It is now several months after the events of Killing Jericho and our hero is still deeply troubled. The fair is set up in the grounds of the supposedly most haunted house in Britain, in a collaboration with celebrity psychic Darrel Everwood who will host a live television broadcast of his show Ghost Seekers on Halloween night. Feelings are running high and Dr Joseph Gillespie, an academic and sceptic, is running a media campaign to discredit all those he considers fraudulent – mediums, psychics, fortune tellers and the like. When someone leaves a crude wax effigy for the fairground fortune teller, Madam Tilda, who is then brutally murdered, Scott is determined to find the culprit. He had known her all his life, as she was a friend of his late mother, and they had shared many happy memories. The detective in charge of the investigation, DCI Thomas Tallis (like the composer), is happy for Scott to be involved due to his insider knowledge of the Traveller community and the fairground environment, but only up to a point.
The setting is vague, but the characters are well drawn and convincing, and the descriptive writing gives us a glimpse into the life, language and customs of the Traveller community. Numerous red herrings lead the reader down many false avenues, with twists and turns to keep us guessing the identity of the murderer. We only get Scott’s point of view, so the final reveal comes as a big surprise (to me, anyway). Scott Jericho is a troubled soul, but his heart is in the right place which makes him a compelling character. While you could read Jericho’s Dead as a standalone, I would recommend reading Killing Jericho first as the narrative will make a lot more sense. I love this series and look forward to reading the next one. Thanks to Zaffre and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

I read an ARC of this from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this sequel to Killing Jericho. I knew I liked Hussey’s writing, and expected several twists, clever foreshadowing, and a last minute shock reveal. Jericho’s Dead had all this!

I particularly liked the development of Jericho’s character throughout, watching his initial scepticism and black-and-white thinking develop shades of grey and become more accepting of other viewpoints.

Plot wise, I was kept guessing.
I especially enjoyed the use of Benny’s broad Yorkshire accent to conceal the killer for a bit longer. Now I’ve finished the initial read, I can see where clues were dropped, although I think they were cleverly done so as not to spoil the ending.

The cast of characters were well developed and I liked the sub-plots involving them. The development of previous characters was good (I liked that there was no drama around Harry and Jericho’s relationship- everyone loves Haz!). I loved DCI Thomas Tallis. Especially the reveal that he’s aromantic at the end!

Compared to Killing Jericho, this felt a lot less gory, and had less body horror. I don’t think I’ll have nightmares after this, and I did with the first book- I blame Hussey’s evocative writing!

I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes crime/ detective fiction. I can’t wait for Jericho’s next adventure!

Thanks must first go to Netgalley, the publisher and William Hussey for the ARC copy of ‘Jericho’s Dead’.

Another brilliant installment in the Jericho series and a further insight into his life and relationship. These books are so well written, and deal with current real time issues as well as being incredibly gripping thrillers.

Would highly recommend.

I was sent a copy of Jericho's Dead by William Hussey to read and review by NetGalley. This is the second book in the Jericho series and like the first it does not disappoint. I don’t think you necessarily need to have read the first novel, Killing Jericho, as there are plenty of references of what happened previously to keep you in the loop. That said, I think I actually preferred this book as I already knew most of the characters and their relationships so could concentrate on the twists and turns of the story itself and many of those there were! If you like a good detective story with a link to the fairground world then this is the book for you!

Another cracking crime drama from William Hussey, featuring once again the intriguing Scott Jericho.

It's a twisted tale with plenty of misdirection and compelling character development. The central theme is cleverly thought provoking and this is entertaining and satisfying.

Great stuff. Looking forward to the next.

Put simply, William Hussey can flat-out write. He’s one of the freshest and most interesting voices to emerge in crime fiction in recent years. He just has ‘it’, a masterful balance of skilful plotting, fascinating storylines and characters that are fresh without feeling ‘try-hard’ or tick-box, and a vivid evocation of people and place. He showcases all the beauty and ugliness of the traveller lifestyle (Hussey grew up gay in the British fairground community himself) in among a page-whirring tale that leaves you hoping for many more books starring Scott Jericho. If he can survive.

[This is a short extract from a longer review written for the New Zealand Listener magazine]

The second book in the Scott Jericho series & it’s just as good as the first. It can be read as a standalone but as it’s only book two, why do that to yourself? Go back & read Killing Jericho first, or not, the choice is yours.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, you are as capable as me at reading the blurb but suffice it to say, Jericho thought his life was going in one direction & it swiftly changes. He is back travelling with the fair, no longer in the police & determined to make a go of things with Harry. Jericho cannot help himself - he is impulsive, thinks he knows better much of the time & often lets his temper get the better of him. When investigating a murder, instead of leaving it to the police, these are not necessarily the best qualities.

I loved getting to know Jericho in the first book but now I adore him; I know I shouldn’t but he gets under my skin. The story is littered with wrong turns & is painted against the background of a showman’s life. This book unapologetically kept me up well beyond my bedtime & I can’t wait until Scott crosses my path once more.

📱E-Book Review📱

Jericho's Dead
William Hussey

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was very late to my introduction to both this author and to Scott Jericho - having read the first book in this series - Killing Jericho - back in December, 8 months after it's release.
I was completely obsessed and couldn't wait to get hold of this second book in the series - yet still struggled to fit it into my packed schedule.
I am beyond happy that I've now managed to make time to read this because quite honestly, this was just as brilliant as the first, if not better!

Following on from the events of book 1, we now see Scott more settled in his role with the fair and back with Harry.
But as they set up to compliment the set of an upcoming TV broadcast with celebrity psychic Darrel Everwood - things take a macabre turn as Darrel is convinced he will die here.
As Scott investigates, a killer emerges and he is once again flung right into the middle of a complex case.

I absolutely love our flawed, determined, caring and relentless Scott.
He's one of those characters that jumps right off the page and you just can't help getting involved in!
I have absolutely nothing in common with him but find it so, so easy to connect, empathise and root for him the whole time - even when you know that he's maybe bending those rules just a tad!

Once again, the setting is wonderful.
I loved the way that Hussey brings the fair to life with the most vivid descriptions and immerses us completely.
The focus on the fortune teller/psychic element here and setting this over Halloween, gives this a slightly creepier, paranormal vibe than the first book and I absolutely loved this shift.

The plot was again complex, giving us plenty of new characters to get to grips with and a host of suspects to whittle down.
I was still stumped until we neared the big reveal where the tension builds up and the threads begin to come together leading us to a shocking conclusion for the case and an even bigger killer cliffhanger.

I'm already excited for book 3 and desperate to see what will follow, but Scott better get healing quickly - because I can't see anything good coming from this final sucker punch!





💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

I don't know how, but William Hussey has done it again. After reading Killing Jericho I was as disappointed as much as I loved it because I - incorrectly - thought that I would never read anything so brilliant again and that the sequel could never live up to the original. I have never been so happy to be proven wrong before. The characters were just as wonderful and realistic as in the first book and I adored seeing Jericho and Harry's relationship, especially since it wasn't perfect, just like it should be given everything that happened previously. I especially loved seeing the travellers' reaction to Harry and I laughed out loud more than once at how they constantly "chose" Harry over Jericho, considering just how worried Jericho had been, thinking that his father would never accept Harry. DCI Tallis being aro/ace was just a cherry on top of an already delicious cake, and I have no idea why I'm so surprised by it considering that this entire series has given me the most realistic representation of queer characters that I've ever read! The murders themselves were also just as gruesome and fascinating as in Killing Jericho, which was certainly no small feat, and once again, I didn't have even the slightest suspicion as to who the killer was until the grand reveal at the end. Needless to say, this series is without a doubt the best book series that I have ever read, and both books are easily within my top five favourite novels of all time!

A creepy gothic murder mystery. Ex-police detective, convict and fairground traveller Scott Jericho returns in this second novel. When fortune tellers and psychics are ritually murdered, can Scott find the brutal killer before more blood is shed? A dark, sharp and compelling read.

An exciting second book about ex detective Scott Jericho.

William Hussey has done it again. This is another deadly thriller, with twists and turns. A slightly slow start, but once you're hooked, this will keep you guessing until the end.

I really enjoy William Hussey’s writing and his ability to vary tone, from dark YA thriller, to teen romantic comedy and this series, hard boiled detective crime.

I say this because gritty crime books aren’t something I pick up, but because of Hussey I read the first Scott Jericho book and was instantly drawn in.

The series follows Jericho, a member of a Traveller family in a fairground. Scott has a chequered, violent past - culminating in a stint in the police - before beating a suspect and serving time. His world has mobsters, serial killers, paedophiles, violence and more stuff I shy away from. This second book looks at TV mediums and a crime against a member of his community.

But. Whereas some of that genre are patriarchal, violence glorifying, wish-fulfillment for sad blokes who want to be hard men, this is much more nuanced. Scott’s sexuality and connection to his community are really well handled. His relationship to his mentor is beyond complex and drives the narrative across both books.

While there is an element of ‘gratuitously torture the hero ‘cos he’s a double hard bastard’ Jericho is much more likely to use his wit and intelligence in a situation, and Hussey never forgets that the mystery is key. His Christie-esque plots come together perfectly with red herrings peppered throughout and the revelations always feel like ‘I could have got that, but it was just out of reach’.

I enjoy the characters he creates, which are explored enough to be fascinating but not enough to slow the plot down.

I loved this dark little gem, and there’s is an insane setup for the third book that will make you very upset at Hussey for not having it released already.

Extra accolades go to him for the first mobster/crime boss character that ever ever actually been interested in. I won’t spoil more about his but he is unsettling and unique.

I was #gifted the chance to listen to this on audiobook by the publisher, and would definitely recommend it. The narrator was well paced, did enough voice work to make it clear who was who without distracting accents and caricatures. A great way to enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author (William Hussey) and also the publishers, Zaffre, for the opportunity to read this ARC in response for an honest review.

I thoroughly loved the first Jericho book by William Hussey so when I spotted this I didn't hesitate. I love the concept of this series, an ex-cop who has returned to the travelling community. The first I think is still my favourite though. I felt the link in this story was just a little tedious - it felt a little dragged out. I can't begin to assess whether the author has accurately portrayed individual's from the fayre but I felt it provided a good understanding of the culture whilst following Scott Jericho who is slightly different having previously been Police. We see less of his family and friends in this novel, and so I felt there was less of an emotional connection to the story and none of the characters were particularly endearing - in fact even Scott was less likeable to me in this story. That said...I am already looking forward to what Scott Jericho comes up against in the next instalment.

Once this one gets off the ground, pardon the pun, it's a great follow up to the first book . Give it a whirl. This is a deadly thrilling series

The second novel from William Hussey set amidst the travelling fairground life of Scott Jericho who is also an ex-detective. For me the novelty of the setting has worn off and I found that the story did not really grip me as much as the first.

Jerocho is back and I loved him even more in this second instalment than in the first! There is a lot of development both at a personal level but also community wise. Layers upon layers are being added to Jericho's history and character and the travellers' community is being developed quite nicely as well. As for the murders, we once again have a very interesting story linking them all, exploring one aspect that the travellers community insist upon: clairvoyance. I loved that all the facets of this practice have been explored, and to my mind is once again clear that Hussey has inside knowledge and makes a grated job of offering us a realistic view of the travellers community. Also interesting the introduction of DCI Thomas Tallis, I am rather curious if he will feature in the next book?!

What else can I say then: Hussey please hurry with the next book!!

This is the second book in the Jericho series. I thought it built well on the first book and I really enjoyed it.

This is the second book in this series & I loved catching up with the great character of Scott Jericho again.
I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first one.
Scott Jericho is a gay ex police detective whose family are fairground travellers.
He broke away from that life to get an education & joined the police force which was unusual for someone of his background.
Unfortunately that ended when his temper ran away with him & he ended up in prison for attacking a murder victim.
In this story Scott is now working the fairground with his father .
Trouble always seems to find Scott & before he knows it he is helping hunt down a serial killer.
Someone is targeting mediums & it becomes personal when they target someone close to him. There’s something about Scott Jericho’s character that I really like he is definitely different.
Well written this great storyline is full of twists & turns to keep you on your toes.
Thoroughly enjoyed it & can’t wait to see what happens next.

There was a lot to like about this book but I am not sure if it entirely matched my aspirations for a book. I liked the location and I loved the fact that the main character worked on a fairground.

Scott Jericho is very intriguing with lots of aspects in his life giving food for thought. The plot was crafted carefully and I appreciated the twists and turns throughout. The relationships between a few of the characters stretched my appreciation somewhat!

The book is part of a series but I am not certain how much more I wish to read. I am keeping an open mind though!!

A delicious sequel that only builds upon what the first book set into motion. Wonderfully written, twists and turns aplenty. I adored this and cannot wait for more. Scott and Has are couple goals!