Burnt Island by Kate Rhodes
INTRUDERS HERE ARE BOUND TO DIE . . .
As the sun sets on a cold November evening, the tiny community of St Agnes prepares for their annual Fifth-of-November festivities. Moments before the fireworks are scheduled to commence, an islander discovers a charred body left on the bonfire, and quickly it becomes clear that a killer is at large.
Ben Kitto is the Deputy Chief of Police for the Scilly Isles, and with a killer on the loose, he has no choice but to forbid all residents from leaving the island. With a population of just eighty people, everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.
When threats start appearing, written in the old Cornish language, Ben suspects that the killer’s motive is to rid the island of the newcomers who threaten their traditions. With time running out, Ben hurries to discover the secrets of the island’s peculiar residents, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before another fire is started . . .
No place to run.
No place to hide.
About the author
Kate Rhodes is a bestselling British crime writer. Her latest books are the acclaimed ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES, which have been optioned for TV. Kate has been passionate about the islands since holidaying there as a child, and still returns regularly to research her books. Kate's books have been nominated for the Crime Novel of the Year award, and the Library Dagger award.
Kate was born in south London, but now lives in Cambridge with her husband. She did a wide range of jobs including working in bars, being a theatre usherette, and teaching at a liberal arts college in Florida, before focusing on her writing. She works part-time as a Creative Writing Fellow at Cambridge University.
Review
‘Burnt Island’ is the third book in the Isles of Scilly series and it was captivating from the start to the finish! It was a real page-turner, I literally stayed up to the wee hours to finish this one. I have a thing about fire and thus the plot really sunk into my bones and I had to make sure that everyone was going to be okay! This is very easily read as a standalone but I do recommend reading the whole series as they are very enjoyable police procedurals set in a great location!
The Islanders are gathering together to celebrate Bonfire Night on St Agnes when a body is found charred on a pyre surrounded by warnings in old Cornish. Newly appointed Deputy Chief of Police Ben Kitto luckily was on the island when the discovery is made and dives straight into tracking down this intelligent killer. He has no choice to ban travel between the islands, forcing the community of 80 residents to hunker down until Ben unmasks the killer. Ben believes that the killer is targeting newcomers to the islands and when another resident goes missing he has only 48 hours to avert another death!
This book was much darker than the first couple in the series and I loved it! I am terrified of fire and this fear of mine definitely meant that the plot hit home for me. I can also imagine very easily that tensions like this brew in tiny communities. My dad lived in a village in the Highlands for over 20 years, married someone from there, had a business and was still classed as an outsider! It was also very interesting to learn more about the Cornish language and how it is dying off in the area etc. It was the tone and style of writing that changed slightly and made it much darker for me. I was there with Ben at every step willing him onward to the right conclusion before it was too late!
We also have the introduction of a new character the head of forensics, Liz Gannick, who used to be a police officer themselves. I loved her and it allowed Ben to have someone to knock around theories etc. with someone who is more on his level! Don't get me wrong I love Eddie but he is still inexperienced and Ben needed that ability to interact with a colleague as a meeting of minds rather than mentor/mentee.
I'm already looking forward to picking up the next book!
