This was a great murder mystery that kept me eagerly reading right up until the very last page, particularly because the added bonus of intermittent humour totally lightened the mood and gave a welcome break from the heavy air of suspense that prevailed throughout. I really liked the lead protagonist Jess, and her friend Cory too. The characters were well written , credible and likeable. The story too was well written and the humour, expertly placed. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I am looking forward to reading more from Joss Stirling.

I found this book entertaining and engrossing.
Good characters, solid mystery and a plot that kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the next one by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have to admit, Joss Stirling is a new author to me, but after reading the description to this book I was certainly intrigued to get started on this book.

The story it gripping from the start! I found myself getting dragged along with all the drama and suspense that was building up from the off, The plot is so brilliantly paced, it kept you invested in the story as it began to unfold.
The murder/mystery aspect of this book was extraordinary and had me on the edge of my seat as the investigation neared its conclusion.

The story takes you through many twists and turns which really does keep you guessing to the very end. The characters are portrayed wonderfully and you really get a sense of their personalities as individuals, which in turn makes them more realistic and personable.

This book was a page turner that I couldn't put down! I am now eagerly awaiting the next instalment in this series.

Jess Bridges, out with her reading group, decides to go skinny dipping after just a tad too much to drink. They've been discussing a book on Wild Swimming and she thinks skinny dipping is a good idea. Her clothes are taken by a dog and her friend goes running after the dog, leaving Jess naked, shivering, and hiding in the bushes.

Spying a boat and thinking it should have a tarp .. or something .. to cover herself with, she gets back in the water and tries pulling it to shore. But she doesn't find a tarp .. she finds a man's body.

So begins this new series featuring a woman who is no stranger to dead bodies. She's been in this position before ... but never while being naked. She's a part time private investigator with a specialty in finding missing persons. She does part time work as an office assistant. She's also had some experience in working in a funeral home.

Now enters two men .... neither known to Jess. One is an author ... actually, the man who wrote the book on Wild Swimming that the reading group had been discussing. And then there's DI Leo George who fears there is a serial killer in his patch ... especially when another body is soon found.

It's fast-paced, with a few twists and turns, chock full of action ... and a lot of humor. The characters are finely drawn and I really enjoyed the backstories of the main characters. I look forward to reading the next 3 books in this series ... already available.

Many thanks to the author / Harper Collins - One More Chapter / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Jess Bridges decides to go skinny dipping in the Thames at Oxford after a boozy book club meeting. When a dog runs off with her clothes she swims over to a boat to try & find something to protect her modesty, instead she finds a dead body. Jess is a private detective specialising in missing persons. She is also somewhat erratic, her ADHD leading her to act impetuously. Bodies mount up. They seem to be connected with Jago- s college don who is something of a media star having written a book about wild swimming. Confused? Well that was a bit of a feature about this book! This is the first in the series but there are an awful lot of references to something that happened before this which I found irritating. There was a lot to like about this book & it passed a pleasant few hours. However, I'm not sure I'll be looking to read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

With Black River, Josh Stirling takes what could easily be a cliché story and flips it on it's head. Making it an intriguing page turner that you will read in a few sittings and will pass on to your friends for them to read.

Loved this. Great characters, mystery, and a nice touch of humour.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

I downloaded this one thinking I could get into it but unfortunately could not.

I just felt the book was not working for me.

‘People are as twisted as pretzels.’

None of my skeletons had ever stayed in the cupboard but leapt out and did a rumba just when I least wanted them to.



See those quotes? They give you the tone of the book. It is BRILLIANT. Simply real, authentic, hilarious at times, but in the right way. It is not easy to find fun in thrillers, but here, oh my goodness, here? You get all the fun blended with the seriousness of a big case. Joss Stirling is a new author to me but I am definitely going to read more from her. I’m already eager to read what’s next in the series! In fact, I bought the second book and the third is also on my Kindle.

What Joss Stirling did is amazing. She’s managed to take the best of the different genres she’s ventured into and created a thrilling series using all of those tools to bring to life fantastic characters. Jess Bridges is a colorful character, one you can’t forget! I warmed to her so easily that I surprised myself! Deadpan humor, a clever plot, interesting characters, Black River has it all.

When you think of the Thames, what comes to mind?
Before this book, I used to think of my walks on the embankment. I had no idea where the Thames began and the city it visited.
Now I know more about geography, but most importantly, I know that the Thames is a great playground to leave dead bodies!
I adored learning more about Oxford, the places around the water, the history and stories around this famous river.

Imagine joining a book club, having a good time, and ending up … naked and with a dead body. There’s nothing more I can say. Buy the book, get the feels, the accurate observations, the roll-your-eyes moments (yes, thinking of you, Jago!) the cute cop who I may have a crush on.

There is nothing that is not to love with this book. I may have mentioned things that could make you think this is a lightweight crime novel. It’s not! The plot is flowing like a river (see what I did there?) and it takes smart kickass protagonists to drive through the twist and crack the code.

Few thrillers have had this effect on me. I think because this book is filled with everything life has to offer, including death, and not just a grim investigation, I finished it feeling satisfied, happy, and with a new favorite series on my list!

Black River is the first instalment in Joss Stirling's new series set in Oxford featuring thirty-one-year old PI Jess Bridges. I always love to read any crime series from the first book and this one has definitely started with a bang.

When Jess decides to go wild swimming in the Thames she gets herself into a pickle. Her clothes are stolen by a dog and then she comes across the dead body of an Oxford academic - Dr Kenneth Kingston. Following this, she is grilled by the detective in charge of the investigation, DI Leo George, and it's obvious that Dr Kingston's death wasn't an accident.

This was an absorbing, witty and riveting read with a plot that gripped me. The pacing was swift even as characters were introduced, and I was racing along to find out what would be occurring next. Joss Stirling has rewarded the reader with her chaotic, fun and reckless main character and I was rooting for Jess all the way. An action-packed, rousing and atmospheric story with a surprising, clever ending, I can't wait to see what treats will be in store when book two, White Horse is released. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Jess evolve and mature. Very highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author, Joss Stirling for the complimentary advanced copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.

Black River is a book that makes me very happy indeed! I love a good crime series, and as I read this book, I knew that I had found a brand new one to immerse myself in. In fact, as soon as I had finished reading this book, I leapt straight into the next two (so glad they were released so close together as I am not a patient person when it comes to waiting for books!)

Jess Bridges is quite simply a brilliant character. She is chaotic and headstrong, and throws herself into her work wholeheartedly – although sometimes without fully thinking about the consequences. I love her dry, often self-deprecating humour, and her unconventional relationships with her exes and/or their families.

Jess has various men in her life for one reason or another, and whilst I liked each of these characters, it was Leo George who stole my heart. He is exactly the kind of policeman that you would want investigating if you were the victim of a crime. His garden sounds idyllic, and I loved that Joss Stirling included this to give us a glimpse of the man behind the uniform, so to speak.

Black River is a book that makes me long to visit Oxford again to explore its streets and investigate some of the locations described in the book, although the chances of you catching me wild swimming are very slim!

Jess Bridges is a sort-of-private detective specializing in missing persons cases. She is one of those people that seems to always be flitting from one thing to another, one living situation to another, one relationship to another. She has ADHD, a clack of impulse control, a predilection for addiction and a host of other mental health issues. She somehow has also fooled her therapist into thinking that she is mostly better and making strides to control herself.

After her landlady and member of the local moms group book club talks Jess into joining them for a book club meeting, Jess’s lack of impulse control has her skinny dipping and, in the process, stumbling across a dead body. Who should find her and wait with her until the police arrive but the author of the book that sparked the skinny dip in the first place, Jago Jackson. When there is another murder, it looks like the murderer may be following a course that Jago himself laid out.

Jess finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, a missing person’s case, a stalking and a tangle of once and future boyfriends.

Jess Bridges is a bit of a hot mess and while her problems and foibles makes her a more believable character, it made it difficult for me to like her at times.

Overall, this was a good opener for a new series, lays lot of good groundwork and gives enough back story to keep the reader interested.

Private investigator Jess Bridges goes skinny dipping on a whim, gets stuck milling around naked when a dog steals her clothes, finds a murder victim, and ends up answering police questions while wearing nothing but a newspaper. Jess tells her story in a breezy, confessional manner with a good dose of relatable humor, sounding like Bridget Jones by way of Kinsey Millhone. Having discovered the body, she ends up peripherally involved in the murder inquiry while pursuing her own separate investigation to find an abducted teenager. Along the way, she takes up with the author of a book on "wild swimming” and navigates relationships with the ex and her maybe/maybe not boyfriend, all while keeping her circle of girlfriends updated. The chapters told from the perspectives of other characters, including detective Leo George—are much less fun by comparison, and the actual police investigation seems secondary to the escapades of Jess and her entourage. Light and entertaining reading.

I absolutely loved this book. The kind of love that the minute you are finished reading it, you are looking for another book from the same author.
Jess Bridges is an private detective who finds herself stumbling across a dead body on the River Thames after daring to swim naked following a book club event. It doesn't stop there though, and it looks like the murderer might be tracking her movements.. Private investigation isn't her full time job, yet, but it might be some day.
A great whodunit and a delightful read full of humour, twists and turns and yes a little romance. It is so current and topical bringing in issues with social media and influencers
Be prepared to read through the night because this book will make you do just that.
I am excited to say that I have the next book in my to be read pile.

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I had not read anything by this author before and I really enjoyed this book, I look forward to reading more books featuring Inspector Leo George.

Join blonde, 31 year old, private detective Jess Bridges in her sometimes watery world of murder mystery. Set around Oxford and the River Thames.

If you like a bit of action and plenty of humour this book meets all these needs. The author writes really well even with her use of plenty of POVs.

Lovely supporting characters, especially Jess' friend Cory. However, I remain frustrated with the 'abusive father' scenario. Why not an abusive mother or aunty? This is becoming far too common and whilst the book deserves 5 stars, I have reduced it to 4 to reflect my feelings about the continued use by authors of this scenario.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review.

Being a Joss Stirling fan I was really pleased to be sent the first and second installments of the new Jess Bridges series.

This was definitely a slow burner, to the point I very nearly gave up BUT it does pick up eventually.

An entertaining and somewhat enjoyable read that has some fascinating characters.

The actual storyline was fantastic, I loved the whole idea of it and Joss did bring it to fruition I just wish the pace had been faster, because it didn't grab my attention from the beginning I just couldnt fully get into it.

The ending is cleverly written so there is a whole load of endings available (no spoilers)

Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the ARC.

Black River is the first in a series featuring quirky office temp and private detective Jess and set in and around Oxford. Whilst swimming naked in the river one hot summer night, Jess finds a murdered body and becomes embroiled in a quest to find a serial killer. I loved the characters especially Jess and the enigmatic Inspector George and look forward to reading more of their adventures.

Likeable people

Far too often these days writers seem to feel they must include characters who are jerks. Not the bad guys, but the main team. That Ms Stirling avoids this temptation is a good thing. Not that her characters are one-dimensional goodie goodies; they are well realized people with foibles and faults, but also good manners and humor. This was a very enjoyable book and I am looking forward to the next installment.