| Title | : | The Gallows Green Killer (DI Jack Dawes #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1789312302 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781789312300 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2012 |
Please note this was originally published as The House on Gallows Green.
Rosemary and Dick Brown move into a beautiful, secluded house on Gallows Green in the idyllic Somerset village of Lullington Barrow. It seems like a dream come true. But is it too good to be true?
The tight-knit community close ranks when asked about the previous residents.
NO ONE IS WHO THEY APPEAR TO BE.
The charming village takes on an even more sinister hue when Rosemary’s sister, Corrie, and her husband, DI Jack Dawes, come to visit and a local man is found dead at the bottom of a slurry pit, his body wrapped in a feed sack.
A MURDERER IS ON THE LOOSE.
A few bad apples reveal the village’s rotten core, as the body count rises. The forces at play extend far beyond this backwater, but how? Jack must race to fit the pieces together as everything he holds dear comes under threat.
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE GALLOWS GREEN KILLER?
MEET THE DETECTIVES
Detective Inspector Jack Dawes, tall and handsome, looks like the fuzz even when he’s off-duty. He rose up through the ranks at Scotland Yard and now is a well-respected detective in the murder squad. A career copper, he was married to the job until he met Coriander during a money laundering investigation, the case which earned him his promotion to DI. He has logical analytical skills. She has intuitive people skills. So he bounces ideas off her. They make a formidable and funny couple whose skills combine to solve crimes.
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JACK DAWES MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: THE GREEK ISLAND KILLER
Book 2: THE BLUEBELL KILLER
Book 3: THE SHETLAND KILLER
Book 4: THE GALLOWS GREEN KILLER
The Gallows Green Killer (DI Jack Dawes #4) Reviews
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Move over Midsomer! This book has more murders than you! AND more murderers!!! 💀🔪🩸⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰
It really shouldn't be so funny, but I found it utterly wonderful and hilarious. 🤣
I feel like Frances Lloyd might have tried to channel the atmosphere and feel of Midsomer Murders (when it's good!) in the first book, but did not quite get it right.
So the second book was a lot more serious, dark, and even bleak. More of a true police procedural, in many ways.
But maybe that didn't sell as well? Or just wasn't right for the series? Because the third book was Midsomer-esque again - and this time it was more on point.
But then... THEN - gentle friends - we have this 4th book, and it is bloody marvellous. 😎✨
I suspect it contains some sort of "number of murders with different murderers" record. (I found that funny as heck!) 😆️🥇️🏆✨
The character interactions are really good this time around too - and contributes with a lot of humour when the crimes committed are actually quite horrendous, at times.
I feel like the series has found its stride now and I will look forward to revisiting it. Fingers crossed, all future books will be this entertaining, and well plotted and written. 😁
Edit: Oh, and I hope more of this series will be available as audiobooks in the future, even if it seems unlikely at the moment. I just found out this is the latest/last one and it came out in 2020. Woe is me! 🙈💔 -
It's rapidly becoming a cliche, the cop and his wife invited on holiday only to be enmeshed in a murder investigation. Actually it's not even a genuine holiday from the start, as the Browns just wanted DI Dawes' wife Corrie to cater their house-warming party.
Another cliche which rapidly gets old is the non-police wife getting involved in investigations and getting bopped for their pains - not killed, though, what luck!
Although from afar the plot has some interest, the author has completely spoiled the idea. Every possible odious behaviour and crime has been lumped in to this small community. Pedophilia, corruption, fraud, misogyny and marital violence are all there, to name a few.
Local law enforcement and associates are useless. When a priest is killed, we are told he was hidden for some hours before being laid in a position to support the idea of an accident. The autopsy apparently did not pick up on the anomaly in lividity which would result.
The author did a reasonable line in vernacular, with one or two slip-ups, but in general the dialogue was rather forced and painful.
The final forty pages or so (after the crimes had been solved) made sure baddies got their comeuppance (but only selected baddies 'cos DI Dawes is judge and jury as well), and goodies got some manna from heaven.
I'm a bit sorry that I bothered to finish this, but I suppose curiosity got the better of me.
This seems to be the final in the series?? I don't think I'll bother looking for any earlier ones.
Rating 2.2. -
Surprises Galore — You’ll Be Hankering For More
Not the usual British village murder! The local flavor was extremely enjoyable — language, food, descriptions of scenery, the “old country ways”. The characters were colorful and interesting. I’d love to see this story as a made-for-TV movie.
I found a few spots in need of copyediting, and it seemed that “the Arabs” were lumped together with all Moslem Middle Easterners in a negative way. And it would have been special if the bull could have stayed with Holly and Primrose. -
Love these DI Dawes more each time!
All of these books offer you perfect light hearted reading, whilst curled up somewhere comfy. I can't wait to get stuck into the next instalment - The Moon Killer!
Please don't try to overthink the plot lines, or get into the characters minds... just enjoy them for what they are. Lovely books to lose yourself in, de-stress & have a chuckle here & there BLISS! 😁 -
Interesting and informative
While I totally disagree with the author's lack of belief in Jesus Christ, I certainly believe that the Roman Catholic church has not fully rid itself of priests that sexually abuse children. I grew up with children that dealt with this, the problems followed them into adulthood.
The mysteries were interesting but I am done with the series, it's just not worth my time. -
Outstanding
Well I'm lost for words on this one. There wasn't a crime not covered. Death and murder does follow Jack around, this time in so many ways. So many crimes committed in one book and every one of them carries interest and draws the reader in. Not one bad part in this book. I love Carlene (sherlock) and see a future for her with Corri. -
3.5 stars. Not as interesting as the previous two books.
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A sleepy English village is really not sleepy at all!
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A little too over the top.
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A little far fetched
