Excellent entry in the DI Barton series. Barton is hit with a string of ongoing mysterious in his first week in the field after 3 years behind a desk. It’s a slow burn but still a page turner as the author constructs a solid story line and a group of well developed characters but it comes together with some surprises throughout and a big one at the end!

I’ve read and really enjoyed all of the books in the DI Barton series. This one was another triumph for Ross Greenwood. It was so good to have DI Barton back where he belongs with his team investigating Major Crimes.

DI John Barton - now covering the DCI role in the Major Crimes Unit- was back doing what he does best- leading his team to solve crimes. He had been in a desk job for a few years.

A 14 year old girl was missing and there had been an attempted murder on a woman in Castor. The team were quickly assigned tasks to try and solve these crimes. I love the relationship between John and his DI and best friend Zander.

There were a number of suspects for the attempted murder and I couldn’t make up my mind as to who I thought it was and my thoughts changed throughout the book. A fab read and one I couldn’t put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed this book quite a bit, there was just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.

On the surface, it had all of the usual earmarks not only of a good story, but of a story by this author. There was an interesting plot that consisted of several seemingly unconnected storylines, some shady characters that had you consistently questioning their potential roles in what was going on, while also containing the usual balance between Barton the tireless leader, and Barton the husband and father.

Maybe the problem for me was that they were a little too interconnected. I mean you have Poppy, the “missing fourteen-year-old” whose mother just happens to be friends with the woman who was almost run down and whose uncle is suspected in a different case. And sure, I get these things sometimes happen, but it was just a little too neat for me. Especially when you take into consideration the way that Poppy dressed and acted. Yes, I am aware of the fact that it is an actual condition (I did read the author’s notes at the end), but she didn’t seem crucial to the plot at all, and in fact it was more than a little disturbing to find out just what she had been up to (and a little unfathomable that she was able to use someone else’s photo identification as her own).

I also felt as though there were some chapters that could have been removed altogether, and it would not have changed the plot at all. To bring Poppy back into it, what was the purpose of Barton running into her outside of a grocery store after the investigations had been wrapped? She was still the same belligerent child that she had been, and it was obvious that she had learned nothing from what had happened. In my opinion, it simply wasn’t needed.

There were also a couple of instances where it would seem the author forgot details moments after they happened. In one case, there was a whole conversation between Robert and Barton as they drove to the police station, but as soon as their interview there wraps up, the author says that Robert had taken a taxi to the station as he wasn’t sure of the parking situation. This threw me to the point I had to go back and make sure the scene with them talking had in fact taken place.

I will say, I enjoyed some of the witty comments that were thrown into this one, such as Barton’s wife telling him that he would be fine to accept the position as the eldest had moved out, their youngest was in school and their teenaged daughter would be “circling the roof on her broomstick for the next few years.” As a mom who has raised teenaged daughters, I could not think of a more fitting description.

All things considered, while this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, it still holds up well on its own, and I will continue to read more from this author in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I raced through this pacy thriller in two days and it was a wild ride. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I knew I wanted to follow…..⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ross Greenwood, and Boldwood Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I have long enjoyed the work of Ross Greenwood, particularly the John Barton series. Each police procedural not only taps into the inner workings of the crime fighting mechanism at the police’s disposal, but provides keen social commentary. This case was no different, as the ideas of two crimes, seemingly independent, come together and create havoc for a newly-reenergised Barton. There is something for everyone in this piece and Greenwood hints at where he seeks to take his protagonist as the series keeps building. A well-developed piece that has me eager to see what’s next.

Detective Inspector John Barton has spent the last three years behind a desk, citing that he wanted to offer his family some reprieve from his all-hours work within the police. He’s reaching fifty and seeks a comfy end to his career, hoping that his next posting will be his last.

However, a chance to return to Major Crimes presents itself for the interim and newly-minted DCI Barton leaps at the chance, with his wife’s approval. He is thrust back into the limelight where two cases land in his lap. A woman is almost killed by a driver who targets her on the sidewalk, while a teenage girl has gone missing and everyone wonders if there is something who has been eyeing her for a while now. DCI Barton soon arrives to work the case, juggling his intuitive nature with a strong team that demands his leadership.

What looks like a simple errant driver soon turns more intense as DCI Barton and the team discover truths about the woman involved. Her backstory is something Barton would not have expected, which opens new avenues to wondering about why she might have been targeted. A missing girl soon turns up with nary a worry about her absence, somehow connected to the crime Barton has been investigating. What looks to be something unrelated soon emerges and a dead body ties things together with more confusion.

As DCI Barton seeks to make sense out of it all, he must learn the online world of moneymaking and the lucrative amounts that can be made from one’s home. A suspect who might have wanted both victims harmed, but the story does not move as DCI Barton expects in this case. He seeks answers, but is only finding more questions to confuse him. The sleepy English village of Castor ignites and DCI Barton is left to second-guess his choice to return to the action in this stunning police procedural. Greenwood dazzles and shows his ilk once more in a series I have come to really enjoy.

I have always loved a good police procedural and this is no exception. Ross Greenwood delves deeply into the story with a strong narrative and well-paced clues to push the story along. There is something for everyone as a sleepy English community comes alive and two crimes build in odd ways. The characters present themselves to flavour the story and leave the reader wondering more than getting answers they might want. I can only hope that Greenwood has plans for many who arrived in this book, as their backstories seem incomplete. The plot arose from nowhere and found itself keeping things on edge throughout the piece. Surprises left me gasping at times and needing more intel, as DCI Barton slowly unwrapped the mysteries presented to him throughout.

Kudos, Mr. Greenwood, for another great addition to your series work.

The Village Killer Ross Greenwood

4 stars

When I reviewed the previous Ross Greenwood book DI Barton was about to retire to a desk job. In this latest book he has been tempted to return to the front line and admits right from the start that he had been bored in his desk job.

He is given an attempted hit and run together with a runaway teen to get his teeth into.He soon discovers that the people living in the big house, Charlea and Sandy Faversham are connected to the runaway girl as her mother is Sandy's best friend.

Sandy and Charles have drifted apart and Sandy is desoerate to get away and start a new life. She has discivered a website that allows her to put suggestive pictures up for men to pay to view as well as having conversations all of which are anonymous. However when the missing girl turns up as if nothing has happened DI Barton discovers that she has also got access to this website and is doing the same thing as her mother's friend. The only problem is that Poppy is only 14.

The murders start piling up as first Sandy's neighbour and one of her cusrtomers is found dead, then Sandy and finally Charles.. DI Barton has to use all his skills to work out what has happened.

The story is enhanced by the unknown perpetrator making his or her observances and it was difficult to work out who this was. In fact I did not until DI Barton finally solved the mystery.

This was a good story, well-written and in particular dealt with how people can be drawn to these types of websites . It was interesting to hear a viewpoint about how this could be a better way for some people to deal with their needs .I always think that this author makes me think about how society works and people can be manipulated. I hope DI Barton does not return to his desk job anytime soon!

Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

Seventh in this series featuring Detective Barton who is allowed out from behind the desk to investigate this case. Full of twists and turns and interesting characters.

This was the first book I have read in the series but it was fine as a stand-alone. Plenty going on all through it. Great backstory about lives of the detectives. Enough twists and turns to keep me guessing as it was hard to keep up with them all. Look forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

DI Barton has been behind a desk for several years, but welcomes the opportunity to once again investigate a crime. A child has disappeared and people she knew are dying under mysterious circumstances. DI Barton works to discover the truth before anyone else turns up dead.

This book has a lot of quirky, yet quite believable characters. The estates are well depicted making it easy to imagine how the crimes were committed. Solid police works leads to the identity of the killers, making for a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one.
My first by Ross Greenwood, I do have a couple of his on my tbr, which I'm looking forward to reading even more now. As usual, I've read a book out of series order, but this one works well as a stand-alone. Even though this is book 7 of the DI Barton series, I felt it had enough history in there for me to get fully immersed into the story.

This book mainly follows DI Barton as he tries to work out the mystery of an attempted murder and a case of a missing teen. You also get the pov from the unnamed perpetrators side, which I found interesting. The story has other subplots to follow, and I enjoyed finding out how they all come together. Each of the characters are well written and interesting. I loved how Barton treated his fellow female colleagues with respect and supported everyone. I got a real sense of family in this book. So it's full of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing until around 80% in when I narrowed it down to one of two ways this story was going to go. I was still unsure if I was going to be right in my theories.

The themes throughout fit in with today's world. It also made me think a lot about the rehabilitation of sex offenders, and it was interesting to see the route Greenwood took on this for this story. Overall, I really loved this book. It didn't disappoint me and kept me hooked from the start. A really good solid police procedural.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for my advanced copy. Also thanks to NetGalley.
My opinions are my own

A great book from Ross Greenwood and an author ive not read much of

A big surprise at the end when the 3rd person narrative was revealed and not something i expected

Highly recommended

I’m so pleased that Inspector John Barton has been freed from his desk job after three years, and returns to the Major Crimes Unit as Acting DCI! This is #7 in the Barton series but can easily be read as a standalone.

A girl in her early teens, Poppy, has gone missing but her mother doesn’t appear to be very bothered. Then Poppy’s mother’s best friend, Sandy, just manages to escape from a car being driven straight at her – it looks like attempted murder. It seems that Sandy is a member of an OnlyFans-type website, and it’s starting to look as though these things are all connected.

This is an excellent police procedural series, very well-written, and full of twists, turns, and surprises. I would highly recommend the whole series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

My first Ross Greenwood book but certainly not my last!
If this book isn’t made into a procedural crime series I might cry!
It was brilliant!
I absolutely loved it from start to finish and I actually felt like I was watching this, I could see/hear the characters so clearly.
Sometimes in books with lots of dialogue it can become repetitive and flat, but the conversations between the characters in this flowed effortlessly and were written brilliantly!
It gets a huge 5 stars from me!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Crime thrillers tend to follow a familiar path. The investigating police officer or detective is troubled/monosyllabic/obsessive. There are several red herrings as to the perpetrator. There’s usually a pathologist who’s a bit of an oddball.

DI Barton smashes the stereotypes by being a genuinely normal and nice guy. He’s spent 3 years behind a desk and is pleased to move back to Major Crimes, where his friend Zander works.

A missing teenager whose mother seems very disengaged forms the basis of a novel that, as well as being a crime thriller, is a study of friendships in its many forms.

Unexplained deaths at a house in a wealthy area are found to be linked to a website similar to OnlyFans, and the missing girl and her mother are both frequent visitors.

It’s a cracking plot with contemporary themes. The problem of children who are forced to grow up too fast because of absent parents. What to do with neuro-diverse offenders who are likely to reoffend because there is nowhere for them to be homed or rehabilitated.

There’s lots of humour, particularly between Zander and Barton as they play tennis in unprepossessing outfits and make up humorous ditties about each other. There is kindness and empathy too, as Barton reaches out to the grieving pathologist whose wife has died.

Barton's rare gift as a detective is that he is intuitive and empathetic. He doesn’t just want to solve crimes, he wants to join dots and prevent mistakes from happening. He finds some innovative solutions - magical touches, he says proudly - to help the troubled souls in this complex plot. Well done Ross Greenwood for finding a new way to present crime.

This is an excellent police procedural. The story moves at a steady pace throughout, and the characters are likeable and relatable. The story includes several modern day themes. I hadn’t read any previous books in this series so can ascertain that it can be read as a stand alone novel, though I am now looking forward to catching up with the earlier books. I definitely recommend this book.

A big welcome back to DI John Barton in the 7th book in this series.
A story filled with lots of secrets and lies and the impact they have on the people involved.The plot is filled with twists and red herrings with clues along the way that hold your interest,and the authors ability to write police procedures and emotional themes are spot on.
The interaction between Barton and his wife Holly are filled with such wit and are so natural that I laughed out loud many times.
A really good thriller read for crime loving readers.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

Inspector John Barton wonders if he’s still got what it takes in The Village Killer by Ross Greenwood.

An opportunity arises to return to Major Crimes, so Inspector John Barton jumps at it, after all, he’s been around the block a few times. When he and his team are called in to investigate an attempted murder that seems to be linked to the case of a missing child, Barton is immediately thrust back into the life of a detective: early mornings, late nights, and endless pressure to get to the truth.

The story is a good police procedural with a twisty plot and credible characters. I really like the Inspector.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#TheVillageKiller #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks

Barton is back and i am so happy.
This is the 7th DCI Barton bock in the series.
Barton has had 3 long years working behind a desk he gets asked to run a team for a year and jumps at the chance.
A young girl called poppy and a rich wife called sandy how do there lives inter connect??
Another mystery for Barton and his team to work out
Bring on the next book ross I love your writing style and can not wait for the next one.

Brilliant, as ever the only real issue I have with Ross’ books is that they come to an end because they’re such an enjoyable read. I loved the contemporary angles to the story including the DreamViews aspect. You almost made me consider a career change with that one, sounds lucrative, don’t worry I said almost…. There are also, as always, a lot of really relatable and very well observed mentions which I feel are talking to me, haha. I liked that the Detective’s wife was a TA because they needed one of them to be (reliably) around for the children and the nod to the fact that dad had missed a number of occasions due to work, basically mirror image of my life then! I also get very twitchy when cupboard doors and drawers are left open, so you do make me smile at regular intervals throughout the story with these gems.
Human nature also acutely well represented such as staying in a marriage for convenience- not a relatable one this time but definitely thought provoking. The backdrop this time was a nice leafy affluent area with slightly bored rich people, very cosy and slightly Midsummer Murder. I did slightly miss the beach though.
All in all great entertainment, a good whodunnit that kept me guessing and lots of smiles along the way. Keep at it please because I can’t wait for the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy. If you want a synopsis, click on the book.

This was my first DI Barton book and I enjoyed it. The main character is a seasoned detective and family man with a strong moral compass. It's a police procedural novel with plenty of suspects before the culprit is revealed. Overall, it makes for a good enjoyable read.