What Lies Beneath by Adam Croft Narrated by: Andy Nyman and this is the first book of the new Rutland Crime Series, series and what a brilliant start to this promising series this was. Andy Nyman the narrator was excellent and he gave you a good feel for this book, especially as it had lots of twists and turns and I found it hard to work out who it was. Which made it excellent for me as I usually guess very quickly!

WHAT LIES BENEATH is a lovely entry into a new detective series. Adam Crofts characters are relatable as well as entertaining, with each one fully fleshed as well as fun to read. As a native from Leicestershire and Rutland, it was lovely to hear about the characters visiting locations familiar to me, and Adam does a great job of evoking the sense of personality to the county! The investigation itself felt a little slow to me, and I must say I did guess the killer, but the methodology of working through the evidence worked well with the side stories, so. it still made the read entertaining.

With regards to the audio, I did find this a little hard to get into at first, because I wasn't sure that the narrator's voice quite fit the personalities of the characters, and I almost stopped. But after a while it was easier to get in to; it really is funny how important narration is in audio and how it jars if it doesn't sit quite right.

This is the first book in what promises to be a fantastic series set in the tiny county of Rutland. A real place, it is the smallest county in England, heavily rural and dominated by Rutland Water. The story begins with the discovery of a body by two elderly fisherman in a boat. A man has been bludgeoned and strangled to death, and then left in a strange crucifixion pose on the rocks outside Normanton Church. The church itself is curious, having been deconsecrated when the houses within the villages that it served were demolished and concreted over, and then the entire valley filled with water to form a huge reservoir. A campaign was fought and the church was saved, although is stands half submerged under water. In fact even 50 years later, there is still some ill feeling about what was done by the water company, although no one can deny that it was the economic saving of the area. DI Caroline Hills has relocated from the Met in London where she was often the senior investigating officer on some major crimes, accompanied by her two sons and husband Mark. They both feel that the whole family will benefit from living in a quieter more rural area. Caroline and her DS Dexter Antoine are called out to investigate the death. Only having a team of four detectives including herself as sole DI for Rutland Police and very little serious crime to investigate, she is desperate to keep the case to herself and not have it passed onto East Midlands major crime unit with all their larger resources. After all, as a seasoned detective, she feels she is more than capable of finally proving what she is worth. The dead man turns out to run a local construction company and has also spent time on the council when it suited him. Enquiries show there is no shortage of people who disliked him, not least the wife he is separated from, but actual serious suspects are proving hard to find. Could the religious symbolism be a clue as to motive for the murder? Caroline's dedicated staff chase down all the leads but as fast as they make any sort of breakthrough, it seems to be immediately squashed by alibis or lack of proof. Fighting to keep the case, she finally finds a likely suspect but have they got enough to solve the murder? I found it interesting to learn about the history of the area, something I previously knew nothing about and which I would like to visit now. Caroline is not an immediately likeable character. She lies to her husband and gets far more loyalty and friendship from Dexter than she really deserves. She has come from London and has little idea how to treat people who live in a far more friendly and close community, with the result that she can come across as hostile or rude. Fortunately she has Dexter on her side, keen to help her fit in, and by the end of the book it looks like she has really got her act together. I think she is going to be a much nicer person in book 2, "On Borrowed Time" which is out now, although for me Dexter is the real star so far and it will be nice to see this talented team of detectives grow together. The narration for the audiobook was fine, very nice and clear and made it a very enjoyable listen.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to What Lies Beneath.

Wonderfully narrated.
Excellent, gripping storyline. Well portrayed characters.

I would highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sunday. A body on the rocks. It hasn't got there by accident. It couldn't have.....

This one's going to take all the persistence and experience Caroline Hills has...

Great

Really enjoyed this audiobook version of the story which combines crime with a narrative about Rutland, which is the smallest county in England. I found this particularly appealing as much of this detail was familiar to me, being relatively local to the area. The rural life was described, and brought to life, very accurately. Caroline is a big city police officer who has recently been transferred to the tiny force of Rutland. Unfortunately, being so tiny means that when 'tasty' crimes are committed on area there is an attitude that they should be dealt with by larger neighbouring forces. Consequently, when a body is found, Caroline has to continually prove her worth in order to keep the crime under the auspice of her local force. Very good narration, and most definitely a worthwhile read/ listen. Many thanks to Netgalley and W.F.Howes Ltd for my ARC.

Great start to a new series from Adam Croft! Set in the tiny county of Rutland, the story is carefully detailed so you can picture the locations so clearly and the characters are well thought out with interesting back stories and flaws.
What appears to be a relatively simple 'murder mystery' slowly progresses into a more complex case drawing on local history and beliefs.
A very enjoyable story and I am eagerly awaiting the next one.

Great narrator who really brought the story to life.

I look forward to reading more in the series of the Rutland police.

Good detective murder mystery novel. I had absolutely no clue who did it and thoroughly enjoyed the surprise at the end!

This is the first novel in a proposed series featuring the tiny Rutland police force and Rutland itself, England’s smallest county.

Our lead protagonist, DI Caroline Hill, is, together with her husband and 2 sons, newly arrived in the region, having transferred over from the Met where she was an experienced serious crimes detective. Why she was willing to take a demotion of this magnitude was never really explained properly and felt like a bit of an excuse to have lots of exposition about the county and fish-out-of-water/not from round here episodes.

We are plunged straight into the action with the body of a man found on the rocks in a cruciform pose by a deconsecrated church. We are then introduced to the story of a sunken village beneath the Rutland reservoir and the impact it has had on tourism, the economy and on the displaced families in the area.

Unfortunately, this scenario, though not quite the same, reminded me too much of Peter Robinson’s In a Dry Season, based on the Yorkshire Thrusscross reservoir which also contains the remains of a sunken village.

I also found DI Hill an unconvincing lead, less maverick than simply reckless. Her personal life decisions are equally baffling. A much better character and police officer is her sidekick, DS Dexter Antoine. I’d like to see more of him and less of her in any future instalments and many fewer facts about the area - there are more subtle ways of creating a sense of place.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I do feel that it may be one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy it as much. I love audiobooks but How much you enjoy them really does depend on the reader. In this case, although I suspect that his accent was spot-on, I didn’t enjoy his delivery at all, although I did get more used to it as the book went on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC audiobook in return for an honest review.

This was the first time that I had read/listened to anything by Adam Croft. The narration was very good and gave real life to the story.

I got very frustrated with Caroline and just really not sure why she did what she did, it wasn't how I would have handled it.

It was an interesting crime thriller and very interesting premise. I never knew anything about Rutland before so that was interesting. The village live rang true.

I am thinking that I would enjoy the subsequent books more as there will not be so much time spent on her illness.

I was provided with a free copy by netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley for a review. Good story and character's the plot moved along nicely, if you like a new series you can't go wrong with this.

I listened to the audiobook of this title.
This was my first book by Croft, despite having several of his previous books on my never ending TBR!
I loved this beginning to a new series! Croft manages to capture the atmosphere and community lifestyle of Rutland perfectly, and weaves a murder mystery seamlessly into that setting.
The plot was fast and intriguing and I loved the characters of the detectives! I look forward to the next installment in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adam Croft and the publisher for an ARC in return on a n honest review.

This book is the perfect series starter. This book was quirky and quick paced. The plot is great and the characters are likeable. I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to meet of his books

I listened to this on Audiobook. The narrator was excellent. It was told from a female perspective but narrated by a male. Which I did find unusual but it actually worked!

Caroline Hills has transferred from London to a much smaller police force. Her son was being bullied and they all needed a much quieter, slower paced life. She's keeping the fact she is ill from her family and colleagues. They have moved to Rutland the smallest county in England.

When a body is found she's determined to solve the case rather than pass it onto the much larger neighbouring force, which is the norm because Rutland is so small.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, from the beginning I was hooked. I actually listened to it in one sitting. I never do that. The main characters, Caroline and Dexter, were relatable and we saw a softer side to her towards the end. I enjoyed the storyline and I missed the clues that were dotted along the way. I'm glad she stayed true to her London grit at the end. Well written. I'm looking forward to another book from this series.

I enjoyed this audio book , I found it engaging as well as a concise quick read( listen).

A dead body is found in Rutland by the side of Normanton church. DI Caroline Hills is heading up the investigation to try and find the killer. The characters do appear somewhat flat and I hope that they are developed in further books in the series. The dynamic between the DI and DS Dexter Antoine works well and the sarcasm and humour brings a real life touch to this police procedural.
Caroline Hills seems complex in nature and has other issues going on as well as the difficulties in her job, I look forward to learning more about her character in the next in the series.

Overall an easy entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley and QUEST from W F Howes for this advance copy.

What Lies Beneath - Adam Croft
Narrated by Andy Nyman

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd and Netgalley.

A peaceful Sunday morning in Rutland is shattered when a dead body is discovered on the rocks at Normanton Church.

The victim has been laid out in a crucifixion pose, facing the altar. DI Caroline Hills is certain there’s a religious connection — one which threatens the tranquility of life in the area.

The killer has gone to extraordinary lengths to make the symbolism clear. And the deaths will continue until Caroline and DS Dexter Antoine uncover the truth behind the dark secret — and what lies beneath.

This is a well written, concise book with a well developed plot. Throughout the investigation there is a side story, where Caroline is hiding a secret from her family and colleagues, which just adds to the mystery.

I thought the only downside to this book was the lack of character development, but this does not detract from the story and I look forward to the character development throughout the series.

I listened to this book in one sitting as it is a quick listen and the story is gripping.

Rating 4/5

From the first instalment, this sounds like it going to be an interesting series

On the surface this seems like a straightforward 'whodunit'. There's no mystery to how the victim died or the crime scene or on the surface the suspects. However, it still manages to keep you guessing by adding considerable depth to DI Caroline Hills, DS Dexter Antoine and their relationship - which provides tension and workplace mini-dramas, most can relate to. It's grounding in the everyday, including family commitments gives this a sense of the ordinary. It is devoid of glamour and therefore relatable. But, this can lead to it feeling a bit cumbersome in places when the pace slows down. The narrator does a good job of holding your attention, and uses their voice well to elevate and dampen the drama when needed.

A body has been found, posed like Christ on the cross, outside the Normanton Church in Rutland. DI Caroline Hills is sure there is a connection to the church, the killer has made it very clear. And this killer is far from done, if Caroline doesn’t solve this case fast, more will die. A well written, tightly plotted police procedural. Nyman does a fine job bringing the story to life

I listened to a third of this book, and I regretfully made the decision to give up..... I failed to be engaged by the plot and storyline and more importantly, the character of DI Caroline Hills was irritating me with her immaturity and one dimensional nature, although I liked Dexter more. I am absolutely certain others are likely to love this more,

This is the first book I’ve read from Adam Croft and it definitely won’t be the last. It isn’t the longest book, but has a fast paced storyline and realistic, likeable characters with just enough humour alongside the criminal investigation.
I also can see the characters are ripe to be developed further in future novels.
Set in Rutland, the book follows the story of DI Caroline Hills who has recently moved to the area with her family from London. After a body is discovered, she hopes it’s an opportunity to prover herself in her new job but the investigation doesn’t run as smoothly as she’d hoped. While also battling health problems, she takes on the case and despite a few dead ends, she ploughs on and is successful in finding the perpetrator.
Highly recommended as a quick, enjoyable read with a fantastic narrator.