Beneath the Ashes

Detective Inspector Will Jackman #2

by Jane Isaac

A “carefully executed police procedural, that hits all the targets” from the bestselling author of Before It’s Too Late and The Lies Within (Angela Clarke, author of On My Life).  The floor felt hard beneath her face. Nancy opened her eyes. Blinked several times. A pain seared through her head. She could feel fluid. No. She was lying in fluid.  When a body is discovered in a burnt-out barn in the Warwickshire countryside, DI Will Jackman is called to investigate. Nancy Faraday wakes up on the kitchen floor. The house had been broken into and her boyfriend is missing. As the case unravels, DI Jackman realizes that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has a secret. Can he discover the truth behind the body in the fire, and track down the killer before Nancy becomes the next victim? “I thought I’d never read a book that came close to the realities of crime and policing. Then I read this.”—Ian Patrick, author of Rubicon “A smart, intelligent and tightly woven police procedural with real depth of human emotion at its heart.”—Rebecca Bradley, bestselling author of the DI Hannah Robbins series “A sharp, gripping read which drew me in from the first page. With engaging characters and an impressive level of authenticity, this is a police procedural that you won’t be able to put down.”—Caroline Mitchell, author of Silent Victim  “If you like pacy convincing police procedurals this is one for you.”—Kate Ellis, author of the DI Wesley Peterson crime series

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Procedural, Thriller, British Literature, Ebooks

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2017

About the author

Jane Isaac is married to a retired detective and they live in rural Northamptonshire, UK with their dogs, Bollo and Digity.

Jane is author of three bestselling detective series: DCI Helen Lavery, DI Will Jackman (based in Stratford upon Avon), and DC Beth Chamberlain (a Family Liaison Officer). She also writes standalone suspense novels.

Her books have been nominated as best mystery in the 'eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards' and selected as 'Thriller of the Month' by E-thriller.com.

Jane loves to hear from readers and writers. You can reach her via her website at www.janeisaac.co.uk where you can join her Readers' Club for information on new releases.

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath the Ashes is a well developed police procedural set in the Warwickshire countryside. DI Will Jackman is called to investigate the discovery of charred remains belonging to an adult male found in a burnt out barn. After searching for any clues left behind, Jackson makes his way over to the farmhouse and discovers a young woman looking disheveled, dazed, and confused. Although sporting an open wound on her forehead she had no recollection of how it happened or where her missing boyfriend was. Author Jane Issac has written a convincing plot, with Jackman and his team trying to discover who the mysterious dead man really is and who wanted him dead.

** Thank you to Publisher Legend Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. **

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Detective Inspector Will Jackman Series, I have read reviews that this book could be read as a stand alone. I agree that it can. The author does character development very well. I was not lost for one moment. I really did enjoy it and will be reading the first book very soon. There is also a third book that I believe comes out in 2017.

DI Will Jackman is called to the scene, a barn is on fire where a man is found burned and dead. There is an investigation to find out who this man is and why would someone want to kill him? Not far from the man is another body in the farm house and confused Nancy Faraday wakes up near the barn laying down all bloody and DI Jackman thinks she may have a concussion. There are questions that are a mystery on why someone would want them dead.

Nancy is confused and doesn't remember anything. She is upset and wonders why some one tried to kill her and her boyfriend Evan. While the investigation goes on they find out that everything is a big mystery. Nancy is threatened with her life and later DI Jackman finds out that the mystery might have some misidentification issues. Beneath the Ashes is an intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This book I highly recommend for thriller fans.
It is one exciting ride. It is a psychological thriller.

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

BENEATH THE ASHES is the third Legend Press novel from Jane Isaac, and the second in the DI Will Jackman series. In 2015 Jane embarked on a new series, featuring DI Will Jackman and set in Stratford upon Avon, with “Before It's Too Late”, a British police procedural/ crime thriller, that I enjoyed very much.

The second in the series, Beneath The Ashes, will be published by Legend Press on 1st November 2016 with the 3rd, The Lies Within, to follow on 2nd May 2017.

“When a body is discovered in a burnt-out barn in the Warwickshire countryside, DI Will Jackman is called to investigate.”

Police treated the death as suspicious and launched a murder enquiry.

Nancy Faraday wakes up on the kitchen floor in pain from her right knee, blood on the floor and dried blood from her head. She was in her boyfriend’s kitchen, Evan Baker. The window pane in the back door of the farmhouse had been broken. Glass was all over the floor. But where was Evan? Dogs barking in the outside kennels. His truck in the driveway. She called him. No answer. She saw she had a head injury and needed treatment. How did she end up on the floor? Where is Evan?

“The house has been broken into and her boyfriend is missing. As the case unravels, DI Jackman realises that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has a secret.”

“Can he discover the truth behind the body in the fire, and track down the killer before Nancy becomes the next victim?”

This is a well-paced story which keeps you hooked from the beginning and likeable characters. Beneath the Ashes is a good mystery, solid with well-developed characters and a complex plot. Now I wait patiently for book 3 in the series,” The Lies Within”, to be published on 2nd May 2017!

Thanks to Jane Isaac, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always wait with bated breath for the next book that this authors brings out. I always think, ah I liked her last one, can she do better?
No matter how many ask me "did she do better?" my reply is, no, she did not, because each of her books are just as good as the last. And so far I have enjoyed my time reading each and every one of them, this is of no exception.

DI Will Jackman is the lead of this Investigation who throughout the book I have learnt a great deal about him. Nancy wakes up on a cold hard floor, she is dazed, she doesn't know where she is, as she blinks her eyes, pain shoots through her head. What has happened?

The house has been broken into, her boyfriend has vanished without trace.

There's a body burnt out in the barn. Is that Evan her boyfriend?

As you follow DI Will Jackson tearing off one strip of an onion at a time, your eyes water with the complexity of it all, you hear your brains cog wheels straining to keep up, your mind is all over the place thinking you know the answers, they are starring you in the face aren't they?

NO its not as simple as that.

Everyone seems to be harboring one secret or another, at some time you even think Nancy may be 'in on it'.

Its a very well thought out clever plot that has a great pace to it.

I enjoyed this, a lot.

My thanks to Legend Press via Net Galley for my copy to read.

[ReadsSometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always get a sense of high anticipation when Jane Isaac delivers a new book and this outing is another welcomed treat.

I find Jane's writing very clever and very special. The attention to detail is second to none and the amount of research studied shines through in all her books. Beneath the Ashes is as sharp as a knife. It's very suspenseful and intriguing and you just have to keep turning the pages as each short chapter keeps the story developing. It slowly but surely encapsulates you in the story.

This isn't a gritty, gruesome piece of crime fiction. It's a highly intelligent piece of police procedural writing, as the book is mainly focused on the police work. It goes without saying. DI Jackman is a brilliant strong character and the team working around him are equally strong and developed. Put all this together and you have a masterclass of this genre.

A very good read and highly recommended. A solid 4*

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Inspector Will Jackman has a lot on is plate. His wife is still in a care facility with locked-in syndrome, he’s due to appear before the promotion board next week & his daughter is coming home from uni to visit….with “the boyfriend”. It’s really not a good time for a major case.

When he’s called to the scene of a burned out barn, it initially looks like a simple case of arson. But the body found inside is an added complication. Eventually he’s identified as Evan Baker, the farm’s caretaker.

A short distance away, Nancy Faraday comes to on the kitchen floor of the farm house. There’s blood on her face, glass on the floor & she can’t find her boyfriend Evan.

And they’re off. As Will & his team begin to dig, they find more questions than answers. The investigation stretches out in several directions & motives are thick on the ground. Mistaken identity, secret relationships & old crimes are just some of the threads they’ll have to follow before they find their killer.

In alternate chapters, we watch as Nancy comes to terms with her loss. She’s a fragile young woman whose crappy childhood left her searching for a proper home & family of her own. Her struggle to make sense of it all is stalled when she begins to receive threats from a mysterious man.

This is a quick, easy read that is in the style of a traditional british mystery. It’s a very “clean” story (no sex, swearing, etc.) that needs its own label……gentle thriller? gritty cozy? The characters are well defined & it clips along at a steady pace that shows all the scut work most cops have to endure to solve a case.

One thing that distracted from the story were frequent, long passages detailing Nancy’s childhood. Her mother is a recovering alcoholic & they have a tenuous relationship. This is established early on & peripheral to the main plot. Despite the book’s brevity, I thought these could have been cut in half & readers would still get it. Because of the style, the only real sense of urgency is reserved for the end & these long walks down memory lane just slowed the pace further without adding to what we already knew.

This is for fans of a thoughtful, less flashy police procedural. Ms. Isaac has a smooth style of writing that makes for effortless reading & excels at characterization. It’s the second in a series & fans of book #1 will not be disappointed.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening with a haunting prologue as a woman weaves her way amid the graves in a churchyard accompanied by sirens growing closer, Jane Isaac keeps her readers on tenterhooks until the final pages to reveal the significance in Beneath the Ashes, an enthralling return for undoubtedly the nicest man in crime fiction, DI Will Jackman. In the space of a three-hundred-page novel, Isaac engages readers with a gripping police procedural, all combined with an emotional voyage of discovery for one young woman. The plotting is phenomenal; so tightly woven as it wends its way through false starts, stymied routes of investigations and breaks through a brick wall of secrecy in a small, rural community revealing layers of complexity. Readers of Jane Isaac will know never to draw breath until the closing sentences but still I was caught by surprise at the revelations that poured forth and the sting in the tail that stays with the reader in the closing pages. Much of the enjoyment of Beneath The Ashes comes courtesy of Isaac's sleight of hand as she takes readers down one path and catches them off guard, surprising time and again.

Sleepy Stratford? Not quite.. As DI Will Jackman motors through the country roads and picturesque cottages into the heart of the Warwickshire countryside and a murky cloud of smoke beside a burnt-out barn, he has no idea of the headache he is about to encounter. Any homicide investigation brings an added element of frisson to proceedings, but with a week until the return of his immediate superior, DCI Reilly, and a date for his second crack at the promotion board within sight, the pressure is sitting squarely on the shoulders of Jackman before he even sets eyes on the nightmare that confronts him. The corpse of an adult male lies on the floor of a barn, with all the signs of an accelerant infused arson attack having taken place and the victim incapacitated beforehand. Yet a remote barn where a corpse was not easily going to be stumbled upon speaks of something far more sinister than hiding a body: clearly someone was intent on sending a stark message and wanted this body discovered...

Dispatched to the house that owns the barn, DI Jackman is met by a dishevelled young woman, pale and vague by the name of Nancy Faraday. Identifying herself as the girlfriend of Evan Baker, the older man who is temporarily managing the farm, the clotted wound on her head and evident anxiety rings alarm bells. Nancy claims she does not know where Evan is, her last memory being of an evening spent together in a nearby pub and a night spent asleep on the kitchen floor with the shattered glass of a windowpane surrounding her. But just who is the man that Nancy knew as Evan Baker? As Nancy is confronted with the realisation that her boyfriend was using an assumed identity she is faced with a raft of emotions, all the while with DI Jackman wondering just how much of her memory loss is a ruse and whether she is withholding secrets of her own. Brilliantly realistic, the depiction of one step forward and two back gives an insight into the realities of a police investigation, from the lag in processing the crime scene data to the inevitable delays waiting to speak to the parties involved. This delivers a real sense of the frustrations that stand in the way of a timely resolution.

Beneath the Ashes ticks every box for a solid police procedural novel and alongside the focus on identifying the corpse and the murderer, each new line of enquiry is met by a barrage of questions and real empathy towards Nancy Faraday. Wider in ambition that Before It's Too Late, Jane Isaac captures perfectly the plight of a young woman whose early years have been chequered by a history with an alcoholic mother. It is no wonder that Nancy has fallen hard for the man that she knew as Evan Baker and Isaac manages to convey a real sense of the anguish that she knew very little about the man she trusted. As DI Jackman leads this tense investigation, a poignant sideshow plays out as Nancy's life is turned upside down with the repercussions of her discoveries.

This is the second DI Will Jackman police procedural, the first being Before It's Too Late. Although I had read that and met Jackman and DS Annie Davies, Beneath the Ashes reads perfectly well as a standalone. Jane Isaac makes light work of delivering Jackman's back story, drip feeding elements throughout the novel and revealing so much more about his character through his interactions with his childhood sweetheart, suffering from a neurological disorder that he feels some responsibility for, his daughter and the flirtatious female superior who seems very interested in his promotion prospects! Jackman is wholly convincing with a real drive and passion for his career, but in contrast to many of the alcohol swigging loners who front crime novels, he is both an admirable and kind-hearted man, doing his best to run a major investigation and combining this with a difficult domestic situation. Jackman is ordinary, and his sidekick DS Annie Davies very much so too, dealing with her baby teething and with a bond with her boss that extends outside the confines of the office. It is never lost that Jackman's love of his job is driven by nailing suspects, chasing leads rather than directing strategy and justifying budgetary expenditures in the lead up to his next crack at promotion, leaving him with mixed feelings.

Jane Isaac has a wonderful talent for involving her readers in her novels, seeing every step of the investigation through and instilling a feeling of a satisfying story being thoroughly well delivered. The barrage of questions which meet with every new revelation keeps readers central to the plot and ensures this isn't a book that you can put down easily. The more Jackman and his team learn, the more sinister matters become and Jane Isaac's ability to furnish her readers with the most pertinent details to produce a powerful novel of such depth all within a three-hundred page remit is admirable. Highly recommended!

[Linda Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only introduces me to DI Will Jackman, but also the the author. Up front, I will say .. I'm eager to read more of them.

Although second in the series, this is a very good stand-alone .... no spoilers are given for the first.
When Nancy Faraday wakes, she's on the floor and doesn't remember much of anything. She knows that her boyfriend is missing.

Meanwhile, Jackman and his team are called out to the scene of a barn fire, where the body of a man is discovered. It seems obvious at the time that the two men are one and the same.

Same man - different identities confuse the investigators. But what they find in a sub-basement in the barn leads them on a nightmare journey.

There are several twists and turns, and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. Just when they think they have the case wrapped up, something unexpected pops up, leaving the reader not sure of who or why until the very end.

I really enjoyed the characters. Jackman is a man's man, with some personal issues. He's a by-the-rules kind of cop, always doing his best to speak for the victims and bring closure to the families and loved ones. His team is excellent and hold great respect for Jackman. He will always have their backs. This is a very well written police procedural.

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

I chose to read BENEATH THE ASHES and all opinions expressed are entirely my own and unbiased.

Many thanks to the author / Legend Press / Netgalley.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beneath The Ashes is the latest instalment from the pen of Jane Isaac. A police procedural featuring one of my favourite fictional detectives, DI Will Jackman. I really do like this guy! The fact that Ms Isaac has created a likeable, well rounded character that is not falling over with personal issues is refreshing indeed; as I've probably stated before!

Nancy wakes up in her boyfriend's kitchen not understanding why or how she got there. Her boyfriend, Evan, is nowhere to be seen but she manages to pull herself together and is shocked with the police come knocking at the door. A fire had taken place in the barn on the farm that her boyfriend maintains whilst the owners are away and the police question her about the body that was found in there. Unfortunately, Nancy has no recollection of events and is confused and bewildered by it all, especially Evan's disappearance. DI Jackman is the officer investigating the case and together with his team slowly begin to make headway as pieces begin to fall into place.

The plot is steadily told and it has a realistic ambience about it all. Ms Isaac captures the atmosphere and realistic feel of a police investigation well and I love that. Never do you come away thinking anything felt implausible or beliefs are being stretched. Characterisations were all good and, well, Jackman can do no wrong in my eyes anyway!!

I honestly had no way of knowing where the story was going to go because nothing was given away at all. As much as I tried to guess ...... nope, Ms Isaac was having none of that.... which resulted in an ending that totally came from left field. I should have seen it ..... I'm a seasoned crime reader after all!!

All in all this was a terrific read which I much enjoyed especially as it raced towards the end. The latter half of the book is really pacy and you'll find yourself reluctant to put it down. I was going to give this a 4 star rating but actually thinking about as I'm writing this ..... 5 stars it is. Not seeing that ending coming really does deserve that extra star. Well played Ms Issac!

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second DI Will Jackman book, and although I haven't read the first, it didn't pose any problems. I would like to go back and read Before It's Too Late, as Will Jackman was a likable and believable character.
Jackman is called in to investigate a barn fire in which the burnt remains of a man are discovered.
Nearby, Nancy Faraday wakes on the floor of her boyfriend's kitchen, dazed and disoriented with little memory of the previous night. Her boyfriend, Evan, isn't in the house and seems to have disappeared.
Told in alternating chapters from Jackman's and from Nancy's perspectives, this was a nicely paced British police procedural set in and around Stratford-upon-Avon and with a very authentic feel to it. Jackman's investigation becomes progressively complex as links to drug dealings and organized crime are established, numerous suspects are interviewed, and plenty of secrets are revealed. This was quite an easy and pleasant read, almost like a cozy mystery without any gory violence or bad language, but with in-depth characterization, as Jackman's family life and career aspirations play a significant role and Nancy's history and relationship issues are also dealt with in detail. It was a well-plotted story and not predictable at all. Recommended if you enjoy solid police procedurals with a likable detective.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so privileged to have read this book courtesy of Jane Isaac and The Book Club on Facebook. Beneath the Ashes is professionally written and could easily be compared in my opinion to the likes of Ian Rankin etc in the criminal police procedural genre as this is a well researched story that isn't overly heavy, but easy to follow with a unpredictable ending and very likeable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by Jane who is a new author to me and will definetly be reading the second book in this series. Would not hesitate to recommend.

[Caroline Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sharp, gripping read which drew me in from the first page. With engaging characters and an impressive level of authenticity, this is a police procedural that you won’t be able to put down. Jane is a hugely talented author and writes with such conviction that you have to keep reading. A definite five star book.

[Rebecca Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might notice a certain person’s name in the blurb above, so I can’t get away with saying I don’t know Jane. I feel really quite honoured that she would have my name featured so prominently like this. So thank you, Jane!

But, yes, what I’m quoted as saying above is quite true. This is a great book – as are the previous books of Jane’s and the first Jackman book – that not only takes you through the police investigation but does it in such a way that you are emotionally invested and can’t help but keep turning the pages.

To be honest, I’m a little bit in love with Jackman. I don’t know if it’s something to do with his name, but he does remind me of Hugh Jackman. He’s a strong man who knows what he’s doing and is in control of things. He has a dog – who doesn’t love the image of a man and his dog! – and he has a really warm heart, one that sometimes confuses him. And there’s even a section in here where he gets to be quite *heroic. *sexy.

I was lucky enough to read this very early and the blurb is true, everything is not as it seems and this does keep you turning the pages because it’s really confusing as Nancy is scared and confused, little can be ascertained about her missing boyfriend. Circumstances just aren’t as they seem.

Jane does a brilliant job with the plotting for this, keeping all the different strands going without dropping any and then pulling them all together neatly right at the end in a brilliant climax.

You’ll enjoy this if you like a solid police procedural with a clever mystery and a handsome detective with a good heart.

With thanks to the author and publisher for my copy.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath the Ashes is another fine example of a police procedural. Jane Isaac has an excellent ability to make the reader feel like they are a part of the investigation. Once I started reading I was completely immersed in the story.

Following the discovery of a body in a burnt out shed, Jackman and his team embark on an investigation that turns out to have more twists and turns than anyone was expecting. I definitely couldn’t see what direction the story was going.

I read Beneath the Ashes relatively quickly too. I was eager to know who was found in the barn, and before I knew it I was over halfway. Jane Isaac is an excellent storyteller, and even though I’ve only read two of her books so far I will be making sure to read them all as they are brilliant!

If you are a fan of police procedurals, with a superb cast of characters, then Beneath the Ashes is definitely worth reading! Highly recommended!

[Fictionophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in a series, this is a strongly characterized police procedural is set in the West Midlands town of Stratford, Warwickshire, England.

The protagonist, Detective Inspector Jackman, is a likeable and complex character – a man torturing himself with guilt over the accident that changed his life forever.  His wife was injured in an automobile accident while driving him home when he had had too much to drink.  Now she is living in an extended care facility suffering from ‘locked-in’ syndrome.   Jackman and his beloved daughter try to remain positive but this proves difficult with less and less real hope for her recovery. In this second in the series, Celia, Jackman's daughter, is twenty years old and living away at university.  She brings her boyfriend home for the first time and Jackman has a difficult time getting used to the idea that his little girl is all grown up.

Also, this time around, Jackman is thinking of putting in for a promotion.  He hasn't told his team, and he gradually has second thoughts due to the fact that he wants to be 'hands on' and not a paper pushing management drone.

"Beneath the ashes" begins with an intriguing scene. A woman in a cemetery with a knife... Clearly she is anguished.

We meet Nancy Faraday as she awakes on the floor of a farm kitchen.  Nancy, who works in a floral shop has for the last three months been going out with a man called Evan Baker.  Their relationship has developed quickly and Nancy thinks he may be 'the one'.  Evan works at a local farm looking after the premises and animals whilst the owners are away having an extended trip to Australia. Upon awakening on the kitchen floor of the farmhouse where Evan is living, she realizes she has a nasty bump on her head and cannot remember anything about the night before. It would seem that while Nancy was unconscious, there was a fire in the barn and Evan's body was found beneath the ashes.

Jackman and his team are tasked with the investigation which becomes murkier and murkier as time goes on.  It would seem that the man who Nancy knew and loved as Evan Baker was living under an assumed name.  Then the old barn reveals other secrets which could have a bearing on the case. Also, it is revealed that Evan had rented storage space in the barn to a man who has three collector quality automobiles - all of which were heavily damaged in the fire.

Meanwhile, Nancy is grieving. With still no memory of the events leading up to his death, she cannot believe that Evan is gone forever.  Then - she begins receiving threats.  She is accosted outside her flat. She receives a cryptic note through the letterbox.

She is again threatened in the supermarket, where she gets a glimpse of the man's hand which has a tattoo with the letters CC..  With her friend's support she goes to the police. She thinks the threats are related to her alcoholic mother, but the police have other ideas.

With threats, secrecy, revenge, adultery, rape victims, and turf wars in the drug trade, this mystery novel is not short on intrigue.

I enjoyed the read, but to be honest I liked the scenes with Jackman much more than the pages centered around the criminal case.  I really enjoyed the first novel in this series and plan to follow along with Jackman in future books. The third novel in the series is available now and its title is "The lies within".

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

An arson, amnesia, charred body in the fire's remains and a hidden cannabis crop are nicely pieced together to make for an investigation that takes many twists and turns -- and makes for an interesting and compelling read.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

I didn't enjoy the story line of Beneath the Ashes as much as I did the first book in the series Before it's too Late, but that is just down to my personal preference. It is a well written, solid story, but the character of Nancy irritated me. I will be reading the next one in the series though and hope it's as good or better than the first.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second novel in the series featuring DI Will Jackman. The first novel in the series is called 'Before It's Too Late' and it became a best seller when it was published last year. I loved 'Before It's Too Late' and I just knew that I would love this one too. I was not to be disappointed.

When you pick up a book by Jane Isaac, you are guaranteed a fantastic read with an attention to detail that is second to none. So it is with this book. The author has clearly got an interest in the intricacies of police procedure and this really does shine through. The author certainly knows how to draw you into the story, as I was hooked from the very first word on the very first page and I wasn't 'released' until the very last word on the very last page. I almost felt as though I was an invisible member of the investigating team and I was 'right there with them' so to speak.

Characterwise, again I love the character of DI Will Jackman. When he works on a case, you just know that he is going to do his best to solve it, get to the truth and also he will do his utmost to seek justice for the family of the victims. He is dedicated to his work but he is also dedicated to his family. He has his work/ life balance just right. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to spoil the book for anyone but there has been a tragedy within his personal life that has deeply affected him. Added to that, Will is also a dog lover and he has a black Labrador himself, which certainly endeared him to me, as I have two beautiful yellow Labradors myself.

I really did enjoy reading 'Beneath The Ashes' and I found that reading this book was just like going on a rollercoaster ride with all the twists, turns and stomach churning moments. Just when you think that you can have a rest and catch your breath, then off you go again. I thought that I had worked out who the murderer is but no I was wrong and I was sent down another path altogether. This fantastic book certainly kept me guessing. I found that it was a real 'CPID' (can't put it down) book and it was almost as if the pages were turning themselves. Before I knew it I had finished the book. I can't wait to read the next book in the DI Will Jackman series, but thankfully I don't have long to wait as the next book is called 'The Lies Within' and is due to be released on the 2nd May 2017.

I would definitely recommend this book to others and I give it a solid 5 stars.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

floor. The house has been broken into and her boyfriend is missing. As the case unravels, DI Jackman realises that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has a secret.

Can he discover the truth behind the body in the fire, and track down the killer before Nancy becomes the next victim?

My review…

I love the way Jane Isaac writes so I am extremely happy she has introduced us to such an amiable character as DI Jackman as she has now created the perfect package for me as a reader! I just LOVE Will Jackman-I have total “fictional character crush” on him-and Jane Isaac has weaved her storytelling magic around him in a realistic police procedural that hit all the right buttons for me! If you haven’t discovered Will Jackman yet you will be able to catch up on his back story here so don’t worry but please do take time to read her other books especially Before it’s Too Late, the first in this series.

Nancy Faraday wakes up on the floor of her boyfriends home covered in blood with no memories of the previous night and her boyfriend Evan is missing. Nearby, DI Jackman is called to a fire in a farmers barn where a body has been found. Could there be a connection between the two? And if there is, could it be as clear cut as we think? Of course not!! There are so many different twisty threads throughout this investigation that I gave up trying to figure out who and why, and just let the story slowly wash over me and enjoy the drama as it came along.

The parts of the book surrounding Will and his wife and daughter are very well handled and sit in the background as an aside to the main action but giving a gentle insight to his character and work ethic. It’s nice to have a police detective who feels like he would be the one to turn up on your doorstep if you call 999, with his sympathetic and reliable manner. I felt quite sorry for him towards the end but also desperate to find out what’s in store for him next.

This really is an edge of your seat crime thriller. It flows so well that before you know it you will be halfway through and unable to put it down until you finish.  I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to fans of police procedural novels as an excellent example of its genre. And no pressure, Jane Isaac, but I need more Will Jackman in my life!

Thank you to Legend Press for my review copy of Beneath the Ashes.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When DI Will Jackman is assigned to an arson attack and a murder what he uncovers will have ramifications for the whole community.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath the Ashes by Jane Isaac. It reminded me in a way of a Shakespearean plot with all the intrigues, twists and turns we might expect from Hamlet or Lear. I found the plot hugely engaging so that I kept thinking I’d just read a little bit more and before I knew it, I’d consumed the whole book, I was so engaged by the narrative. Beneath the Ashes has a pace that defies the reader. With the mini cliff hangers at the end of the short chapters it’s impossible not to want to read on! What really impressed me was the way the different threads pulled together to make a coherent and convincing whole. Sometimes I find police procedural fiction a little contrived but this was unassailably well constructed, making for a perfect read. I think Beneath the Ashes would make a fantastic film or television series too.

I loved the depth behind the story. Characters, especially Jackman, are human, distinctive and well rounded so that they feel like real people. I’m definitely going back to read the first book with Will Jackman, Before It’s Too Late, as I so want to find out more and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Beneath the Ashes also deals naturally and sensitively with how crimes affect more than the immediate victim. I think this is what made it such a brilliant read for me. I could understand motives and deceptions and found myself wondering how I might have behaved in similar circumstances. There’s a humanity behind the writing, rather than a series of shock tactics that some crime writers employ, making Beneath the Ashes a mature and sophisticated read.

I must also mention the overall quality of the prose. I found Jane Isaac’s attention to detail that enhanced the narrative, particularly through the use of the senses, so skilful. However, at the same time, there isn’t an extraneous word to be found so the writing remains exciting and enthralling.

Beneath the Ashes is a seriously good read. I can’t praise it highly enough.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of the DI Will Jackman novels set in Warwickshire around the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Will is called to a burning barn and a suspicious death. This leads to a crisis of identity and a young woman's love. Was she being cheated and was her boyfriend all that he appeared to be. Violence, drug production and families with a grudge make this a good read.

Passed half-way and I thought this was a four star in the making as the plot was well crafted and was easy to read. Unfortunately everything came together far too quickly and some rather tenuous links brought the story to an abrupt conclusion. There is however plenty to keep me going in this series.

3stars

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

My View:

A brilliant police procedural – with heart!

This is the second in the DI Will Jackman series, the third already in print and I will confess that I binge read the two, one after the other last week. I do love a good series!

Jane Isaac writes a well plotted, masterful, engaging and twisty police procedural. Her protagonist has flair, charm, manners, intelligence, empathy and a tragic personal history. The policing feels authentic - nothing slick, no sleight of hand to magically tie up all the loose ends. This is great story telling with wonderful characters.

PS the next book The Lies Within – is even better!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath The Ashes is the second novel in the DI Will Jackman series. I do think it would be beneficial to readers to have read Before It’s Too Late prior to reading this one just to familiarise themselves with Will and what has gone on previously.

The beginning of this story had my attention straight away. A lone female waking up on the kitchen floor and not being able to remember what happened the evening before. Not only that, her boyfriend seems to have gone awol.

I have to say the author has really excelled herself with the story line in this novel. I thought it was going to be quite a straight forward case, but this case turns out to be anything but.

Obviously a dead body threw up a certain amount of intrigue but I never would have guessed the twists and turns that were in store for me through out. As soon as I thought I knew which direction it was going in I was instantly spun off into a different one so that it kept me guessing throughout as to who was behind the murder. Well and truly gripping stuff.

Beneath The Ashes is an enthralling follow up that certainly does not disappoint. It has plenty of thrills in store for the reader that will have you hooked from beginning to end. This is another crime thriller series that will certainly excite fans of this genre.

My thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series and really like Will Jackman and his team. These novels are pure police procedural and, in some ways, remind me of the Roy Grace series by Peter James. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[H. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit formularic but a good listen nonetheless.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Jackman is called to investigate a partially burnt corpse found on the outskirts of a fire damaged farm outbuilding. There’s something suspicious about the scene though. How did the body get so far away from the site of the fire? Elsewhere Nancy Faraday wakes on the kitchen floor with no memory after a night out with her (newish) boyfriend. The broken glass and the missing boyfriend cause immediate alarm. What happened last night? If only she could remember. As DI Jackman investigates he starts to unravel a startling web of lies and nothing is as it seems…

I really enjoyed this book; my introduction to DI Will Jackman and the work of Jane Isaac. There’s something about a well written police procedural that gives me the warm fuzzies and this is a well written police procedural. I love DI Jackman and I want to read the first book in the series (Before It’s Too Late) before it’s too late…(see what I did there!?). Book three is coming out next year and I, for one, can’t wait.

DI Jackman is a new favourite of mine, despite the fact that he’s not my usual hard-boiled grumpy police officer. I didn’t warm to Nancy at all. I wanted to like her but her blinkered point of view frustrated me somewhat.

It’s an intricate story with many seemingly unrelated threads. I spent a large proportion of the story wondering how things were going to tie together but oh boy, they do! There’s a brilliant twist which I didn’t see coming at all…absolutely brilliant! I was interested from start to finish and I’ll say it again…that reveal is FABULOUS!

Would I recommend this book? I would, it’s a cleverly crafter police procedural with a brilliant reveal. More Will Jackman please, Ms Isaac!

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an ARC of Beneath the Ashes.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My attention was grabbed at the opening page when an assailant or perpetrator was fleeing from wailing sirens in the background, a knife held, a woman on a mission and a life about to end......
The story then falls back a week to tell how this dramatic conclusion came about.

This was the first time that I was to encounter D.I. Will Jackman although he had already appeared in Jane Isaacs first novel in this series. The basic background information is briefly recapped so this book can be read as a stand alone. He is a fascinating D.I. a man that I felt was stuck in limbo with loyalties to his wife and a life they would never have again, and the stirrings of a man yearning for normality. A truly good bloke and dedicated detective.

I loved the intrigue of this story where the more answers were solved the more questions were raised. This really got to Nancy, a young woman that was as much in love with the idea of being in love as she was actually in love. A little bit of 'rose coloured spectacles' syndrome going on I felt. Jane Isaac's skill as a writer combined with her obvious knowledge of how a murder investigation proceeds was impeccable to say the least. A very detailed account of events that gave this novel all the credibility of believable characters and the feel of pending tabloid headlines when it came to an superb end. Highly recommended.

I wish to thank Lucy Chamberlain, Publicity Director of Legend Press, for inviting me to read this novel. It has been a pure pleasure. I have chosen to write this review.

[Lisbeth Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting a new novel by Jane Isaac is like getting home and putting on a favourite pair of pyjamas and comfy slippers - you know that you're going to be treated to great storytelling, likeable lead characters and a brisk walk through a very British police procedural. Brilliant stuff!

As with the first DI Will Jackman (Before It's Too Late), I read this in almost one sitting, enjoying all the twists and turns and a very satisfying conclusion. I didn't even look away at points I should have (being a pyrophobe), I was so caught up in the story.

Now all I need do is wait for DI Will Jackman #3, fingers crossed.

[I was delighted to get an advance copy of Beneath the Ashes courtesy of the author, the lovely folk at publishers Legend Press and Netgalley in return for an honest review.]

[Babus Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the DI Will Jack man series sees the discovery of a body in a burnt barn, whilst a young woman wakes up the kitchen floor with no memory of what happened the night before when she went out with her boyfriend.

This highly procedural crime thriller has twists and turns and a complicated plot that will demand your attention. No one is who they appear to be and DI Jackman has political career considerations alongside the on going stress of his disabled wife.

For a detailed police procedural the story still moves on quite quickly and I was totally engrossed in finding out just what was going on. I have read other police procedurals by this author but not any of the books in the DI Will Jackman series prior to this one, which did not really affect my enjoyment of reading this thriller.

[Sue Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body found in an burnt out barn is initially thought to be the boyfriend of a girl found unconscious in an adjacent farmhouse. It soon becomes evident that the victim is not who everyone thought he was.
This is a realistic police procedural which is cleverly constructed to try and lead the reader to the wrong conclusion. The investigating officer DI Jackman's second outing finds him still struggling with the admin and politics of police hierarchy. He is resistant to advancement that takes him away from 'out and about' crime solving.
I enjoyed this book with its realistic balance between work and personal life. Developing into a good series that I look forward to reading more of.