This is a very slow moving but detailed novel. There are many twists and turns so that you are constantly guessing who the suspect is
Overall this is a solid police procedural book.

The killer has a warped sense of self.

Violet Ross was a hundred years old and lived in the Eden’s End Nursing Home, so her sudden death should not have given rise to any suspicions of murder. However, Becca Reid, the district nurse who happened to be at the nursing home when Violet’s death was discovered felt uneasy as the home seemed unwilling to insist on an autopsy. After the autopsy is carried out, Violet’s death is pronounced as death by suffocation, and Chief Inspector Jude Satterthwaite and his team need to discover who committed the murder, but more important – why Violet was murdered.

There was lots of intrigues plus many suspects for the crime, and I was genuinely shocked when the killer was finally identified.

The book moves at a good pace, with well-drawn likeable characters – even the killer was someone I liked!

Jo Allen has undoubtedly grown as an author since Death By Dark Waters.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

A solid crime novel set in the beautiful Lake District. DCI Jude Satterthwaite is a likeable character, and the book is well written with an engrossing plot.

I always find myself drawn to mysteries set in the beautiful Lake District, and this one didn’t disappoint. When 100 year old Violet Ross is found dead in her bed in a care home, at first it’s assumed to be from natural causes. When a nurse has her doubts, she shares them with DCI Jude SatterwIte. Sure enough, the autopsy reveals murder, and it’s up to the DCI and his team to sort out alibis and motives. The story was a nicely balanced mix of police work and character development, and kept me guessing until the end. I hadn’t realized this was the second book in the series, and will certainly go back and read the first, although this can easily be read as a stand alone. Looking forward to more books in the series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

A Well Constructed Mystery....
The second in the, Lake District set, DCI Satterthwaite mystery series. A luxury care home and the death of an elderly resident give Jude Satterthwaite cause for concern when further deaths follow suit. A well constructed mystery, flows well with an engrossing plot and plenty of twists along the way. Could happily be read as a standalone.

I did not realise when I started reading this book that it was the second book in the series so the first thing I think is important to mention is that it is not imperative to have read the first book to understand and enjoy this book. I do wonder if I missed out on some of the character development by not having read the first book but as this book also mostly focused on the crime, it really didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

This book is one that will have you guessing and second-guessing throughout. It’s one where I was sure I knew the answer and then it got blown out of the water. Which is always a good sign in my book. It wasn’t a particularly fast-paced read but it didn’t need to be. The book has everything that readers of police procedural’s would love, it really goes into the research and how a team goes from having little to no clues to finally solving the crime. It definitely had me very intrigued to know how crimes like this are solved.

On top of that, I did really like the characters in the book. I liked DCI Jude Satterthwaite and DS Ashleigh O’Halloran. I thought they worked really well together and made an interesting team as well. I would definitely be happy to read more books with this pair in.

A very entertaining, interesting and detail oriented novel that will keep you on your toes as you continue to try and work out what has happened and how it all unravels and ties up together. The perfect read for lovers of crime fiction.

Fans of Ann Cleeves and Peter James are going to absolutely love Jo Allen and her fantastic detective DCI Jude Satterthwaite. Gripping, compelling and packed with twists and turns, the second novel featuring Lake District set DCI Satterthwaite, Death at Eden’s End is a dark, terrifying and compulsively readable tale readers will struggle to put down.

When Violet Ross is found dead at luxury care home Eden’s End, it is not exactly a shock. At a hundred years of age, Violet’s death was hardly unexpected and she had after all lived a full life and lived way beyond most of her peers. However, Violet’s passing was not merely due to old age. There is something far more sinister and terrifying than anyone else imagined – as the fearful look in Violet’s lifeless eyes can attest. What really happened to Violet? Who would want to kill her and who would go to such desperate lengths to shut Violet up for good?

DCI Jude Satterthwaite is called to the Lake District’s Eden Valley alongside his DS Ashleigh O’Halloran to investigate and as the deaths begin to mount up, they soon realise that there is a deranged killer on the loose. As they begin to investigate the deaths at Eden’s End, they find themselves entangled in a terrifying web of lies and deceptions and as they uncover a shocking secret from the past, they wonder whether they will manage to stop the killer in time before another murder is committed.

Death at Eden’s End is a fantastic small town mystery where the pages will simply turn themselves. Jo Allen has written a fabulous crime novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats desperately turning the pages and in Jude Satterthwaite she has created a fascinating detective readers will want to read more about.

A first rate page-turner crime fiction aficionados are going to love, Death at Eden’s End is not to be missed.

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

The last thing she needed was to display her weakness to a man even more senior and even less sympathetic than Jude, and Detective Superintendent Groves not only ticked those unwelcome boxes, but he also had a habit of running his eyes over her like a farmer deciding how much to bid for a prize heifer. Word in the office was that Groves was counting the days to his retirement, but he wasn’t counting them nearly as enthusiastically as his junior, female colleagues.

Violet Ross was a hundred years old and lived in a nursing home, so Klemmie really shouldn’t have been surprised. That said, the old woman had always given the impression of someone who would, if it were possible, live forever because she couldn’t bear to miss a tiny piece of someone else’s business by dying.

In her experience the dead so often looked peaceful, but Violet managed to look outraged, as if she’d fought death all the way and he’d only defeated her by foul means.

She shook her head, and the string of jet beads around her neck rattled beneath her accumulated chins.

She took a second, as she sometimes did, to think about the might-have-beens. Society needed people like Jude, high-minded seekers after justice. It was a pity they were so hard for ordinary people to live with.


My Review:


I have greatly enjoyed Ms. Allen’s deft writing style, her compelling storytelling unwinds slowly while she shrewdly sucks the reader in with lots of juicy and cunningly observant ancillary details about the various players whether they be primary, secondary, or briefly making an appearance. Being relatively new to the suspense genre, Ms. Allen has proven to be a rather clever minx with this curiously enticing series as the crimes themselves have been confounding and rather difficult to solve, leading me to devise and cast aside several theories while ultimately admitting defeat as I was unable to ferret out the correct combination or sequence of events. Jo Allen has made my list of favorite new talent to watch.

“Small Town. Sinister Crime.”

I have to confess that having taken part in the Blog Tour for Death By Dark Waters, the first episode in the Jude Satterthwaite series, that book is now still languishing in my TBR pile, along with so many other excellent novels, which arrive much more regularly than I can ever hope to read them!

I was therefore a little sceptical about jumping into the series with the second book, just in case there was a backstory which was pivotal to the ongoing storyline. I was however, pleasantly surprised to quickly discover that although there are indeed a couple of very strong secondary stories set to continue on through the series, author Jo Allen has made it easy, with some quite concise and clever narrative, to bring me right up to date with events very quickly and without impinging on Jude’s latest case too much, meaning that Death At Eden’s End, works just fine as a stand alone story.

The storyline isn’t too frenetic or fast paced, although it does move along steadily and there are several unexpected twists and turns, some of which were quite touching and emotional, many of which I definitely never saw coming, all of which made me never quite 100% sure who the murderer really was, right up until the reveal!

With a definite maturity of writing giving Death By Dark Waters the feel of a typically British, ‘classic’ crime thriller, all the action, with one or two exceptions in the narrative, takes place in one very small confined geographic area. The cast of characters, almost without exception, are vulnerable to one degree or another, with secrets to hide and whilst none are particularly enigmatic or engaging, all are suspects in this most bizarre of murders.


As with every other detective, both fictional and I strongly suspect in reality, Jude Satterthwaite leads a very chaotic and complicated life, which has left him damaged and struggling to reconcile his private and professional life, especially when they are practically one and the same thing! There are times during the course of this investigation, when professionalism has to fight really hard to come out on top, even more so by the time the case has been closed, leaving me to wonder how author Jo Allen is going to move things forward when duty calls for Jude and his team again!

See the full review post, plus extracts...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews/small-town-sinister-crime-death-at-edens-endby-jo-allenreview/

#2 In The DCI Jude Satterthwaite series, but I found it easy to read as a stand-alone.

Set in beautiful Cumbria and when Violet, a resident at Eden’s End Care Home, is found dead it’s believed to be natural causes. But someone says it was murder and so an autopsy is completed and this confirms this was not a natural death.

Who would want to kill a 100 year old, defenceless woman? But when more bodies turn up the investigation begins.

This is a murder mystery with a police procedural edge. I really enjoyed how Violet’s story is told, going back to her life and love during WW2. Does her death have something to do with her past?

With plenty of suspects, great characters and a clever, twisty plot to keep any fan of a good murder mystery happy. Thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you to Vicky at Aria Fiction for a free ecopy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.

Set in Cumbria, which always provides an atmospheric background for crime fiction, the second in the DCI Jude Satterthwaite series, provides an engaging police procedural, with a cast of characters worthy of any classic murder mystery.

The story begins with a violent death, and then whilst the reader is wondering what will happen next, the pace is slowed as the story switches to the police investigation team, two-members of which, are still emotionally damaged from past relationships. Their close proximity and the nature of their profession throws them together, but although attracted, they are reluctant to take things further.

In the midst of this inconvenient physical attraction, and elderly lady’s death is flagged up as suspicious, and the investigation that ensues draws the reader into the historic world of WW2, where the answers may lie.

The detailing and pacing of the story equate with the medley of murder mystery and police procedural. Similarly, to the first book in the series, the personal lives of the police team featured significantly, and much of this is introspective. This is an original aspect of this story, which identifies it.

The plot is good, and satisfactorily resolved, and each of the cast of characters has traits which make them believable and relatable. An absorbing balance of murder mystery and police procedural, with an interesting detective team.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I found it entertaining and gripping.
It's an excellent police procedural, with a solid mystery and a well thought cast of characters.
The mystery was full of twists and turns and it kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Set in a beautiful part of the Lake District (the descriptions are marvellous), in a very posh, expensive elders home Violet is found dead. Of course at the age of 100 this was expected and so why is our detective Jude and Dr Ashleigh determined to question and probe the matter further, much to the chagrin of the authorities of the home.

The look of terror on Violet's face was enough for Ashleigh to pursue the death further and then it was proved that Violet was suffocated. Violet's life was surprising, complicated and unknown to all. Her history during WWII was little known and the part she played in it was unknown till it all had to come out during the investigation.

Surprising how one old woman's life had so many ramifications and twists and turns and eventually led to her murder. On the surface she was just an old lady, beneath it all was mystery upon mystery.

Very well written and for lovers of detective work, this was a good one.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, so was a little worried that there would be bits I had missed, but with this book I felt it could totally be read as a stand-alone novel. With lots of great characters, a good team of officers led mainly by Senior Detective Jude Satterthwaite, the only person overseeing him is the not so nice Detective superintendent Groves, although he didn’t appear in the story much, except for a couple of remarks about him. He was the only character I didn’t really like within the police team. There is a lot of tension between Satterthwaite and recently newly arrived DS Ashleigh O’Haloran, throughout the book it was a will they won’t they. I will be interested to see how this is going to work in the next book.

Who would want to kill a 100-year-old lady? Surely time was running out for her, but murdered she is, a resident in Eden’s End nursing home, a very expensive home for residents, being run on a shortage of staff, and paying them very low wages. Initially there was to be no autopsy as Violet was 100 it would normally be the local GP come out and do a death certificate and the body whisked away to the undertakers. But on this occasion Becca a local nurse and ex girlfriend of Satterthwaite had been at Eden’s End when violet had been found dead in her chair, Becca didn’t like the look on the old ladies face, it wasn’t the look of someone who had just died peacefully. She had contacted Satterthwaite and asked to meet him to ask for advice. He told her to call the number to report it if she felt it was suspicious. Becca had ended their long term relationship, and he had struggled to get over it.

Post autopsy it was found the Violet Ross had been murdered it was now up to Satterthwaite and his team to catch the killer, who had motive, Monica the niece who had been visiting a short time before she had passed, Karen the manager of the nursing home, Klemmie Markowics a Polish carer, who really liked Violet mainly because she spoke Polish, she also did have Violets Brooch in her possession, claiming she had given it to her as a gift. Ellie the head nurse.

Set in the beautiful Lake District, it was nice to read the mentions of the area, the story flowed, not a fast pace but not too slow either, there were always questions being looked at and answered. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to #netgalley and #Ariapublishers for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

The death of a 100 year old Dr Violet Ross in a care home thought to be natural, later discovered to be a murder got the team of DCI Jude and DS Ashleigh to the forefront to investigate.

My second book by author Jo Allen, this was quite a slow moving detailed story. The writing kept the tension growing with each character adding to it. Some did behave in a blatantly suspicious manner. I had quite a few of them on my list of suspects.

I liked the police team, they worked well. There was a good camaraderie happening. Jude was quite dynamic and kept the investigation moving in the right direction. I was not very fond of the budding romance between him and Ashleigh.

The story had its twists when hints of a past life during the WWII came about, as the victim had her links in it. More murders ratcheted up the tension. I liked how the author tied all the loose ends up to reveal the killer. Quite unexpected.

Overall, this was a solid police procedural which kept my interest going and made me turn the pages right till the end.

Death at Eden's End is the second instalment in the DCI Jude Satterthwaite series and is the perfect hybrid of cosy mystery set in breathtaking Lake District surroundings and fascinating police procedural. It isn't necessary to have read the first book, Death By Dark Waters, prior to this one as the story is self-contained, but I highly recommended checking it out if you perhaps enjoy what you read within these pages. I thought the first book was highly accomplished and wholeheartedly addictive but I think this one, flabbergastingly, tops it for me. We return to the beauty and unspoiled splendour of my neck of the woods - The Lake District National Park, nestled in the Cumbrian heartlands. Catering to the retired and wealthy Eden's End luxury care facility was home to Dr Violet Ross, a centenarian merely looking to live out her last days in peace. However, she is brutally murdered which begs the question - who would slay a defenceless elderly lady? Then more bodies begin to drop left, right and centre.

Oh man, this is a great read where DCI Jude Satterthwaite, DS Ashleigh O'Halloran and their team put their all into investigating what happened. It was well written and plotted and held my attention from start to finish. The cast of characters is eclectic and diverse with each having a very individual personality which made telling everyone apart so simple. As you make your way through the story you find ample twists and turns and for the most part, it manages to remain on the right side of believable. I was a little disappointed to find quite a substantial portion at the beginning of the book devoted to Jude and Ashleigh's blossoming relationship as I felt it detracted from the major storyline and was rather contrived. The conclusion was the best part as it was orchestrated beautifully. Overall, it's an entertaining way to pass a few hours on these cold wintery days but I doubt I will remember reading it this time next week. Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.

When 100-year-old nursing home resident, Violet Ross, is found dead, it seems like, although a tragedy, it is just a case of demise due to old age. One member of staff, however, is concerned by the haste to draw a line under the incident, feeling that a post mortem should be carried out on the old, but otherwise healthy, woman. In an environment where everyone seems to be hiding something, DCI Jude Satterthwaite and DS Ashleigh O’Halloran must uncover an age-old secret before another person is found dead.

Death at Eden’s End is the second in the Jude Satterthwaite series, the first being Death by Dark Waters. I felt that the previous book served as a good introduction to the series, introducing the characters but leaving us wanting more. I was pleased that in this book, we get to find out more about Jude, and feel that he became much more of a rounded character. Similarly, we previously found out some of Ashleigh’s backstory and this was expanded upon here with the introduction of a character from her past. As a result, I definitely developed more of a connection to Jude and Ashleigh than I did in the previous book.

I really enjoyed the setting for the murder, especially as the victim seemed an unlikely one. It was apparent from the start that all was not well at Eden’s End, the Lake District nursing home, with an abundance of characters who seemed to be hiding something and had the opportunity to carry out the murder. This is definitely a book about secrets and we soon realise that Violet was hiding some major ones of her own. With a plot that takes us right back to World War Two, and the subsequent consequences of a person’s actions, there were plenty of twists and turns to hold my attention and make me desperate to find out the culprit and discover what their motive was. Although I deduced part of the plot, I didn’t work out who the killer was and was shocked when all was revealed.

I really enjoyed Death at Eden’s End, and feel that this was even better than the previous book. I’m already looking forward to the next one!

I freely admit I've been really looking forward to the second Jude Satterthwaite mystery; the first was a bobby dazzler and this one kept up the high standard!

With the death of a very elderly resident in a local care home, no red flags are raised until Jude's ex-partner has a quiet word with him. As luck would have it, the case falls on DCI Satterthwaite's desk and he and his team get to work.

Once more, we're back in the majestic scenery of the Lake District, which author Jo Allen describes so well. I love that she mixes in real places with imaginative ones, but the scenery is undoubtedly Cumbrian. Following on from the first novel, Jude and his team are all beginning to settle into their new positions including new member Ashleigh. With wonderful characterisations, this book kept me gripped right from the very beginning and I devoured each and every detail. Whilst paying complete attention I had an idea of who was involved, but I didn't get it completely right. However, I love this series and will be watching for the next in this terrific crime mystery. A great read, and one which earns all five stars.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley, and to Vicky Joss for my spot in this tour. All stated opinions are completely my own and entirely honest.

I have a little confession to make. Although I have the first book in the DCI Jude Satterthwaite series ('Death By Dark Waters') on my ever increasing 'to be read' mountain, I haven't actually read it yet. What a mistake to make. Now I am rather annoyed at myself for having left it this long to realise just how fabulous an author Jo Allen is. I read the synopsis for 'Death At Eden's End' and it certainly sounded as though it was going to be just my kind of read- a murder mystery with a twist or two. Oh my word, I was so right too. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Death At Eden's End' but more about that in a bit.
It took me no time at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that this was going to be one of those books that I would have to read in one sitting. Well I managed to read it in two sittings because life got in the way, so I wasn't too far out. I became totally wrapped up in the story and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I seemed to race through the story because I was desperate to find out who the killer was and what their motivation was. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then all too soon I reached the end of the story which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that in a negative way but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just didn't want the book to end. This was one of those books that I found gripping and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
'Death At Eden's End' is brilliantly written. The author certainly knows how to start the story with a bang and in such a memorable way. The murder of an elderly lady is guaranteed to get your attention and then it doesn't take long for you to be drawn into the story. In a sense I did approach the book from a safeguarding point of view as in a former life I used to work for the Independent Safeguarding Authority and cases involving the elderly regularly crossed my desk as it were. Jo uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In a sense, I felt like I was assisting DCI Jude Satterthwaite in his investigation. I know the book isn't real but I find that if I enjoy a story to the extent that I enjoyed this one then I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real.
Reading 'Death At Eden's End' felt very much like being on one heck of an unpredictable and scary rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Some of the twists and turns I saw coming and some hit me much like a punch to the gut, knocking the stuffing out of me. I thought that I had fathomed out who was doing what and why but then Jo turned things on their head and I realised that I had the wrong end of the stick entirely and Jo sent me down another path altogether.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Death At Eden's End' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading 'Death By Dark Waters' just as soon as I can. I look forward to many more books involving DCI Jude Satterthwaite and his team. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A gripping tale of past and present, DEATH AT EDEN'S END by Jo Allen is sure to keep you captive from start to finish.

When Dr. Violet Ross is found dead in Eden's End, a luxurious residential care home in the Lake District, it isn't all that surprising as she was one hundred years old. But when an autopsy shows that she was murdered, DCI Jude Satterthwaite is determined to uncover the truth. Just who was Violet Ross and could her past be the reason for her murder? As Jude starts to dig into the care home and the victim's past, it isn't long before more deaths start happening. Just what is going on in this picture-perfect place of solitude? What secrets are seething beneath the surface? And can Jude and his team figure it all out before anyone else loses their life?

​With plenty of twists and turns along the way, I enjoyed watching Jude pick each part of the puzzle apart as everything slowly starts to slot into place. Jumping back in time to when Dr. Violet Ross was a younger woman worked well for me as we got to know the victim while also trying to link it to her murder in the present. With plenty to keep you thinking I'm sure that DEATH AT EDEN'S END by Jo Allen will please crime fiction fans everywhere and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.