Gillian reads, The Ophelia Murders. The new crime fiction by J. M. Simpson
- gillianyoung
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Welcome back to my little olde blog 😊
I’ve just finished reading The Ophelia Murders by J. M. Simpson. This is the first in her new Whistler series. If you enjoy murder mysteries, then check out her Castleby series. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. One of the things I love about her writing is her characters. It doesn’t matter if a character hasn’t appeared in a couple of chapters because she makes them so believable and so completely individual that it's easy to pick up on their storyline from where you left off. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read a book only to come across a character I’ve forgotten about. I’ve ended up flicking back through pages to remind myself who they are! But that’s never been the case with J. M. Simpson. When I found out she had begun writing a new crime series, I couldn’t wait to read it. I wondered how it would compare with the Castleby series, especially as I enjoyed that so much.
AUTHOR BIO (taken from https://jmsimpsonauthor.co.uk/)
Originally born in Essex but having grown up in the west country, J.M. Simpson lives in the countryside of Kent with her family and Merlin, her rescue border collie.
The Castleby series is her debut set of novels, based in a fictional coastal community in South Wales, where gripping drama with nail biting suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.
Whistlers Peak is Jo’s new series, set in the Scottish Highlands. The first in the series is The Ophelia Murders.
BOOKBLURB
In a mountain resort in the Scottish Highlands, the body of a young woman is found in a loch, carefully arranged. The murder is vaguely reminiscent of a famous painting.
Detective Sergeant Scott Hansen is called in to investigate. Shortly after his arrival, another body is found, but the evidence at the scene is confusing. Is it a murder or a suicide? Are the murders linked? There are too many coincidences, too few suspects and no leads.
After a couple go missing in bad weather, a woman is found dead at the bottom of Devils Ridge. Mountain rescuer Jack Mackay and his daughter, Bonnie, find the dead woman’s husband, miles away on Whistlers Peak Mountain, close to death and incoherent.
No one knows what happened, how he got there, or how his wife died.
But someone saw something.
With deaths stacking up, Scott is led a dance of lies and misdirection until he finally discovers the shocking truth that some secrets are worth killing for.
Murder, suspense, drama and mystery in the first of the Whistlers Peak series.
MY REVIEW
The Ophelia Murders was a book I couldn’t put down. As with her Castleby series, I was instantly drawn into the plot, subplot, setting, and the fantastic characters. I guarantee, the first chapter will have you hooked, and from there, the story just gets better and better. There are moments which tug at the heartstrings. Sensitive issues, some disturbing, yet these are tackled so well by Jo that they increase the potency of the narrative. I could just picture myself in the small Scottish town of Ballamore. With the sweeping mountainous scenery, the lochs and harsh climate, which is both frightening and unforgiving. The Ophelia Murders will leave you eager for the next in the series. I hope we don’t have to wait too long!
COMING UP SOON…
Murder By the Glass: A Glass Ceiling Club Cosy Mystery, by Maree Church.
"Never wear a strapless dress to a murder." Well, we all learn from our mistakes Chiara Chandler thought as she tugged at her new dress making sure all the essential parts were covered.
What started out as a night of fabulous wine at a newer Napa Valley winery turned deadly during a Halloween-themed tour of the wine cave. But the death of Franco Rossini is only the beginning of a series of murders that may or may not be connected to the abduction of Chiara's reporter friend, Mary. When a law firm delivers a package from Mary with pages of an ancient diary, the members of The Glass Ceiling Club must unravel a web of secrets, lies, and strange occurrences, including rumours of a ghost and a long-lost treasure.
Thank you for joining me in today’s book review. I hope you’ll join me next time for my review on Maree Church’s, Murder By the Glass: A Glass Ceiling Club Cosy Mystery. In the meantime, Happy Reading!
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