The Patient Man by Joy Ellis

Summary:

 MYSTERY WHICH WILL CAPTIVATE YOU FROM START TILL THE DRAMATIC ENDING

Serial killer Alistair Ashcroft is back and more terrifying than ever.

He sends a sinister warning to DS Marie Evans and breaks into DI Rowan Jackman’s uneasy domestic bliss.
Now everyone Jackman cares about is in danger. Yet for all Ashcroft’s taunts, he is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, a seemingly routine break-in at the home of gun-club owner Kenneth Harcourt becomes complicated when the man long held responsible for killing Harcourt’s young daughter is shot dead in a car park by a sniper.
A killer is on the loose in the quiet streets of Saltern-le-Fen, and he isn’t going to stop. And the sniper, like Ashcroft, takes to taunting the police: they’ll never catch him, they need to respect him, they shouldn’t be sidetracked looking for their old adversary.

Jackman and Evans find themselves in a lethal game of cat-and-mouse, but are they the cats or the mice?

My Review:

First, I must admit I have not read any of Joy Ellis’s books before now, but I really enjoyed The Patient Man (Joffe Books) which has been shortlisted for the Crime & Thriller Book of the Year in this years British Book Awards ( Nibbies) which take place on 13^th May.

The sixth in the series featuring Detective Inspector Rowan Jackman and Detective Superintendent Marie Evans. Although this continues from previous books, I found I got into the plot quickly as Jackman and Evans finally get to confront the psychopath that has haunted them. Alistair Ashcroft has murder on his mind, and it is the people of Saltern-le-Fen that are going to be dragged through coming events as Jackman and Evans hunt down their man before even more dead bodies turn up.

As the title of the book suggests, Ashcroft is intent on revenge and he now believes his time is now, the tension builds as a game of cat and mouse begins as Jackman is desperate to get this man and it is getting personal.

What I found I really liked that despite the building tense climax there is also some local crime in the town that needs investigating but is there a link to the crimes and a stolen rifle?

I really enjoyed Joy Ellis’s writing and how she weaves a thrilling pulse racing crime novel and writes in some interesting characters. The Patient Man holds nothing back from the very start and to the nerve-jangling ending. Does Jackman finally get his man? No spoilers here but this sets the pulse racing.

320 Pages.

My thanks to Becky Hunter and Joffe Books for the review copy of The Patient Man by Joy Ellis.

The Patient Man by Joy Ellis is published by Joffe Books and was published       18^th June 2020 and is available to order through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org