I enjoy this series and this one was a good story - giving us some back story to Ben and introducing even more characters to the village. Thanks to the publishers for the ARC

I love Kate Rhodes DI Ben Kitto novels set on the Scilly islands and this one did not disappoint. As Kitto is investigating after the discovery of a body on one of the islands, his past as an undercover officer at the Met is catching up with him as a killer looking for retribution heads to the islands.
Rhodes describes the Scilly islands so well, the novel is tense and atmospheric, and this is reflected in the landscape and the weather.
I’ve loved following Ben and some of the other characters from the first novel and I would recommend starting the series from the beginning for this reason.
I really enjoyed the dual plotline although I do feel that the Scilly based plot was weaker than those in previous novels and I did get a little confused with some of the characters.
A recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A thriller with two storylines.

The description of the islands in this book is incredible I was surprised to look up and find myself not there. I was disappointed that the storyline I preferred ended soonest, but still a fantastic read.

Rhodes is cranking up the dark-o-meter with this new outing for Ben Kitto and, in the words of The Pointer Sisters, I think I like it. For such a lovely woman, Rhodes writes evil brilliantly. In this latest visit to the Scilly Isles, two storylines slowly, inexorably, converge, bringing deadly peril to our hero’s doorstep just as he is at his most vulnerable. As we’ve come to expect from the poetic pen of Rhodes, the natural landscape is described and used to great effect - if only Ben Kitto could read the signs as well as his loyal hound. In fact, someone give Shadow his own detective series because he’s giving Ben a run for his money in the detection and hero stakes. As well as offering an excellent ‘locked room’ mystery and a gorgeous setting, the characters are well drawn and take us on a satisfying emotional rollercoaster. I’ll be surprised if this series doesn’t make it to TV. I shall be looking forward to seeing how they cast Shadow, in particular.

An Unsuspecting Detective..
The sixth Locked-Island mystery featuring DI Ben Kitto finds the detective himself in the dark whilst a much darker force approaches the Scilly Isles - one that is actively seeking revenge and will not stop at anything to fulfill his aims. Ben also has numerous issues to deal with himself - both professional and personal - and as such is both unsuspecting and vulnerable. With a fabulously well drawn backdrop, both atmospheric and detailed, and a tremendous cast of characters this is a wholly immersive and tension fuelled entry in this superlative series.

I do love this series, and I think Kate writes such evocative descriptions of the islands, sea and life, that you immediately want to visit Scilly and experience it for yourself. The two POV in this story - Ben and Ruby - help the story move along, and builds to a tense finale. As another reviewer said, my only tiny niggle was that it felt a slightly abrupt ending, but that wasn’t enough to mark the stars down for me this time. I kept thinking throughout the book, that it’s her best yet ❤️. Brilliant.

I enjoyed reading this book and was sad when it finished (plus end was emotional as far as I was concerned). The scenes are described so you can envisage the locations and the characters are well written. The plots of the different murders wove together and I didn't guess who did it. The twists kept me thinking and I found it hard to put the book down to do anything.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Shuster UK and Kate Rhodes for my ARC of The Brutal Tide in return for my honest review.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review this novel as I had only just finished the author’s previous one Devil’s Table. This is the sixth in the series of DI Ben Kitto novels and they seem to be improving all the time. I love the setting, The Scilly Isles, and the characters, especially Shadow, which have developed as the series has progressed. However, this can easily be read as a stand-alone although I would recommend starting at the beginning and reading them all.

Ben is investigating the discovery of a body on Bryher, distracted by the arrival of his first child when somebody from Ben’s past when he was an undercover officer in the Met seeks revenge.

As with all of this author’s novels it is well written and carefully plotted with numerous twists and turns.

Highly recommended.

A wonderful, tense and atmospheric instalment of the locked island mysteries. I love Ben Kitto, and get more invested in him, his dog Shadow and his personal life with each new book. This one brings an added level of fear and stress because, as well as a disturbing discovery on his island, Ben’s past as an undercover policeman in London comes back to haunt him.

I love Kate Rhodes’s writing, the way she makes the Isles of Scilly seem both idyllic and sinister, and this book has such a haunting atmosphere. There is so much going on here, there are at least three threads I was desperate to have resolved, and the tension builds slowly and steadily, so as I reached the frankly terrifying conclusion, I was barely breathing. Ben now has so much to lose, and his dogged determination to get the job done is both admirable and incredibly frustrating! Gah! WHAT a great hero, though.

I loved everything about The Brutal Tide. Brilliant title, stunning cover and one of my favourite fictional heroes, and the story inside is seriously dark, hugely atmospheric and entirely unputdownable. Now I have to wait ages for the next one, and I’m cross with myself for inhaling it so quickly.

Thanks to Kate and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Brutal Tide before the publication date.
This is the first of Kate’s books which I have read and it won’t be the last.

A contentious community building project on the Scilly Isles is brought to an abrupt halt when a skeleton is uncovered.
The main objector to the project, retired business man, Louis Hayle, insists that this makes the site of historic interest.
DI Ben Kitto must await the arrival of the pathologist from the mainland, only to find that the skeleton has disappeared overnight.

Kitto is warned that someone is killing people involved in his last undercover role, which resulted in the incarceration of psychopath, Craig Travis.

When Louis Hayle is found dead, Kitto launches an investigation into his murder whilst trying to keep himself safe from Travis’ hitman.
This is a twisted tale of long hidden secrets and the impact they had on the residents of the small island.

I absolutely adore this series so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read the latest instalment. I have a soft spot for the setting as I am originally from Penzance, which gets a lot of mentions in the book.

The sense of place is just incredible - the author describes the islands so well that you really feel like you're there. Characters are just as well described and I can always picture them easily. Recurring characters such as Ben's uncle Ray and his loyal dog Shadow have a special place in my heart and I've loved following them throughout the series.

I really enjoyed the dual storyline in this one. I was equally fascinated by the murder mystery on Bryher as I was by the story of someone from Ben's past with a desire for revenge. The last few chapters had me absolutely racing through the pages as I had no idea how things were going to end.

If I had one negative, I think that one plot strand was wrapped up too quickly at the end to give priority to the other storyline, but that's just me being picky. Overall this was another fantastic book and I really hope there will be another one, as things are definitely left open for the story to continue.