The Infirmary (Prequel to DCI Ryan Series)

 

• Paperback: 289 pages
• Publisher: Independently published (10 Feb. 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1792780842
• ISBN-13: 978-1792780844

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

No man is an island…

In the stifling summer heat of 2014, a killer has been stalking the streets of Newcastle causing city-wide panic. When the officer in charge of the case turns up dead, it falls upon Detective Chief Inspector Ryan to take up the baton and find the person responsible.

To the close-knit team of police in Northumbria CID, Ryan is still an outsider; aloof and uncompromising. He’s lived a charmed life and has an unbroken track record to match. But, as The Hacker’s death toll rises, Ryan realises this is one adversary he’ll never bring to justice on his own…

 

Review

The Infirmary is the prequel to L J Ross’s DCI Ryan series that begins with Holy Island.  If you are new to this fabulous series then you can start with this book, and if you have read the series up to date this is a look back to the case that changed Ryan’s life.  In Holy Island we first learn that DCI Ryan is on a sabbatical after a harrowing case that continues to effect him.  The Hacker is a murderer who gives him nightmares, after it became personal, and it is this case that is the centre of The Infirmary.  If you have read the books you know how this investigation develops and how it ends, but this in no way effected my enjoyment of the book.

L.J Ross is a wonderful writer, and her characters are believable and honest.  My favourite relationship is between Ryan and Philips, their interaction and dialogue is natural and Philips brings in some wonderful Geordie humour and colloquialisms.  Ryan maybe younger than his Sergeant, but there is a respect, both professionally and personally, that also extends to the rest of his team.  It was interesting to learn more about other recurring characters like Denise MacKenzie and Constable Jack Lowerson as well.

The plot of the book is fast paced, gripping and dark in parts and even tough I knew where it was going I couldn’t put this book down.  The murders are grisly and shocking in their manner, making this a chilling but compelling crime thriller. As the book raced towards it’s thrilling conclusion I found my tummy flipping and heart racing in apprehension of what I knew was to come; almost as if I could stop it happening if I didn’t read the end of the book (like Joey from Friends hiding Little Women in the freezer so he doesn’t have to read about Beth dying) but I did devour it in one sitting.

It is no secret that I have become a huge fan of L.J Ross’s DCI Ryan series, and maybe a bit in love with Ryan himself, and The Infirmary is another hit for me.  There is a verisimilitude in her writing in both the story and the characters that make the books such a pleasure to read.  This book is a riveting, shocking and a brutal read in parts and this is what makes this another outstanding read in this superb crime series.

 

Please note this book is a prequel, I have seen a few reviews on Amazon giving allow rating as they didn’t realise this even though it is well advertised.  I find this very unfair on the author as it is not reflective of her writing but of people not reading the book information properly.

Thank you for reading my review of The Infirmary.  I would appreciate if you could click the button to share on social media and the like button which helps me grow.