After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amid a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychiatrist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there, and soon enough he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.
In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community, and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life, but when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?
L J Ross (Louise Ross) e-book literary bestseller pictured at her home in Bath, Wiltshire. Photo courtesy of Gareth Iwan Jones
LJ Ross might not be a name you recognise if all your books are bought from bookshops (although that is soon likely to change), but she has sold an astounding four million-plus copies in paperback, ebook and audio. I’ve previously reviewed one of her DCI Ryan Mysteries, Cragside, but this is the first in a new series, featuring forensic psychiatrist, Dr Alexander Gregory.
As with all of Louise’s books I’ve read, this is a real ‘page-turner’. The character of Alex Gregory is great; his calm and likeable manner helps him build trust and confidence, with the ultimate aim of understanding what makes people who do bad things tick, and I really enjoyed being taken on the journey with him.
But our protagonist is just one in a collection of characters, all of whom seem to have hidden depths and have been written to ensure they are all three-dimensional. And this one keeps you guessing – pretty much any one of them could be the killer. And the reveal at the end was brilliant.
As with many of the books I get through nowadays, I listened to the audio of this. If you weren’t aware, audio is, I believe, the fastest-growing novel medium, and with the driving I do, I’ve been a huge fan for a long time. In my experience, a poor narrator can bring down a good novel, and a good narrator can bring up a mediocre one. But when you get a combination of a great novel and a brilliant narrator, in this instance in the form of Hannibal actor, Hugh Dancy, you’re on to a real winner!
Hugh Dancy – Photo courtesy of Stephanie Diani
Impostor was published on 31 October 2019, so you can go and buy it now. Or, if you’re up for a good listen, you can get it from Audible.
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