I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of Death on Cromer Beach, the first novel to feature DS Ashley Knight of Norfolk Police.

Ashley is called in on her day off for a murder enquiry, two bodies have been found in a gruesome murder on Cromer beach. She is deputy SIO and has her hands full because what looks initially like a punishment killing is, on closer inspection, a meticulously planned murder. Ably assisted by fast track new start, Hector Fade, she starts her investigation, only to be blindsided by another body.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death on Cromer Beach, which is as much about Ashley as it is about the murder enquiry. This is understandable as it’s a new series and it makes sense to let the reader get acquainted with her and her backstory, especially as the novel is told from her point of view.

The investigation is tricky. There are bodies, graffiti about the murders and several suspects to navigate and it isn’t easy to find a path through it. There isn’t much I can say about it without issuing spoilers, except that it is fairly boilerplate until the ending, which is a surprise in more ways than one. By boilerplate I mean that Ashley and Hector follow the clues and red herrings, find unsuspected links between the victims and generally get played by a smart perpetrator.

I like Ashley, who is an experienced detective with a lot of living under her belt. She is alone in her life, as past trauma has made her push people away. I like that she is trying to sort her life out and her tentative attempts are definite green shoots. The reader doesn’t get to know Hector as well, maybe in the next novel, but he’s a good foil for her and they are already developing a close working relationship. They bring a warmth to the novel that the investigation doesn’t.

Death on Cromer Beach is a good read that I can recommend.

I absolutely love it when a book hooks me within the first 20 pages! I couldn’t wait to keep reading. I’m excited to read more in the series!! Bring on the mysteries!

DS Ashley Knight is given the task of leading the investigation into the death of two people found on Cromer beach. The murder scene is like nothing she has ever seen before. The victims are a local couple and the way they were killed clearly took a lot of planning. Working with Ashley is newcomer to the team Hector Fade. Initially they clash but as they investigate, they discover more about the victims and each other. It quickly becomes apparent that the killer is not going to stop at two victims. Discovering what links the murders will be the key to solving the crime but with suspicion falling on more than one local they will need to act quickly to keep the body count down.
A brilliant start to a new series, I was hooked from the very start and the ending was anything but predictable. If you love a compelling, gritty crime story this is a must read.

Having read several Ross Greenwood DI Barton books, which are set in my hometown, it was interesting to start this new series set in Cromer, somewhere I've visited probably twice in my life and not recently. How much of the appeal of his books has been familiarity?

It turns out, not a lot. Death on Cromer Beach was gripping from the outset, hooking into natural fears that I'm sure are common to most people and spinning a fast paced yarn from them. Lots of depth in the flawed but likeable characters, good imagery of Cromer that's likely to encourage a visit (despite the storyline!). As with the places that Barton visits in Peterborough, Ashley's Cromer haunts become familiar and I'm sure will do their real life owners no harm at all. But whilst the surroundings become familiar as the story is told, it's the story that keeps you engaged until the final page.

Am I ready to say I prefer this to the previous series? Not yet, but it's definitely not a step backwards and I'm thoroughly looking forward to hearing more from the inhabitants of Cromer in the future.

I have read several of this author's books and when I saw he had a new series I definitely needed to check it out.

DS Ashley Knight, loner, single, middle-aged, has just been asked to investigate a double death on Cromer beach. She has also been saddled with one of the fast-track detectives, Hector Fade.

Finding a double murder on her local beach is not something Ashley would have expected to get a call out to, especially when there is more to this than meets the eye. She has a bad feeling and she is not wrong as more bodies surface.

This first book in this new series is so good, it has such a tense and atmospheric feel to it. Having to deal with a double murder and then more as another and another body turns up is tough on the whole team. What makes this case even harder is that the link is tenuous but it is a link. Those connected are so varied and have many problems and this also makes trying to work out events, truths and lies very difficult.

In between the questioning and interviews, the author takes the time to have Ashley and Hector get to know each other, a great way to fill in some details about them. They are very opposite and so their differences can show. Discovering more about them helps to understand their characters a little more, there is more to each than you first imagine.

Having more to it than first expected also goes for the case. There are reasons for it to have a connection to an event from years ago. What this connection is and how it is worked into this story is such a good one. There are twists and misdirections and an overall sense of danger and of something lurking and waiting.

This is a fabulous first book in the series and I do hope that Hector is not fast-tracked out too soon as I do kind of like him. Ashley is a tough one, and she does get on well with her younger colleague, Between them, I do think they would make a great team, but then I am not writing the books :)

If you are looking for a new series then this is one you need to look at if you are a fan of tough, gritty crime thrillers. There are so many unexpected things that occur and this adds to the mystery and the suspense. Excellent storyline and great characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and I would definitely recommend it.

Death on Comer Beach by Ross Greenwood is the first book In the DS Ashley Knight series and the first book from this author that I have read.
When a double murder is found on Cromer beach DS Ashley Knight is put in charge of the investigation with newly appointed Hector Fade. They soon discover that the murders are linked to a party on the beach over thirty years ago. Where one of the members of that party, a girl named Foxy died and the witnesses are now thirty years later are dying. Nearby graffiti shows that there is 7. Included in that party, was one of their own Peter Ibson who is Ashley’s boss and has taken leave over personal issues.
The team questions the other members of the party which takes them on a journey of twists and turns which the conclusion ends of in the same stretch of beach where the first murders where.
I really enjoyed the first book in the series about DS Ashley knight and her team and I cannot fathom why I have not read a book from this author before. I liked his writing style and the eclectic and complex group of characters which kept me engaged throughout. I can’t wait to see this series develops 5 stars from me.

DS Ashley knight and her new allocated partner, Hector, have their work cut out for them when a double murder is discovered on Cromer beach. What follows is a race to discover the murderer before more bodies are lost to the sea.

This book was very well researched. Knowing the area well I found that the setting accurately written, I felt as though I was at the scene, which was definitely a bonus! The author has done a great job describing the atmosphere and creating a complex mystery. The story takes plenty of turns. My only slight niggle was that the pace seemed to slow a lot quite soon and there were a few inconsistencies, however this will not stop me from reading the next in the series. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Dog walker Dora gets the shock of her life with what she finds on Cromer beach early one morning...and the tide hasn't brought them in.

It won't be the last horrible discovery for DS Ashley Knight and the team. But they soon discover that the past casts long shadows - and very complicated ones.

Who, amongst the lengthening list of suspects, is responsible?

A great book it is so worth more then 5 stars.
This is the start of a new series with DS Ashley Knight and her team set in Cromer.
I liked all the characters even the bad ones and the ones with mental health problems, goes to show that something that happened 30 years ago can effect your life and have dramatic effect on it.
I really look forward to reading more about Ashley Knight and her partner Hector I think they really worked well together.
I never guessed who was behind all the killings thought i knew a few times but then things changed again.
There will be a second book called Death in Paradise which i will be really excited for.
A brilliant Author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Ross Greenwood is an excellent writer and has drawn on a wealth of personal experience and meticulous research to create a new detective series set in Cromer on the east coast of the UK. There’s always a lot to do in a new series, location to establish, characters to introduce and establishing at what level of the gritty and gruesome the series is going to be pitched at.
Death on Cromer Beach has a very large cast of characters, so much so that Greenwood has supplied a list of police officers and their ranks at the front of the book. In a paperback, this can be useful, but – for a Kindle reader – it’s not so helpful.
The plot is based on a series of murders that are apparently related to a party on the beach some thirty years ago. The first few chapters are tautly written, juxtaposing the mundane life of a widow and the truly horrifying scene she stumbles across, and rack up a lot of tension and expectation for the following chapters.
Unfortunately, the story slows right down with the introduction of DS Ashley Knight and the numerous police officers involved in the case. There are lengthy conversations, as they explain to one one another what the have done/are about to do. Although it’s the first in a series, Ashley is a gal with a past and is soon opening up to a new DC, giving him chapter and verse about her traumatic past. As far as I could see, this lent little to the present story. She also talked to a next door neighbour about the case, revealing details about the case which should have been kept hidden from the public. More conversations in a pub among police officers and more rehashing between Ashley and her DC. This interminable talking cut a large swathe through chapters where I would have preferred more nitty-gritty about the case.
Unfortunately, the story slows right down with the introduction of DS Ashley Knight and the numerous police officers involved in the case. There are lengthy conversations, as they explain to one one another what the have done/are about to do. Although it’s the first in a series, Ashley is a gal with a past and is soon opening up to a new DC, giving him chapter and verse about her traumatic past. As far as I could see, this lent little to the present story. She also talked to a next door neighbour about the case, revealing details about the case which should have been kept hidden from the public. More conversations in a pub among police officers and more rehashing between Ashley and her DC. This interminable talking cut a large swathe through chapters where I would have preferred more nitty-gritty about the case.
As I said at the beginning, Greenwood is an excellent writer, but I feel that, in this instance, he has tried too hard to cram in too much and the result is, for me, a bitter disappointment.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I found this author’s DI Barton series through NetGalley and really enjoyed each one of them, so now this author is definitely one of my favourites.

This gets off to a bizarre and grisly start when DS Ashley Knight is called out to a double murder on Cromer beach. The case seems linked to an event that happened thirty or so years ago and involved several people in the area, including Ashley’s DI boss. There are a number of possible perpetrators but also an increasing number of murders. A gripping storyline that’s very well-written with plenty of twists and turns. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Death On Cromer Beach", the first book in what looks to be a great new series by Ross Greenwood (The Snow Killer, et al).
We are introduced to DS Ashley Knight as she is in the process of breaking up with her latest lover and is called in to investigate what appears to be two murders on the beach in Cromer.
The macabre incident begins an investigation that has roots in the distant past, and has touched a number of current and previous area residents - including Ashley's boss, who is about to take leave due to personal issues.
It seems that the years-ago death by drowning of a popular, beautiful young woman has had repercussions in the present, as people who were witnesses at the time are now dying one after the other. And there's a piece of graffiti that claims a total of 7 are to go.
So Ashley and her team set out to unravel the many threads of the mystery, and the clues repeatedly lead to dead ends and misdirection, with the final confrontation taking place on the titular beach. Between the initial murders and this ending, a truly baffling series of events keeps the reader turning the page.
As this is the first in a new series, there is a lot to unpack here - apart from the mystery. We are introduced to DS Knight's team, her current boss, the 'new guy on the block' - Hector, who has just parachuted in (figuratively speaking) - as well as some of the residents of the area. I am sure in the books to come that we will learn more about the main characters and get to share in some deep mysteries.

A very enjoyable book to read with a good story and great characters that bring the story alive.I do love a book that draws you in and keeps you hooked.5*

Death on Cromer Beach marks the beginning of a new series for Ross Greenwood. Set in the seaside town of Cromer on the Norfolk Coast. a place many would assume that 2 instances of jaywalking constitutes a crimewave, a pensioner walking her dog on the Beach uncovers 2 upside down builders buckets that contain something far more disturbing than a pair of large sandcastles.
The traumatised elderly lady's discovery is the first in a series of grisly murders with local cop DS Ashley Knight leading a diverse team tasked with finding the culprit as events threaten to escalate.

This is rather a complex tale and a great introduction to the new series. Knight's team are from a variety of ethnic and social backgrounds and backstories are liberally sown throughout to be harvested in future books.
An involving and entertaining read,if you enjoy Ann Cleeves, Peter James, and Peter Robinson you'll love this.

As the first in a new series of books, we are introduced to DS Ashley Knight, a police officer with a past and hopefully a future after enjoying this book so much!

As the body count rises it seems the likely suspect pool grows as well, all linked back to an incident in their past which has affected the lives of all who were present. The twists and turns the author lead us through made for a fascinating story which kept me hooked until the last page was turned.

I am really looking forward to book 2 now!

Not my usual type of book or author but I’m so glad I read it, once started I couldn’t put it down, really good from start to finish and I’m glad I read it, looking forward to seeing what’s next

New series as we are introduced to DS Ashley Knight in the town of Cromer Norfolk.

A brutal double homicide murder on the beach, Dora Thorne and her dog Happy found both male and female Ron and Ruby Jerrod and the investigation is on to find out why. As you continue reading there's more murders instore it's going to be busy work days ahead for Ashley and her team, this killer would become infamous for death on Cromer beach.

Wow took my breath away as we get to know the characters from the author, that at the end it will leave you looking forward to much more in the series, it will blow your mind, catching your breathe, and open your eyes, I loved it all superb writing in every single chapter that are slap bang wallop and never bore you. 5 stars and more from me.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Very good book bit like Midsummer Murder based in good old Cromer

An easy read

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, serial killer, A great who done it, Great police work, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Death on Cromer Beach by Ross Greenwood is about old secrets being uncovered and where no one is safe.

I read Death on Cromer Beach over the weekend, and the story and characters were well-written and held my interest. Right from page one, the story started strong and kept going. I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen with Dora and her dog, Happy. I was so nervous!

I really liked Ashley in the story. She is a bit rough around the edges, but she grew on me as I progressed through the story. At the end of the book, the author talks about Ashely and how she doesn't have the support many people have within their family units or friendship circles, which is probably why she is a bit abrasive. Many people come home to quiet houses after work and find themselves at loose ends on weekends, which I can identify with and why I liked her character. As the author stated, hopefully, Ashley and the others in the story can pull themselves out of their ruts as the series progresses. I can't wait to see what will happen next.

Cromer sounds like a great place, and in its descriptions, the setting becomes another character.

Glad there is another book, Death in Paradise. Can't wait to read it. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

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