This is my first Stig Abell book and I really enjoyed it and the ending was not who I suspected so that is always good. I did think the book took a little while to grab me, it was interesting but not enough to make me not want to not put it down but once I got into it I wanted to keep reading and spent most of a sunny Sunday just reading outside.

This was not what I was expecting but a pleasant surprise. I thought this would be a Scandi noir type of book because of the authors name and that was fine but they can be a challenging read at times. This was not a challenge to read, it flowed well and was an engaging read with an original storyline and a relatable main character. A plus was that it was based in England too.
There was tension, intrigue , suspicious locals and the hint of a love interest, not a bad haul for a retired detective all coupled with him coming to grips with his new lifestyle amid beautiful but isolated countryside.
I'm so glad my assumption was incorrect as this was a far better book than I was expecting.

This was a very different murder/mystery story and toally absorbing. Some really good characters and a romance too. The background in the story is very much without modern conveniences and adds to the atmosphere of the story. Great conclusion and I have the next book to hand!

This book is for a crime connoisseurs. There are many literary descriptions, the action regarding the central mystery is good and there is an element of romance. It did hold the attention, it misleads at times but the end is logical and all the loose ends are tied up.

This is a book that defies being put into a genre.
Although ostensibly it is indeed a crime and a mystery it is so much more too.
The characters are so thoughtfully written and so deep in backstory and personality that they step straight off the pages of beautifully described landscape and the solitude of Little Sky is palpable throughout the book.
Yes, there is a body (or two), a mystery to solve and a perpetrator to punish but that does not detract from the fabulously immersive nature of the writing and you will still want to live there despite the criminal undercurrent!
5 stars is not enough!

A thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery that was calm and almost entirely unthreatening. Yes I know that sounds odd, but there we are.

I loved the map at the start of the book. I'm a sucker for a map. That combined with the rich descriptions in the book meant I could visualise everything. Stig is certainly skilled at making his scenes seem real.

The story was gripping, even in its calmness. A decade old cold case, an ex detective, a new romance. What more do you need for a cosy weekend read.

It was delightful to savour the descriptions of the natural world that Jake removed himself to on the death of his Uncle ‘King’ Arthur. The simple pleasures of country living, off grid in near isolation were appealing. The story flowed & was somehow refreshing in it’s difference. There were many suspects, but it was the unexpected. A murder mystery from past & present.

Stig is a debut author who introduces us to what I presume he hopes will become a new lasting detective partnership of ex-copper Jake Jackson and country vet Livia. The two meet at Little Sky a remote country estate left to Jake by his recently deceased uncle and soon find themselves embroiled in a cold case when they uncover a sack full of human bones on a treasure hunt.
The style is reminiscent of ‘Midsommer Murders’ and at times it was hard to tell if the story was a murder mystery or a romance. However, I was kept interested throughout the story and found it a very enjoyable read.

A first detective novel written by journalist and broadcaster Stig Abell. A slow start leading to an exciting finish. A beautifully written book that had this reader gripped and not wanting to put the book down. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to have access to this book prior to reading book two by the author.

"'Nobody likes a know-it-all. All right I'm mostly joking. But I would like you to keep your ear to the ground. And I would welcome any and all theories from you, Jake. Jackson and Bennett, the crime-fighters of Little Sky.' He chuckles to himself. 'I like the sound of that...'"

A promising debut novel - rural detective, crime fiction and the first in a series, all of which appealed to me. Firmly set in rural South England, split from his wife, former Metropolitan Police detective Jake Jackson inherits his eccentric uncle's sprawling house. As he gets to know the, mainly odd, locals, he gets dragged into a cold case featuring discovered bones.

Character- and Location-driven (reminding me of Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves), I enjoyed getting to know introspective and intelligent Jake, his new home and his new neighbours, living on the outskirts of a small (Cambridgeshire?) village. Evocative and atmospheric wildlife and landscape becomes Jake's life as he finds himself without many of life's modern conveniences. There's the potential for romance with the local vet, Livia, who has a daughter, Diana and the potential for trouble from local farmers, when Jake begins digging into the cold case that local police seek his input on. There is another death and I had an inkling who may be responsible, but was not disappointed to be proven right, having enjoyed this solid and moody murder mystery. I look forward to book two, Death In A Lonely Place, which also publishes soon.

A wonderful, enjoyable, gripping detective story - especially as it’s the first Stig has written. Jake an ex police officer moves into the remote house left to him by his uncle, hoping for peace and quiet, but life turns out very differently for him. Who has been involved with Sabine’s death and who should Jake trust?

Absolutely mothing wrong with this murder mystery book set in a very small village in middle England.

I am not sure how Mr Abell was able to describe the weather and the countryside in so many different ways - but he does it really well!

Jake, a burned out detective inherits an old house, and starts living without a lot of modern day trappings. I wasn't too concerned as to who the murderer was as the book stood up well in every other aspect. I loved it.

If there is a follow up, I will look forward to it.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review.

Jake Jackson, an ex police detective moves to his late Uncle's farm in the middle of the English countryside, that he was left in his Uncle Arthur's will. It comes at a time when his marriage to Faye is over. Soon after he arrives, he meets Livia, a vet and her daughter Diana. The characters within village were very descriptive as well as the village and the sourrounding area around Jake's new home. It's very atmoshperic and evocative. Every year, there is a tradition to find a bag of bones. Livia invites Jake to partner with her and her daughter, Jake finds the mysterious bag of bones. However, within the bag are some human bones. How, why, what, when and where did they come from? So now, there is a mystery to solve! I found this book to be enteraining with a few twists and turns. The ending was a complete surprise for me. I will be recommending this book.

Not sure this book was for me. I enjoy a good mystery as much as the next person but the main protagonist, Jake came across as very adolescent to me. From the start it's clear that there's going to be a budding romance with the vet and I just never felt like there was any depth to the characters. The solution to the mystery itself wasn't obvious which is a plus but I just didn't like the lack of depth to any of the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in a new series and I found it entertaining.

Detective Jake Jackson's marriage is failing and he is suffering from career burnout. He inherits his uncle's retreat giving him a chance of a fresh start.

As he begins to enjoy his new life a previous suicide/death comes to light and his uncle has left some information about it. He struggles with investigating in such a tight community and there are twists and turns leading to a surprising outcome.

recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Stig Abell for my ARC of 'Death Under a Little Sky' in return for an honest review.

I liked this first effort by Stig Abell who amuses me most morning on Times Radio. His sardonic sense of humour works well here and I like the characters and the setting, although it's all a bit weird plot-wise.

Another great holiday read. At first I thought it was a little slow but realised that the plot of the book had to be set and then I really got into the story. Jake is married to Faye and things are going well with their relationship until miscarriages blight their story. Jake is a Detective and is engrossed in cold cases. When things go awry with the marriage an opportunity arrives. Jake’s uncle passes away and leaves him Little Sky, a house and land in the countryside. Jake decides to give his life a different direction from the chaos only to become embroiled in more. A death that happened 10 years ago is suddenly in the forefront of his life and he reluctantly decides to get involved in finding out the truth. He feels at times that he should stay with this calm life and then a local, Dr Peter, is found dead and that makes him carry on with the investigation. Life gets very complicated. He becomes involved with the local vet, Livia, a single mom. As the book continues Jake is “warned off” carrying on with finding the truth of past and present deaths, is told that Livia could be in danger. He cannot let go of the fact that he needs to follow the story to the end which he does. He follows his thoughts and eventually the murderer is found and brought to justice. I must say I did not guess who was the person who “did it” plus other crimes. A sign of a good book which keeps you guessing until the end. A good book and would read Stig Abell again.

This murder mystery definitely started a little slow but picked up its pace. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery along with Jake - although I never guess it right! The isolated country vibes in this book definitely appealed to me. Looking forward to starting book 2!

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for ARC.

Detective Jake Jackson has a failing marriage and a bad case of career burnout. When a well loved but little-known uncle dies, the contents of the will allow Jake to retire to a remote bucolic setting and make a new life.
The set up of this is measured, and to be honest I found it dragged a lot. I also am inherently suspicious of mysterious uncles and inherited wealth, and of course all is not as it seemed. It's more complicated.
The local hamlet is keeping some very dark secrets, and Jake's determination to uncover them meets resistance and leads lots of them into danger. There is some beautiful writing about place and the relationships with local people are mostly well drawn as they evolve. The denouement is a bit rushed despite the slow buildup but I was intrigued by the characters enough to move on to the second book immediately. A very assured.

Ex detective Jake Jackson receives a legacy from an uncle and retires to a remote farmhouse in the countryside where he tries to live a life as close to nature as possible, abandoning all 20th century luxuries.
He lives on the outskirts of a village full of interesting characters, a motherly shop keeper, a beautiful vet, a handyman, an eccentric academic, and several farming families.
After becoming involved in village life, he is forced to refresh his detecting skills and investigates the case of a young woman who dies several years previously.
The investigation and resolution of the case was well executed, although I find the whole premise of the back-to-basics living pretty implausible.
An enjoyable read

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.