Beneath the Ashes

In Isaac’s well-plotted second mystery featuring Warwickshire Det. Insp. Will Jackman (after 2014’s The Truth Will Out), Jackman investigates a case of arson and murder at a farm whose owners are absent. In the house is Nancy Faraday, who has suffered a knock on the head. Nancy tells Jackman that she spent the night with her boyfriend, Evan Baker, who lives on the farm, but she can’t remember what happened to her. In the barn are the charred remains of a body, which turns out not to be Evan’s. Under the barn floor, Jackman discovers a hidden room used to grow cannabis. Jackman and his team interview a number of suspects with connections to the farm as they seek to identify the victim. Meanwhile, Nancy remains unhelpful, even after recovering from her injuries. Working through an imposing pile of difficulties, Jackman emerges as an engaging as well as competent detective in a story that holds the reader’s interest without ever getting too exciting. [em](May) [/em]