| Title | : | Beware the Past (DCI Matt Ballard, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 369 |
| Publication | : | First published December 17, 2017 |
Beware the Past (DCI Matt Ballard, #1) Reviews
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When Detective Chief Inspector Matt Ballard received the first envelope, he was shocked and horrified. More arrived at intervals, while in the meantime a young boy was murdered. It took Matt back to the dreadful case twenty five years previously where three young eleven-year-old boys were brutally murdered and the killer never caught. But the main suspect was dead – and the killings stopped. Was this new killing a copycat, or had the original killer resurfaced?
Slowly but surely the perpetrator messed with Matt’s mind. The case involved his whole team and as things worsened, more police were brought in. It was obvious that the person they were after had a fixation, a hatred of Matt. But who was it? Why was it happening? Everyone he cared for, all his work mates – they were all in danger. Working around the clock, the whole team were desperate to find this person…
Wow! And now I have yet another series I have to continue with! Beware the Past by Joy Ellis is the 1st in the DCI Matt Ballard series, and it’s also my first by this author. It was a phenomenal read, breathtaking and heart pounding! When I turned the last page, I immediately purchased #2 in the series! Beware the Past has plenty of twists – I had the killer picked, but I was absolutely nowhere even close! An excellent, gripping and intense thriller which I highly recommend. -
Detective Matt Ballard is haunted by a traumatic case he never solved. In the 1990's three boys were murdered in the same area, the remote and bleak Gibbet Fen. When the main suspect was killed, the killings stopped. But Matt was never satisfied that the real killer had been caught. Twenty five years later, another killing takes place on Gibbet Fen. Has the killer returned or is this a copycat killing?
This is a new standalone book from the author, Joy Ellis. A suspense packed thriller that is just packed full of twists, turns ands red herrings. The pace is fast set and whose characters have pasts with well buried secrets. It's gripping storyline had me hooked once again from the beginning. It also has an ending that won't disappoint. This is another book I would be happy to find in my Christmas stocking.
I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Joy Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
3.5 stars, rounded up
Joy Ellis is one of my favorite mystery writers. Her ability to create realistic characters and plots is on a par with the best. Her strength lies in developing a working team that all pull together. I’ve loved her Nikki Galena series, as well as the few Jackman and Evans that I’ve read to date. So, I was happy to discover this third series, with DCI Matt Ballard.
In Beware the Past, Ballard is set to retire in six months time. One of the first cases he was involved with, from 25 years previous, remains unsolved. Out of the blue, photos of the original crime scenes are sent to him. And then, a new young boy is discovered murdered and left on the fens. The killer is also playing some serious mind games with Matt. I like that Matt is not immune to these mind games and it takes a real effort to hold it together.
All of Ellis’ books take place on the fens and the territory is a character in its own right. She also allows secondary characters, Dr. Rory Wilkerson, for example, to float between the series.
This is a well written, fast paced police procedural. It’s also got a wild ending, with twists I didn’t see coming. And I was far off on the culprit. I’ll never love the series as much as Nikki Galena, but if other books are as good as the first, I’ll be following this series for years as well.
Antony Ferguson does a fine job as the narrator. -
It's been twenty years since DCI Matt Ballard and his old partner worked case in which three eleven year old boys were savagely murdered. At the time they were certain they'd catch the monster responsible. They never did.
They had a suspect but hadn't made the case stick. When the man died the killings stopped.
Matt is about to retire but has plans of revisiting the case full time.
Then one of his PC's gets a letter in the mail addressed to Matt. It's a photograph of the first crime scene. Taken before the murder. When he recieves the second and third photos he's given the full use of all resources and the case is re-opened.
When the fourth photo arrives Matt fears the worst. His fears turn into reality when another boy is found murdered. Is this the same killer from twenty years ago? Or is this a new killer.
It's not just the photos. This killer seems to be targeting Matt personally but how does he know so many private things in his life? Some of Matt's most private thoughts and feelings he has not shared with anyone. Matt begins to feel like his life is unraveling, again.
It's going to take everything Matt and his team have to catch this merciless killer. But can they do it in time to save another boy from death?
Every nerve in my body buzzed with tension and it felt like I couldn't read fast enough to get to the end. This was a thriller right out of the gate and continued at a full run all the way to the incredible shocking conclusion! I could never had anticipated how this would come crashing into the ending, leaving me stunned!
Beware the Past was the first novel I've read by
Joy Ellis and it was brilliant! The good news?
Joy Ellis has written several more stand alone books and two other seperate series, every novel is rated over 4.0★'s by Goodreads. Yea!
The bad news? Beware! She has written more stand alone novels and two additional series that I will most definitely be adding to my endless TBR Shelves! Coffee anyone??? -
This was well-written with an interesting plot, but every cop was nice! No mean bosses, no slackers. Everyone pitched in, all theories were considered, and even the pathologist was pleasant. Until a reveal at the end, I was not pleased with the intimate relationship between Detective Matthew Ballard and his sergeant, Liz.
There is a second book in the series and I’ll read it at some point. -
4.5 Stars
Twenty-Five years ago three young boys were murdered. The prime suspect was killed in a hit and run accident and the killings stopped. Detective Matt Ballard was never sure that the real murderer wasn't still out there. The case has haunted him since then.
Today Ballard received a large brown envelope containing the picture of the very last victim ...at the time of his death. More photos are received ...some were sent to his team. All are photos of the three boys murdered all those years ago.
All those who are near and dear to Ballard have been touched by the goings on ... and none of them are safe.
And then another boy is taken and killed. Is the murderer the same from before ... or is this a copy cat killer? How did he get these photos? What does he want with Ballard?
Ballard and his team will have to work harder and dig deeper than ever before to stop a killer .. someone who has no boundaries.
I have read several of this author's books and each one just gets better and better. I definitely was not disappointed with this stand alone book.
This is a well written fast-paced crime thriller filled with memorable characters that jump off the page. With the balance of professional life vs personal life, the characters come across as very credible. The suspense starts on Page 1 and continues through the twists and turns until the very surprising ending.
I would love to see this one as a beginning to a new series!
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own. -
Number 1 in The Matt Ballard series.
Normally I’m not a fence sitter, either I enjoy the book and give 4 or 5 stars or I don’t like it and give 1 or 2. But on this occasion a fence sitting 3 stars is just about right.
There were parts that were nail bitingly good and some that were really Ho Hum.
The plot had a lot to commend it, it was a real whodunit.
But the main characters were unrelentingly beige. Murders are being committed, fellow officers have been abducted. The adrenalin in the squad room is out of control but for all that there is no office politics, at least nothing to sink your teeth into. There’s no anger or aggression as you would expect give the circumstances. Everybody is just so bloody nice all the time, not the villains off course.
As for the main character ‘Matt Ballard’. By the end of the book I had had enough of him. Had enough of his self guilt and recriminations, his procrastinations, his inability to tell his team mates the whole truth, what ever that might be.
As I said, there are bit that got me really hooked. The whodunit aspect was great. There are whole menageries of possible suspect that will keep you guessing right to the end.
Marry that with the beige characters and you end up with a three star read.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. But with characters with a bit more depth it could been a four star read.
Good but not great. -
Oh my, Joy Ellis is a master of crime fiction. This book was a real mind bender.
DCI Matthew Ballard (Mattie) is still haunted by a 26 year old case where three 11 year old boys were brutally murdered when he was a shiny new policeman. Cut to the present day and he starts getting very disturbing mail. Someone is sending him pictures of the three crime scenes - only the images are from before the murders. Logically they can only have been taken by the murderer. But the murderer is dead - isn't he?
Things start to get more and more sinister then he gets a photo of a new scene and police race to identify the location only to find another (fresh) body when they get there. How is this happening? Members of Ballard's team are also becoming targets. Everyone is working flat out, whilst looking over their shoulders, and are no closer to solving the riddle. Stress levels are through the roof. Ballard is clearly the target of a hateful campaign but he has no idea why or who.
Things naturally come to a head in an explosively tense situation where not everyone will escape with their lives. A jaw dropping twist (although I did start to wonder) leaves you gasping. This was a very well done mystery peopled with very believable, no nonsense characters. A very satisfying and enjoyable book indeed. -
Joy Ellis is, probably, my favourite author and I was very much looking forward to reading this stand-alone book. This book comes shortly after Thieves on the Fens and I absolutely loved that book so much I really doubted it could be bettered but then along comes this one and now I am thinking WOW the books just get better and better I wonder what she will come up with next.
Matt is haunted by a case many years ago when 3 11 year old boys were brutally murdered. The suspect died before his guilt could be confirmed and there was always a niggle of doubt about whether the sadistic killer was dead or still out there. He made a promise to his colleague that he would put the case to bed and with retirement approaching his plan is to put the case to bed once and for all.
When photos start arriving it calls in to question whether the murderer from the 1990s is actually dead or is still out there. As more photos arrive it is clear that someone is out to mess with Matt's head. With his whole team in danger and everyone running around in circles the race is on to unravel the clues before someone gets hurt.
Matt has lost everyone he loved and has built barriers around his heart but someone is tearing them down and the person behind the photos is collecting ammunition to fire as and when he or she sees fit.
This book starts at a fast, adrenaline pumping pace and that pace picks up as the book progresses as the reader turns page after page. At no point did I guess the unsub I was as flummoxed as the team and as more and more people are drafted in to help they all begin to doubt if they will ever be able to identify the person behind the clues before someone gets hurt.
Beware the past is a psychological thriller at its very best as the reader is given an insight into the mind of the insane. Joy has created something that I never thought possible. The reader develops a clear insight into the mind of the character as we journey through many twists, turns, highs and lows we wonder if there will ever be an ending and when we get to that ending it is certainly not what I was expecting.
This is the best book I have read this year if not the best book ever. Definitely worth 6 stars out of 5. -
I didn't think anyone could supplant my favourite Detective, Nikki Galena, but author Joy Ellis has achieved just that with her new character DCI Matthew (Mattie) Ballard! I literally ADORE him. 😍
Beware The Past is a superlative standalone novel, introducing us to an altogether different cast of characters at another Police Station, yet still firmly ensconced in the setting of The Fens. I only wish we could read more about Mattie Ballard, but as a standalone novel that is nicely "tied off" at the end I can't see where that could happen ...... unless .... hmmmmm ..... maybe the author could do a retrospective series featuring our gorgeous Mattie? (SERIOUSLY, HINT, HINT!!)
A stunning psychological foray, we are introduced to Mattie, his team and his superiors at what is the end of his career ... he is literally counting down the days until he retires. We see him turning inward with his obsessive thoughts about a case involving the deaths of young boys from the beginning of his policing days. Although the suspected perpetrator was killed in a car accident and the murders stopped, no one was entirely sure that they had the right person. Mattie intends to use his retirement to prove who the killer actually was and close the case definitively.
But someone has other plans ..... someone who likes to play a game of cat and mouse ..... with Mattie being the hunted. With retirement so close he starts receiving mail featuring graphic photos of the old case and more personal ones of Mattie's private life. A murder of a young child soon follows that leaves everyone shocked and Mattie barely hanging onto his sanity. Just what is happening? Is the killer still alive or do they have a copycat? And why is the person targeting Mattie by threatening those close to him ...... and how does his past tie into both the historical and present cases?
A riveting plot with a rollercoaster ride of revelations, this is Joy Ellis's finest work to date. (I know I keep saying this, but she just keeps bettering herself!) It is one of those novels that grabs you firmly by the neck and drags you along for the adventure ..... and the ENDING ... OH MY!! It will leave you completely floored. This is one of those books that you just must read if you're a fan of the genre!
I received an ARC of this novel directly from the author and publisher Joffe Books. I have voluntarily chosen to review the book, and the gifting in no way determines my review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion. -
I don’t even know what to say. I was hooked the whole way through. Usually, I always guess the twist by the half way point of a crime thriller, even ones that everyone else said shocked them. So, me being me, thought I had it sussed, just over half way through. I did change my mind a couple of times but I thought yep, I’ve nailed this.
Let me tell you, I was wrong. I was so wrong. The answer to this story literally made me gasp. It was incredible.
One of the best books I’ve read that left me thinking about it for hours after. Highly recommended. -
Eh, not the worst book I've ever read, but not a good one either. Cheap, dumb, mystery. The subtitle, "A gripping crime thriller with a huge twist" sets the book up for failure. That means that anyone could be the killer, so I suspected everyone. I figured it out a little more than half way through who it probably was, and as the book unraveled from there it became clearer and clearer whodunit. When the big reveal came I was not shocked in the least. The dialog was clunky, the modern police technology lacked reality, and drugs that knock a person out or revive them are cheap and easy plot devises, but do not exist in the real world. The only reason I kept reading this book was to confirm my suspicion.
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I am not at all sure about this book, my first by Joy Ellis. This book sums up a lot about what I don’t like in contemporary crime fiction, we have the inevitable troubled/disturbed Detective, in this story not a particulalry likeable one ! Then what appears to be the most common theme these days, child abuse. This is slowly but surely going to be turning me away from these kind of books!
The book itself was well written and did have a couple of well rounded characters, but it also left quite a few unanswered questions. -
I liked the first part of the book, but found the mystery to be so implausible that it just didn't work for me.
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I have read quite a few books by this author and in my opinion it's one of her best. It is the kind of book where you say to yourself just one more chapter and end up reading half a dozen. There has to be some violence in crime thrillers but Joy Ellis knows how to put in lots of detail without going over the top.
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Uživao sam u svakome dijelu ove knjige. Joy Ellis je za mene pravo otkriće, a roman je prepun preokreta, jako slikovit i s mračnom atmosferom koja garantira užitak u čitanju.
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"Beware the twists"
For 90% of this book I was spellbound. There were so many well-drawn characters, and a harrowing case to solve. The tension was palpable, and the pace quickened towards the final denouement. This had 5* and find me the next book from this author all over it. Then it all fell apart. Two revelations that frankly, made me laugh out loud. Those twists might have seemed plausible to many, but they spoiled the whole thing for me I'm afraid. -
DCI Matt Ballard is taken to the brink when a past case comes back to haunt him, with new killings occurring twenty-five years later.
A great read, a well-written mystery with some interesting characters, kept me interested right to the end.
Received an Advanced Reader Copy -
Joy Ellis is, probably, my favourite author and I was very much looking forward to reading this stand-alone book. This book comes shortly after Thieves on the Fens and I absolutely loved that book so much I really doubted it could be bettered but then along comes this one and now I am thinking WOW the books just get better and better I wonder what she will come up with next.
Matt is haunted by a case many years ago when 3 11 year old boys were brutally murdered. The suspect died before his guilt could be confirmed and there was always a niggle of doubt about whether the sadistic killer was dead or still out there. He made a promise to his colleague that he would put the case to bed and with retirement approaching his plan is to put the case to bed once and for all.
When photos start arriving it calls in to question whether the murderer from the 1990s is actually dead or is still out there. As more photos arrive it is clear that someone is out to mess with Matt's head. With his whole team in danger and everyone running around in circles the race is on to unravel the clues before someone gets hurt.
Matt has lost everyone he loved and has built barriers around his heart but someone is tearing them down and the person behind the photos is collecting ammunition to fire as and when he or she sees fit.
This book starts at a fast, adrenaline pumping pace and that pace picks up as the book progresses as the reader turns page after page. At no point did I guess the unsub I was as flummoxed as the team and as more and more people are drafted in to help they all begin to doubt if they will ever be able to identify the person behind the clues before someone gets hurt.
Beware the past is a psychological thriller at its very best as the reader is given an insight into the mind of the insane. Joy has created something that I never thought possible. The reader develops a clear insight into the mind of the character as we journey through many twists, turns, highs and lows we wonder if there will ever be an ending and when we get to that ending it is certainly not what I was expecting.
This is the best book I have read this year if not the best book ever. Definitely worth 6 stars out of 5. -
25 years ago, three 11-year-old boys were brutally killed. The main suspect was killed in a hit and run accident and the killings stopped. DCI Matt Ballard was just starting his career when he helped investigate these crimes. He and his team start getting photos from the previous deaths and an 11-year-old boy is found dead, murdered in a similar way to the 3 previous boys. As the investigation moves forward, it looks more and more like DCI Ballard is specifically being targeted, and it’s placing members of his team, and their families, in danger.
Matt and Liz, a member of his team, have carried on a secret affair for over a year. It has been a sexual affair only, no strings attached, no feelings involved, no personal conversations or sharing. It’s worked for Matt because he’s lost 2 loves in his life and he can’t go through that again. Matt uses sex to de-stress and for a distraction. Liz is married to a soldier who is gone for months at a time, and she has needs that aren’t being met. However, she loves her husband and doesn’t want to leave him. Currently, Matt is struggling to mentally deal with the new murder and suddenly decides to share his feelings with Liz. Just like that, they instantly become more to each other. (Rolling my eyes) Cheating doesn’t work for me under any circumstance so I didn’t care for this part of the story at all. Didn’t really like Matt or Liz very well either, even with the explanations given.
The mystery had a few surprising twists and turns. Even so, I figured it out before it was revealed. Loved Adie.
I was happy to see the glossary of English slang for US readers. While most of the time it was pretty easy to surmise the meaning of the words, it was very helpful for those times it wasn’t.
SPOILER ALERT!
Matt’s team struggled with the fact that they didn��t know he was married before or that he lost 2 loves already in his life. How are he and Liz going to explain their year long secret affair, supposedly turned more, to his team and expect them to be okay with it?
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. -
First Sentence: 'Do you like the dark, Matt?'
Twenty-five years ago, three boys were murdered, and the suspected killer died in a hit-and-run, but Michael Ballard wasn't convinced. Now a DCI, Ballard receives an unmarked enveloped with a photo of the crime scene before the murders. More photos, including of Michael's private life, and a murder raises questions of a copycat or did the original killer not die after all.
Confession: This is one of those rare books in which one can become so absorbed, one forgets to take notes. Ergo, one of the shortest reviews ever.
Ellis is very good at creating red herrings, nerve-racking tension, and good action. It's nice to have a protagonist who is fallible; no super cop here.
"Beware the Past" has writing that is very visual with exciting action sequences, and a surprising ending. Ellis is an author to explore further.
BEWARE THE PAST (Thriller/Pol Proc-DCI Ballard/Sgt.Morris-England-Contemp) – G+
Ellis, Joy - Standalone
Joffe Books, London - 2017 -
U policijskom poslu, nezavršeni slučajevi imaju tendenciju proganjati detektive koji su na njima radili. Pogotovo ako se radilo o slučaju stravičnih zločina, počinjenih nad jedanaestogodišnjim dječacima, koji već godinama proganja detektiva Mata Ballarda.
25 godina nakon što je, kao mladi policajac, radio na slučaju brutalnih ubojstava dječaka, u Gibbet Fenu, području na kojem su se dogodila ranija ubojstva, dogodi se još jedno. Po svemu sudeći, isti modus operandi. Ali, ubojica iz Gibbet Fena, odnosno osoba osumnjičena za ta davna ubojstva, također je odavno mrtva. A i ubojstva su bila prestala nakon toga. Je li moguće da je pravi ubojica zapravo cijelo ovo vrijeme živ i samo je uzeo 25-godišnju pauzu?
Matt Ballard morat će otkriti. A da stvar bude gora, čini se da ubojica ovaj put ne cilja samo svoje jedanaestogodišnje žrtve, već da se okomio i na Matta.
Roman Joy Ellis pravi je punokrvni britanski krimić, iako malo jeziviji no što smo kod takvih krimića navikli. U biti, on savršeno spaja onu mračnu atmosferu na kakvu smo navikli kod skandinavskih trilera s mjestom radnje i načinom rješavanja slučaja koje nalazimo u najboljim britanskim krimićima. Best of both worlds, rekla bih.
Priča je zagonetna, u dijelovima jeziva, intrigantna i zanimljiva. Tim istražitelja na čelu s Mattom Ballardom tim je zanimljivih i simpatičnih likova koji čine sjajan tim, unatoč tome što jedni drugima ne otkrivaju baš previše o svom privatnom životu. A sam Matt mi se, kao centralni lik, izrazito svidio. On je policajac s dugim i uspješnim stažem u službi, koji već razmišlja o mirovini. Neriješeni slučaj iz prošlosti još uvijek ga muči, i iako planira posvetiti mu se nakon umirovljenja, njegovo nenadano izranjanje na površinu nakon svih tih godina neugodno ga iznenadi i otvori neke stare rane i sjećanja, koja će biti prisiljen iznova otvarati i po njima kopati. S cijelim tim stresom i ranama iz prošlosti Matt se doista sjajno nosi, ne skrivajući koliko mu to ponekad teško pada. Ali, koliko god teško bilo, odlučan je slučaj ovaj put istjerati do kraja - što god se dogodilo.
A upravo to je najbolji dio ovog romana - iznenađenje koje otkrivanje pozadine ovog slučaja donosi, a koje će cijeli slučaj potpuno izokrenuti, izvrnuti ga naglavce. Neću vam lagati, pogodila sam o čemu se radi, ali do trenutka u kojem sam uspjela pogoditi, priča mi je bila vrlo neizvjesna. A čak je i poslije bilo nekoliko iznenađenja i neočekivanih obrata situacije, kao i vrlo, vrlo, napetih trenutaka.
Močvarno područje Gibbet Fena, zabačena mjesta do kojih je teško doći, duhovi prošlosti, neriješena ubojstva, sve to doprinosi atmosferičnosti ovog romana, koju ćete upijati dok ga čitate. Dodajte tome jako dobru i veoma zagonetnu priču, i dobit ćete sjajan triler. Dobra je vijest i da je ovaj roman tek prvi u serijalu o Mattu Ballardu, što znači da ćemo se još imati prilike s njime družiti. Veselim se unaprijed! -
I previously read the kindle version of this book, twice and absolutely loved it. I have started to listen to audiobooks and as this was one of my favourite books of all time I decided to try the audio version.
Matt is haunted by a case many years ago when 3 11 year old boys were brutally murdered. The suspect died before his guilt could be confirmed and there was always a niggle of doubt about whether the sadistic killer was dead or still out there. He made a promise to his colleague that he would put the case to bed and with retirement approaching his plan is to put the case to bed once and for all.
Beware the past is a psychological thriller at its very best as the reader is given an insight into the mind of the insane. Joy has created something that I never thought possible. The reader develops a clear insight into the mind of the character as we journey through many twists, turns, highs and lows we wonder if there will ever be an ending and when we get to that ending it is certainly not what I was expecting.
I am no expert on audiobooks but thought the narrator was good but I have heard better. However, I really enjoyed the book and it still earns the 5 stars. -
3.5 stars
A weaker start to a new private detective series than I expected, accustomed as I am to the deftly written Evans & Jackman series by the same author. And we don’t get to the point of retirement and starting the new detective business in this book either. But it’s a compelling plot and has promise for the series continuing.
There’s more unbelievability underpinning key points in the story than I’m used to granting in a favorite series, and I was especially off-put by the way a key element of the relationship triangle was revealed in the end. It wasn’t something that would have been a big secret in a modern relationship, but it was made out to be something that would create lots of triangle tension. It was disappointing to find that it was more of an artificial plot device than anything.
Obviously there’s good story and writing sandwiches in between those concerns, or I wouldn’t be rounding it up, though I expect that my hopes for the kinks to be worked out in the next book kept me feeling generous. -
Good read.
A solid mystery with characters I really liked. I guessed who the real bad guy was before the end, but that didn’t take way from the pleasure of reading. -
More mystery than thriller, Beware the Past has an ‘old-school’ feel to it, which I loved. I even checked the publication date to see if it was an ‘oldie’ – it’s not, it was published in 2017. But if you love the simpler style of older crime fiction, then this novel may appeal to you. When I use the phrase ‘old-school’ – I mean it in the way that, for example, Law and Order: SVU is ‘old-school’, an older production, yet highly interesting, but noticeably different from new crime shows. Beware the Past is dark in nature, and dark in location – the setting of this novel really adds a sense of desolation and eeriness to the read.
The characters were believable but I didn’t really care about them or their fate, beyond wanting the good guys to win and the bad guys to lose. Usually, I’m a fan of the detective tormented by their past, but here, I felt nothing towards Matt’s turmoil. The characters weren’t over-written, they just didn’t standout, thus the emphasis was the mystery. Ellis writes in a fluid way that means you can breeze through this novel despite the dark content; the chapters are short which allows you to sneak in another, and another, and another, till you decide you might as well go ahead and just finish the book.
The ending to Beware the Past was good, but predictable. It was due to the blurb – “an absolutely breathtaking conclusion” – and the tagline – “…with a huge twist” – that I figured out the ending, this isn’t a spoiler but those phrases made me think of the most outrageous, yet possible ending, and alas that was the ending. As you can see, the phrases give nothing away but I guess, once you read so many crime books, with some of the more straight-forward plots, you’re able to figure it out. There was some originality in the ending that I appreciated, and I think it would work well played out on the screen.
This was my first novel by Ellis and I would certainly read more from her in the future. Beware the Past is a good novel, well-written, but not one I would rush to recommend because I couldn’t connect with the characters and I guessed the ending. However, my favourite thing about this novel, it’s ‘old-school’ vibe. -
The gratuitous billing of Beware the Past — by the author herself — as a “gripping” UK crime thriller with “a huge twist” grabbed my attention.
In the back of her book, the author provides a glossary of British word usage as an aid to American readers like me unfamiliar with the way the English speak English. After struggling through most of her book, it occurred to me that she should have included “gripping” in her glossary. Evidently her definition of gripping means plodding, at least where I learned to speak English.
The author takes 361 arduous pages to tell her story about a Detective Chief Inspector (“DCI”) haunted by cases of child killings he had investigated 20 years before. The DCI had his doubts that the suspect whom the police had arrested was the killer — doubts that could not be laid to rest because the suspect had been mysteriously killed in a hit-and-run accident before his guilt could be proven at trial. The DCI was planning to continue investigating the cases during his upcoming retirement, until the killings seemingly begin again, this time targeting the DCI with baffling clues the killer diabolically leaves for him, apparently with the help of someone with access to the DCI’s most personal information.
Although the “huge twist” is indeed surprising, I’m sorry to say that the story itself is fatally flawed. The author would have us believe that the very clever villains spent almost their entire lives concocting their elaborate plot against the DCI, but it’s based on a mistake of fact which you would think they would have verified by means of a simple test. I won’t disclose the test so as not to ruin the surprise for anyone, but it’s scientific and was readily available to at least one of the villains. It could have saved them years of wasted effort and directed their energies and talents elsewhere.
There are two additional surprises not as “huge” and one very nicely resolves a romantic conflict. They were enough for me to grudgingly award the book three stars. -
Expecting a great British police procedural read, I was rather disenchanted with this one. Joy Ellis is an unknown to me, so I gave it a go. Unfortunately, for me, there was simply too much cruelty and evil behavior to even be able to enjoy it. How can authors take pleasure in creating such hideous characters, and have them act out on the page – and not just for a small fraction of the book, but for pages on end. I’m so tired of books with this mindset.
Please, give me stories with authentic and intelligent detective work; smart cops coming in after the facts, and starting the huge task of unraveling the mystery – put the pieces of the puzzle together. I can’t say it enough, but for me there’s only one master I admire and that’s Michael Connelly with the Harry Bosch series. Now those books are totally grandiose and such a pleasure for any reader.
Not that DCI Matt Ballard was an unsympathetic main character - Not at all. It’s simply that the bad outweighed the good, and for me there’s no making up for that. I’m staying away from Joy Ellis in the future.
