The House in the Woods, a review by Joanna

Atticus Priest is a former detective with the Salisbury CID, who lost his job for drug use and has now set up as a private investigator. Down on his luck and desperate for work, he’s initially pleased to be asked to assist the defence in a murder investigation – a man accused of shooting his parents and siblings in their remote farmhouse, until he learns he’s up against his ex-boss and former lover, DCI Mack Jones. The evidence against his client seems overwhelming, so Priest must find a new angle to cast reasonable doubt – and now he no longer has to follow the rules…

This was cleverly plotted murder mystery featuring two likeably flawed main characters, and I was pleased to discover there are two more in the series to look forward to. I enjoyed the tension between Atticus and Mack as more of what happened between them is revealed. Unfortunately there was a huge Clanger of a clue early on which revealed whodunnit – although not why. It didn’t spoil it completely, as I was still in suspense about how things would turn out, but it keeps it from achieving 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.