I just Love Joy's Books and when her latest one came out called The Dying Light by Joy Ellis I had to stop everything I was doing and open my kindle and read it. I was not disappointed it. This is book three in the Detective Matt Ballard series. Matt is fifty three years old and is still very fit, he is retiring from the police force.
But, Liz his partner fails her medical, after an attempt on her life and is also retiring from the police force. They have to come up with a new venture together. Their new venture they are setting up is to become private investigators. Together, they crack their first case, but, it won't be easy they do it by working as a team!

I loved this book and was well written. I am looking forward to book four in this series.

I highly recommend all Joy Ellis Books. They will not disappoint!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Joy Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up
Well, this was a very different book for Joy Ellis. Not your typical mystery at all.
Matthew Ballard and Liz Haynes are now retired and have hung out their shingles as PIs. They take on helping an elderly neighbor of a friend, Will, who has had her cat killed and her garage trashed. But it’s Will who provides the bigger mystery. His wife, Kate, has changed. She’s become secretive, angry and hyper. A nasty manic, to be honest.
While not what I was expecting from Ms. Ellis, I enjoyed it. It’s an engrossing story with an underlying feeling of tension and suspense. Lately, I’ve been disappointed with most psychological thrillers I’ve read. But this one captured my attention. I quickly became emotionally invested in Will, who has no idea what to do for his wife and spends the days walking on eggshells. That said, I could see the ending coming from a mile away, especially as it pertained to Sophie.
My thanks to netgalley and Joffre Books for an advance copy of this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Joy Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Number 3 in the Matt Ballard series. Set in the fens this is slightly different from other books by Joy Ellis and has a more supernatural feel to it. That being said it’s a gripping read with a excellent ending

This is the 3rd book in the Matt Ballard series, somehow I skipped book 2 (having read Book 1- Beware the past). This book is a bit different of a take from Ellis. Here you have 2 officers, no longer on the force. One puttering around with a new detective business, and the other dealing with the needs of his illustrator wife. Unfortunately, it's not the usual page turner we expect from Ellis- it's trying to be part Gothic mystery, but the characters just don't grab you like they should. By middle of the book I wanted to chuck Kate into the fens, tell Will to move on, and burn down Holland House. Honestly, no matter what happened in the previous books, there just wasn't the excuse for Kate to be like she was when they moved (ie before the house). Kudos to Will for wanting to stay with her, but they are written as being in 2 different worlds...

I knew Ellis wouldn't let the reader wander away, so she brings in Sophie, who wasn't wanted to begin with by Will or Kate (though how a man would NOT want his niece, when they can't HAVE kids, seemed just TOO far fethed.. It's like adding kerosene to a already fast burning fire. Once she's introduced back into the story, the reader can quickly surmise where the book is headed and whle you stay with the book out of knowing Ellis' style and wondering what twist she will pull, it does leave you wondering why you did....I'm hoping if there's a fourth book in the series that it will get some more procedural back to it, or I'll be walking from this series....

I think this has to be the best book that I've read by Joy Ellis. A very clever plot with a creepy storyline. It felt quite supernatural in places, The Fen certainly had many secrets but would it ever give them up?!! this has to be the best book that I've read by Joy Ellis. A very clever plot with a creepy storyline. It felt quite supernatural in places, The Fen certainly had many secrets but would it ever give them up?!!

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy.

I really do love this author's series of books set on the Fens in Lincolnshire. The atmosphere she captures is both magical and menacing amidst the marshes, dykes and mists - fantastic.

Matt Ballard, ex-detective and his partner Liz Haynes, ex-sergeant, have left the police force and started their own detective agency. Their friends - ex-detective Will Stonebridge and his wife Kate have moved to Holland House on Whisper Fen, a few miles from Matt and Liz. They are both trying to come to terms with the tragedy of losing their child but even though she's working through her beautiful fairy illustrations for a children's book, Kate's mental health is deteriorating and Will is at his wit's end.
Will approaches Matt & Liz to discuss some strange happenings on the Fen: their neighbour, German-born Emilia Swain, a widow, is being targeted by someone - graffiti has been daubed on her house and her beautiful garden has been trashed. Will has also noticed lights on the marsh and in the estuary at night but doesn't understand what they are, and, Gerald Grove, an academic who walks the marshes at odd times and to whom Will has taken a dislike, seems intent on befriending Kate, who also takes herself off for lonely walks along the dykes.

Kate becomes obsessed with the tragic history of Holland House - all of which concerns lost children. Matt & Liz do their best to both keep an eye on Emilia's cottage and support their friends, with diminishing success.

Then Will is hit with a family tragedy which moves the story into a whole new direction until all the strands come together in such an unexpected and surprising conclusion. This book captures you and just won't let go. So well-written.

I do hope we'll have more of Matt and Liz's adventures.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

Wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the get go! I love a spooky dark suspenseful story. Quite a gothic feel. I could not put this book down as I needed to know what was happening. This is the third Detective Matt Ballard psychological thriller about Matt’s close friends Will and Kate and the horror the find themselves in, once they buy and move into their dream home on the Whispering Fens.

Brilliant book with a jaw dropping finale. Joy Ellis just gets better and better . This thriller bubbles along with an underlying menace threaded through. I couldn’t quite see where it was going as it twisted and turned ,the only slight criticism being the fairly abrupt wrapping up of the crime.. Gave a frightening insight into the harrowing family grief from mental illness.

A woman being driven out of her home due to attacks on her property. A relationship on the rocks after a child's death. A change in career direction for two retired police officers.
This is the first of Joy Ellis' Matt Ballard seties that I have read. I was expecting a police thriller but The Dying Light has multiple layers and is more of a psychological thriller due to its focus on the mental health and relationship breakdown of Matt's friends Will and Kate.
Matt has retired along with his partner Liz and they are starting out on a private detective venture. They offer to help their neighbour Emilia whose garden has been trashed and offensive graffiti painted on her walls. Meanwhile, they also try to help Will deal with a difficult emotional period and the book has further grief in store for him.
The mental breakdown of Kate is uncomfortable to read yet feels very realistic. I wasn't sure if the creepy and sinister events and setting were hinting at a supernatural element to the plot. The criminal element to the plot was quite subtle and the investigation took second place to the tense relationships and emotional concerns of the main characters. This made the tone of the narrative very different to the other books that I have read by Joy Ellis.
Wow, what an ending! The final pages had my heart breaking and my jaw dropping: completely unexpected but no spoilers from me!
The Dying Light is the third in the Matt Ballard series and I would like to catch up with the previous books to see him in action as a police officer.

Joy Ellis once again sets her crime fiction in the atmospheric Fens with its haunting landscape, folklore and eeriness that lends the story with its focus on mental health a chilling tone, Former DCI Matt Ballard and ex-Sergeant Liz, who cannot return to the police force after the devastating injuries, are now operating as Private Investigators. Matt's ex-colleague and best friend Will Stonebridge and his traumatised wife, Kate, have relocated to Whisper Fen and a house with a tragic history, Holland House. Kate has appeared to be getting better, but her fragile mental health begins to deteriorate considerably as she gets obsessed with the history of their home and a doll she discovers and begins to get closer to a recent incomer, Gerald Grove, something that is a matter of concern for Will. Will finds help and support from Matt, as Matt and Liz look into what is happening to an elderly widow, Emilia Swain, living in a isolated cottage. She is being targeted with vandalism and hateful graffiti.. The chilling narrative documents in some detail Kate's mental state, and the storylines begin to connect. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC..

DCI Matt Ballard has now retired from the police after several harrowing cases nearly finished him off. He and his partner, former sergeant Liz Haynes who was left with life threatening injuries after book one and never returned to work, have set up as private detectives, meaning that we get another brilliant story involving the pair. They have just had a successful outcome to their first case and have the luxury of being able to pick their jobs as they choose. They receive a call from a close friend and former colleague Will Stonebridge, also invalided out of the police by an injury. He lives out at Whisper Fen and several strange recent events are worrying him. An elderly neighbour's cat has been killed and her garden vandalised. A widow of German descent, she knows of no enemies but it looks like someone hates her or wants her out of her cottage. In addition Will has seen strange lights on the fens at night and a man called Gerald Grove has moved into the area who Will has a bad feeling about. There are problems at home too. They lost a new baby and his wife Kate nearly died herself giving birth to that child, leaving her unable to conceive again. A successful and very talented children's book illustrator, she went through months of therapy and finally seemed to be getting her life with Will back on track. Sadly just lately she seems to be descending into darkness again, obsessed with their new house on the fens and plunging herself into its history. She has taken to roaming the fens and has made friends with Grove. Matt and Liz offer to get involved in looking into the harassment of the lady and to see what they can turn up on Grove. As Kate's behaviour spirals out of control and Will has even more heartache to contend with, Matt and Liz spend their time split between detection and providing support to their friends. Things turn very grim for everyone as the cases collide and bad weather moves in, producing a frantic life or death situation. This is a real chiller with far more to it than merely being a great detective story. Definitely there is an element of how a person's surroundings can affect them, and what better place for that than the misty and mysterious fens, with their dark tales of lantern men and will o' the wisps claiming the lives of the lost. Holland House is ripe for ghostly tales and macabre rumours, due to its sad history and the whole story is beautifully constructed with very well drawn characters that immediately take on a life of their own. It was also great to see former colleagues and characters such as DC Bryn Owen and Professor Sam Page making an appearance. Matt and Liz are put through the wringer possibly more now than even in their police careers, tackling a baffling case and supporting their friends through a terrible time. Kate's story is harrowing in places and incredibly well portrayed. There is plenty of action towards the end, and the book has a fantastic ending full of surprises and shocks. Highly recommended (I couldn't put it down) and I sincerely hope we get more of Matt and Liz in their new roles (please!). 5*

Joy Ellis at her best. Matt Ballard and his partner, Liz Haynes enjoying there new roles as PI’s having successfully completed their first case get involved in a personal investigation and a new case for a client. Despite the dark happenings on their part of the Fens from many years ago, which seems to have a grave effect on their personal friends. The solving of one mystery led to the solution of the second case. But still left a few problems for their friends to get over.

The Dying Light by Joy Ellis is the third book in the DCI Matt Ballard series. Any book of Joy's never lets me down! She is an exceptionally brilliant writer and again this story smashes it out of the park, yet again!
Matt has now retired, with Liz his partner and enjoying his quiet life in the Lincolnshire fens while setting up their own Detective Agency. His mate, again, former DCI Will Stonebridge is in a neighbouring fen and rings Matt, he needs advice. A neighbour is being threatened, and experiencing unpleasant events.There are also strange things happening in the night. Then Will's wife Kate is changing, her mental state is diminishing. The relationship between Will and Kate is deteriorating along with his wife's mental health.
The story is skilfully weaved with many differing threads and Joy has managed to evolve it with plenty of twists and turns right to the end! Again, Joy has created a story that had me reading just one more page before I made tea, or went to bed, with and amazing, unexpected ending.
I must thank Joffe Books, Netgalley and Jill Burkinshaw for the book to take part in the blog tour for the amazing Joy Ellis.

Joy Ellis tells a great story and this doesn’t disappoint. Really interesting characters suck you in right from the start and I found myself powering through this just to see how it turned out. Then I went back and read it again to see what I had missed!

I was so excited when I heard there was a new Matt Ballard book coming out! I loved the first two and I was eager to see how Joy Ellis would carry on Matt’s story. Don’t worry if you haven’t read any of the other novels (you should because they’re really good) as it’s easily read as a standalone.

The Dying Light is something a bit different from Joy Ellis’ usual police procedurals but it’s just as enjoyable.

I love Matt and Liz, they’re such a sweet and loving couple and even though they’re now both retired they still use their time as private detectives to help other people. The addition of former colleague Will’s POV made it even better.

I got a slightly creepy feeling during the novel, Whisper Fen makes an ethereal backdrop to the story.

The ending was jaw dropping. I’m still thinking about it as I’m writing this review and honestly, it’s one of the most fraught and emotional I think Joy Ellis has ever written.

I will warn you that mental health is one of the main themes in the story which may be triggering for some people although Joy Ellis does handle this with sensitivity.

I did wish the plot had been streamlined a little more, there were a couple of times I got a little confused at the beginning.

The Dying Light is a complex, emotional and atmospheric read that will really stick with you after you’ve read it.

I am a huge fan of Joy Ellis but this one seemed a bit off for me. I loved the haunting atmosphere of the fens featured in this story which was unfortunately more alluring than the plot. The sequences from Matt and Liz's points of view were much more tolerable than those from Will and Kate's. There is more action with Matt and Liz, as they are investigating a neighbor whose property is being vandalized. No longer on the police force, they are both establishing themselves as private detectives and this is a typical low-key investigation for them. They want to help this poor widow who lives alone and has only her property and prized garden to care for, which is now in jeopardy.

Matt is also worried for his friend, Will, whose wife Kate is becoming obsessed with the history of their new house. They suffered a tragedy in their past that clearly still affects her, and the horrific rumors regarding their property certainly do not help. She becomes more moody and withdrawn everyday and constantly pushes away all offers of help and support from Will and his friends. Even though it's obvious that she needs professional help, she was not a sympathetic character to me. And it was quite frustrating that Will kept enabling Kate and not pushing her to get help. Most of their story arc consisted of her lashing out at him, Will apologizing and getting frustrated, and then Will telling himself he loves her and won't force her to do anything. One or two instances would have been enough, but so many pages were taken up by Kate and her behavior. It was bleak and depressing and you want to just smack Will to go on and do something so we don't have to keep reading the same thing over and over.

I understand mental health is a sensitive issue and I believe the author wanted to portray the reality of living with someone suffering, but Kate needed much more help quite earlier than she received it. For me, it interfered with the pacing of the rest of the story and leaves the book less like a mystery and more like a memoir of someone detailing their partner's mental deterioration. I would still recommend this book, but the reader should know what they're getting into. It's not typical of this series, and I hope the next installment returns to more of the classic whodunit that first drew me to these books.

A good story with twists and turns as I've come to expect from Joy Ellis. Matt Ballard is no longer a policeman and has started as a private investigator with his ex-sergeant and lover Liz Haynes. There is a lot going on in their area of the fens, none of it good. A very sad time for them and neighbours.

Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Yet another fantastic book from Joy Ellis. At first I must admit I thought it was a bit slow going but the depth of the characters and the storyline soon changed my mind, and the ending made me cry.
How on earth Joy gets all the characters to intertwine with such different stories amazes me. The only thing was perhaps too many people in the book made it slightly hard to keep track of them all.
Looking forward to the next book already.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe for the ARC copy of this book.

Another excellent book by Joy Ellis, having read all her previous books. This one is set in the Fens and features Matt Bollard, a retired detective, and his wife Kate and also their friends, former detectives Matt and Liz. I could not put this book down, and kept me enthralled from the first chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.