As the title announces, this is plot is around the murder of two women who appear to be the same person, but can’t be, as they are years apart?

This was ok, will I pick up the series again, ermmmm, not sure, if I have nothing better to listen to then maybe. Overall though this was a little meh. DI Jan Talantire didn’t strike me as hugely competent.

Characters were ok, but not striking. Pace was mostly ok, but sluggish in parts. Generally I would say it was all pretty unmemorable. If someone asks me in 3 months me to summise the book, I think I will struggle to.

The ending felt somewhat rushed.

I give this 2.5/5 rounded up to 3.

"The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle" is a gripping read by Nick Louth that delves deep into the complexities of identity, memory, and the human psyche. The narrative follows Ruth Lyle, a woman who seemingly dies twice, leading to a series of bewildering and chilling events that unravel the truth behind her mysterious existence.

Louth’s storytelling is masterful, weaving a web of suspense and intrigue that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well-developed, each with their own secrets and motivations that add layers to the plot. The setting is realistic and adds to the story.

The novel excels in its exploration of themes such as trauma, self-discovery, and the fragile nature of reality.

Overall, "The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle" is a compelling read that will appeal to fans of mystery novels. It's a book that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, prompting readers to ponder the intricacies of the human mind and the secrets we all carry.

The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is the first book in the Detective Jan Talantire series by award-winning, best-selling British author, Nick Louth. The audio version is narrated by Mandy Weston. Just as she‘s thinking her dating app might have got it right with Adam, Detective Inspector Jan Talantire has to abandon the date to attend a grisly murder scene. The victim, in her sixties, has apparently already been dead over forty-eight hours when the inexperienced constable arrives and unintentionally contaminates the scene.

“A blood-drenched woman was lying spreadeagled but fully dressed on a kitchen table, with six inches of a crude iron crucifix protruding from her chest.”

With the CSI team busy elsewhere, Jan processes the scene with what she has available, even improvising to help get a time-of-death estimate. But things quickly get strange when one of her older colleagues points out that the woman, whose belongings identify her as Ruth Lyle, has the same name, manner and date of death as a sixteen-year-old girl murdered in the same place, fifty years earlier. A copycat killing?

If that’s not puzzling enough, fingerprints and DNA at the scene and on the weapon have Jan and her team questioning whether the original weapon (surely secured in police evidence?) has been used in this crime. And when they learn that the youth jailed for the murder in 1974 has been released some months earlier, they wonder if this is a copycat, or a repeat.

Hindering their investigation is the fact that, fifty years on, they can’t locate the physical evidence: has it been stored somewhere, or discarded? The case files, too, are difficult to locate: not digitised; maybe stored amongst a mess of cardboard boxes full of old files in a storage facility; maybe thrown out. And then the pathologist delivers a bombshell about this Ruth Lyle discovered during the autopsy. And another when the dental expert offers his opinion: curiouser and curiouser!

Jan is lucky to have a very competent team at her disposal, although the roadblocks they encounter are frustrating, especially when higher-ups interfere, but they do some excellent detective work. At a certain point, though, “She was looking at the end of her career. She had ignored her boss, gone out on a limb to make a high-profile arrest, and now it was all rebounding horribly upon her.”

This first instalment features name changes and stolen identities, blackmail with Polaroids, theft of evidence, drugs, reputation-destroying secrets, phone tracking, and a huge volume of fingerprint and DNA analysis. There’s enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. Louth easily evokes his setting, and his characters and dialogue are thoroughly credible. More of this cast will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Wavesound Audio.

Nick Louth kick starts his new crime series featuring his new North Devon protagonist, DI Jan Talantire with a breathtaking, bizarre, and strangest police thriller. I read the book and listened to this on audio, approximately just over 10 hours and 10 minutes long, and beautifully and compulsively narrated by Mandy Weston, who conveyed the drama and wide case of distinct characters with style. A lonely Jan is on that rarest of events in her life, given the paucity of suitable local men, a date, when she gets the phone call alerting her to a brutal murder in Ilfracombe of an elderly woman in her home. Little does she know she and her terrific close knit police team are embarking on the most twisted case she could ever imagine, as at the crime scene she creatively uses a kitchen meat thermometer to help in determining the time of death.

The victim is killed with the same MO, at the same place, a church, with the same weapon, same DNA forensics, of a 50 year old murder, of 16 year old Ruth Lyle, and weirdly, the name of the latest victim is impossibly Ruth Lyle too! There is much banter and humour in Jan's team, desperately required given the challenges and obstacles they are to face from the police hierarchy and the slippery nature of the perpetrators of the crime. This includes DS Maddy Moran, married to the hopeless artist, Neville, with 3 children, recent Met arrival, digital detective, Primrose Chen, DC Dave Nuttall, and it would be remiss of me to leave out the standout night DI Richard Lockhart, aka The Prince of Darkness, and Dr Crippen, the coffee dispenser. The old original case notes and physical evidence are missing, and the special needs teen who had been convicted of the crime has just been released under a new name.

Jan and the team must re-investigate the old case to find answers to their latest murder inquiry. Louth's headspinning plotting is thrillingly eye opening and will keep readers on their toes as they try to figure out precisely what is going on this gripping, insane mystery of the 2 Ruth Lyall murders, separated by 50 years. There are riveting twists and turns galore before the satisfying final reveals, although sure, you will have to suspend your sense of disbelief, but it is so worth it. Cannot recommend this enough to fans of the crime and mystery genre, in either format, both the book and audio are wonderful. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC and to WF Howes Ltd for the ALC.

Ruth Lyle died 50 years ago but when a female body is found with the same name the police have a complicated investigation to undertake. DI Jan Talantine will lead her team to find out how these two deaths are linked and who killed who.

Enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters who show dedication to finding the truth no matter the difficulties. Well paced with twists. Not an easy case to solve but they will do all they can.

What an unusual and intriguing premise for a murder mystery; one murder 50 years ago is duplicated. Everything is the same and it’s quite a brain teaser. What’s the connection? I like the female lead detective. Talantire is a strong character and it makes a change to have a female lead that’s totally plausible. There’s a very strong setting and the narration brings out the local accents and location. A great cast of police characters, including the rude misogynist and a fascinating expert with specialist skills. Talantire has a diverse team and they interact well.

The murder under investigation is particularly gruesome, with a crucifix used as weapon of death. As the details emerge, links with the past are incomprehensible and jaw dropping. I was straight in to this take; the audio version is narrated brilliantly, with great regional accent adding to the tale. I thought the story was well constructed with reveals coming bit by bit. It kept me guessing and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

This is my favourite genre to listen to, so I had high hopes for this audiobook.
A great, strong female lead without any of the stereotypical tropes that can accompany a female police detective lead character.
The storyline held my interest from beginning to end and had me guessing & double guessing myself as to who the murderer was; especially given that the two murders occurred decades apart, despite the victims both sharing the same name & identity.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, the narrator brought the characters to life and her pacing of the story was just right, leading listeners on an auditory exploration of the places, characters and moods & emotions that feature in the book.
This is a new author to me, but I will definitely be looking for more audiobooks by him and do hope that this is the start of a series.

An excellent and very twisty police procedural set in Cornwall.

Ruth Lyle was murdered in the 1970s, aged 16 and her convicted killer has been released with a new identity.

When police detective Jan Talantire is called out to a murder scene, the victim is identified as… Ruth Lyle! How can this be?

What follows is a fascinating and well written investigation, which takes Jan and her team back to the original murder and has plenty of twists, I was completely gripped!

I listened to the audio book and Mandy Weston did a fantastic job of bringing these excellent characters to life.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nick Louth and W. F. Howes for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I listened to this story as an audiobook. The narrator captured the Devon accents and vividly brought the characters and events to life. The story revolves around a recent violent death that resembles a murder that took place fifty years ago. The two victims differ in age but appear linked. The relatable detective team has an authentic team dynamic. The plot is twisty, with numerous false leads. As the detectives near the conclusion, a tangible sense of menace prevails. I like the characterisation, the well-thought-out plot and the North Devon setting.

I was given an audio copy of this book from the publisher.

The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle by Nick Louth.

Thank you NetGalley for my audio ARC. This was a fabulous listen.

DI Jan Talantire is called from a date to a crime scene. She must investigate the death of a 60 something woman called Ruth Lyle found in her cottage impaled by a crucifix. The weird thing is that exactly 50 years previously a young 16 year old girl by the name of Ruth Lyle was found murdered in the exact same place – also stabbed with a crucifix.

Fifty years previously the murder spot was a chapel which was then later converted into a cottage. The older Ruth Lyle only started living in the cottage a couple of months prior to her death. The police must try and untangle the mystery surrounding the second Ruth Lyle. It’s impossible that she could actually be the first Ruth but they find her original birth certificate and upon checking dental records they match the first Ruth.

This was a fantastic who-done-it and I am very happy to hear this is book one featuring DI Jan Talantire. I cant wait to read more.

I have posted this on Goodreads as well as on my Instagram - bookstagram handle: books.bubbles.beach

I really enjoyed this introduction to DI Talantire! The story of how one person could "die" twice, was full of twists and turns that I did not see coming.

The narration was top tier, as I find with most English detective stories. The voice inflection, etc, really set the tone and the stage for most of the action.

Balancing her dating life from being newly single. along with police politics and intrigue, Talantire does a great job of looking beneath the surface and asking the right questions, even when being asked to take a step back. How someone with the same name, could be murdered in the same place, using the same method prove to be a complex set of events.

I was still confused by underlying motivations of one of the central of characters, (which seems extreme) , but the descriptions of the area, even the descriptions of the by gone era when the first death occurred were very engaging.

I especially liked how Talantire could hold her own, physically, emotionally and mentally with those who challenged her, and also gives credit to her team.

It was a great police procedural that delved into the suspect, the investigators, the victim and the potential killers in an interesting way.

I am hoping that there is another book soon that will develop the characters even more, especially Primrose. A great read!

A flying start to a new series. The plot line was very different to most “whodunnits” in the best possible way. It really grabbed my attention. Two murders fifty years apart, with the same weapon and bafflingly the same victim, but if this is the case, how is it possible? DI Talantire and her team are under pressure to find out.

The “religious” aspect of the story intrigued me because I always like a why, and the story unfolded brilliantly to give me the answer’s. I liked the fact that the female team members battled misogyny and racism, and spoke out about it, it felt like a natural but important part of the story, and I felt like I knew the team well by the end of the book.

There’s a major development in the case, that I can’t really go into without dropping major spoilers that initially didn’t sit very well with me, but it got there in the end, and was handled pretty sensitively. I’m looking forward to book 2 in the series.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator done a great job, the characters were easy to differentiate and she added great suspense to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.F Howes for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

If this was a hardback I'd be shutting it with a satisfied thud. Absolutely classic police procedural, an excellent listen and a solid start to a new series for author Nick Louth. Loved the story, the setting, and DI Talantire, I'm looking forward to learning more about her and her team.