This is an endearing light read - Henry Ward is a retired detective, happily seeing out his days in Yorkshire. He's on a walk with his dog Tessa and stumbles over the body of a young man. This sets in train as series of events, as he promises the boy's mother he will try to find out who killed her son, but the local team really don't want an old fogey like him interfering.

However, his efforts start to produce more results than the local detectives, as he uncovers shady dealings involving drugs. But not all policemen are honest, and he will need to keep an eye for any crooked ones determined to stop him finding out and bringing the guilty to justice. Henry struggles with an aging body that won't allow him to be as nimble or quick as once he was (although at 69 he shouldn't be quite as decrepit as portrayed!) but his mind is sharp and he's a wealth of experience to bring into play.

Its a good read, and I'd like to see more in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Folks for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really good book, I loved how it from start to finish, looking forward to seeing what’s next from the author in the future

This is a solid mystery that kept me guessing and turning pages. The first in a series, it features a likeable ex detective.
The setting is lovely, the characters fleshed out, and I enjoyed it.
Can't wait to read the next one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A solid (ex) police procedural set in beautiful Yorkshire, although slightly on the short/light side as far as depth goes. It’s barely over 3 hours in length, making it an easy afternoon read.

Enjoyable cast of characters starting with retired DCI Henry Ward who finds himself pulled into the murder of a young man whose body he found while out walking his terrier Tessa on the moors. There are some wispy grey clouds of suspicion hovering over him and his reasons for retirement, but no evidence of wrongdoing, and he has taken himself away from Bradford to the village of Addingham to live quietly with his advancing age and health issues (asthma and a bad hip).

The story itself is good, reasonably complex, if not especially ‘meaty’ and descriptive. The author is apparently also a playwright and I think that’s what comes through here, well thought out, a good plot, but just not as in depth and detailed as a standard police procedural.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this and it’s actually a pleasure to have a slightly shorter book to concentrate on. It’s definitely going on my TBR pile and I’ll be buying the rest in the series. Recommended for those who like police procedurals, but with a light cosy edge to them.