I am having so much fun with the readalong and I have now reached the fifth book in the DI Ben Kitto series, set in the beautiful Isles of Scilly!
Publication: 14th October 2021 – Simon & Schuster UK
A MISSING CHILD
St Martin’s is shrouded in bitterly cold fog when Jade Minear and her twin brother, Ethan, are attacked in a field, late at night. Ethan manages to return home but the shocking events of Jade’s disappearance have rendered him mute.
A LONG-HELD GRUDGE
On a small island where there are few places a child can hide, DI Ben Kitto must battle the elements to search for Jade. When his investigation reveals that the Minear family have many enemies on the island, Kitto grows increasingly worried that Jade is in danger.
A KILLER HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT …
Meanwhile, someone on the island knows exactly where the girl is. Someone with a deep-seated hatred of Jade’s family. To find the truth, Kitto must investigate the lives of the people he has known all of his life. Because one of them is lying – and it isn’t long until a body is found …
It’s a stormy and foggy night in the island of St. Martin’s when eleven-years-old twins, Jade and Ethan, sneak out of their house. Only one of them is found in their bed the next morning, but the shock of his sister’s disappearance has rendered Ethan mute and he can’t tell what happened to Jade. DI Ben Kitto is determined to find her, even if it means uncovering the family’s dark secrets. No one entered or left the tiny island of St. Martin’s, so it means that one of the inhabitants of the small community took Jade. But why? And where is she?
My favourite thing about the DI Ben Kitto series is not the mysteries, which are always gripping and suspenseful, it’s not the big grumpy protagonist who I adore, but the beautiful and atmospheric setting of the Isles of Scilly that becomes a main character itself of the story. After I finished reading Devil’s Table I went online to look at pictures of St. Martin’s and it’s magnificent (although, I looked at pictures where it’s sunny and people were sunbathing). The remoteness of the island, which nobody can’t enter or leave, and the bad weather gives the mystery a claustrophobic atmosphere with a bit of Agatha Christie vibe and I love it!
The plot is slow-paced and full of twists. As Ben Kitto uncovers secrets, not only regarding Jade’s family, but the entire island, things get more complicated and more people get in danger.
I love the character of DI Ben Kitto. A big man with a past who still haunts him, he has the job to interrogate and suspect people he’s known his entire life to find out the truth. He also faces changes in his personal life as his relationship with his girlfriend Nina develops in unexpected ways.
I have been reading this series from the very beginning, when the first book came out, and I am always looking forward to the next one. Twisty, atmospheric, and addictive, I can’t recommend it enough!
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 a bestselling British crime writer. Her latest books are the acclaimed ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES, which have been optioned for TV. Kate has been passionate about the islands since holidaying there as a child, and still returns regularly to research her books. Kate’s books have been nominated for the Crime Novel of the Year award, and the Library Dagger award.
Kate was born in south London, but now lives in Cambridge with her husband. She did a wide range of jobs including working in bars, being a theatre usherette, and teaching at a liberal arts college in Florida, before focusing on her writing. She works part-time as a Creative Writing Fellow at Cambridge University.
Book After Book 
Great review! This sounds like a great series, I’ll have to check out his other books.
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