‘Beachy Head’ by Adam Lyndon

Published by Joffe Books,
7 October 2022.
ISBN: 978-1-80405557-1 (PB)

The Prologue describes how in 2005, Mandy’s estranged husband Tommy hammers on her front door demanding to be let in. Her boyfriend James comes home, and a fight ensues outside resulting in the death of Tommy.

We then learn of Detective Rutherford Barnes in 2006 returning to work after being suspended for over a year. He is given a case no one else wants – the manslaughter of Tommy, a really difficult one to prove one way or the other.

Then Barnes has a personal tragedy to deal with and wonders how he can carry on. Unexpectedly he is given temporary promotion when a Detective inspector has a stroke and is not expected to live. It’s just what he needs to take his mind off his troubles and he puts everything into his case which goes to court. It seems there must be more to Tommy’s death than meets the eye – one of the jurors goes missing – then unexpectedly James disappears from the court just before the jury’s verdict. Why? He was almost certain to be acquitted.

When a body is found at the foot of Beachy Head, the case deepens, it’s doubtful that it was an accident.

Barnes finds evidence of drug dealing and is almost at a loss to work out how many people are actually involved. Events even lead him to suspect members of the police force, but how to prove it?

All concerned with solving the case are amazed how deep and far reaching it goes. Even a top lawyer comes under suspicion.  The body count keeps going up and up, will all the deaths ever be solved and the perpetrators brought to Justice?  It starts to appear overwhelmingly unlikely. Barnes and his team have never had such a complicated case which involves so many people.

An exceptionally absorbing story with a real in-depth account of police procedure. Thoroughly recommended for readers who enjoy having to unravel a complicated deep and dark puzzle. 400 pages of ever-increasing heart in the mouth revelations.
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Reviewer: Tricia Chappell

Adam Lyndon was born and raised in Sussex. He has been a police officer for twenty years both in the UK and in New Zealand, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations. He went around the world a couple of times, living in New Zealand for a year before realising home was where all the stories were. Adam writes gritty, Eastbourne-based police-procedurals with hard-edged authenticity, forming a daisy chain along the south coast alongside the likes of Graham Hurley and Peter James. He has been married for twenty years and has four children. His ambition, as his children keep reminding him, is to own a dog.

Tricia Chappell. I have a great love of books and reading, especially crime and thrillers. I play the occasional game of golf (when I am not reading). My great love is cruising especially to far flung places, when there are long days at sea for plenty more reading! I am really enjoying reviewing books and have found lots of great new authors.