Death in a Lonely Place

The second book in a series, this was another novel which I couldn't put down. Full of twists and turns I was hooked right to the final page.

This is a sequel I was waiting for, and it did not disappoint. Stig Abell is back with his beautifully descriptive writing, painting the picture of the countryside that we all would love to live in.

We are back at Big Sky, the beautiful and expansive retreat where former Detective Jake Jackson lives a very simple and physical lifestyle. One that is so very different from his former life in London working cold cases. He has Big Sky exactly as he wants it, he has a working relationship with the gorgeous Vet Liv and her daughter Diana. It is the nature-loving paradise he never knew he wanted, with his library of detective thrillers, and his Uncles record collection.

But out of nowhere, a child kidnapping brings back vibes from two of his cold cases, ones that he was never able to close, and have stuck with him for years. And once they are back open in his head, he is pulled into a twisting game of dark decadent deeds that leaves a string of victims in its wake.

The book is another amazing story, beautifully told, once again leaving me wanting more.

The second book in the series but the first i have read... a great crime fiction with lots of twists and turns. Detective Jake moves to the country side for a more relaxed way of living... but an old case comes back to haunt him and brings him into a world of a secretive group that is for the elite ...
Beautifully written and has a great storyline... I will be reading book one and it is five stars for a great read thank you

I do so like the place and main characters of this book, like old friends
The second book with the character Jake Jackson by this author and once again the characters immediately jump off the page,with a story full of intrigue and an ending that left me open-mouthe but also quite sad.

A pacy crime thriller following Detective Jake Jackson who moved to the country for a quiet life to enjoy his extensive retreat with its lake and island and a relationship with Liv a vet and her daughter Diana.
When a child is kidnapped he is drawn into helping with the case as it reminds him of 2 cold cases but the more he investigates he is drawn into the dark web.
This really grabs you and you find yourself willing Jake on as it twists and turns and has you second guessing who to trust a brilliant crime story that I could not put down and stayed up all night to finish.
Would highly recommend for a on the edge thriller.

My thanks to Netgalley and publisher Harper Collins for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. Having enjoyed the first book in this series, I'm so glad to have read another. Some aspects of the setting and the hero's situation seem a bit bonkers, but this was refreshing.

The following is what I said to my book club. The author, Stig Abel, helped to launch Times Radio a couple of years ago where he co-presents the breakfast show. Before that, he was a regular presenter on Radio 4's Front Row and was previously editor and publisher of The Times Literary Supplement. He seems to be playing out a personal fantasy, wrapped up with crime fiction.

Jake, in his late thirties, has been a very successful police inspector in the Metropolitan Cold Case Unit. That is until he has a major inheritance. His uncle leaves him a large house, half 18th century farmhouse, half modern addition. It includes enough estate to do a five-mile run without leaving his land, which includes, amongst other things, a lake, and a wood. He has a large farm-house style kitchen with a wood-burning stove/cooker, and my favourite, a vast room set up as a library containing every crime novel ever written. There are no mod cons such as internet, phone, or even TV and Jake is continually playing classical music, on disc, naturally. He keeps fit by going for daily punishing runs, finishing with a naked swim in his own lake and chopping a lot of firewood. Of course, there's no central heating. He has chickens for eggs and recently created some large greenhouses for growing veg. There is a vast basement which his uncle stocked up with not just wine and sacks of flour for bread making, but crates of all manner of other provisions. Jake can live off the grid and intends to do so. There is not even a road fit for a vehicle nearer than two miles away. This surely has to be the author writing about his fantasy of a perfect life.

But modern life intrudes when a crime is committed and Jake finds himself instinctively turning detective again. He walks several miles to the nearest village shop to use the phone and has to borrow a car from a friend and his girlfriend, the local vet. It seems that when the need is greatest, he can't manage without certain modern conveniences.

I'm delighted that there has been a follow-up book to the first one and that it's going to be a series. It will be interesting to see how the fantasy life progresses. That the author is male is obvious. Whilst some tidying up gets done, he doesn't seem to do household cleaning and there is no mention of laundry ! !

After falling in love with Jack Jackson in Stig Abell’s debut last year, Death in a Lonely Place was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024.

It was great to be back with Jack. This book finds him attempting to navigate a relationship with his partner and her daughter alongside his ongoing desire to investigate crime. I found this brilliantly observed. What I love most about this series is that Stig manages to write a solid detective story about believable characters you truly care about, whilst also delivering the most beautifully descriptive prose.

The writing in this latest offering is so spectacular I feel it is straddling the literary genre as well as crime mystery/thriller. A must read.

I loved the first novel featuring Jake Jackson, ‘Death Under a Little Sky,’ and I am delighted to say that I enjoyed the sequel just as much.

Jake was a former detective, who inherited a remote house and has given up his former life. Now he lives happily, walking, swimming, reading and has a beautiful girlfriend with local vet, Livia, and a ready-made family with her daughter, Diana. However, the world intrudes and when D.C.I. Watson asks for his help following the abduction of a five-year-old girl, he feels he has no choice but to get involved. The only clue in the abduction is a card found nearby with the words, ‘’No Taboo,” which reminds him of an earlier case and another missing child. He heads to London to visit his old colleague, Aletheia, who suggests he speaks to an author she knows, named Martha Kline.

Before long, Jake is involved in the world of a shadowy organisation where the wealthy and corrupt can fulfil their desires without anything being off limits. Meanwhile, Livia is asked to care for the horses of an extremely wealthy businessman. When invited to stay for the weekend, she asks Jake to accompany her, hoping to improve her career and upset that he is again becoming embroiled in his former life. However, links to No Taboo soon become apparent and Jake does not feel he can ignore the danger he has put himself, Livia and Diana in.

Jake, Livia, Martha, Aletheia and local man, Rose, who appeared in the first novel, make a great team in this novel. I enjoyed Jake’s desire to do the right thing and yet his very real need to protect his new life. Author Stig Abell managed to keep the charm of the location while realistically bringing in a crime for him to solve. I look forward to reading more in the series as I like the characters and the setting. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I enjoyed the first in this new series, Death Under A Little Sky but I said then that I felt it was a little slow unless of course it was the introduction to a series. I was therefore delighted when Stig Abell confirmed it was just that. Jake is a young but retired detective living a somewhat reclusive life on a large country estate bequeathed to him by his uncle. He rejects any connection to the modern world and lives without the need for any modern technology. He has friends in the nearby village including his girlfriend Livia and her daughter Diana. Other interesting characters from the first book reappear and enhance the story. Jake loves his life but occasionally the detective in him is roused and a missing girl and the underlying notion of a criminal underworld that has literally no taboos piques his interest and begins a dangerous journey that puts not only his life in danger but those he loves most. As Livia delivers an ultimatum to stop this dangerous work and commit to her, Jake is torn and unable to choose. This was a really good story that mixed two extreme worlds seemlessly. I love the descriptions of Little Sky, so quiet and desolate in winter but still with an abundance of wildlife and beauty. Contrast that with the extreme evil of the worst of criminals who believe money will ultimately get them anything even complete freedom. A well constructed story that had plenty of tension and a few twists. I can’t wait for book 3.

I loved Death under a little sky, and I'm so happy its sequel did not disappoint!

I absolutely love the characters of this series, I felt like going back to visit some old friends to catch up on life... and of course the mystery side of the story was superb! Shady people, a dodgy criminal organisation, friends turning into enemies, this book has everything you could want!
I only wish the final confrontation was developed a bit more, it felt a bit rushed while I think it deserved more attention.

This is definitely a book I'll recommend!

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This shocking crime thriller is the second in the series and follows Jake, a former detective as he continues his quiet life, in the village of Caelum Parvum.

When Watson a detective approaches him regarding a current case, with the phrase ‘No Taboo’ mentioned, he is keen to assist in the investigation as it showed up in a previous disturbing case of his.

His girlfriend Livia is concerned about the danger surrounding the investigation, but soon the danger is brought to them both. With more secrets revealing a powerful group, it soon becomes clear they have no boundaries to protect their past crimes.

What does ‘No Taboo’ stand for? Will Jake solve the case before it becomes deadly?

This crime thriller although builds up the tension slowly is powerful and shocking. The secrets revealed make it seem impossible for Jake to be able to bring justice even if he can solve the case.

I loved to see Jake is still seeing Livia, they are good for each other, and it adds another layer to the storyline.

With a surprising ending, you are left with Jake to work out who can be trusted, whilst unravelling the mystery of ‘No Taboo’.

Overall, a shocking crime thriller where an investigation uncovers dark secrets.