The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markin

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markin
Published by Boldwood Books Ltd on February 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781804837566
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Family Life, Marriage & Divorce, Siblings, Mashups, Mystery & Detective, Amateur Sleuth, Hard-Boiled, Police Procedural, Private Investigators, Traditional, Women Sleuths, International Crime & Mystery, Noir, Small Town & Rural, Thrillers, Domestic, Psychological, Suspense, World Literature, England, 21st Century, General, Action & Adventure
Pages: 362
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Are you missing Happy Valley? Don't miss the next gripping instalment in the Yorkshire Murder Series by bestselling British crime author Wes Markin
A lonely recluse. A missing girl and a community in fear.
When the body of a young local girl is found next to an isolated lake, the main suspect is the old recluse who has lived next to the lake for many years – especially when the young girl’s purse is found on the old man’s doorstep.
But DCI Emma Gardner and her partner DI Paul Riddick aren’t so sure. Why would the old hermit leave such an obvious clue? And who would want to set the old man up?
As they dig deeper into the murder they discover a community in fear, determined to keep hold of long buried secrets. And Riddick is convinced that his own dark past is somehow linked to this crime, too.
Gardner fears that she may never get the answers she needs, until a break leads her down a path she’d rather not face. One that runs directly to her own front door...
What people are saying about Wes Markin...
'Cracking start to an exciting new series. Twist and turns, thrills and kills. I loved it.' Bestselling author Ross Greenwood.
'Markin stuns with his latest offering... Mind-bendingly dark and deep, you know it's not for the faint hearted from page one. Intricate plotting, devious twists and excellent characterisation take this tale to a whole new level. Any serious crime fan will love it!' Bestselling author Owen Mullen

The Lonely Lake Killings is the perfect page turner. This is the kind of book that you’ll want to lock yourself away for to stop any unnecessary interruptions.

Loneliness can be a silent killer. Something easily solved, it’s effects sharper than a blade.

The Lonely Lake Killings is a fast-paced police procedural. After reading a large amount of them it really doesn’t take too long to decide whether that story is going to be for you. Having read Wes Markin’s work previously, I decided this was a story worth taking a chance on. Once again, Markin’s unique voice, steeped in humour and humanity had me engrossed with only a few words. A sense of dread had me checking over my shoulder and creeping to make sure the door was locked.

The Lonely Lake Killings is the second book in The Yorkshire Murders series but can easily be read as a standalone, I did, but will for sure go back and read book one. The Yorkshire moors have always held a certain sense of mystery so reading about a story set in Yorkshire made the fascination escalate. Reading those first few chapters had red lights dancing in my vision – a threatening shadow that wanted to bring everything tumbling down. I had so many questions, anger at how a victim could be discarded in such a way. Yes, the mama bear in me came out full force.

The body of a twenty-year-old woman is found by the side of a lake by an early morning fisherman, it would appear that she was killed elsewhere and transported to the area. The woman’s purse was found by the cabin of a local hermit, Harvey. With the discovery of her DNA in his hut, it seems like an open and closed case. But is it? It all just seems too easy. If someone was going to go to effort of killing a young woman, wouldn’t you have made more effort to hide her body? This is what DCI Emma Gardner and DI Paul Riddick aim to find out.

The one thing about police procedurals is that they cannot work without strong characters. Gardner and Riddick bring that in spades. Gardner a female detective that has moved from the south to take up the post has baggage. A marriage in tatters and limited contact with her children, she’s also had to take in her psycho of a brother and his sweet daughter into her home. Her brother committed some atrocious acts on her when they were children, and she makes it her mission to provide a safe environment for her niece. He claims he’s changed but she’s a firm believer in the fact that leopards never change their spots.

Paul Riddick, oh Paul. He’s definitely my favourite character. It’s a wonder the guy is still able to stand up. He’s gone through so much – his wife and children were killed at the hands of a very dangerous criminal. The pain never leaves him and as a result is struggling with alcoholism. Despite all that, he has a wicked sense of humour that had me instantly warming to him and a fierce sense of what’s right. The only reason he still does it is justice; he wants justice for every victim that’s been wronged. Paul’s guilty of letting his heart to his thinking and can make some very ill formed decisions but that’s why I like him, he was unapologetically human.

Wes Markin and his narrative is phenomenal – the reader is gifted with just enough snippets that could crack even the coldest of hearts. We’re given the important details, the backstories, breadcrumbs to the past and trails of blood. Gardner and her team start connecting the evidence and it doesn’t point in the direction that it should.

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