I am now on the third book of the readalong of the fantastic DI Ben Kitto series by Kate Rhodes so I am thrilled to share my review of Burnt Island!
Publication: 31st October 2019 – Simon & Schuster UK
INTRUDERS HERE ARE BOUND TO DIE . . .
As the sun sets on a cold November evening, the tiny community of St Agnes prepares for their annual Fifth-of-November festivities. Moments before the fireworks are scheduled to commence, an islander discovers a charred body left on the bonfire, and quickly it becomes clear that a killer is at large.
Ben Kitto is the Deputy Chief of Police for the Scilly Isles, and with a killer on the loose, he has no choice but to forbid all residents from leaving the island. With a population of just eighty people, everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.
When threats start appearing, written in the old Cornish language, Ben suspects that the killer’s motive is to rid the island of the newcomers who threaten their traditions. With time running out, Ben hurries to discover the secrets of the island’s peculiar residents, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before another fire is started . . .
No place to run.
No place to hide.
I’ve said it already and I will say it again: the DI Ben Kitto series is brilliant! It’s very well-written, the setting is atmospheric and suitable to the story, the protagonist Ben Kitto is complex and well-developed, and the plots are always gripping, addictive, and suspenseful until the very end.
Burnt Island is the third book in the series (but it can easily be read as a stand-alone) and Ben Kitto has now settled down back home, in the Isles of Scilly, after ten years of undercover work for the Met Police in London. It’s the night of November 5th and, while the island of St. Agnes is celebrating by burning straw men that will send the bad spirits away, Ben is horrified to find a body completely burned down. With travel banned from and to the island, the killer can be only one of the 80 islanders living in St. Agnes. Ben knows many of them, grew up with some of them, and it’s not easy to find the killer when many are keeping secrets. And when another islander disappears, Ben and his young sidekick Eddie, along with his loyal dog Shadow, need to find the killer before it’s too late.
Every time I read one of the books in this series, I think about planning a trip to the Isles of Scilly (which I seriously have to do at some point). The descriptions are detailed and evocative and the atmosphere and the sense of isolation fit perfectly with a murder story. The island of St. Agnes is described as “the wildest and most secretive place in all the Scillies”. It is small – “two miles long and half a mile wide” -, and, thanks to its hidden coves, it is the perfect place to hide bodies.
The plot is intriguing, dark, and immersive. Ben has to find a sadistic killer while dealing not only with his demanding boss, but also with tradition and the reluctance of the islanders who don’t like people meddling and being questioned.
I can’t recommend this book and this series enough! If you are looking for a fast-paced and thrilling story then Burnt Island and the entire DI Ben Kitto series is what you are looking for!
A huge thank you to Tracy for inviting me to the readalong and providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
Kate Rhodes is an acclaimed crime novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, the writer and film-maker, Dave Pescod. She visited the Scilly Isles every year as a child which gave her the idea for this new series. She is one of the founders of the Killer Women writing group.
Book After Book 