The Jericho fair is back in town and, once again, William Hussey proves he is a brilliant showman.

Killing Jericho was one of my favourite reads of 2023 and after the opening pages I was reminded why. Hussey is not afraid to create characters and situations which are dark, complex and difficult to navigate, and these books are full of them.

Everything in this book has a rich history behind it, whether that’s the characters’ pasts, the locations, or the details of the funfair itself.

In this second entry to the series, Hussey is able to blend together elements of crime, gothic and even a touch of horror, to create his unique and eminently readable style. 

Killing Jericho was one of my favourite reads last year, Jericho is Dead will be one this year. I suspect Jericho Book 3 will almost certainly be a favourite in 2025 too!

Scott Jericho #2

Detective Scott Jericho is back, yay! Except now he’s a former detective, having been drummed out of the force after an altercation with a far right thug murder suspect. He’s back at his fairground roots at Jericho Fairs owned by his father, and he’s trying to get back on his feet post-prison sentence. He’s struggling though, after a downward spiral of self pity and some considerable strain in his relationship with a fantastic Haz (Harry). Maybe a series of bizarre murders will bring him back to life? It all starts with celebrated psychic Darrel Everwood, who is due to appear in a live seance at Purley Rectory, allegedly the most haunted house in England. It’s a televised project in collaboration with Jericho Fairs and due to be broadcast on Halloween. However, Darrel, who has made a fortune from his claim that he communes with ghosts, is certain that he will die in four days time. Not only that, it seems that Scott’s ex boss, former DCI Pete Garris hasn’t gone away, in fact, he’s only temporarily dormant.

Once this gets going it’s a cracking and immersive read. I can entirely see what the author is trying to do at the start of the book in filling in gaps for readers who may not have read the brilliant first instalment, “Killing Jericho” but it makes the book feel a little bit stop start. Once the scene setting and the background is out of the way, we’re well and truly up and running!

First of all, as I do for book one, I love the fairground setting with the traveller community being central, which are described so vividly and with obvious affection. Here we have colourful, larger than life characters, the fascinating traditions, and traveller language, such as joskins (non-travellers), juks (dogs) and chavvies (young travellers). The timeframe in and around Halloween, obviously lends itself to additional atmosphere and there are some excellent descriptions so scenes are visualised in full technicolour.

Scott Jericho is one of the most fascinating, detectives in current mystery thrillers and kudos to the author for his authentic creation. He is very complex, complicated and troubled. He’s also intuitive, he feels things deeply and takes things to heart. The situation with Garris is always there, it’s like a festering sore, and that story still has a mile or two to go. His relationship with Harry is the best thing in his life, but it suffers this time and you feel Scott’s pain. If you like your central characters to be a bit different, perhaps even a little bit rough and ready, then you’ll like this series.

As for the storyline it’s a definite wow. Right from the start there are sinister undertones with superstitions, mediums and séances, tarot cards, folk magic, poppets and witchcraft versus the fanatical sceptics led by Dr Joseph Gillespie. The plot becomes increasingly horrifying with the police enquiry being led by the immensely likeable DCI Thomas Tallis. It seems even his and Scott’s intelligent inquiries can’t halt a series of murders, one of which strikes close to home, and which later brings Scott face-to-face with a blast from his past that he’d rather forget. Things begin to link and connect with several plot twists and turns along the way, leading to a surprising and very dramatic conclusion, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Overall, this is a worthy second novel and can’t wait to see what happens to Scott next. I have a feeling that it won’t be good, I just hope he’s recovered from the injuries of this one first. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bonnier Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I read the first book in the series - Killing Jericho - relatively recently and thought it was fabulous and so I jumped at the chance to read the sequel. I also have William on Twitter and he seems like such a lovely guy that I'm really happy that these books are becoming so popular.

I loved the exploration of the supernatural in this book, of the afterlife, ghosts and spirits. Personally, I do believe in all of that, ghosts and whatnot, but I know it's not for everyone, and I think William's created a great balance in this book, a great argument for both science and facts, and belief and faith. It really gets you thinking.

Scott Jericho is a fabulous character. He has had his troubles and his difficulties, been imprisoned, threatened, harmed, you name it. He's not always his own friend and is often his own worst enemy. But I think he's very well rounded and is a great creation and, if you're like me, you can't help but feel protective of him, you care for him and will him on in all aspects of his life, both professionally and personally.

Scott isn't the typical detective. He's not the detective we've grown to expect in whodunnits and TV crime shows. He's no Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. If anything, I'd compare him to George Gently. But only mildly. He's his own man, his own detective; he's rude and rough and violent, rash and brash, but perfect for this environment William has put him in.

You can tell William has personal experience with the fairgrounds and whatnot. Anyone can write a scene using research. But only someone who has lived it can show the love and respect for the lifestyle, and that's what he brings in spades.

There are familiar characters such as Scott and his father, his partner Harry, and friends Sam and Sal, who we know from the first book and whom William has developed further. But we also get some newbies. Particularly of note is Gillespie and Darrel - I won't go too into detail for fear of spoilers, but they both seemed really quite slimy to me, but they were intriguing to read about.

The first big murder doesn't take place until about 30% of the way in. In most thrillers, I would say that's too late for a crime to start. But I don't think it would have worked in this book to be any earlier. It benefits from the scene setting, from the character exploration, from the titbits and re herrings and clues, it builds up this huge sense of suspense, so that you're chomping at the bit by the time it occurred and then I was definitely hooked in, desperate to follow this story further.

William doesn't beat around the bush with the violence. This isn't a tame thriller. This is an in-your-face violent mystery, and whilst that can often appear over the top, there isn't another way that he could have gone about it without it falling short.

There is obviously a great plot - see synopsis - but for me, I get a proper character exploration out of this book. Each character is amazingly thought out and developed, but for me, Scott Jericho steals every scene, every time. He's definitely up there for me with the best written characters in fiction.

William is very good at creating a sense of place and location. His description of the setting, from the fairgrounds to the forest to the streets and the buildings, it's all so vivid that it plonks you straight into the scene. The location actually becomes a character in its own right, adding intrigue and mystery to the story.

Like a good whodunnit, there were clues and red herrings aplenty, but even when Scott had figured it out, I will still none the wiser.

It was a fabulous read, and I really hope that there is more to come in the Scott Jericho series.