Joy Ellis proves once again why she reigns supreme in British crime fiction with Black Notice, the eleventh installment in her outstanding Jackman and Evans series. It’s a gripping, atmospheric, and deeply satisfying mystery that delivers everything fans have come to expect: intricate plotting, emotional depth, and the kind of small-town suspense that creeps under your skin.
The story begins with an eerie discovery on the Lincolnshire fens. Five skeletons lie interlocked in a decaying wartime pillbox, their identities a mystery. Detective Inspector Rowan Jackman and Detective Sergeant Marie Evans are called in to investigate, and soon realize this is no ordinary case. At the same time, a retired detective is visited by a terrified man with blood on his face and a handcuff hanging from his wrist, pleading for help. Hours later, a desperate woman walks into the police station demanding to know where her missing husband is. Three seemingly unconnected incidents, yet Joy Ellis masterfully threads them together in ways that are shocking, emotional, and completely absorbing.
From the first page, Black Notice grabs hold and never lets go. Ellis’s writing is sharp and cinematic, pulling readers straight into the haunting beauty of the fens a place where mist blurs all sense of direction and secrets linger in the reeds. She paints the setting with such precision that you can almost feel the chill in the air and hear the whisper of the wind over the flat, endless fields. It’s a landscape made for murder mysteries, and she uses it to full effect.
The plot is brilliantly layered, full of twists, misdirection, and emotional undercurrents. Each thread seems unrelated at first, but the way Ellis ties them together is nothing short of masterful. By the time the shocking revelations arrive, everything clicks into place with the precision of a puzzle snapping shut. Readers who love complex investigations and rich character-driven storytelling will find themselves completely immersed.
One of the greatest strengths of this series is its cast. After eleven books, Jackman and Evans feel like old friends. Their partnership is built on respect, trust, and quiet resilience. The warmth between them, and their loyalty to their team, balances out the dark, often chilling nature of the crimes they face. Joy Ellis has a gift for showing the human side of police work the compassion, the grief, and the determination that drive her detectives forward even when the odds are stacked against them.
The pacing is relentless. Ellis uses her signature style of short, punchy chapters to keep the tension high, and before you know it, you’re racing through the pages telling yourself you’ll stop after just one more chapter only to realize it’s 2 a.m. The ending is everything fans could hope for: shocking, tense, and immensely satisfying.
Black Notice is more than just another installment in a beloved series. It’s proof that Joy Ellis is still at the top of her game, crafting stories that manage to feel both familiar and fresh. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to her world, this book is a must-read.
If you enjoy the works of Ann Cleeves, Peter James, or Angela Marsons, you’ll find yourself right at home here. Black Notice is dark, elegant, and unputdownable a highlight of the year for crime fiction lovers.
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