Where Demons Hide – Douglas Skelton
Something scared Nuala Flaherty to death. When her body is found in the centre of a pentagram on a lonely moor, Rebecca is determined to find out what. Was she killed by supernatural means, or is there a more down-to-earth explanation?
Rebecca’s investigation leads her to a mysterious cult and local drug dealings. But what she doesn’t know is that crime matriarch Mo Burke still has her in her crosshairs. Mo wants payback for the death of her son, and after one failed attempt to hurt Rebecca, she is upping the ante. And this time, it could be lethal.
My thanks to ISIS audio for the review copy and to Danielle Louis for the opportunity to host this leg of the audio blog tour.
Where Demons Hide is the fourth Rebecca Connolly thriller from Douglas Skelton. It builds on events from the three earlier books but is also easily read as a stand-alone title, Skelton deftly brings though the key events which new readers need to know without the reader feeling the past narrative is shoe-horned into the story.
The story largely concerns its-self with events on the island of Stoirm but for much of the story Rebecca is in Inverness which gives some of the supporting characters the chance to shine. Very much in the story spotlight is photographer Chazz Wymark – he is asked (grudgingly) by the police to take photographs of a body which was found in remote moorland on the island. The dead woman is Nuala Flaherty and despite an evidence of insubstantial clothing to be on the moors her body is also found lying inside an occult symbol.
There are no obvious signs of injury to Nuala’s body and the police are initially perplexed. But there are toxicology exams to be run and the potential of exposure (given the sheet-like clothing Nuala was wearing) so the police cannot assume accidental death is not a factor, nor can they rule out foul play. Chazz feels there is more to this death than may meet the eye – not least the symbol cut into the ground – and he alerts Rebecca to his suspicions.
Unfortunately for Chazz the person best placed to give him any more information is is old English teacher as she was acting as landlady for the deceased. The conversations between teacher and former pupil were absoulte highlights of this story for me. I don’t think any good teachers ever really lose the respect of their former pupils and this is wonderfully played out as Chazz tries to to some fact-finding with his mischevious but (almost) co-operative teacher.
Chazz is on Storim with his partner as their wedding looms. Rebecca will be joining them but she has stories to investigate before heading off to the island. Unbeknownst to Rebecca an old grudge against her is still festering and steps are being taken to end Rebecca’s young life before many more days have passed. Returning readers will know an attempt was already made on Rebecca’s life – obviously it was not successful. But this has only stoked the fires of anger and stakes have been raised with an outside contractor engaged to send professional killers after the reporter.
Word of this danger does get to Rebeccca’s friends in the police and some steps are taken to try to ensure her safety but Rebecca is largely unaware of the danger which she may face. It’s a tense situation and as a reader I loved seeing the danger to Rebecca growing while she was oblivious to the moves being made against her.
Back on Stoirm and there’s more information emerging about Nuala and her connection to a commune on the island. Is it a haven for people who wish to leave the mania of society behind them? Or could there be a hidden danger and a nefarious motive for the community to be sequestered away in teh reomote Scottish Highlands? There are a few people looking too closely at the sanctuary and this isn’t something which sits well with the commune’s owner.
I make no secret of being a fan of this series, and indeed of the author too. I always enjoy how Douglas Skelton plots his thrillers and the pacing and reveals never fail to keep me reading. Where Demons Hide also makes the transition to audiobook really well too. The team at Isis Audio have done another great job and the narrator, Sarah Barron, is once again nailing this performance. Sarah may be a familiar voice as she has narrated all the previous books in the series and her familiarity with the characters shines through.
The Rebecca Connoly series is one of my current favourites and whether this would be your first encounter with Rebecca or if you are a returning reader I know this book will captivate and entertain. Where Demons Hide is available from today and I urge you to seek it out.
Where Demons Hide is available in paperback, digital and (of course) audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Demons-Hide-Rebecca-Connolly/dp/B09ZBJRY1G/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=