First book in a series finds Jess Bridges (finder of missing person, private investigator) “wild swimming” as her book club discusses a book about it. (I looked it up, it’s an actual thing!) While wild swimming a dog takes off with her clothes, and while looking to cover up she finds a body. Her ADHD thought process takes leaps and bounds, great story, page turning, and makes you laugh out loud. Looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book and give my review

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this advanced reader's copy of Black River by Joss Stirling.

What a great start to what I hope is a long series of books about my new favorite private eye/temp worker, Jess Bridges. This is the first book in the series, giving you an introduction to Jess and the major players in her life and love. Among them are Drew (a maybe ex), Cory (don't call her a landlord), and Michael (the one that let Jess get away). There are other characters as well but these are the three that I hope pop up again in future books.

In this installment Jess finds a dead body while illegally skinnydipping, beginning a series of scary encounters that could be happenstance or something more sinister. Along the way Jess meets a wild swimming enthusiast and a police inspector who is all business. Or is he? That is one of the many tantalizing questions that you will get to ask yourself while you read this book.

For fans of thrillers, mystery, and suspense novels, this one is right up your alley!

Jess Bridges is a quirky PI. She discovers a body while swimming. Great characters in this book. Lots of mystery and intrigue, as well as possible romantic entanglements. This is the first book in the series. I will be reading the next one, White Horse soon. This is my first book by this author and will be looking for more.

Thanks to netgalley, Joss Stirling and One More Chapter Books for the arc

What a wackalicious start to a new mystery series! I certainly cannot wait to read the next book. A quirky character (Forget sky, Jess is the new limit when it comes to going bonkers) who is a PI and ahem, torn between three men in her life (add one more as the story ends), and she ends up solving two mysteries at once - talk about two birds with one stone.
Wacky, quirky, crazy, funny, call it whatever you want, this story is wackalicious! Excellent storytelling and well-developed plot. Highly recommended!

Quick Moving Crime Yarn...
The first in the Jess Bridges series of mysteries. A spate of murders on the Thames brings together the lead detective in the case, Leo George, and private detective, Jess. A quick moving crime yarn, enjoyable and laced with humour with a likeable protagonist in Jess and a solid cast of supporting characters. Engaging reading.

Well written thriller, engaging, captivating from the start.

Well developed storyline, good characters. Interesting and good from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well written entertaining a story that drew me in,.Inam looking forward to reading more in the series and more by this author,I enjoyed the way the book ended notnusual sewn up storyline.#netgalley #harpercollinsuj

Complex,thriller with some interesting and unusual characters.The storyline however did not hold my interest as it was too convoluted. Sub plot featuring a missing girl was what kept me reading.

Having read the second book in this series I then went back and read the first hoping to get more insight into the character of Leo, while that didn't happen I have realised that's because Jess is very much the main character.
Definitely more of a light hearted crime caper than a thriller the book is full of humour thanks mostly to the inner dialogue of Jess.
Were it not 2020 I'd say this is an ideal beach read. Instead I'll say a funny, if at times convoluted, easy read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

There is a serial killer on the loose murdering people on the Thames ,The story’s main character is Jess a private eye with ADHD. This book has many flawed characters which makes for an entertaining if not often muddled read. 4 stars.

Joss Stirling's first in the Jess Bridges series is based in Oxford and features a flawed central protagonist in the 31 year old private investigator, specialising in finding the missing. She has a complicated personal life, her boyfriend, Drew Payne, has taken off to Austria to do a Yoga course, and she is unsure whether their relationship is over. She has mental health issues that have their origins in a childhood with her dysfunctional family, with an abusive father that led to her running away on several occasions. She suffers from ADHD, has seen a therapist who thinks she's on the route to recovery, but the truth is that she still struggles, has poor impulse control, with a tendency toward being scatty and often a source of annoyance to others, whilst simultaneously being an object of desire for many men.

After a book club meeting, Jess goes wild swimming, naked, in the river, only to have her clothes taken by a dog, when she comes across a murdered dead body in a punt. A passing jogger, who turns out to wild swimming author and expert, Jago Jackson, helps and waits until the police arrive on the scene, the victim turns out to be Dr Kenneth Kingston, an Oxford academic. An embarrassed Jess gives a statement to DI Leo George, tasked to lead the murder inquiry from Kidlington HQ, the victim turns out to be Dr Kenneth Kingston, an Oxford academic. Leo brings in forensic psychologist, Michael Harrison, onto the investigation as other murders with the same MO follow, a man Jess had previously been in a relationship with, and who is currently receiving threats and being trolled on social media, threats that appear to extend to Jess too.

Stirling writes a fun and entertaining crime thriller, that I am sure will appeal to many crime fiction and mystery readers. However, whilst I found this to be an okay and engaging read, it didn't grab me in the way that I had hoped it would. Jess, the central character, is not someone I really gelled with, although I can't quite put my finger on why that was so, although I admit to feeling the occasional smidgens of irritation with her and her hot mess of a persona. I did appreciate the location though, as Oxford is a city I know well. I have no doubt that there will be plenty of other readers who will love this crime novel, and the others in the series that follow it. Many thanks to HarperCollins and One More Chapter for an ARC.

I've read a couple of stand alone books by this author but this is the start of a new series and anyone who knows me knows that I do love my series books!
So... Jess Bridges... Oxford based PI with a dubious personal background... She's out wild (naked) swimming one evening and finds a body. It soon becomes obvious that there is more to this than just an accident and she's grilled by the DI tasked with investigating - one DI Leo George. Apparently it's not Jess's first rodeo in this matter and she becomes a bit of a suspect... But being a PI she is quite well placed to go off and start her own investigation - even though it kind of throws up more questions than answers and puts her in a bit of peril when she herself teams up with wild swimming expert, and author of her current book club read, Jago Jackson...
It all sounds a bit busy doesn't it... well... it is... and a bit convoluted too. Jess is so far removed from a typical PI that she is almost an anti-stereotype but it works. It really does. She's a bit ditzy though and her naivety does show though a bit at times. I did find myself yelling at her a tad along the way and she did annoy me at times. But I probably could grow to love her as a character. We'll see when I start book two...
All that said, the plot is intriguing and kept my attention nicely along the way. We also have a couple of side-stories going on and I felt they added to rather than distracted from the book as a whole. The author did a good job of building them up and then gradually peeling back the layers to expose the whole truth of the matter. Leaving me on the whole satisfied.
All in all, a good solid series opener which did leave me wanting more of the same. Happily I already have the next book queued up ready to go so I won't have to wait.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Jess Bridges, out with her reading group on the banks of the river Thames, decides to go skinny dipping after a bit too much to drink. Her clothes are taken by a dog, and her friend goes running after it, leaving Jess shivering in the bushes. She spies a boat, and thinking it may have a tarp or something else she can cover herself with, slips into the water and pulls it toward her. She doesn't find a tarp - she finds a dead man.

Thus begins Black River, which is listed as "Jess Bridges Mystery, #1". That would be remarkable for me, as I usually find myself landing in the midst of an ongoing series. However, it seems as if Jess has found a dead body previously - both she and DI Leo George mention "the West case", as if it's something the reader might know about. And the reader might know about it if there were a book about it prior to this one.

Jess is discovered on the bank by Jago Jackson, who had been jogging on the path. He happens to be the author of a book Jess' book club was reading, on wild swimming - that is, going to swim in places people usually don't go, or a hidden swimming hole, and things of hat nature. Of course he wants to ask her out, and does. DI George shows up, and begins his investigation, questioning Jess. Of course he wants to ask her out, but does not, as that would be unseemly.

The investigation itself is well written when it's DI George on the trail, moving from dot to dot to trace who the dead man is and what he would be doing there. Then, another two bodies are found, this time in a place Jackson has mentioned in his book, and where he had taken Jess to go swimming. Is someone targeting Jackson? Jess? The culprit does seem to be picking places Jackson has written around, so DI George calls in Michael Harrison to consult. He, of course, was involved with Jess years ago, and of course Harrison and Jackson have some animosity toward one another, it's said, but it doesn't appear all that much except for when Michael is handling the narrative.

We also get DI George taking his turn at the narrative reins (as does Jackson), but it's clear Jess is the primary character. I found I would rather have stayed with DI George throughout.

There is a subplot involving Jess and her breakup with her boyfriend, and her taking a case for her side job of finding missing persons. The missing person is not actually missing - she's just gone to her father's, and the father is threatening the mother about claims the girl has made. The girl, to me, seems to be a sociopath in the making. Jess' job is to find out what's true and what is not about the situation.

The main and the subplot dovetail in the end, as various adults, except Michael, fanning out to search for both the girl and her young brother. The culprit is revealed during the course of the search and captured, and the subplot's resolution explained to us all.

Overall, it wasn't a bad read. It isn't a five star read, though, and I have a hard time with female protagonists who attract virtually every man they come across, including some gay dudes. The opening coincidence between Jess and Jackson is something I know is required for the plot, and I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give it a pass. The theory of the murders is at least possible, although the first murder is never really fully explained in terms of what connection it has to Jackson's book on wild swimming.

I'll give it four out of five stars.

Thanks to One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the review copy.

Wow this is the first book in this series and it was an excellent read.

I did like the premise of the killer using a book to do the killings. The characters were well fleshed out and not one-dimensional.

I did think it started a bit slow at first but the further I got into it the more it had my attention.

It was full of suspense and mystery

What a mystery! The book can be described as life comes full circle, as well as the past, is never in the past. However, the supposed premise of the story is the killer using the book written by Jago to kill. Perhaps Jago's book is a guide to how and where the killer will kill next. That does remind me of another book by Patterson called Murder Games. Therefore, that wasn't original. However, the ending was surprising. That was not something I would expect as throughout the story it never pointed me to that conclusion. Jess and Jago's relationship is boring. Even when Jess's personality is full of color and life. Overall, it's not your run of the mill mystery of who dunit.

Thank you to the HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
This is Book 1 of a Jess Bridges Mystery, Black River by Joss Stirling is a very entertaining book and we are introduced to some interesting and fascinating characters in the storyline.
I particularly liked the reference to Jess Bridges’s ADHD and how it affects her behaviour and found the character of Hess very appealing and entertaining.
The storyline was about people being murdered and then the killer taking on the victims persona before his next victim. It was entertaining and an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading book 2 in the series.
Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an advance copy of Black River, the first novel to feature Oxford based PI Jess Bridges.

Jess finds a murdered body while swimming in the river and DI Leo George is tasked with investigating. Then there is another murder and it seems that the killer is picking wild swimming spots, places Jess and her friend, wild swimming expert Jago Jackson have visited.

I found Black River to be a mixed bag with an interesting murder plot and a couple of equally interesting subplots which got caught up in a kind of chick lit floss. The novel has 3 main narrative voices, Jess Bridges, DI Leo George and forensic psychologist Michael Harrison. Jess’s narrative is in the first person so the reader gets up close and personal with her. Jess is a bubbly, fun character with what seems a contradictory dedication to her job. She will appeal to many readers but I found her tiresome and some of the situations she gets into very contrived. I think my sense of humour must be narrow as this simply didn’t make me laugh or even snigger and I found it silly rather than entertaining. Did I mention she’s a sex goddess with just about every man she comes into contact with falling for her? Precisely.

I liked the murder plot and the subplots. I thought they were well done with gradual reveals and a logical build up to the denouements. I’m not a killjoy but I feel that this novel was trying to straddle different genres. For some it will work, for me not so much.

Jess Bridges goes for a naked swim late in the evening on the Thames near Oxford. While in the water she finds a body in a boat and a dog steals her clothes. So the book starts! Jess is a private investigator among her other talents. There is a local author who has written a book on wild swimming spots in the area. Is someone using the book to find deserted places to murder people?

The book follows Jess, somewhat chaotic, and DI Leo George, in charge of the case and not chaotic. Jess is without doubt the main character. However other characters do roam the pages of this book - generally to good effect. There are twists and turns and some of them may be a little obvious. The writing is sharp/crisp and makes for very easy reading. The pace here is good. There is definitely humour here - I did smile from time to time.

Other threads are woven into this story. Jess's private life (some times not so) is "interesting". Her family relationships are a little fraught. A stalker of an ex of hers provides another aspect to the story. Throw in the fact that Jess is working a case of her own and there is plenty to got involved with here.

This is a slightly odd book for me. It is kinda chic lit which I would not normally bother with. However it is also a halfway decent murder mystery story as well. In addition I found Jess an entirely likeable and mostly convincing character. Slightly frustratingly there was mention of a previous case however I can't find a book about it. That is a pity in my view as I would happily read more about Jess. If I wasn't blown away by the book I did find it entertaining and enjoyable.

This book is due to be released on my birthday and i was so pleased to be asked to review it having read and loved all Joss Stirling's previous books.
I enjoyed getting my teeth into this story, Jess is a likeable and fun character if a little scatty although I did find it a bit strange that ALL the male characters want to be with her!
The story had a few twists and turns and seemed to have several parallel stories running, I didn't find her private investigator story as interesting as the murder one. I found it a little slow to get going, but after that I was invested to see what happened and it all tied up pretty neatly.
I really liked Leo and Michael and I'll be interested to see what they get up to in the next installment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

It's with some regret that I preface my review by stating summarily that I just did not care for this novel. Any chapter starting with Jess was a signal to start skimming. Even when we finally know the culprit, it doesn't satisfactorily explain the first killing. Jess is made out to be a catch. She has Drew, Michael, Leo and Elijah all pining after her. But she seems such a confused character. The killer didn't seem to have a scheme that made sense. I did like Leo, the cop in charge. The murder investigation itself was pleasing to read.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.