I really enjoyed this as a crime thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed about this type of book. It was a strong start to this world and characters. It had that character development that I was looking for and was glad I read this. It had that twists that I wanted and had me guessing from the first page. David Hodges has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

Shadows on the Levels is a smooth, fast read that satisfied my craving for a British murder mystery. It's the fourteenth crime thriller in the Somerset Levels Murder series featuring Detective Kate Hamblin. This was my first book by David Hodges and it worked fine as a standalone. I chose it because of the author's police career and found it to be an entertaining escape.

I liked the characters, their relationships, and the conflicts on both sides of the law. The eerie countryside came to life, making the novel an immersive experience. The descriptions are wonderfully atmospheric. A bit of local supernatural lore played a part, and there’s an appealing sense of history that adds dimension to the place and the crimes. The web of relationships between people who spend their lives in one place felt real.

Hodges maintained tension and good pacing throughout the book. He has a knack for creating chilling moments and gruesome events. Although there are some implausiblities and the mystery elements weren’t especially challenging, it kept my attention. The writing was good throughout, except that the tone became a bit stiff and melodramatic toward the end.

The acerbic yet devoted husband and wife detective team is unusual. Their interplay, and the tensions of Kate’s maverick behavior riling the higher-ups, added to the book’s magnetism. I was fully engaged in discovering what happened and how a decades-old crime figured into it all. I’d read more books by David Hodges.

I recommend this novel for crime thriller and murder mystery readers who are comfortable with graphic details and realistic crime scene descriptions.

Thank you, Joffe Books, for the e-ARC for consideration. These are solely my own opinions.
I'll post my TikTok review closer to the publication date and add the link below.

Five old friends. One guilty secret. A crime that won’t stay buried!! Great read!! This book had a bit of everything! It had great suspense, intriguing, action, murder, mystery, a great who done it and some wild twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books, my fave! For sharing this book with me!

A great book with lots of twists and turns that kept me gripped to my seat I throughly enjoyed it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!