Darkside by Belinda Bauer

Darkside is the second book in the Exmoor trilogy by Belinda Bauer, following on from Blacklands. It’s not exactly a sequel, but it is set in the same village and Steven, the main character from Blacklands, features. Darkside introduces us to a new main character – PC Jonas Holly. There is also a surprising reference to one of Belinda Bauer’s later books.

When an old lady is found dead in her bed, Jonas is shocked to discover she was murdered. It’s his first murder case and a local bobby can’t be trusted with that, so a team comes in from Taunton CID to investigate, leaving Jonas sidelined. DCI Marvel thinks Jonas is useless and the village is backward. He hasn’t got time for Jonas’ local knowledge.

It’s not long before another woman is found dead. The victims are vulnerable people who might be a burden on their families. But which family couldn’t cope any more? And why would they need to murder other people’s family members too?

Meanwhile, Jonas is receiving nasty notes, which must be from the murderer. Should he tell DCI Marvel or should he just hope they go away?

Jonas is a likeable character, struggling with the pressure of work and caring for and worrying about his disabled wife, Lucy. Lucy is another very likeable character and I just wanted them both to be happy. But with a murderer and a nasty DCI in the village, that wasn’t looking likely.

Darkside has a bit of a cosy crime feel about it, due to the village setting and the light, humorous writing style, but the body count is high and it gets quite dark.

If you enjoy a murder mystery, you will love Darkside. It’s not necessary to read Blacklands first, although you might want to. I enjoyed Blacklands, but I liked Darkside more. You can read my review of Finders Keepers, the final book in the trilogy, here.