I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

In a world full of typical female investigators, Joss Stirling gives us Jess Bridges, who definitely stands out in any crowd she happens to land in. When she accompanies her boyfriend to a reunion, she feels like she stands out a little too different from this crowd. But Ms Stirling soon gives us a murder or two for Jess and Leo to solve, with lots of tension along the way. Another great story in this great series.

It was great to catch up with these great characters and I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The fourth novel in the Jess Bridges series sees Jess and her policeman boyfriend invited to a weekend getaway with his old college friends. A cosy mustery, I like the Oxfordshire.setting but the story was overlong and meandered a little.

This was fun as a cozy procedural with an engaging heroine narrator. Fast paced, with some snappy lines and a decent mystery.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

Another outing in this series of book. Great to see the characters come back for another installment.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC of this book.

I met Leo and Jess at the beginning of their adventure in Black River and was blown away by the character of Jess - utterly original, quirky and full of energy and enterprise! I have enjoyed the evolving on off romance between the quiet, introspective detective Leo and the tigger like Jess and have enjoyed every minute of the journey. Grey Stones is no exception. I loved it!
The start of the book is very different as Jess and Leo are now ‘dating’ and it all feels terribly grown up as they head out for a weekend away with a group of Leo’s friends. At first I missed the chemistry of the relationship but before I really had time to miss it there was a dead body and then another and it all started to get very close to home as one of the friends is arrested for murder. Leo is dragged in to help investigate and Jess is forced into close proximity with his friends in his absence, including the predatory Phil who has a score to settle. The investigation spans people trafficking, sex slaves, international crime…In the middle of it all Jess and Leo’s relationship is unravelling and Leo is contacted by a long lost relative.
This was another fantastic read in the Jess Bridges series. Apart from the great relationship dynamic and characterisation of the two central characters, the story was fast paced, a lot of sympathy was generated for the first murder victim so the reader is fully invested in an outcome with a good deal of justice, and the crime is investigated in a way that the reader can follow and understand. I cannot wait for the next Jess Bridges outing - PLEASE tell me that there are more to come. 
With thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for a digital copy of this great read.

Another great Jess Bridges story which was truly enjoyable.
Perfect for the fans of whodunnit and I personally didn't expect the twists and turns!
Really good and highly recommend!

I received a hardcover review copy of "Grey Stones" by Joss Stirling from HarperCollins UK through Gumshoereview.com and a digital review copy from NetGalley.com. This review can be read online on Gumshowreview.com in the June issue.

Highly dysfunctional friendships, suicides that may or may not be viewed as murders, human trafficking and Vietnamese sex workers are some of the toxic ingredients present in this highly satisfying new addition in the Jess Bridges Mystery Series. Once again we meet Jess Bridges, the no-nonsense but troubled private investigator, as she helps her new boyfriend, DI Leo George in trying to untangle a very complex and lethal situation involving some of George's best friends and a treasure trove of old rancors, simmering grudges and lots of greed. Tensly written, fiendishly plotted & unputdownable from start to finish, this highly entertaining whodunit kept me going and guessing all night long....Hopefully Ms Stirling will hear my plea and gift us with another episode very soon....To be enjoyed without moderation

Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins/One more chapter for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel.

Thank you to Joss Stirling (author), NetGalley and HarperColllins the publishers for giving me a copy of this book for an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Jess Bridges Mysteries featuring Jess Bridges (of course) and Inspector Leo George. It was a typical Joss Stirling book - well written, great plots, a real page turner, and realistic.

The book starts off with Leo and Jess attending a reunion of Leo's friends. Leo gets called away very early to a "suicide", which he identifies as a probable murder and Jess is left at the reunion. However, there is another "suicide" that involves Leo's friends and he can not investigate this as it represents a conflict of interest. Who should step in? None other that Jess Bridges.

I have read the first three books in this series, and now this one I and am already looking forward to the next book. They are that good.

I have no hesitation in giving this a five star rating and if you want a great read start at the beginning of the series with Black River and work your way through White Horse and Red House and then you are ready for Grey Stones.

Toxic Relationships Exposed....
Book four in the Jess Bridges mystery series and Jess is accompanying DI Leo George to a reunion weekend, a rather exclusive event as it turns out. Things are about to take an unpleasant turn, however, as secrets are uncovered and toxic relationships are exposed. A wholly enjoyable whodunnit with a credible cast and a likeable protagonist in Jess.

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and the author @JossStirling for providing me with a digital ARC of Grey Stones #JessBridges in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. This is the fourth book in the Jess Bridges series and we follow Jess Bridges and DI George as they go away for the weekend and find 2 murders made to look like suicides. This series is an amazing read and I highly recommend them all.

Great crime mystery with a bit of fun! Really enjoy this series, the characters are believable and enjoy a bit of humor thrown in as well as the ongoing drama of Jess and Leo. A good mystery - this one takes the "group of friends with history" theme and does a good job with it unfurling the mystery to keep you turning the page. Will continue with this series

This series is becoming a favorite as the stories are fast paced, full of twists and turns and the characters are fleshed out.
The Grey Stones is no exception and you cannot help loving Jess and Leo and hope for the best for their relationship.
There's plenty of twists and turns in the plot and it's darker than the previous story.
Excellent character development, a solid mystery that kept me guessing and fascinating descriptions of the setting.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another great read in the Jess Bridges series.
Jess and Leo have been together a few months and he invites her on a weekend away to meet his old friends.
Jess asks him to stick to her like glue but on the very first day, Leo is called away to a suspicious death and doesn’t return until later that night.
The next morning he apologises and gives one of his friends a lift back to her camper van only to discover her boyfriend’s dead body.
Leo is not allowed to investigate Lloyd’s death as he knew him, so he asks Jess to look into it as a private investigator.
There’s not much to go on at first and it seems Jess and Leo are moving in different directions but it does all come together in the end.
With the presence of his old friends, Jess feels left out by Leo and soon an argument erupts that potentially ends their relationship.
This is a great read and I look forward to the next book.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the fourth book in the Jess Bridges Mystery series. It is set around Oxfordshire. DI Leo George is working for Thames Valley police and Jess is working at Oxford university. Jess and Leo are now a couple. Leo gets invited to a friend's reunion and takes Jess with him. There is a suicide and Leo is asked to attend but things don't appear as they should and a murder investigation is started.

I enjoyed this murder/mystery. I keep saying this but this is the best so far. It just gets better and better. A great balance of humour and twists make it quite the page turner.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Grey Stones’ by Joss Stirling in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth in Joss Stirling’s series of mysteries set in Oxford featuring irrepressible private investigator, Jess Bridges, and the stoic DI Leo George of the Oxford police. Stirling provides background for new readers though I am pleased to have now read all of the earlier books.

DI Leo George has been invited to a reunion weekend with a group of his old university friends. They are meeting at the exclusive Piccadilly Club in the Cotswolds village of Chipping Norton. Leo brings Jess, his new girlfriend, to the gathering. Yet Jess wonders if she will really fit in with Leo’s old university set.

There’s a great deal going on within the group and it’s also clear that Janice, Leo’s glamorous former flame, isn’t at all happy that he brought Jess along. When the body of an employee of the lodge is found in what at first appears to be a suicide, Leo is called away to investigate, leaving Jess to negotiate the stormy interpersonal dynamics of the group.

This series has been consistently good and has gone from strength to strength. This proved to be quite a complex case that took some unexpected turns into dark territory. As a result, it was somewhat more serious in tone than the previous books even though Jess remained her wonderful self. In addition, in both this and ‘Red House’ Leo’s background in terms of his relationships with family and friends is explored.

The grey stones depicted on the book’s cover refers to the Rollrights, an ancient stone circle located near Chipping Norton and they feature in the story. Indeed, in all four novels Stirling has evoked a strong sense of place that has enhanced her narratives.

Is this the end of the series? Will the coronavirus ground Jess and Leo? Set in February 2020 the beginnings of the pandemic is briefly mentioned.

At present there’s no further books listed as upcoming. I know that I would happily read many more Jess Bridges Mysteries, and have also become a fan of the author and so look forward to news of Joss Stirling’s future projects.

Highly recommended book and series.

This is the 4th in this series and, as per the norm, I am going to recommend you start from the beginning and read in order. Jess and Leo both have interesting pasts - both apart and together - and although the main story is wholly self-contained, you'll get the very best from it if you do.
So, Leo has been invited to a reunion at a posh lodge. He decides this would be a good time to introduce now gf Jess to his friends so he invites her to join them. The friends have a long and complicated past and Jess initially feels a bit left out especially when she finds out that one of the other guests has a bit of a past with Leo. This is compounded when Leo is called away to the scene of a suicide nearby. A suicide that looks a bit off to him... And so begins another interesting case for our duo to investigate; Leo with the law, Jess on its boundary... A case that will send them in a direction they never believed possible at the beginning and which will come a bit close to home for Leo...
I love this series. Leo and Jess are a bit chalk and cheese but they bring out the best in each other - complementing each others' personalities. Yes they have their moments - obviously their personalities clash a bit but they do take their investigations seriously. Even when it all gets a bit uncomfortably close to home for Leo.
Pacing is good throughout and matches the narrative every step of the way, The setting up is done efficiently and there is no hint of it even starting to drag. Then when the foundations are laid, the layers of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour is peeled back, the pacing speeding up and it becomes a bit of a wild ride all the way to the end. With not one word of padding of waffle.
And the ending when it comes, well, if you asked me at the beginning if we'd go down that road... well... spoilers prevent me saying more. Just need to add that the plotting and execution was perfect.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well established series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.