Disturbed Earth

Ritual Crime Unit #2

by E.E. Richardson

A hard-nosed career officer in the male-dominated world of British policing, DCI Claire Pierce of North Yorkshire Police heads Northern England’s underfunded and understaffed Ritual Crime Unit. Injured in the line of duty, Pierce returns to work to find her new Detective Inspector has brought in a self-proclaimed necromancer to question the victim of a murder, there’s a coven of druids outside protesting the sale of their sacred site, and an old iron lantern in the evidence room has just sent out a signal.
Pierce is going to have to hit the ground running. A suspected ritual murder and a string of puzzling artefact thefts initially seem unconnected, but signs point to something bigger: buried skulls possessed by evil spirits start turning up, and they may only be the beginning. Someone is planning something big, and the consequences if they succeed could be catastrophic. With a rebellious second-in-command, an inexperienced team, and a boss who only cares about potential bad publicity, Pierce has to make the connections and stop the ritual before it’s too late...

Genres: Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult Fiction, Procedural

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

E.E Richardson is a twenty-two year old cybernetics graduate who now lives as a recluse.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going through my unread NetGalley books and last night it was this book's turn. And, I did I big mistake. I didn't DNF it after 10-20% instead I kept on reading despite the fact that I didn't enjoy the book. I guess pure stubbornness took over common sense. And that's the last I tell you!

Anyway, this book just didn't work for me. I couldn't get into the story. I mean a police unit investigating crimes that have a paranormal angel sounds like something I would like, but I just couldn't get interested. This is the second book in the Ritual Crime Unit series, but I had no problems with that since I quite fast got the gist of what happened in the first book. The main character Claire Pierce is back from being injured and she has a hard time with her "new" team. Apparently, several cops died in the last book and now she has to get used to a new boss, new colleges, and the guy that took her place while she was away. So that's tough for her. And, they have found skulls buried that indicate that someone is out there doing something really bad. Also, some druids are pissed off because the land is sold where they usually do their...magic or what the hell druids do. Oh, there is a necromancer involved also...

Pierce figured out somewhere towards the end of the book what the angle with the druids had to do with the story. Ages after I had figured it out. I mean come on, that was one of the most annoying things ever. Sure I can figure out things quite fast, but this time was I really annoyed. Druids have lost the LAND and the cops are looking for the place where the last ritual thing will happen.



But by then there was just not that much of the book left so I kept on reading.

This book was just not for me. I do like reading a book where I actually on some level connect with the characters and story. This one? Nada!

Thanks to Abaddon and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this – read it in a couple of sittings, scared myself sometimes whilst doing so (ok possibly don’t read this after midnight when you are the only one in the house) but mostly found it to be a fun, imaginative and adventurous novel that is set firmly in a realistically unrealistic world.

Claire Pierce was a terrific character – I especially loved that she was older, with an often grumpy yet logical head on her shoulders, who traverses the mans world in which she works with the grace and…well ok then, like a bull in a china shop she just rides roughshod over any hints of misogyny and manages to smile (sweetly?) whilst doing so. Adored her. The “cast” interactions are often funny, definitely upon occasion ironically witty, with Claire sitting as a firm anchor to the rest and to their environment.

The world mirrors our own apart from the magical element, but the writing is so clear and clever that within a few pages you’ll feel right at home – in fact the supernatural side is so well embedded in that you barely realise this is fantasy – it could also quite easily be a gritty police prodecural and indeed does have that feel to it throughout. A wonderful mix of magic, mayhem and mystery that will grip you quickly and keep you reading well into the early hours (just remember what I said about after Midnight!)

Overall terrifically readable urban fantasy come crime fiction for adults – recommended for fans of the mystical macabre.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Viking Jam · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/02/1...

Publisher: Rebellion

Publishing Date: April 2015

ISBN: 9781781083154

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.4/5

Publisher Description: A suspected ritual murder and a string of puzzling artefact thefts initially seem unconnected, but signs point to something bigger: buried skulls possessed by evil spirits start turning up, and they may only be the beginning. Someone is planning something big, and the consequences if they succeed could be catastrophic.

Review: This had huge problems with scene development. Every scene was coupled to this inner dialogue that becomes this monolithic backstory that may or may not have anything to do with the present circumstances. DCI Pierce is constantly bitching about people being bitches and either internalizes it or talks about it, constantly. BUT, she doesn’t want anything to do with office politics and wishes they would leave her out of it .

This writing style is very similar to writers that were born in England. Heavy on the dialogue and inner emotive struggles with other people. This process develops a product that you either love or hate due to the copious dialogue. The scenes either get mired in dialogue, back story or infinite details. For example, one of Pierce’s underlings hires a necromancer to divine the buried skulls. So rather than stop the idiot because of her misgivings she allows it, meanwhile the inner dialogue of her ferretting mind is churning over how to handle Dawson. When the real event occurs (Necro dude demon possessed) it lacks the impact that it could of had. All the scenes are rendered in similar fashion and are left flat because of it.

Then we have the old shtick in the form of DCI Pierce, and I quote “A hard-nosed career officer in the male-dominated world of British policing“. Hard nosed? More like hard whiner. The heavy dialogue and internal back stories really killed the movement and subsequently killed the character development. The writing is superb, just angled in the wrong direction.

[Blendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was extremely difficult for me to finish. Not because it’s a bad book or anything, it’s just that it’s ridiculously boring! Honestly, I’m typically reading somewhere between one to two books a day, depending on what all I have going on and this book took me over TWO MONTHS to finish. I would pick it up, read a page or two, get bored, pick up another book, come back to it when I was done with that book, read a page or two…etc. My goodness, I don’t think it has ever taken me so long to finish a book, but at least I did finish it rather than give up on it like I was tempted to do a few times, so yay me!

The actual premise of this book is pretty interesting and I really liked the fact that the main character is a bit older, which is a refreshing change from all the books I have picked up lately and that it takes place in England (a place on my bucket list) and if I was one that had a little bit more patience, then I might have really enjoyed it, but unfortunately I’m not and I didn’t. This to me was like watching a silent movie in black and white. There is nothing wrong with those movies and more often than not they have a pretty great story to tell, but it’s the monotony and uniformity where you will lose me every time. If you want to keep my attention, give me color, give me action, give me sound….give me something! A good story alone will not keep me interested, I need more and Disturbed Earth didn’t give me anything but a pretty good concept that was very monotone in its delivery.

Overall, no…this isn’t going to be a book that I recommend, but readers who like a book with a little bit of a slower pace, might find that they enjoy this one.

Happy reading, until next time…

I would like to thank NetGalley and Rebellion for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really nice to read about a successful middle-aged female detective, a very refreshing change.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holey Katz! This was in a stack of books my dad brought out with him on one of his visits. I thought it was going to a police procedural thriller. It was way more. It is indeed a police procedural thriller, but it's a supernatural police procedural thriller. An exceptionally well done one at that.
I felt for DCI Claire Pierce, the main character. She is recovering from a shape-shifter attack in the first book [that I need to find and read] and is getting restless from her confinement. She goes back to work early. She has new bosses and coworkers that she has to get used to and she has a humdinger of a case in the making.
This is definitely a police thriller, there is a mystery, there are suspects, there are victims. Add in that supernatural angle and it is super awesome.
I'm going to have to ask what my dad thought of it. He doesn't read a lot of supernatural type books as a rule. He does like Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' series. This is a wee bit edgier.
I loved this book and I look forward to finding the rest of the series.
Definitely recommend.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire is the DCI for the Ritual Crime Unit, a special department attached to North Yorkshire Police that deals with the more supernatural type of crime. Skulls set out in a ritualistic manner, a bunch of druids and a dead necromancer lead Claire and her team to the summoning of a great demon. This was a decent read and entertaining enough for a couple of evenings.

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbed Earth is an enthralling paranormal police procedural. E.E. Richardson effectively melds the existence of magic with the gritty world of British policing. Cleared for duty after receiving an injury on a previous case, DCI Claire Pierce returns to the Ritual Crime Unit. In her absence, a new DI and two new constables have joined the team. Uncertain of who she can trust, Pierce has no choice but to move forward. The discovery of a ritual site baited with an evil spirit points to something nastier on the horizon. When an expert consulted by the RCI ends up dead, and another barely escapes with her life, it becomes clear that the RCI is facing a dangerous and well coordinated group.

DCI Claire Pierce is an intelligent woman in her mid-fifties, married to her job. She doesn't carry a gun and she doesn't have any supernatural powers. She is a dedicated police officer who struggles not only to solve cases that are different from any previously encountered by the police but also to navigate the bureaucracy of the police hierarchy. Underfunded and understaffed, the RCI relies on regular branch support. It doesn't help that regular branch doesn't understand or respect the RCI.

The very natural human characteristics of DCI Pierce and her team make the plot believable and engaging. The interaction between the characters, particularly how Pierce picks her battles with DI Dawson, contribute to the feel of reality. It is easy to suspend disbelief when faced with characters with realistic reactions and confrontations. The story is definitely a police procedural with a paranormal mystery rather than an ordinary murder. I believe this makes it appealing to mystery readers who would not ordinarily read fantasy. At the same time, I think Disturbed Earth would appeal to general fantasy readers looking for something other than the run of the mill urban fantasy.

Disturbed Earth is the second Ritual Crime Unit novel, and the second novel E.E. Richardson has written for adults. Disturbed Earth is scheduled to be released April 7, 2015 and is available for pre-order at Amazon.com

I received a copy of Disturbed Earth from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. Fast-paced, it kept moving forward with very few lulls. DCI Pierce is interesting to watch as she solves the crimes. She is a middle aged police woman just returning to work after an injury sustained in a case in book one in the series. The story is pretty much told from her point of view and includes her small team and supporting characters. Pierce is the most developed character in the book.

You can read this book without having read book one, but I think you'd have more of an idea where things were going if you had.

The only negative I have is that more characters could have been fleshed out.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars..

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book for me was a good murder mystery book. I enjoy the addition of ritualistic magic and a great set of characters. I enjoy riding along with these detectives and helping them try to solve the cases. I have not read any other book in this series but I still enjoyed the book. * I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbed Earth Ritual Crime Unit by EE Richardson

256 Pages
Publisher: Rebellion, Abaddon
Release Date: April 7, 2015

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Sci Fi, Fantasy, British

DCI Claire Piece of the North Yorkshire Police department has just returned from medical leave. It is difficult for her being is a male dominate field in a supernatural department. On her first day back, she stops by the lab and finds an enchanted lantern has begun to send out a signal. There are also Druids protesting the sale of ancestral land.

When skulls are uncovered, no one knows what to expect. Di Dawson calls a necromancer to connect to the dead. The necromancer becomes possessed and the next day is found dead, an apparent victim of suicide. At another side, a wereanimal attacks the informant. Without another lead, DCI Pierce is afraid of what will happen next. She contacts Dr. Moss, an expert in the supernatural. She tells. Her an event is coming that cannot be stopped. That does not sound positive to DCI Pierce.

When I began reading this book, I immediately pictured Ann Cleeves’ detective Vera Stanhope. Although Claire is younger than Vera, their strong characters traits are similar. Although I did not read any of the other books in the series, I enjoyed reading this book. If you like British police mysteries but with a magical twist, you may enjoy reading this story.

[Niall Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent concept, poor execution.

I found this book in my local library, so foruntatley I didn't pay for this.
The idea of the police force having a specialist unit that investigates supernatural crimes appealed to me. That's about the only positive I have to say. Unfortunately, I gave up at 100 pages as the plot and writing had very little to offer.

Apparently this is the second book in the series (although I had to research this fact, as no idication of this anywhere within the pages), so the mind boggles what earlier efforts were like.

My honest opion, the author needs to learn how to write creatively. She needs to develop a narrative style and voice, how to create great, empathetic characters, and when show not tell. But what disturbs me is that a publisher opted for this manuscript then simply didn't bother to either develop the writing or apply a thorough edit. Shame on them.

Overall, this feels like it was written by a teenager who is a fan of sci-fi and fantasy TV shows than a professional, serious author.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Text from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

Disturbed Earth is the second in a series of supernatural investigation novels. It feels like there’s not many of that genre set in Britain, and even fewer set outside of London, so it’s nice to see one set in the north of England. The narrative also fully justifies the cliché that “It’s grim up North”. Where other texts in the genre often have a wry, cynical tone to them, this feels a lot like a dark detective drama, which just happens to have a supernatural side. Tonally, it felt a lot like Prime Suspect with demons.

The main focus, as traditional in a police procedural novel, is the lead detective of an investigative unit; in this case the under-staffed, under-funded Ritual Crimes Unit, suffering in the aftermath of its last investigation by having even fewer experienced staff than usual. The protagonist, Claire Pierce, is intelligent, cautious, and well defined – the author paints the character’s motivations, feelings and logic with a fine brush. That those motivations are almost invariably pessimistic is, if not expected, certainly in line with the procedural genre. The supporting characters are less well drawn – in particular, a new DS that the protagonist has to deal with seems to be unrelentingly antagonistic for no particular reason. It would have been nice to see a little less conflict and a little more nuance here – on the other hand, it again fits inside the genre convention, so I can’t complain too much.

The narrative tracks the protagonist and her team as they work through two seemingly unrelated investigations, pulling in witnesses, amassing evidence, and trying to avoid attention from management oversight. Some of the investigative portions are paced a little slowly for me, but perfectly well written, and the action segments have a pleasingly page-turning quality to them.

Overall then, if you like crime novels that have the odd bit of supernatural weirdness in them, this may well be for you; and if you’re a fan of urban fantasy, and are prepared to accept one with a bit more focus on the police than the magic, then you’ll likely find this an excellent read. It’s dark, dramatic, and occasionally funny – and a such, a good read.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you find yourself looking for a gritty and dark mystery with an unambiguous leaning toward the paranormal, look no further than this second book in the Ritual Crime Unit series. Working out of the North Yorkshire Police DCI Claire Pierce is glad to be back at work after taking time off to heal from a surgery made necessary when she tangled with a skinbinder and was stabbed in the shoulder for her efforts. The perp ended up in jail while Pierce did time in hospital, rehab, and moping around her house. She had come out the lucky one in that arrest. One of her team died and another had her throat horribly slashed. Now she’s back at work and finds that a lot of things have changed in the months she has been gone.

This story centers on the discovery of human skulls buried in ritualistic ways in a farmer’s field. Pierce’s new DI takes matters into his own hands with a disastrous result. Not only does Pierce have her hands full with her new team personnel, she also just can’t shake the feeling that someone in high places doesn’t want her investigations to be successful. Now she will have to try to work around all kinds of obstacles and solve these latest mysteries mired in magic.

I came to this series without having read the first novel. The author has done a very good job of bringing new readers up to date with what had gone on before as well as presenting a very good mystery in the magical, yet modern, realm. Sometimes novels which mix genres have a hard time settling into a definite style of either lightly magical or completely serious magic. This novel is absolutely dark magic all the way so if you don’t like that type of novel you might want to make a different choice for reading material. I enjoyed this very much. It is the style of novel which has a major thread running through all the books in the series which the main protagonist is working to solve while also solving the other crimes that make up the subject of this specific novel. This was so realistically written that it results in a quite scary novel.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten Second Synopsis:
The police discover some marked skulls in a clearing and the hunt is on for the practitioners of this menacing ritual.

This is a good old-fashioned urban fantasy police-procedural lark featuring a redoubtable yet self-deprecating middle-aged female protagonist. On first getting into the book, it reminded me strongly of Ben Aaronovitch’s DC Peter Grant series (which is one of my favourites) in that it has a similar style and, of course, it’s an urban fantasy police-procedural. DCI Pierce has a dry British wit and a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude and apart from neromancers who do more harm than good and vicious attacks on frail old academics, she has to put up with a DI who is far too arrogant for his own good.

As I didn’t realise that this was the second book in the series, I did spend a little time wondering why the author wasn’t giving us more background to the characters. Once I’d figured out that I had, in fact, missed the first book, the reason for these strange gaps in the backstory became apparent and I just went with the flow. It wasn’t that hard to catch up, but I did feel I was missing some of the finer points of the world-building.

I’m glad to have found another candidate in the urban fantasy police-procedural sub genre as I think there’s a lot of scope for story content and I’m a little worried that Aaronovitch’s series has already reached its peak. If you’re fan of either murder mysteries, or police work with a supernatural twist, you should definitely give this one a try. It’s dark, intense but with an underlying sense of humour. File under W for “weird-ritual-shit-gone-pear-shaped”

[Sarah Monsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Pierce is the head of the Ritual Crime Unit in North Yorkshire, England. It's a confusing and difficult job at the best of times -- so much of ritualistic magic is a mystery still. Add to that the fact that she was stabbed at the end of the last big case and has been out on medical leave for months, and Pierce finds herself at a distinct disadvantage. Her small team has two brand new and completely green constables and a head-strong DI, replacing the officers who were injured or died in the last debacle and the superintendent's been replaced as well. With evidence mounting that a really huge ritual is being planned, Pierce has got to get her head and injured body back into the game while deciding who she can trust in her changed department.

I read this book without reading the first novel in the series, so I did have a bit of trouble figuring out the place of magic in the novel. I'm still not clear on the general public's understanding of magic, whether it's a new understanding or something that's always been around in this alternate reality. Nevertheless, I was drawn to DCI Pierce's personality and dilemmas and enjoyed seeing how the story would come out. I plan to read the first book in the series, Under the Skin. A fun twist on the police procedural.

I read Disturbed Earth as an electronic ARC courtesy of Net Galley and Rebellion Publishing.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman, Claire Pierce' age 55 years old is in charge of her underfunded and understaffed unit that deals with crimes of a magical nature. She is a DCI for the North Yorkshire Police Department. Now working under a her supervisor, she discovers a necromancer has been hired to consult on the three skulls found. What will the necromancer learn? A lead causes officers to be injured and one dead while searching for more skulls. Is someone sabotaging Pierce's work on this case?

The novel is fun, imaginative and a great adventure to read. It is like our world only with a magical element. It reminds me of a "police" story even though it is an urban fantasy. It is a terrific read!

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for NetGalley.

This book is an interesting melange of "Prime Suspect" with a heavy dose of the occult and the paranormal.

The setting is gritty, along with the characters. The protagonist, DCI Claire Pierce, is refreshingly real, middle-aged and unsexy. Excellent choice for the lead character.

DCI Pierce leads a police unit (the Ritual Crime Unit) which deals with the illegal use of the occult and paranormal. The novel follows a particularly disturbing case, along with the departmental politics of any organization.

This novel moves quickly and has interesting characters. DCI Pierce is a likeable protagonist and we cheer for her all the way.

A fun read. I look forward to reading the next installment of the series.

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free kindle copy of Ritual Crime Unit: Disturbed Earth by E E Richardson, published by Abaddon Books from NetGalley in exchange for fair review.

I gave this paranormal mystery book almost five stars. D.C.I. Pierce is a woman in a man's world heading the Ritual Crime Unit. She had been out on medical leave from having been stabbed in a previous case & having shoulder surgery. She returns to work almost too early since there's still weakness in that injured arm.

There are three skulls found & a misguided ritual set up by her underling Dawson leaves a necromancer dead. There is mystery & magic galore. Can this case be solved? Who can be trusted?

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Disturbed-Earth...

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of the Ritual Crime Unit series I've read. Not quite as good as the first - too much rushing around in the dark and gloaming. By the fourth time, the reader knows what to expect and can skip ahead. And I'll confess, for some reason, I heard Brenda Blethyn in her role as Vera every time DCI Pierce talked or thought. And as the hero, writing in first person, that was a lot. Not a distraction (and yes, I realize wrong geography for Vera; it just happened).

I will go on to read the next

[Eleanor With Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book apparently only exists as an ebook. Entirely innocent of this, I picked up Disturbed Earth at a local store and then realized it was book two in a series. It still read fine and was a lot of fun. Underfunded Yorkshire cops dealing with magical crime. It felt very much like a good British police drama. I like DCI Pierce and I like that she's a female hero in her 50s. I really liked Deepan, Freeman, and Cliff and Jenny from Artefacts and Magical Analysis. I hope there's a third book soon for a regular dose of magickal Yorkshire. It's Crowley-rrific.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I would really like to read more in this series. Very similar in tone to Paul Cornell's Shadow Police.

My only real issue with the book was the subplot with the druids. Their complaint was very, very obviously more important to the plot than the characters were taking it.

[Boneist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, although it wasn't until I was halfway through that I discovered I was reading the second book in the series, not the first (I accidentally mislabelled the books in Calibre - grr!). However, I don't feel that I missed much from skipping the first book.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the premise but the writing is just ... flat. Not feeling this one at all.

[Zoe Tasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Ritual Crime Unit Books is even better than the first. I strongly recommend this series.