You know how it is.  Years ago you read a book you REALLY liked, then the sequel, which you also really liked.  Then… years pass and you realize that this author has written another four novels, all featuring the same characters, all part of a series!

This time I’m speaking of Shirley Wells‘ wonderful series featuring Jill Kennedy and DCI Max Trentham.  Not only are they sound, character-driven mysteries, but they have stunning covers as well.

There is nothing quite like the pleasure of discovering a new series that really grips you from the beginning, and the first novel in this police procedural mystery series does just that.  “Into the shadows” did not dwell on the gory side of the forensic details, so it should appeal to those who normally shy away from forensic novels for that reason.

Jill Kennedy has ‘retired’ from her job as a police forensic criminal profiler. She has
bought a cottage in the Lancashire countryside where she intends to write of her past experiences. Of course, her job follows her when the serial killer whose case she had worked on before, continues his evil killing spree. Her ex-lover, Max Trentham is back on the scene, working on a double murder case in her new village. Jill lives alone with 3 cats for company. However, she realizes the value of becoming part of her new community and attempts to make friends…. but could one of her new ‘friends’ be a cold-blooded killer? Although the murder case and the serial killer case do play a large part in the novel, it is one that is mainly character driven. Jill, Max and all of the village characters are well rounded and I found I want to visit them again and again.

The novels in this series are:

#1  “Into the shadows”

#2  “A darker side”

#3  “Where petals fall”

#4  “The broken circle”

#5  “Shades of evil”

If you’ve never read this author, I urge you to give her a try.

Shirley Wells

Shirley Wells is a dog lover who was born and raised in the Cotswolds and after time spent living in Cyprus and on the idyllic island of Hoy in the Orkneys, she now lives in the beautiful rolling hills of the east Lancashire Pennines. It’s no surprise then that her mystery novels are set in the area.