate a missing key witness.

As you would expect the discovery of the first body leads to a rapid escalation as another body is quickly found.

If you haven't read the first book in the series then you will have no issues with reading this one as the author very cleverly and without overloading you with information and detail provides sufficient back story to allow you to fully enjoy this book.

The book is well written and keeps you engaged throughout and it is good to know that book number three is already in the pipeline.

Thoroughly recommended