Beautifully written and atmospheric this was a clever thriller that did not quite take off. The premise was interesting - a detective moving to a rural setting, attempting to readjust and settle in a new and unfamiliar environment and integrate with locals suspicious of outsiders.

It just took a little bit too long for the excitement to build and the tension to bite.

I enjoyed it but it was a slow burner.

Jake Jackson had been a detective in London but with a failed marriage behind him he is given a chance of a new start. His uncle has left him a property literally in the middle of nowhere and Jake seizes the opportunity .
However, even in the middle of nowhere , there is evil and soon Jake finds himself in the middle of it.

It started off really well but unfortunately it stagnated and nothing was really happening. For me this book reads more like a cosy mystery with too much romance. Did not hold my attention. Very disappointed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is Stig Abell’s first novel and the quality of his writing is undeniable. The gradual build up from a rural idyll to a claustrophobic and threatening environment is skilfully done. I enjoyed and recommend this book.

A debut novel that is written in the style of a traditional crime novel. Unfortunately, though well written, I struggled with the narrative pace and failed to finish.

Death under a Little Sky Stig Abel Hammer

4 stars

This is the first book by this author and I must say I really enjoyed it.

Jake is a high-flying detective but when his marriage breaks down and his reclusive uncle leaves him a cottage in the middle of nowhere, he decides it is a good time to take stock of his life and move there for a while to decide his future.

Little Sky is indeed not only in the middle of nowhere but also without running water or any modern facilities. However this is just what Jake needs as he learns to wash his clothes and swim in the lake and learn a whole new way of living. His new life is enhanced when he encounters Livia, a single mother with a seven year old daughter, Diana, who is the local vet. There is an instant attraction between them but when bones are discovered form a 10 year old murder/suicide that was never resolved, Jake cannot help getting involved in trying to solve the case.

Unfortunately for him, Little Sky is a village of people who are not pleased to have a stranger in their midst and are also hiding many secrets mainly of an illegal bent. Jake is warned off from investigating and at the same time warned off about seeing Livia.

Although this was a story about a murder it was more like a description of rural life in a small village and I really enjoyed the characters and their lifestyles almost as if they are from a different age.

Sometimes it is pleasant to read a book which is not full of graphic details and action and I will certainly be looking out for the next book from this author.

Karen Deborah

Found it a bit hard going to be honest. A decent enough story and plot, but rather slow and a bit too much rambling description for my tastes.

Jake has retired hurt from the police, separated from his wife and moved to the depths of the English countryside, where he takes on life in a large but remote house left to him by a late uncle. The nearest village is populated bay colourful characters who stick together and keep Mum about anything from the past that they think should stay there. Fortunately there's an attractive, mixed-race, single mum local vet to capture Jakes interest and together they start to investigate when the local "bone hunt" turns out to contain real human bones. Looking into whether they could have belonged to a local farm worker who died in suspicious circumstances a decade ago arouses all sorts of local dissent - some of it life threatening.
A bit over-bucolic/ Cold Comfort Farmy at times but nonetheless an entertaining page-turner.

When former policeman Jake unexpectedly inherits a property from his estranged uncle, he thinks he is escaping his demons to a quiet, rural life. Before he knows it, he is embroiled in a cold case, which pulls on his detective skills and requires him to get to know the locals.

Death Under A Little Sky is an atmospheric page-turner. The reader can sense the beauty and isolation of Little Sky through the author’s description, and the simplicity of the narrative mixed with dark themes reflect the author’s love of crime thrillers.

This is the author's debut as a novelist and as I am a fan of his journalism I was looking forward to reading it. Met Detective Jake Johnson leaves his London life to relocate to a rural property he has inherited and he soon finds himself caught up in a historical murder.
This was an extremely well written novel with very atmospheric and evocative descriptive passages. It's slow paced and so not for those who enjoy fast paced thrillers. It's difficult to define the genre but it's probably more cosy crime than thriller. An enjoyable read and a promising debut.
3.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A very descriptive book about isolation, not something you would expect for a police type drama. A bit slow to start but with a satisfactory conclusion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy of this book.

A debut novel that is decent if a little lacking in content.

Jake who is recently separated leaves the bright lights and bustle of London to move into his late Uncles house in the country. An ex detective, Jake wants a quiet life away from the stress of the job and to re-evaluate his life after his marriage has failed.

It’s not long before he finds that a woman died in the small village a decade earlier under mysterious circumstances. When he brings the subject up with the locals, they close shop and don’t want to discuss it at all. Some even start to warn him off about digging up the past.

This is classed as a thriller but it’s more of a cosy thriller imo. The pace here is very pedestrian due partly I feel to the thriller element not having much meat on the bone. The mystery itself moves at a snails pace.

We have a love interest as well that bulks the book out and some very stereotypical nasty villager types.

I enjoyed this one to a point. It did seem a bit confused about what it wanted to be. Starts as a mystery thriller then veers into cosy thriller, a sort of self discovery book and a romance novel. The end I thought was a bit of a let down and a bit hard to swallow.

Still overall it’s a decent effort. The writing is pretty good, if a little over descriptive. It did feel a somewhat padded story but the main character was pretty interesting.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC though Netgalley.

Well written with lots of book references including the chapter headings, very descriptive but very far-fetched, not quite sure if it should be a crime or romance and not quite hitting the mark with either. Promised much but short on delivery but a good start .

I don’t know this author, but the blurb sounded interesting. This is a mix of police thriller with a cosy romance thrown in. Jake leaves his police job in London after his marriage fails and seeks a new life in Yorkshire. An uncle has left him an old house in a remote location. He settles in to a very different life when it ps all thrown off course by the discovery of bones on a treasure hunt.

I have slightly mixed views about this. I found parts very slow. A lot of descriptions which took the edge off pace and at times felt like filler. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the supposed remoteness, and I wanted the pace to move on a bit.

The characters are well written, but it all becomes a little cosy with romantic intervention. So for me, it didn’t quite work. It’s an interesting light read but it didn’t set me alight and there were times I struggled to remain engaged. A generous three because it’s well written.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Loved this story of Jake who has been a high-flying detective in London. When he receives a letter stating that his uncle has left him his property in the countryside he packs his bags for a fresh start away from his troubles.
His new home is lovely but lacking modern features but the views make up for it and Jake gets used to swimming in the lake.
When some bones are discovered he gets involved and helps the local police to solve what happened. Things soon start to get serious when he threatened and a woman who he has struck a friendship with is also threatened he knows it is something sinister.
A really gripping read that moves at a fast pace.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and NetGalley for a ARC.

If you're a fan of the traditional thriller then this is definitely the book for you. I've long been a fan of the traditional mystery/thriller genre and this fits the bill to a tee.

Love the characters and the fact that the 'baddie' isn't unmasked until almost the very end of the book. Great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author has written a smooth crime detective thriller in his own style. There are three different strands wound together in the book - a historic murder in a rural community, a search for escape from the world and the pressure of dealing with multiple tragedies and finally a slowly blossoming love story. Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

Jake needs a fresh start in life as his marriage fails and he is no longer happy as a Detective in London. He is gifted a new home and the chance of a peaceful life by his deceased Uncle. He moves to his new remote rural home near a quiet village.

Jakes meets the local Vet and tries to find peace until human bones are unearthed. He has no choice but to investigate but as things progress there are more warnings to back off and more danger.

Well written novel set in a remote rural location. Enjoyed the storyline and the characters. Did not guess ‘who did it’, so read and find out for yourself.

This gripped me in a special way, one I wasn’t expecting. The writing felt so unique I was pulled into the story and didn’t wanna leave until the mystery was solved
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Thank you to the publisher for their arc!!

I started this book with high hopes, having read the author's opening bio about his love for the genre.
We are introduced to Jake, a 38 year old ex police detective who has inherited his uncle's remote antiquated farm house. However it was rather slow moving, overly descriptive ( wild swimming many many times) and a bit too twee for me ( romance). I was hoping for something darker and grittier. I'm sure it will appeal to a huge reader audience who love more cozy mysteries.