I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Jane Isaac’s Beneath the Ashes. Beneath the Ashes was published on 1st November 2016 by Legend Press and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.

Beneath the Ashes

The floor felt hard beneath her face. Nancy opened her eyes. Blinked several times. A pain seared through her head. She could feel fluid. No. She was lying in fluid.

When a body is discovered in a burnt-out barn in the Warwickshire countryside, DI Will Jackman is called to investigate.

Nancy Faraday wakes up on the kitchen floor. The house has been broken into and her boyfriend is missing. As the case unravels, DI Jackman realises that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has a secret.

Can he discover the truth behind the body in the fire, and track down the killer before Nancy becomes the next victim?

My Review of Beneath the Ashes

When DI Will Jackman is assigned to an arson attack and a murder what he uncovers will have ramifications for the whole community.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath the Ashes by Jane Isaac. It reminded me in a way of a Shakespearean plot with all the intrigues, twists and turns we might expect from Hamlet or Lear. I found the plot hugely engaging so that I kept thinking I’d just read a little bit more and before I knew it, I’d consumed the whole book, I was so engaged by the narrative. Beneath the Ashes has a pace that defies the reader. With the mini cliff hangers at the end of the short chapters it’s impossible not to want to read on! What really impressed me was the way the different threads pulled together to make a coherent and convincing whole. Sometimes I find police procedural fiction a little contrived but this was unassailably well constructed, making for a perfect read. I think Beneath the Ashes would make a fantastic film or television series too.

I loved the depth behind the story. Characters, especially Jackman, are human, distinctive and well rounded so that they feel like real people. I’m definitely going back to read the first book with Will Jackman, Before It’s Too Late, as I so want to find out more and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Beneath the Ashes also deals naturally and sensitively with how crimes affect more than the immediate victim. I think this is what made it such a brilliant read for me. I could understand motives and deceptions and found myself wondering how I might have behaved in similar circumstances. There’s a humanity behind the writing, rather than a series of shock tactics that some crime writers employ, making Beneath the Ashes a mature and sophisticated read.

I must also mention the overall quality of the prose. I found Jane Isaac’s attention to detail that enhanced the narrative, particularly through the use of the senses, so skilful. However, at the same time, there isn’t an extraneous word to be found so the writing remains exciting and enthralling.

Beneath the Ashes is a seriously good read. I can’t praise it highly enough.

About Jane Isaac

Jane Isaac lives with her husband and daughter in rural Northamptonshire, UK where she can often be found trudging over the fields with her Labrador, Bollo. Her first novel, An Unfamiliar Murder, available here, was nominated as best mystery in the ‘eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards 2013.’ The sequel, The Truth Will Out, available here, was selected as a ‘Thriller of the Month –April 2014’ by E-Thriller.com. Her latest book, Before It’s Too Late, available here, was published by Legend Press on 1^st June 2015.

Jane was runner up ‘Writers Bureau Writer of the Year 2013’ and her short stories have appeared in several anthologies. When she is not writing, Jane loves to travel and spend time with her family. She believes life should be an adventure.

You can find Jane Isaac on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and visit her web site.

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