Every time I pick up a William Hussey book I am not disappointed. This third mystery for Scott Jericho is no exception. A masterful mystery worthy of the Miss Marple likeness from one of the suspects. However, be prepared for the dark and twisty end, it will leave you wishing book four was coming soon! I especially liked the witchy references dotted throughout like the paper boys in the story.

Hideous Beauty was my first William Hussey book, and it hooked me immediately. I still remember that YA story so vividly, and I really hope William writes something like it again, maybe even a sequel. So when I found out he also wrote adult mysteries, I couldn’t have been happier.

The first two Scott Jericho books kept me on the edge of my seat. I love Scott as a character, with all his flaws and quirks, but Harry is my favorite!

I’ve been waiting for this third installment for so long, ever since I first read the other two in 2021. And now that it’s finally here, I couldn’t be more excited.

Once again, it’s compelling and immersive, even with the quieter setting. I love how William Hussey weaves the mystery with Scott’s personal life.
I highly recommend this series, and while you can read each book on its own, reading them in order makes it even more satisfying.

Absolutely phenomenal. I’ve been a big fan of William’s work ever since the first Witchfinder book came out way back when. Watching his career grow and flourish has been a joy as he is such a great guy too! I’ve never been much of a crime fan but these books just do something to me and this book is no different. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it’s his best yet. More twists and turns than you can count, a plot that keeps you guessing right to the very end, and even then I guessed completely wrong. And a cliff hanger ending that has be absolutely gagging for the next one.

Brilliantly written. Fantastically paced. I could not have enjoyed this book more if I tried. Bravo, Mr. Hussey! Bravo!

The final instalment (?) of the Scott Jericho thriller series took us away from the fairground (which I missed a little) to a quiet village and group of childhood friends who seemed to be keeping a lot of secrets.
There was a less action in this novel and a lot of speculation about who could have done what to whom, which impacted the pace and diluted the plot.
The mysterious lurker was an easy guess, but the unravelling of the murders was another matter, as there were so many potential options. It felt a little like a game of Cluedo at one point, with all the potential murder weapons and their owners being listed.
This one has a bit of a different feel to the first two books, probably to do with the change of setting (which was one of the things that charmed me originally).
While (almost) all the loose ends got tied up, it was an incredibly tangled knot.
There’s definitely room for another series, but it looks like it will go in a different direction.
I’m giving this one 3.5 stars, with thanks to NetGalley and BonnierBooks for the review copy. Burying Jericho is out on 10 April.

This was a great third instalment in this series and delivered another gripping case to try and solve along with Scott. I wish a few more of Scott's observations were given of what he was seeing to lessen the final account of what actually happened not feeling too much like he just happened to piece it all together. I like that Scott's personal life and issues were continued to be thread through this to keep the series tied together.

I have not made a secret how much I love this series, and I really hope it goes on and on. The Jericho series is one of my all-time favourite thriller series. It's got no shortage of twists and turns and shocks and surprises, but it is also packed full of love and heart and beauty. I have also recently read William's latest non-Jericho book - The Boy I Love - which was a stunning piece of writing.

What I've loved about this series is seeing Scott Jericho's journey. Seeing him age, fall in and out of love, brush with death, and just progress personally and professionally. It also shows off William's writing and character creation skills.

I think what I love most about this series is that it's broken down barriers I usually link to crime protagonists. Jericho is a gay traveller. And I'm aware I haven't read every book in existence, but that was completely new to me in the first book, and I think it's really important to have such a character in a mainstream book. I don't want it to come across as patronising, but I think it's really important and powerful.

This one took a little while to get into the action but I quite liked that. It didn't feel too slow but gave me time to familiarise myself again with what happened in the previous book and with the characters.

This book gave Harry his own sort of side quest. I've always liked him as a character, always there supporting Jericho. But in this one, he gets to go on his own sort of adventure which opens him up a bit more as a character in himself, rather than just as Jericho's partner.

I can't say for certain, seeing as I have read them all, but I think you could read it as a standalone, but I do think you would lose some of its magic. Where it excels is in its progression, and so I highly recommend starting with book one.

This book is really...I was going to say clever, but that makes it sound like the other two aren't clever, which isn't what I mean. But it's less shoot-first-ask-questions-later. There's more investigation, deeper storytelling, more emotion, before it hits a crescendo towards the end. This shows William's ability to write great story and action, but also great characters.

It ends well and satisfyingly but I do wonder if there will be any more in the series (when you read the ending, you'll know what I mean). I do hope so as it's a really good series, but the way it ends...I won't spoil it, but it does give food for thought. But I, for one, would read this series forever.

I absolutely love this series, and they get better as they progress. This, the third one, is again filled with memorable characters, both showmen and others. I really enjoy the fairground references and the slang, which brings the whole thing to life. The gangster surrounding himself with pensioners is a clever and faintly comic touch, but my favourite character in this book (after Scott) is Uncle Tommy. More please.

I'm going to call Scott Jericho a hero, as he's one of the best leads I've discovered in a relatively new series in the last couple of years. He brings a fantastic back story with him, with unique flaws I can believe in and empathise with; never overdone and never taking over the stories yet integral to the development of the character. I read the first two books in the series in quick succession and returned to see what Jericho gets up to now in this, the third outing: and the setting moves to a faded coastal town on the North Sea, in which I can almost smell the sea salt and hear the creaking of the old waltzer in the run-down fun-fair.

Tasked with what, at a first glance, seems to be a straightforward mystery - where did a local hero disappear to the night of a friend's funeral? - strange rituals in the woods, paper dolls and a drowned child years ago all come knocking at Jericho's door. Ranks are closed, and Jericho has the added distraction of his partner trying to track down a former nemesis too.

A lot of back and forth between the woods, the church and the pub, as well as a sneaky out of hours visit to the fun-fair, didn't really help in Jericho's physical healing from an earlier episode - it did seem to provide lots of opportunities for the enemy within to catch him out; however, method in this madness...?

Ends seem ready to get tied together neatly, but is anything ever what it seems?

This is the third in the Scott Jericho series although they do follow on from the previous book it is still an enjoyable standalone book .As usual this is a good story a case of a missing young man who's Mother asks the local gangster for help in finding her son enter Scott Jericho although not the same man as he was after being in a coma and suffering the after effects from his last case .Slow to begin with but soon picks up with lots of great characters and a surprising ending ,a bit of a cliff hanger .I can't wait to read the next book in the series .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

The third in the Scott Jericho Series and whilst it could be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading the whole series in order, they are so good. After Jericho’s last case he ended up seriously injured and in a coma. He is still suffering from these events both physically and emotionally. This time out, at the request of his former employer, Mark Noonan, Jericho is looking for a missing relative of Noonan. Jericho is such a good character. Bought up in a fairground, ex police and former personal enforcer,he is now a private detective. It took me a bit longer to get into this book than the previous books but once I did I was hooked.

Briefly, the search for the missing man, Wesley, takes Jericho to Fenchurch-on-Sea on the Norfolk coast and a group of people, who as teens were part of a close knit friendship group. The young brother of one of them died as a child and his sister recently committed suicide. It was at her funeral that Wesley went missing.

This case is seeped in mysticism and local myth and there is a connection to Jericho’s family in the town. There are dark forces in this quiet seaside town and Jericho has a feeling of being watched, possibly by his nemesis and the epitome of evil, Garris. Although I really like Jericho his morals are becoming darker as the series continues, then just when you think he has gone too far you see his care and love for his partner and his old dog Webster. So I love him again! The red herrings are brilliant, the plot intricate and tight and the ending left me on a knife edge. Another cracking book.

I love this series. From the very first book I have been completely drawn into the wonderful, and admittedly, dark and deadly world of Scott Jericho. William Hussey has created a character who is just so compelling that I have really been looking forward to this latest instalment. Although, having now read it, I'm not so sure anymore. Can I take it back? Rewind and pretend what has happened never happened? No - well it was worth a shot.

Now, don't read that statement and think that I didn't like this book, because nothing could be further from the truth. I loved the premise, loved the execution, loved the dark and treacherous intrigue that is infused in the narrative from he very beginning. Loved the strange sense of mysticism and superstition that informs what happens. I just don't like what Mr Hussey allowed to happen. I know authors often say that characters take over the story for themselves, but really. A modicum of control would have been nice - he knows why ...

When we join Scott and co this time around, he is suffering the after effects of events from his previous case. He is not quite the man we have come to know and that ultimate vulnerability adds a tension to the book that really elevated it for me. We might be used to seeing Scott power his way through danger, with a kind of disregard for his own safety that is born of a previously engaged self destruct button. But he has a lot more to lose now, and that, along with his physical condition, is something that the author explores throughout the story. There is an authenticity about his situation, and it allows us to see more of the intelligence that exists behind the braun we have been used to. But the tenderness he shows towards his partner, Harry, is so endearing, he just seems to become more of the perfect character the longer we spend time with him.

I really liked this story - a case of a missing young man whose mother has asked Scott's former employer and local gangster, Mark Noonan, for help in finding him. This would be a short book if foul play wasn't at the heart of his disappearance, but as to what and to who might be responsible, well, that's what Scott, and we, need to find out. The investigation leads Scott to Fenchurch-on-Sea on the Norfolk coast, and into a very close knit community with unexpected links back to Scott's own family. It allows us to learn more about Scott's past, somethign that I foudn really added to my understanding of him as a person.

There is a kind of sense of almost folk lore, or superstitious legend about what plays out in the heart of Fenchurch. The characters that William Hussey has created to inform and direct this story, are brilliantly fleshed out, and you can feel that sense of secrecy leach from each of them. There is much use of misdirection, although if you are paying attention several characters provide vital clues that challenge Scott, but ultimately point him towards the very tragic reality. This whole story is steeped in atmosphere and melancholy, perhaps a portent of what is yet to come. An all too brief moment of happiness before the author really finds the ultimate way to press Scott's buttons.

Am I excited for the future of this series? Well, despite what I've said (and I might eventually forgive Mr Hussey for what he is putting us through), yes I am actually. Scott has always been a character who was hard to control. One who sought out and embraced danger rather turned away from it. After this book I get the feeling all bets are off. Scott Jericho unleashed. I kind of like the sound of that. Mystery, danger and tragedy combined. Definitely recommended.

I’m not much of a crime reader, especially not crime series. However, these books are keeping me hooked.

I love that they follow a queer investigator from the travelling community, it adds a slightly more complex and engaging character arc than the usual rogue detective tropes. Scott Jericho can have a rather unhinged streak but I can’t help but root for him and his loved ones, as well as wanting the cases to be solved.

I will say I wasn’t quite as invested in this plot as I was the first two books. It took me a while to get drawn in and the amount of suspects felt a little messy. I actually still feel slightly confused about the reveals at the end. Like did we even fully get an answer to who the killer was? It seemed to still not be completely determined…maybe I missed something.

However, the writing style (as ever) is fabulous and in terms of the ongoing story regarding Jerichos nemesis I need to know what will happen next. That took an intriguing turn at the end, though I feel I should have seen it coming.

Not my favourite of the series, but still very much want to read the next one!!

Scott Jericho returns! This book is another brilliant entry in this series that blends elements of gothic and horror together in to a tense and gripping crime thriller.

This crime series is sensational and not to be missed.

This is a hard one for me to give a star rating for. From an objective point of view, any lover of dark crime would find this top-notch. The mystery is excellent, it is twisty, suspenseful and surprising, and the language is above par.
For me personally, though, I found the vengefulness of the main character, Scott Jerico, offputting. I prefer my detectives a bit less morally ambiguous - although, it must be said, this ambiguity does add depth to an already stellar character.
So, I'm aware it deserves 5 stars on most counts, but I only want to give it 3... I'll be objective and round it up to 4!

This is the first Jericho book I’ve read rather than listening to the audiobook, so as I was reading I had the narrator in my head - surprisingly effective!
This series is excellent, I’m bought into the “showman detective” conceit and Burying Jericho does a good job of both developing Scott’’s story and the relationship with his boyfriend, whilst also allowing him to lead his own story on the coast. This one is a bit of a tribute to the golden age of detective fiction in many ways - a locked room mystery (of an entertainingly inventive fashion), and a cast of supporting characters largely named after the great authors.
Genuinely surprising twists that feel earned and embedded in the earlier narrative make this a real thrill. That ending though… need book 4 to be confirmed please.

I loved the other Jericho books and was looking forward to reading this new installment. Initially I found it slow going and was slightly disappointed - I think the novelty of the fairground setting and language had passed but I was quickly hooked. The plot is intricate and I don't think anyone could have guessed the final outcome. Jericho's character is sufficiently nuanced and he is by no means an unambiguous hero. Having said that I find the ongoing duel between him and his personal Moriarty a bit unbelievable.

So 4 rather than 5 stars but still a cracking read. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a review copy.

I love the Scott Jericho character and the dark, eerie stories that Will weaves around him. This one is no exception...
I doubt any reader will manage to completely unravel the story ahead of the 'reveal', although I did manage to suss out some of the twists and turns
I found the opening chapters a little slow, but I think that is part of the author's craft - to build up the tension and the atmosphere ahead of things getting into gear.. The fenland setting was familiar to me - one side of my family came from the Ely area and my 2xgreat grandmother claimed to have encountered 'the black beast' in her role as the village 'wise woman'. Francis Thompson is also familiar - he took refuge in the village where I now live while recovering from opium addiction, and the 'man who wasn't on the stair' was one of my dad's party pieces. There were numerous other details which chimed with me, making it all feel comfortingly familiar

Hussey is one of my favourite authors, and this is why.
The RANGE of Hussey as an author is honestly mind boggling. Having just read ‘The Boy I Love’ and then ‘Burying Jericho’… phenomenal.
There is a bit of a slow start, lulling you into a false sense of security. I spent the whole book tense and on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

I really loved how by the end, the moments when the hints were dropped were obvious but at the time it wasn’t. It was so skilfully done. The characters were realistic and relatable- who does enjoy their physio exercises?!

I have so many thoughts and feelings, but I want to keep this spoiler free.

I highly recommend the Scott Jericho series for fans of murder mysteries and thrillers.

The third outing for Scott Jericho, showman, ex-enforcer, ex-Detective and now boyfriend of the truly delightful Harry (a musically-inclined ex-research librarian, and my personal favourite). This time, we learn more about the wider context of travelling fairs in our current times, where a land-grab by more corporate entertainment companies is going down; and there is a dog, my heart! (Webster. I adore him). I really like how Hussey has built up Scott's story arc over time, and doesn't "forget" things that happened previously in the series - the reader is never talked down to here. The hunt for Garris, alongside the hunt for Wesley Sayers, who didn't quite cut it as husband material for Noonan, is as gothic and gripping as I've come to expect from this series. I don't know any other author writing about the showman community and today's social issues in as penetrating, and as page-turning, a way as Hussey is doing right now.

A welcome return by Scott Jericho, this time the story weaves together the past and the present, uncovering yet more secrets and lies.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC