Di Jemima Huxley thought Leighton Woods would be a refuge for herself and her young son but there's more afoot there than she could have predicted, Someone killed a Czech woman with a cross bow (a cross bow!) in a church yard. Finding the answer of who and why will take her into dark corners. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Another excellent novel in the series featuring detective Jemima Huxley and her team. The body of a dead woman is found in the local church in Glamorgan shot by a crossbow through the heart. This book keeps the reader enthralled until the final pages

TRIGGER WARNING: rape and self harm
A young woman is abducted and trafficked to the UK. She makes a daring escape but is killed by a crossbow killer. DI Jemima Huxley leads the case despite beings seven months pregnant following a rape.
The Leighton Meadow Killings is the fourth book in the DI Huxley series but the first that I have read. There are mentions of previous cases (but no spoilers) and also events from the past in the personal life of Jemima.
The book begins with the trafficking and death of a young Czech woman before moving onto the past to show us Jemima's rape. We then rejoin the present day as Jemima investigates the murder. It has taken place in the safe small Welsh village in which she lives so she feels almost violated once more.
The book is written in the third person to allow us to see the victim's perspective before her death as well as Jemima's. I think it was a good idea not to have first person persepctives as it would have been too rawly emotional with the rape content.
The plot and investigation develop at a reasonable pace. Jemima is a character who is easy to like so we readers are keen for her to succeed personally and professionally. The style of writing is easy to read and there is a good mix of description, dialogue and the characters' emotion.
The Leighton Meadow Killings is an enjoyable detective thriller and I would like to read more by this author.

An assured, engrossing and brilliantly written crime novel, police procedural fans will enjoy Gaynor Torrance’s The Leighton Meadow Killings.

When DI Jemima Huxley had moved to the village of Leighton Meadow in Wales, she had thought that she had found the ideal place to bring up her ten year old son. However, little did Jemima realise that Leighton Meadow is a hotbed of lies, secrets, deception…and murder as she discovers when a young woman is found dead in the village church shot through the heart with a crossbow. As Jemima begins her investigation, she is shocked when she discovers the identity of the young woman. The victim was a Czech student who had gone missing on a night out in Prague. So how did she end up murdered in a Welsh churchyard?

With Jemima going down one dead end after the other, she wonders whether she will ever solve this macabre and complex case. What had brought the victim to Wales? Who is she hiding from? And what secrets did she know that had got her so brutally murdered? The clock’s ticking and Jemima needs to unmask the culprit before more bodies are found. Can Jemima solve this case in time? Or will the killer end up getting away with cold-blooded murder?

Gaynor Torrance certainly knows how to keep her readers turning the pages and on the edge of their seats. A compelling, tension-packed and fast-paced crime thriller that grabs readers from the start and keeps them gripped till the end, The Leighton Meadow Killings is an exciting, unpredictable and shocking police procedural with a fabulous detective at its heart readers will enjoy spending time with.

Fans of Ann Cleeves and Joy Ellis will not want to miss Gaynor Torrance’s latest crime thriller, The Leighton Meadow Killings.

When a young girl is found dead in a village church murder is brought close to home for Jemima Huxley. This is where she lives with her sister, a place she thought was safe for her & her adopted son. She knows that this is the last case she will take before she goes off on maternity leave & she knows that she will find it hard not being able to be as hands on as usual. Further investigations reveal that the young woman went missing along with four of her friends after a night out in Prague . The girls appear to be trafficked. Enquiries point to the co-owner of a haulage firm but she denies all knowledge & says she is terrified for her six year old twins who have been abducted by her brother.

This is the fourth in the series but I had not read any previously. There was no shortage of references to previous events, although for me there were almost too many. The story was told mostly from the perspective of Jemima, an interesting character in many ways although I didn't really 'bond' with her. I don't know if it was the style of writing but it fell short for me. This was a good read but not a great one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is the fourth outing for Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley and her team. They’re called out to the tranquil village of Leighton Meadows. A young woman has been found dead in a local church, shot with a cross bow. Who is the woman? What’s her connection to the village? And why are the villagers closing ranks and keeping mum?
This is an excellent police procedural series. I specially like the way her team works together amidst their various personal issues. The characters are well rounded and I enjoy learning more about each one in each successive book. The themes in this book are dark and may not be to everyone’s taste but her other books are less so and are worth the read.

The Leighton Meadow Killings by Gaynor Torrance is the forth book in the DI Jemima Huxley Thriller series and Its the first book I have read! (Where have I been?) Now, I need to go back and read the other three books within this series.

Leighton Meadow is an idyllic village in the Vale of Glamorgan. But evil lurks beneath its tranquil surface.

When a woman is found dead in the village church. She thought she’d found a sanctuary from her killer. But they found her in the end.

And they shot her through the heart with a crossbow.

The dead woman turns out to be a Czech student and she went missing on a night out with friends.

Detective Jemima Huxley is called to the scene and has many questions to ask the locals However, she feels that the locals are hiding something from her and her team, but she is determined to get to the bottom of it all – but it won’t be easy. she needs to find out what it is before the killer strikes again and who will be next?

This book was so good I was gripped from the very first few pages and I just had to stop what I had planned for the day and try and finish it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Gaynor Torrence for my ARC of The Leighton Meadow Killings in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily, and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have not read the previous books in this series so I found the explanatory information around the beginning very useful to get to know the characters. I thought the first chapter was an excellent start to the book, setting the scene for an exciting plot. As I read more of the book I tired of the repetition of historical facts and characteristics of the protagonists, some of which were ridiculous - did Jemima, supposedly a bright young woman, really think her self-harming at times of stress wasn't something her boss should know? There were many threads to the plot but some were not followed through such as the children who were hiding from abuse at home.
In all I thought this book was an average crime thriller, an easy read. The constant repetition and somewhat juvenile behaviour and speech displayed by Jemima prevented the book rising above average for me.

Great story, plot and characters would recommend to others. The plot kept me engaged and interested throughout!

This is a dark, tense and disturbing crime read from Gaynor Torrance in the DI Jemima Huxley of Cardiff MIT, living with her sister Lucy. The beautiful and peaceful village of Leighton Meadows in the Vale of Glamorgan has much darker currents running through it than might possibly be imagined as we are to learn. The murdered body of a dead woman is found at St Agnes Village Church, shot by a crossbow bolt, and so begins a complex case for Huxley and her hardworking and committed police team that includes DCI Kennedy and DS Dan Bradshaw. There is so much going on here, there are missing woman, abductions and deaths that make for a compulsive read for crime and mystery fans. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

DI Jemima Huxley is coming to terms with a traumatic event in her life when the body of a young woman is discovered - shot with a crossbow bolt. This is in a quiet, pretty village but where the undertones are just as violent as any urban situation. There is people trafficking, child kidnap apparently, murder and plenty of people who are not as squeaky clean as they could be. Jemima's team, especially the DCI and DS, are great and support each other throughout. Jemima is a persistent investigator, sometimes to the detriment of her own safety and health and this comes through quite a lot in this particular book. The ending is definitely strong. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging mystery. This was the first Jemima Huxley mystery I've read, and I look forward to reading more. Mr. Torrance is a good writer. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.

The story starts with the escape of Dominika, a young female student abducted as part of a group of five woman from the Czech Republic and trafficked to Wales. She runs and hides out in a church, hoping she will be safe but is brutally murdered with a crossbow. Then the story switches to eight months ago and the horrific attack and rape of DI Jemima Huxley. Her Cardiff Major Incident Team close knit team of boss DCI Kennedy, DS Dan Broadbent, DS Finlay Ashton and DC Gareth Peters, together with Kennedy’s partner, a sex crimes officer DS Sally Trent, are determined to bring her attacker to justice but despite their best efforts, no progress is made in the ensuing months. Back in the present day Jemima is heavily pregnant and not far off maternity leave. Having always thought she couldn’t conceive, she made the decision to keep the baby and now lives with her sister Lucy together with her adopted son James who means everything to her, especially after she kicked out her husband Nick who let her down when they needed him most. The call comes in to CID that the young woman’s body has been discovered by the priest in St Agnes’ Church in Leighton Meadow, the normally very quiet village where Jemima now lives. Her clothes and jewellery indicate she is Czech and Jemima contacts Charlie Morgan from the NCA. Could this woman be part of a trafficking operation and could it be linked to the haulage company whose owners live in the village? As the victim is identified and four girls are still missing, a raid is mounted on a property which produces grim and startling results. Soon Jemima and the rest of the team have two deaths and an abduction to investigate, and as they do so the case grows bigger and turns on its head completely. With Jemima determined to solve these crimes before she takes her leave, will she succeed in time?
This is a super solid police procedural featuring a team of very likeable detectives who have a strong loyalty to each other and produce great results. The story flows seamlessly and was a pleasure to read. Although number four in the series, any necessary history is well explained so it works perfectly as a standalone. With its shocking ending I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series. 5*

So this is book four in the DI Jemima Huxley series which I picked up at book three and this one was a continuation in terms of Jemima;s personal the circumstances of which lead her to move to the picturesque village of Leighton Meadow.

This one becomes a little too close to home for Jemima after the body of a young girl is discovered murdered in the village church literally on her door step has she made a mistake seeking refuge and a newer safer life for her and family in what she thought was a safe haven? Time to switch to the professional mode as her and her team are tasked with bringing the perpetrator to justice.

This is another fab edition to the series, the relationship between Jemina and her team is admirable and loyalty is at their core, from the first to the last page the story flows and the plot unfolds to reach a satisfying conclusion well worth a read.

This is the fourth book in the Jemima Huxley series. I've read all the prior books, but enough background information about the characters is given, new readers could also enjoy it. My favorites in this series are the second and third books, and I was a little disappointed in this one. Part of the reason is the book deals with several disturbing topics including the emotional and physical abuse of children, and violent assault. It was a lot for one book. There was also a lot of sadness and sometimes puzzling events in the personal lives of some of the detectives.

Detective Jemima Huxley is still an appealing character and I like the way the team of detectives work together on a couple of difficult cases. I also enjoyed getting to know Jemima's sister, Lucy, better. This is a crime series so I know bad things will happen, but I hope the next book is a little less dark with more hopeful moments. I would rate this one 3.5 stars.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Joffe Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley is once again on a case in The Leighton Meadow Killings by Gaynor Torrance. This is the fourth book in the series and one not previously encountered. An unidentified woman is found murdered in the local church and Jemima and her team investigate. With few clues, the team has to track down leads and try to break open the case. Yet, as the leads are advanced, things get more complicated and other crimes are uncovered. Whilst the investigations are undertaken, Jemima’s life continues to throw up challenges as she juggles personal and professional struggles. A top notch police procedural with the perfect balance of crime investigation and the personal lives of the police team which makes for a four and a half star rating. With thanks to Joffe Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow-what a story. This is the first book I have read from this author, but it won't be the last. A riveting, complex plot that piqued my interest throughout. Definitely going to read the rest of the series now. Recommended.

NSSI, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, physical-attack, support-system, trafficking, triggers, international-crime-and-mystery, interpersonal-problems, Wales, abduction, thriller, threats, rural, real-horror, smoke-and-mirrors, procedural, mental-health-issues*****

The publisher's blurb is a little off center, but the book is riveting and disconcerting. There are plots and side plots, but it all comes together at the end. Don't want to get into any kind of spoilers, but there are definitely triggers here as well as mental health issues. The teamwork is great on the small scale, but the brass is about what you'd expect. Very involving story that moves along rapidly.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A nail-bitingly tense crime mystery that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Great characters, great storyline. I kept turning the pages instead of turning off the light!

3.5 stars rounded up

DI Jemima Huxley Crime Thriller Book 4

A woman is found dead in the village church. She thought she'd found sanctuary from her killer. But they found her in the end. And they shot her through the heart with a crossbow. All the locals clam up when questioned. Detective Jemima Huxley is worried that they are hiding something - but what?

this is the first book that I've read in this series. After some events have taken place in DI Jemima's life, she decided to move to Leighton Meadow as she thought it would be safer to bring up her family. But it's not the quiet town Jemima imagined it would be. Jemima and her team are looking for the person responsible for killing a young woman in a church. The story is told from Jemima's perspective. There's lots going on in the book. The book reads well as a standalone. The only thing that spoiled the book was that I thought the story ended abruptly.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #GaynorTorrance for my ARC of #TheLeightonMeadowKillings in exchange for an honest review.