Favourite Discoveries of 2016 (2)

Here is Geoff Jones' favourite crime discovery of 2016:

Geoff's Favourite Discovery of 2016

My discovery is Phil Rickman. A Lancastrian now living in Wales. He sets his Merrily Watkins series in Herefordshire. She is a priest, single mother and an exorcist.

Not a usual crime thriller, but mystery and death do appear, and there is a police detective - Frannie Bliss - who gets to know Merrily. Full of interesting characters including Merrily's partner the ex-hippy/musician Lol and her daughter Jane. When the series starts Jane is an awkward teenager and as it progresses she becomes a rebellious young woman! Amazon, on a daily deal, offered The Magus of Hay which is mainly set in the book town. I've now gone to the beginning. The paranormal is often in evidence, but this is a balanced well written series. The author has a stand-alone crime thriller The Cold Calling and the supernatural is very much in evidence. He has another series featuring Dr John Dee the Elizabethan magician. The books are always good value comprising of around 500 pages, very different but excellent. You believe in Merrily and enjoy her good times and suffer with her when things go wrong.

I'll definitely be reading more of this excellent series and also try his John Dee.