Joy Ellis paints with a rich palette. She has a great eye for detail, conveying the ephemera of daily life on a Lincolnshire Fen, whilst still leaving one wanting to know what happens next.
There is the dark suspense of novels like Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, written in an unhurried style, making each moment that more compelling.
I don't know why it has taken me so long to discover the work of Joy Ellis. She's so damned good!

Matt Ballard #3

Matt Ballard and Liz Haynes have both retired from the police force for differing reasons. They decide to become private investigators. Tbeir old friend and collegue, Will and his wife, Kate have just bought an old house close to Matt and Liz. But Will is worried about his wife's behaviour. Will also ask a Matt and Liz to help his neighbour, Emilia who's having problems with vandalism.

Joy Ellis knows how to draw a reader in and hold their attention. The pace is steady and the story is a little bit different to what she normally writes. Matt and Liz have their hands full with all the action that's been packed into this book. This is an intriguing read with lots of twists. The tension builds with each turn of the page. This book could be read as a standalone but it's always best, if you can, to read a series in the order they were written in.

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

Former detectives Matt and Liz have both resigned their posts and now run a Private Investigator business.

Having successfully closed their first case, they are more than ready when their good friend Retired Detective Matt Ballard asks for help. He and his wife, Kate, recently moved after the loss of the child she was carrying. She's never fully recovered, even after spending some time in a psychiatric hospital for a short time.

Now she's become obsessed with the tragic history of their house and an old doll she finds buried in her garden. Has the horrific past come back to haunt the present owners? And who is the strange man she sees but never talks about?

They've also been tapped to see if they can help an elderly neighbor. Someone has trashed her garden and paints abhorrent graffiti on here cottage. She's old, she's well liked.. so who is targeting her?

Matt and Liz have their hands full in the action-packed crime fiction mystery. It's well written with nuances of the paranormal. The characters are deftly drawn. The plot is tightly woven and drew me in from the very first. Twists and turns lead to a very unexpected ending. Although 3rd in the series, it is easily read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books . Books 'n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE DYING LIGHT. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was so excited when I heard Joy Ellis had written another book in the Matt Ballard series and I wasn't disappointed.

I have to start with the characters because this is a unique story with several damaged characters trying to find a way forwards all linked together by several events.

We met Matt and Liz in Beware the Past where Liz was left severely brain damaged and Matt emotionally drained. Liz is on a long slow road to recovery but some of the damage is permanent she will never work in the Police Force again. Matt retired to help support Liz and the pair are now doing private investigative work.

Kate had a breakdown after a tragic loss and is recovered but still fragile. Her husband, Will damaged his arm while on Police work and is now retired on medical grounds. They buy Holland House for a bargain price and Kate focuses all her energy on restoring the house back to its former glory.

Emilia is an elderly lady living alone after her husband died. She lives near Holland House but her cottage is very remote. She is a harmless old lady who puts all her effort into keeping her house and garden in tip top condition. However, someone is targeting her they kill her cat and play some other pranks. In a normal situation it would be put down to teenagers but doubtful they would go to the effort of travelling into the depths of beyond to have their fun.

Will asks Liz and Matt to help find out who is behind the actions and that brings them into contact with Kate who is acting very strangely.

As the story develops we are treated to several strands of investigation and get to know other characters who play a part in this gripping story. Laura and Sam also make an appearance and Sam plays a bigger part towards the end.

This is an absolutely gripping book unlike anything i have read before it has the ability to keep the adrenaline pumping and the brain cells whirring as we take a roller coaster ride full of twists, turns, red herrings and mind blowing shocks. And the ending .... Well WOW just WOW

5 golden stars from me

Joy Ellis is such a clever writer.

This is the third book in the Matt Ballard series, I enjoyed this so much I've had to buy the first two.

The characters seep under your skin, I love Matt and Liz and their life on the slightly scary Lincolnshire fens.

I enjoyed every word.

Thank you Joy!

When Will Stonebridge and his wife Kate bought Holland House on Whisper Fen after losing their daughter they thought that it was a new start but then Kate started acting strangely and out of character putting a lot of stress on their relationship but when their nearest neighbour Emilia Swain started being on the receiving end of a series of malicious acts Will decided to call in friends of his Matt Ballard and his partner Liz Haynes who had recently left the Police and started up their Private Investigation Agency. The investigation led to strange actions almost gothic like with tragic consequences.
This must be the best of Joy Ellis' books I found it extremely hard to put down with the perfect mix keeping you turning the pages. A brilliant read with a sad and surprising end.

As an avid reader of Joy Ellis' books I was not disappointed in this novel about retired detectives Matt and Liz Ballard. While investigating hate crimes against an elderly woman Emilia Swain Matt and Joy also try and help their friend retired detective Will Stonebridge and his wife Kate. Will and Kate have recently suffered a great loss with the death of their only baby and have moved into a desolate historical house that Kate seems to have an obsession about. This is less a book about crimes and more a novel about the complexities of the human mind and how rapidly it can change after suffering loss and grief. Kate works day and night illustrating children's books and attempting to restore their house to its glory days. This book is fast paced and fascinating as crimes are being investigated and Matt and Liz try and help Will with Kate who is becoming more and more "crazy" and possibly violent. I would love to read more about Matt and Liz Ballard in future novels.

Whilst I enjoy Ellis' plotting and characters I really wish she wouldn't give them such perfect, contrived, "jolly hockey sticks" English..... It detracts from the flow of the storyline making it clunky, unrealistic and at times difficult to read. If the author is trying to be a modern day Agatha Christie then by jove she hits her mark but no police officer, criminal or even average person in the street speaks the way these characters do.

Another corker of a book by the very talented Joy Ellis. I have read all books by this author and loved each and every one of them. I find them gripping, informative, addictive and easy to read.
Matt and Liz are retired from the force now but have taken up a new roll of becoming private investigators. Called to look into a case for a friend is pretty much how this book kicks off. Determination to uncover the mystery and get to the bottom of what is going will help Liz and Matt now end.
Their Friend Will is concerned over some happening around where they live along with his wife's mental health issues Will is really getting himself in a state and is grateful when Liz and Matt agree to look into his case.
There is a lot of suspense and mystery through this book and it's one that will keep you second guessing while on the edge of your seat.
As with all this authors work, I have no problems in recommending this book.

The Dying Light by Joy Ellis - 2 Stars
Publisher: Joffe Books
ISBN: 9781789314717

This book was slow and unexciting. It focused on Will and Kate who bought an old house on the English fen. There was page after page about Kate’s mental health issues. She obsessed about the history of the house, had dramatic mood swings and deteriorated physically. Will, the long-suffering husband, endlessly worried about her and tried to get her help. I kept reading, hoping for something exciting and original but that never happened. There were other characters and some mysteries to be solved but even those tied into Kate’s emotional issues and Will’s dilemma. This is the first book I have read by this author. It did not encourage me to read others.

Reviewer: Nancy

269 pages

5 stars

Wow! What a book!

This brilliantly written and plotted slightly creepy thriller made a lasting impression on me. From the start, it was a puzzle that held my attention. Liz and Matt are very likable. Joy Ellis has written this stand alone novel and I found it to be a big hit.

Liz and Matt have both retired from the constabulary for differing reasons. Although they have plenty of money, they decide to become PI's to keep themselves busy.

Their good friend Will, also a retired police officer, and his artist wife Kate have just purchased an old house near to Liz and Matt. When Will comes to Matt with a strange tale of his wife's behavior, Matt and Liz agree to try to help.

At the same time, their neighbor Emilia is suffering some vandalism at her home that is escalating. Matt and Will are going to assist her in that.

Another subplot is that Will's sister and her airman husband are killed in an auto accident. Will now has a niece who has no one else living in Canada. Will and Matt fly over to meet her. She is a very bright and engaging eight-year old. But Will cannot bring her home to England. His wife is too ill and unable to care for a child. Luckily, the couple who are now caring for Sophie have a solution.

All of these story lines collide to provide suspense and intrigue in a very good story. I hope she decides to write more about this couple.

I do love a good Joy Ellis crime novel and this was brilliant, it didn’t disappoint. The story was intriguing, tense, dark and kept me on the edge of my seat, chomping at the bit to read more. A really well told story that kept my attention from page and and didn’t let me go until the climatic ending. Loved it!

Matt Ballard and Liz Haynes have left the police and have their own Detective Agency. They have successfully solved their first case, and are living in Tanners Fen. They get a call from their friend Will Stonebridge, another former policeman, who lives in Holland House in the neighboring Whisper Fen with his wife Kate, who illustrates children's books. Unfortunately, Kate lost a baby and her uterus, and is have big psychological problems. Will wants to meet with Matt and Liz about a neighbor, Emilia Swain, an older woman who is having problems with someone vandalizing her home. He also tells them that he is having troubles with Kate. Matt and Liz agree to help, but things are very complicated. They can't seem to catch the vandals, and Kate doesn't seem to want help.

Matt has found some historical pictures and information about Holland House and shares them with Kate who is very interested in the history of her house. However, they find some bad things happened to the children of former owners, and Kate becomes entranced with a doll found in an old bomb shelter. When Will's younger sister and her husband are killed in an auto accident, Matt accompanies Will to Canada for the funeral and they meet his young niece, Sophie, staying with her best friend's parents. Will would like to bring her home, but doesn't dare because of Kate's fragile state. The friend would like to adopt her, and Will agrees that would be best.

However, the tension rises as the story moves on. The danger around the fens is frightening. The book keeps the reader wondering what will happen next and whether Kate will self destruct. When Sophie and her friend's father show up at Holland House, the suspense only increases. And, there is a surprise at the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Dying Light, the third novel to feature former DCI Matt Ballard, set on the Lincolnshire Fens.

Matt and his partner Liz are enjoying their retirement when he gets a call from his friend, former DI Will Stonebridge, who has moved to the neighbouring fen and wants Matt’s advice on some strange happenings. His neighbour, Emilia Swain, is being threatened, there are strange nocturnal comings and goings, a suspicious new neighbour and his wife, Kate, is changing before his eyes and developing an unhealthy obsession with their new home and its history.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Dying Light, although it is not my normal fare, nor I would venture Ms Ellis’s. The crime is actually fairly minimal, i.e. no murder, and it concentrates, in the main, on Kate and Will’s deteriorating relationship. This is viewed exclusively through Will’s eyes and as he struggles to understand her increasing mania and obsession, so does the reader. That is not to say that it’s difficult to follow, simply that Kate won’t fully explain her thought processes so nobody really knows what is going on in her head. To me, as a layperson, it seems really well done and I was enthralled from start to finish. I felt heart sorry for Will in his helplessness and was fascinated by Kate in her madness. It is powerful for its understatement. I love a good procedural and have read most of Ms Ellis’s novels but this is a step up.

Matt Ballard has a supporting role in this novel literally. It’s his insights that help solve the crimes but mostly his job is throw hard logic at Will and keep him balanced. I like the contrast between his stolid good sense and the Stonebridges’ emotion.

The Dying Light is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Don't know how this lady does it, but Miss Ellis has delivered another best seller once again.
a psychological thriller, D. Matt Ballard Book three.
Matt and partner Liz Haynes private investigators now after giving up working in the police force. Matt at fifty three years old has served his time but is still fit. Liz after an attempt on her life fails her medical. these two are a team and have just cracked their first case, but more challengers are in store.
Whisper Fens has been having a lot of activities lately,
I loved this book, sharp, witty as well as plenty of gripping moments.
i love the characters together, and makes this book a proper page turner, and a reading gem for all thriller readers.
this is something different from the author, who never fails me in her work.
emotional pulls in every chapter, and what an ending.

Another great read from Joy Ellis

Having left the police force Matt Ballard along with his partner have set up their own private investigation business and taking on their first case on the fens they soon learn they need to put into practice Matts old. pice knowledge

Thank youto Netgalley and Joffe Books for the arc