‘Echoes on the Fens’ by Joy Ellis

Published by Joffe Books,
31 October 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-83526-240-5 (PB)

The fifteenth book in this series opens with an exciting offer, to DI Nikki Galena, that of promotion to Detective Chief Inspector in charge of a new Serious Crimes unit acting out of the Fenland Constabulary HQ. It sounds good but raises the question of her relationship with her Sargeant Joseph Easter, which so far, they have managed to keep secret.  Recently Joseph has been uncharacteristically quiet, and Nikko knows they must somehow resolve the situation.

While Nikki is pondering her personal problem, she is called to the home of Angela Sandford which appears to be a suicide. But investigation shows that Angela was in her late sixties, an avid walker, very fit and planning the trip of a lifetime. And on the face of it had everything to live for. Her death is deemed as suspicious.

Meanwhile, while out walking the dog Eve Anderson, Nikki’s mother, and Eve’s friend Wendy are interested to see that the big house Monks Lantern is now occupied.  The surprise is that the owner is Justin Connaught, an archaeologist and the TV presenter of the programme Digging History. When they get chatting Eve discovered that she had worked with Justin’s father, Lionel at the MOD for many years. Justin drops into the conversation, looking at her thoughtfully, that his father never re-married.  He invites them over for dinner the next day.

The following night there is a second death. A young woman deliberately run down as she picked up a takeaway fish and chip supper. And the next day, a man found dead, lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his grand old house.  

In all three cases there appears to be no clue, and no motive for these three deaths. It's up to Nikki and her team to find the link before more people die.

With a complex case, and worry over her personal situation, to find that her mother knew one of the victims finds Nikki with one of the most difficult cases of her career. Will she solve these three, at present, seemingly unrelated cases, and resolve her personal dilemma?

Joy Ellis does it again. Intriguing, and cleverly plotted I could not put this book down. Another enthralling mystery. Most highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Joy Ellis was born in Kent but spent most of her working life in London and Surrey. She was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the Sixties and Seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. She swore that one day she would have a shop of her own. It took until the early Eighties, but she did it. Sadly, the recession wiped it out, and she embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager Joy now lives in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with her partner, Jacqueline. She had been writing mysteries for years but never had the time to take it seriously. Now as her partner is a highly decorated retired police officer; her choice of genre was suddenly clear. She has set her crime thrillers in the misty fens.   

www.joyellis.info