First in what is hopefully a new series by this author. Brilliantly scripted and highly original, could the same person be murdered twice…….?
Quite cutting edge in a lot of its subject matter, I really liked the lead detective, her personal life was touched on without the usual plot line
of the detective having some kind of direct connection with the deceased.
I really liked Primrose as a character too, getting to know these new characters drew me in.
A really enjoyable read, I very much hope this turns into a series and I look forward to reading the next publication from Nick Louth.


Thanks to Canelo and Bookoutre for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Seemingly Impossible..
The first outing in the Detective Jan Talantire series and past and present collide following the discovery of a recent death. The detective needs to unravel the many threads of a seemingly impossible crime at the same time as tracking down a killer. Immersive, compelling and well written, this is riveting start to a new series with a deftly drawn cast of characters, a firm sense of place and a solid mystery at its very heart.

This book was a little different than the others by this author. The death of a woman brings to light a connection to a murder from 50 years ago. The layers of the connection are thick, and as the mystery unravels more and more twists and turns occur. Lots of little surprises, great characters, and even a bit of history.
Recommend for all who love a good thriller, this book will not disappoint.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Written by an experienced author, this is a standard police procedural with all the usual ingredients: a detective inspector with an unsettled personal life, her bantering team, one or two shady colleagues, a smattering of technical CSI-type detail and a well-described setting, in this case North Devon. What sets it apart is the mystery. DI Jan Talantine is called to the murder of a middle-aged woman. Although the murder weapon strikes Jan as unusual, there’s nothing else to suppose this case will be out of the ordinary. That’s until Jan discovers the victim, Ruth Lyle, was murdered with the same type of weapon fifty years earlier. How could someone die twice? Perfect for fans of the genre.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Really good story that is definitely different from others out there, I really enjoyed the twists in the story and how the story built up so well. I feel this would be a great read for anyone looking to find there next great murder mystery novel.

This is a great start to a new series, set in Devon, featuring DI Jan Talantire. The book has plenty of twists and turns, with interesting plotting and centres around two murders, fifty years apart. The same method and the same name of the victim stirs up a whole host of questions for the investigating team. I look forward to reading more of Jan and would recommend the read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This book was right down my alley! The beginning started off a bit slow for me! But like many others it quickly picked up the pace and before I knew it I was done with this great thriller!
Really enjoyed this book! Thanks NetGalley Publishers and author for this great advanced readers copy

This is the first in a new series and is a must read. It was a top notch whodunit with twists and involved two murders decades apart. Are they connected? You will want to grab this book and jump right in!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Love the Nick Louth novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is the first book I've read by this author. The main character is Detective Jan Talantire. She is called to a cottage, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally. Documents found at her house indicate her name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, but DI Talantire knows that this cannot be true.

Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered, stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. This can't be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match.

The relationship between Jan and her team is great. It's fun to read about them and enjoy their humor and banter. The story held my interest, and there were good red herrings and plot twists that kept me turning the pages.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#TheTwoDeathsofRuthLyle #NetGalley

Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in the new Detective Inspector Jan Talantire series, set in Ilfracombe in North Devon, starts with a gruesome crime that technically couldn’t possibly have happened.

Throughout the book Talantire, along with her very loveable team on the force, work against the clock to solve this murder, while many people are trying to hinder the investigation. With twists you wouldn’t expect, this was an interesting mystery.

The main character, Jan, along with her team, Maddy, Chen and Nuttall really made the whole book for me. They were funny, but not over the top, and the story was believable with just the right amount of dark in it.

Will definitely be reading the rest of the series as it comes out.

Great story. Lots of twists and turns. Amazing characters.
Always great from Nick Louth, looking forward to more.

Jan Talantire has seen most things during her career in the police or at least she thought she had! Now a DI with the Devon and Cornwall force she finds herself in Ilfracombe investigating the killing of a woman in her sixties called Ruth Lyle, except this shouldn't actually be possible because Ruth has been dead for fifty years!

With Jan and her team trying to separate the present from the past, and the fanciful from the facts, the pressure to solve the case grows within the force as well as for those who were left bereft or under suspicion in the nineteen-seventies. When did Ruth Lyle really die and who is the other victim?

Nick Louth's DCI Craig Gillard is one of my all time favourites and I was sad to see his adventures end. I imagine beginning all over again with a new main protagonist would be incredibly difficult and worrying. Step up DI Jan Talantire who is worth the worry and doubts, is absolutely his equal and will hopefully be around at least as long as her illustrious predecessor. This is brilliant and one of the best series starters I've had the pleasure of reading for a very long time. The twists, turns, and jaw dropping moments, are plentiful while Jan and her team are already believable, personable, and work well together. I am fully invested in this new series and impatient for book two.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Canelo, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it highly whether you have read the author's other work or not.

Good book! Good storyline! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a fantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!
DI Jan Talantire is called to a cottage in Ilfracombe, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally. Documents found at her house indicate her name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, but DI Talantire knows that this cannot be true. Fifty years earlier, sixteen-year-old Ruth Lyle was murdered, stabbed by a crucifix, in exactly the same location. It is impossible for this to be the same woman, and yet all the records are a match. With a brutal killer at large, DI Talantire must work quickly to solve the most complicated case of her career: how can a woman die twice?!

Teenager Ruth Lyle was murdered in a disused church in 1973. So how, then, can a woman whose documentation says that she is Ruth Lyle be found murdered in exactly the same way in exactly the same place fifty years later?

DI Jan Talantire has never come across anything like this before.

Brilliant - hope that this is going to be a new series