| Title | : | A Knot of Sparrows (DI Winter Meadows, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 269 |
| Publication | : | Published February 28, 2021 |
There were a lot of things you could call Stacey Evans. And many of them would be true. And unprintable. But did she deserve to be murdered?
DI Winter Meadows has no doubt of the answer when he takes on the case. The crime was violent. The victim helpless. But the motives are many, and the only clue is a strange word left on Stacey’s body.
DI Meadows struggles to pierce the secrecy surrounding the teenager’s busy love life. Was the killer one of her pursuers acting out of jealousy? Maybe someone’s wife seeking revenge?
But as each suspect is excluded from the enquiry, and other markings turn up, Meadows is convinced that something more sinister is afoot.
When another body is found, a veil of silence descends like a fog upon Gaer Fawr. What more will it take for the village to give up its secrets?
A KNOT OF SPARROWS is the fourth standalone title in a series of murder mysteries by best-selling author Cheryl Rees-Price. It will appeal to fans of David Pearson, L J Ross, John Dean, Joy Ellis, and Pippa McCathie. The full list of books is as follows:
1. THE SILENT QUARRY
2. FROZEN MINDS
3. SUFFER THE CHILDREN
4. A KNOT OF SPARROWS
5. LIES OF MINE
6. RISE TO THE FLY
Cheryl Rees-Price is also the author of the standalone thriller BLUE HOLLOW. All of these books are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback from Amazon.
A Knot of Sparrows (DI Winter Meadows, #4) Reviews
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This was my first book by Cheryl Rees-Price and I'm really happy to have discovered a new author to follow. A Knot of Sparrows is the fourth instalment in the series of police procedurals, set in Wales and featuring DI Winter Meadows. It can be read as a standalone, as it really focuses more on the crime DI Meadows is investigating, although we do get to know the team.
From the very beginning we get a glimpse into the mind of the killer and know that this one is one in a long series of crimes. Then we find out the identity of the victim as the police get a report of a seventeen year old schoolgirl Stacey Evans missing only to find her lifeless body a few hours later. There is a mysterious inscription on it, but the meaning of this macabre message from the killer isn't immediately obvious. As DI Meadows and his team start piecing her life together, it becomes clear that there might be quite a few people who could have meant harm to Stacey.
As I hadn't read the previous books in the series, I paid a lot of attention to the protagonist. His reactions were very humane. He was kind to the witnesses, bereaved relatives, his team members, and never de-personalised the victims. There are plenty of twists and suspects in this story, so it was important to seethis attitude of not treating this horrific crime spate as a logical puzzle to solve.
The twists did keep me on my toes, though. Every time I thought a suspect was the killer, they would have a watertight alibi. It turned out this quiet village had plenty of deadly secrets.
I really enjoyed this fairly short, but gripping police procedural and would like to go back and read the previous books as well as future instalments in the series. Recommended to all fans of mysteries and thrillers.
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources and the author for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. -
This is book 4 in the series. It can easily be read as a standalone, although I recommend reading the first 3 mainly as they are fantastic books, but also for a bit more background to the characters.
This series has a different feel to it, mainly due to DI Winter Meadows, who was brought up on a commune and enjoys smoking the occasional joint and is vegan. He has a slightly more relaxed style, although he definitely gets results. Once again superb development of the many different characters.
This book certainly made up for the absence of murders from book 3.
Can’t wait for book 5 -
⭐️ 4 ⭐️
A Knot Of Sparrows is an enjoyable, gritty, crime thriller; set in a small rural village, situated within the heart of the Welsh Valleys.
At only 214 pages long, with short, punchy chapters, I found it a swift, satisfying read.
Featuring a cast of believable characters with authentic, natural dialogue; I felt a real sense of camaraderie between the main protagonist, DI Winter Meadows and his likeable team.
The villagers lives are intricately woven together, with a suspenseful thread of secrets and lies. A vast assortment of suspects leads to red herrings and plot twists aplenty.
Overall, a gripping, entertaining read.
I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to fans of crime thrillers/police procedurals.
Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -
Winter Meadows was raised on a commune, until events not fully discussed in this book led to him living in town and discovering the benefits of central heating and other comforts. The change didn't lead to him abandoning the beliefs he was raised with. Those beliefs didn't prevent him from becoming a police officer, and eventually a Detective Inspector, investigating a murder in a small Welsh town.
Seventeen-year-old Stacey Evans is found murdered, and a surprising number of people have potential motives for murder. She had recently dumped the teenage boyfriend her parents believe she didn't have. She had been involved with several married men in the village. She had mercilessly bullied and harassed another teenage girl, Erin Kelly, who committed suicide as a result. In Erin's case, it's not just her mother and father who might have wanted Stacey to pay for what she did. There's also Donald Hobson, another teenager, Erin's best friend, who has made no secret of blaming Stacey for her death.
The killer did leave a calling card, though. Written in marker on Stacey's body is REV17--Book of Revelation, Chapter 17. The Whore of Babylon. Surely this is a useful clue?
Unfortunately, as the investigation continues, instead of leading quickly to the killer, it connects Stacey's death to other deaths. A missing doctor is found dead, with another Biblical verse written on his body. An unsolved arson case with two deaths turns out to have a brick that was thrown through a window with a Bible verse written on it--and the two people killed are widely believed, despite lack of direct evidence, to be involved in the death of another young girl.
Yet in every case, as Meadows and his team identify the most likely suspects, each proves to have a seemingly ironclad alibi. They couldn't have committed the murders they're accused of--seemingly.
It's a nice, twisty plot, and the character development is excellent. Meadows himself is a likeable, interesting character, and I'm likely to be reading more books in this series.
The only real flaw I see here is the sloppy copyediting. That may have gotten corrected between the ARC and the published book. I hope so!
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily. -
I cannot get back to Wales for another 18 months and for solace I'm reading a number of books that happen in Wales or are written by Welsh writers. I came across this title when The Book Folks ran an ad, I think on Facebook. I have since purchased two other titles The Book Folks publish including the new Audible edition of Rees-Price's The Silent Quarry which I started this morning (it is off to a very good start).
A Knot of Sparrows is a nice mystery and I always looked forward to reading it. I bought it on sale for 99 cents on a whim. I got way more than 99 cents of pleasure out of it. I will likely read the other books in the series as DI Meadows is a likable character. -
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; MARCH 8, 2023
Narrator: Andy Cresswell
This should have been interesting but it wasn't. Similar plot to the first book,
The Silent Quarry, where a teenage girl is murdered but nowhere as riveting.
Too convoluted without much connection between any of them. In the end, the identity of the killer was a predictable anti-climax. -
My review of A Knot of Sparrows is on my blog.
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com... -
‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ is the fourth book in the series featuring Detective Inspector Winter Meadows. Now I have a bit of an embarrassing confession to make. Although I have all four books in the series on my ever increasing ‘to be read’ mountain, I haven’t actually read one before….until now that is. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’, I thought that it would be an ideal opportunity to get to know Winter Meadows. Having enjoyed reading ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ as much as I did, I am now rather annoyed that I left it this long to discover how flipping fantastic Cheryl’s books are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ but more about that in a bit.
I liked the character of D.I. Winter Meadows and I warmed to him from the start. Winter stands out from the crowd of lead characters in that his name is rather unusual and his background is less conventional than most. I won’t go any further as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers. Winter is a police officer with many years experience. He leads from the front and he wouldn’t ask anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t be willing to do himself. Winter is kind, caring, compassionate, hard working and charismatic.
It took me no time at all to get into ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that I Was going to be in for a treat and then some. I found that I just couldn’t put the book down. I mean my Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. I initially picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so wrapped up in the story that I read a lot more than two chapters. I soon got to the end of the book and I had to say farewell to DI Winter Meadows. I soon cheered up though when I realised that I had the first three books in the series to catch up with. I found ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ to be the true definition which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ is superbly written. I was blown away by how good this book was. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and then takes you on one hell of a journey. Reading ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ was a bit like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I loved the way in which Cheryl made me feel as though I was part of the story myself and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Knot Of Sparrows’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Cheryl’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*. -
This story begins with discovery in the small Welsh village of Gaer Fawr of seventeen year old Stacey Evans, a local schoolgirl who lived on a farm with parents and little sister and worked part time in a shop. She also liked smoking, drinking and men. Lots of men apparently. Could her murder be anything to do with a jilted lover or the man she was filmed having sex with after the video was plastered all over the internet? There has also been a recent house fire, resulting in the death of a man formerly suspected of killing his girlfriend’s child. His mother, who gave him an alibi, was also killed in the blaze. And finally a local doctor has gone missing in suspicious circumstances after a call out to a patient late at night. It is believed he just upped and left his wife, but could his disappearance be more sinister? The post mortem shows Stacey was assaulted and strangled, and a strange message was written on her body. The number of suspects, including local weirdos and loners, grows as the detectives discover Stacey was accused of bullying a girl who committed suicide and there are still people who blame Stacey. This includes Donald Hobson who seems to know a lot more than he is letting on and is scared about this. As the various suspects are interviewed, Meadows himself is attacked and a warning is left for him. Could he be getting too close to the truth? A second body is found which appears linked to Stacey’s death and more biblical references are left for the detectives to find. It seems like someone could be carrying out their own brand of retribution, and Meadows and his team certainly have their work cut out to catch this killer in a place where everyone knows everyone else but no one is saying much.
DI Winter Meadows grew up on a commune and enjoys a joint which probably explains his quite chilled attitude and he works well with the rest of his team, although they do seem to come across as colleagues rather than friends without the camaraderie and closeness that we often see in other police procedurals. We don’t get to hear anything much about their personal lives which would have been nice and made them rounder characters but this does improve towards the end of the book. There is certainly plenty to this story, both in terms of plot and suitably suspicious characters, and the many strands are cleverly woven together to give a chilling ending in an engrossing and highly enjoyable book. 5* -
A Knot of Sparrows is a well written mystery set in a Welsh village. I am new to the series it did not impact my enjoyment of the book.
The story starts with the murder of 17 year old Stacey who is found having been sexually abused and murdered with REV17 written on her. As the story progresses, the net of suspects is cast wider as more is revealed during a bad storm.
I did have my suspicions relatively early and I was right in the end, though not completely spot on. I don't mind that, but I was left unsatisfied at the end. That is not to say that the ending was bad and there were lots of twists throughout that were well thought out.
I often struggle with accents when reading. Not so in this case. I read the characters words in a Welsh accent that was a mix of my grandfathers Breacon Beacons timbre and the majority of the cast of Torchwood. -
I really enjoyed this mystery. There was a complicated plot with several seemingly unrelated deaths but finally the police find a link between the crimes. Many suspects with good motives are found in the small village and they all seem to have connections to each other. This makes the story very interesting, complex and fast-paced. I don't want to give away too much because I thought that the plot was clever and it brings to light some interesting human dynamics in group behavior. Some reviewers felt that the book was anti-Christian and I disagree. While there is the religious connection, there are zealots in every religion and that doesn't necessarily taint the whole religion. But religion can make people feel justified in their behavior at times. The chapters were to the point, intelligent and kept the story moving. The police force is full of good, well-developed personalities. Good job.
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If nitty gritty crime fiction is your kind of thing then this is a book for you! With it being a fairly short book it is easy to demolish it in no time!
This is the 4th book in the DI Winter Meadows series, it can easily work as a stand alone novel (it is the first of the series that I have read) , you don't feel like there is anything that you are missing out on. The story does focus mainly on the crime they are solving, so as you are reading what they find out you can picture it and you can put the pieces together in your mind.
It is the type of book that will have you hanging onto every page not wanting it to end but also wanting to solve the mystery with them. An excellent, beautifully written book perfect for crime fiction fans -
A Knot of Sparrows by Cheryl Rees-Price is the fourth book in this series. It can definitely be read as a stand alone, but I would love to go back and read the other books.
This is a gritty, crime thriller. It’s a short read, that was fast paced. I enjoyed the thrill of the story, and because it was on the shorter side, it kept me on the edge of my seat.
It was satisfying, with relatable and believable characters. I loved the comrades between DI Winter Meadows and his team. It helped me to really immerse myself in the story.
Overall, A Knot of Sparrows was entertaining and gripping. I’d recommend it to crime thriller lovers!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources For allowing me to join this blog tour. I recieved a free copy of this book to review honestly. All opinions are my own and unbiased. -
A good read
The mystery is so deep, and the suspects so many, that it is like doing a jigsaw without a picture. DI Meadow and his team are trying to find a killer, but are frustrated at every turn. Interesting characters and plot. -
After finishing this I was kicking myself for coming late to the party with this author but, on the plus side, there are three more books for me still to discover!
Teenager Stacey Evans is found murdered, having recently split with her boyfriend amid rumours of her involvement with other men in the village. It comes to light that she bullied a girl at school who later went on to kill herself. For DI Meadows, the case suggests there are many with a motive to kill her. Was it really a random killing as many seem to say or is something more sinister afoot. The killer’s calling card in the form of REV17 written on her body infers it’s not as straightforward as some might think. And when more incidents occur with similar messages left behind, the connection points to biblical references.
Whenever Meadows and his team sense a breakthrough, the suspects seem to have firm alibis as the community bandies around to vouch for each other. Things do not add up, but Meadows is not one for giving up easily. I enjoyed how his team worked together, he and Edris have a great rapport (on a side note, I’d go to their Halloween party 😉 for sure) and a dogged determination to solve the case(s)
The villagers, on the other hand, possess a loyalty that unites them in grief, no matter how misplaced said loyalty is, and the lengths to which they would go to keep a secret says a lot for their sense of community and justice … or should I say revenge?
An original ending too, that goes to show that not every story ends as you might expect it to. -
I've read all four Winter Meadows novels now and I continue to enjoy and recommend Cheryl Rees-Price to anyone looking for a fresh take on police procedurals. I love the mix of complex, multi-layer mysteries driven by flawed humans and their crazy emotions, as well as Meadows's clever but hard-won deductions.
The novel does break the mold from the previous, as it refers back to events of the third book and effectively spoils the outcome there. I welcome this change, as it gives a certain amount of closure and develops the world a bit more thoroughly. There's only so much subtle character development you can afford before you feel like everything is episodic and there's no growth.
Honestly at this point there's not much more to say other than to tell you to read this series. -
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it is the fourth in the series, but it pretty much stands on its own. It starts out with a murder but the bodies quickly pile up. DI Meadows tries to figure out if they’re connected. Since there are several suspects who could have wanted at least two of the victims dead, all having alibis, Meadows has his work cut out for him.
There wasn’t a lot of character development but this may be because this is the fourth book in the series. I would have liked to have known more about the personal lives of the team earlier in the book. DI Meadows has things in control and his team gets along well. Even Blackwell who seems to be angry a lot of the time, is liked by the others.
There were several twists and several murders. I was sure about who the killer was early on but it was still a good read because I needed to put all the pieces together. If you like police procedurals, this would be a good one to check out. 3.5 stars -
To be honest, I bought this novel in the bargain section of my local bookstore with a gift card on a dare to myself to "have an open mind and try something I wouldn't normally read." Not a best seller. Not a book-list recommended title. Something totally off-script.
After reading the first few chapters I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I am not the kind of person that picks up a book and gives up on it. I have to read the whole thing (or watch the whole movie) no matter how awful it is (and that's not to say this book was awful at all). So I continued, and am I glad I did!
I wasn't obsessively engrossed in this read, but it definitely had me guessing throughout and kept me coming back for more. In a way, I almost liked it better that way, because I was still functional in my daily life and not obsessing over the next time I had a spare minute to devour a few more pages (hahaha). I enjoyed it enough that I would definitely like to start at the beginning of the series and read through them as well.
Thank you, Cheryl Rees-Price, for a good read. -
This is the first book I read in this series and found it gripping and highly entertaining. As I loved the characters and the setting I will surely read the rest of the series.
It’s a well written police procedural that kept me reading and turning pages. The plot is complex, full of twists and turns, and even if I try to guess the solution the final twists surprised me.
I loved the description of the place, it’s very bucolic but you can feel the evil lurking behind the beautiful setting.
The characters are fleshed and I love Winter Meadows and his teams as they are well rounded and realistic.
It’s a good read that I recommend.
Many thanks to Cheryl Rees-Price and Rachel’s Random Resources for this digital copy, all opinions are mine -
his is a great read, that pulls you in, in the first couple of pages.
When a teenage girl is found murdered in a small Welsh town, it becomes apparent that a lot of people had reason to wish her dead.
It is up to DI Meadows and his team to narrow down the every growing list of suspects and find the killer.
I really enjoyed this book and found myself rushing through to find out the identity of the guilty party. Although it is a part of a series, it is easily read as a standalone.
I can not wait to go back to the others in the series and catch up. -
This author is in dire need of a good editor. Just in three pages, we read "The car was a right-off" and "Injuries were anti-mortem", eesh. Her sentences are usually composed of what should be three separate sentences separated by a comma, so they tumble on like a ball bouncing down a rocky hill. Her characters could be interesting, but none of them are developing and their dialogue is awkward. Finally, I realized that a mere 33% of the way into this book, I already knew who did it and why. I'll pass on the remaining ones.
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What a great story. So many bodies, how could one person have killed them all? DI Winter doesn't even realize these murders and the some from the last novel are linked. I really liked DI Winter Meadows and the way the novels are linked. I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied at the conclusion of this novel the way it ended. There was nothing unbelievable about the characters or the story. It was a good read.
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I really enjoyed this book. When a promiscuous young girl is found murdered on a lonely path by the river, suspicion falls on - well just about everybody. But as the body count mounts, DI Winter is severely challenged to get to the bottom of things.
The writing style in the book keeps the reader fully engaged, and turning the pages. I found it hard to put down.
Highly recommended. -
One of the proposed titles for this book was A Host of Sparrows, but when the term knot was discovered (it appears it was used in a Hardy book) it seemed all the more fitting for this mystery, which is based upon the close and messily entangled connections between members of quite small remote village community. As ever, Rees-Price delivers a captivating and immersive read.
