Another excellent book by Joy Ellis, having read all her previous ones. I just couldnt put this down and features the return of serial killer Alistair Ashcroft to plague D.I. Rownan Jackson and D.S. Marie Evans. I would recommend this and her previous books to anyone who enjoys a good detective novel.

THE PATIENT MAN...Joy Ellis
Jackson was greeted by his mother, and noticing the peace surrounding him.
Marie and him were going horse back riding, a new experience for her. The next moment a shot rang out and Marie had been hit, seeing a man salute him as he walked away and blended into the woods.
A nightmare now that seems so real, he didn’t believe in premonitions,
Alistair Ashcroft, he would strike again, they all knew his face, and all hunting for him. For Alistair. it began as revenge, now it was a game now, to set the players in place.
.Marie and Jackson were called out, a break in at a private home and only 2 guns stolen. They went to the trouble of using a sledgehammer on a door, a vast collection of guns, yet took only two. Another pigs had been stole
in another red diesel had been taken. What’s with the petty crimes.
It all comes together, and one laughs at the mischief and mayhem, and who all was involved. A delightful story that flowed to the end, and well written .
Given Arc For my voluntary review and my honest opinion
by Net Galley and Joffe.

Alistair Ashcroft is back and DI Jackman, DS Marie Evans, and their loyal team are determined to get him this time, at any cost. They knew he'd return so when he makes contact they aren't exactly surprised. But they are worried at how close he got to them, completely unnoticed. They try to balance their time looking for him and also covering the strange thefts taking place in the area that are more baffling than anything else. The fact that multiple guns have gone missing from the owner of a local club is quite worrying, as is the fact that the first gunshot victim they find was a suspect in the gun owner's daughter's hit and run. How on earth are the team supposed to sort out this craziness and protect everyone from Ashcroft at the same time? Or is he the key to it all?

Amidst all of the action, we're introduced to the Lorimer family, an eccentric group that liven up the action with some comic relief and family drama. They are crucial to unraveling the craziness in Saltern-le-Fen and I hope we meet up with them again in a future story. We also learn a bit more about Kevin Stoner, soon to be an official detective who finds himself a little too involved in this latest rash of crimes. There's quite a lot of action packed into this story with hardly a moment to pause and catch your breath. I always have faith in Jackman & Evans, but with so much to contend with and Ashcroft watching their every move, this could be the case that breaks them. You will just have to read it yourself to find out!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book it had a great storyline. Kept me engaged right from page one until it spat me out at the end after a marathon reading session. It was very hard to put down and was a great instalment in this series. Very much looking forward to the next one! It was one of those books that you get really engrossed in and find hard to put down. A solid 4 stars from me, it was excellent.

Alistair Ashcroft, the serial killer is back in Saltern. DI Rowan Jackman plays a cat and mouse game with his nemesis as Ashcroft taunts him and DS Marnie Evans in a number of deadly ways. Added into the mix are a series of thefts that link to the renowned Lorimer family, in addition there’s a sniper on the loose and a rising death toll. How do these crimes connect?

First of all, I really like the Fenland setting which always adds a good atmospheric backdrop especially to a crime drama. The characters are well portrayed and I like the camaraderie between the police team especially Jackman and Evans. The pace of the book is steady rather than fast which doesn’t really match the events although this picks up in the conclusion which is good.

However, I find this book is too far fetched, a bit lacklustre with insufficient suspense. Some of the dialogue doesn’t ring true and is sometimes superfluous and gets in the way of the plot. It’s also unnecessary to keep repeating that Ashcroft is the Patient Man - message received and understood!!

Overall, this is a mixed bag as there are parts I like and enjoy and sections I don’t. This should have been a very exciting story as the premise is good but apart from a few places the slow burn holds it back.

With thanks to NetGalley and Joffre Books for the ARC

This is a good series of books featuring Jackman and Evans but this episode left me slightly disappointed. The plot was a bit slow and drawn out with not much happening until the end. It failed to engage me and overall, it's just an ok read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Another explosive instalment in this well established series with Jackman and team facing the return of a previous killer who got away.
I'd strongly advise not reading this as a stand alone novel since it is closely tied into the series.
Whilst well written I do find the language used rather humorously "jolly hockeysticks"; all of the characters are incredibly well spoken

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
DI Jackman is in a happy place with his love, Laura, but a terrible nightmare disturbs his equilibrium.
It concerned his DS Marie Evans, and his nemesis Alistair Ashcroft, the serial killer, who is back...
The team is baffled by strange, amateurish robberies that eventually prove to be linked to Ashcroft as well as the sniper killings that occur.
It was a decent enough read with a very sympathetic police department, but I didn't enjoy it as much as previous ones in the series...can't put my finger on the reason why.
I seem to be in the minority though, as there are many terrific reviews!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Patient Man, the sixth novel set in the fictional town of Saltern-le-Fen to feature DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans.

Jackman and the team are dealing with a spate of nonsensical thefts, a stallion, six pigs and some red diesel and the more serious theft of guns when their nemesis Alistair Ashcroft announces his return to Saltern. It’s hard not to link this to the gun theft and the sudden appearance of a deadly sniper.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Patient Man which is an action packed read with a few good twists. It is mostly told from Jackman and Evans’ points of view with some switches to other characters as and when required. Often this switching can be distracting but in this case it adds to the power of the narrative.

Alistair Ashcroft is a suitably evil individual which allows the reader to overlook the improbability of his many manoeuvres and manipulations, his omniscience and his multiple backup plans. It doesn’t ring true but makes for a good read. There is nothing like the goodies winning against clever baddies to give the reader a sense of satisfaction. It might be my mood but I couldn’t quite read the book in this lighthearted vein. I felt it sagged at bits and was overly long as it doesn’t have the oomph the synopsis and my comments suggest. Yes, there are multiple deaths and close calls, a couple of twists, a large dose of fear and some strange characters but it doesn’t get exciting until the showdown at the end.

The Patient Man is a good read but not the best in the series.

Alistair Ashcroft is Jackman's nemesis well he is the nemesis of the whole team. All have been affected by his action but Marie and Jackman have not only been injured but have also had loved ones taken away from them by him. The team was devastated when he escaped capture and now he is back!!

Everyone is on high alert but nobody more than Jackman. Haunted by a nightmare he is in danger of cowering under the pressure to catch this elusive psychopath. At risk of allowing his emotions to distract him from tracking down Ashcroft, Jackman reaches deep inside himself to find the strength to stand up and do what he does best - track down a viscious murderer.

Each member of the team has so much to live for and so much to lose and Ashcroft uses this to his advantage to torment them. I love the way Jackman's team interacts and cares about each other and it is that strength that keeps them focussed but is that also a weakness that will leave them vulnerable?

This book kicks off the adrenaline boost at the very beginning and it doesn't let up I devoured every page making myself take my time reading to really savour the story.

The Lorimer family play a major part in this and I don't want to put in any spoilers so I won't say much about them other than Joy has created these characters realistically giving each a special characteristic to offset their issues and the whole family and their issues is handled sympathetically and with enormous skill - hat off to the author.

So with a sniper on the loose and an innocent family caught up in the mayhem will Jackman and his team crack the case and bring down Ashcroft or will he escape again leaving devastation behind him? You will have to listen to the book to find out.


Another 5 golden stars to Joy Ellis for another brilliant addition to an awesome series.