Marshlight

Marshlight

  • Downloads：1343
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-09 21:31:10
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Joy Ellis
  • ISBN：B095Z4YYZD
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Ruth Matheson ，

Another great addition to the series， this time with Matt and Liz being asked to help out their former station with a cold case which has recently become highlighted again。 This however is not all that it appears。 Add to the mix a cousin who is researching the area and the myths of the Fenlands， an overpowering and manipulative book store owner and a few others and the story heads off。 There is lots going on to keep the reader going although not too many murders/deaths。 The middle section is mor Another great addition to the series， this time with Matt and Liz being asked to help out their former station with a cold case which has recently become highlighted again。 This however is not all that it appears。 Add to the mix a cousin who is researching the area and the myths of the Fenlands， an overpowering and manipulative book store owner and a few others and the story heads off。 There is lots going on to keep the reader going although not too many murders/deaths。 The middle section is more given over to descriptions of the Fens which are highly intoxicating and bring the whole book to life。 Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review。 。。。more

Linda Strong ，

Matt and Liz， both retired from the police， are now working as private investigators。 Things have been pretty quiet 。。 which is not a bad thing。But Matt and Liz wish something new would come up， other than following cheating spouse。 You know what they say 。。 be careful of what you wish for 。。。 you might get it。An old friend's sister disappears and is never heard from again。 There's no evidence of any violence， but her friends say she'd been acting a little strangely before she went missing。While Matt and Liz， both retired from the police， are now working as private investigators。 Things have been pretty quiet 。。 which is not a bad thing。But Matt and Liz wish something new would come up， other than following cheating spouse。 You know what they say 。。 be careful of what you wish for 。。。 you might get it。An old friend's sister disappears and is never heard from again。 There's no evidence of any violence， but her friends say she'd been acting a little strangely before she went missing。While Matt has been asked by his old boss to take a quiet look around， Liz's cousin， Christie， comes for a visit。 She's working for an author， doing his research as he is severely ill。 Christie is one of those people who makes friends wherever she goes。 But she's come across woman that just sets her teeth on edge。Gina is the local bookshop owner who seems to turn cold， then hot at a moment's notice。 She's not the nicest person around and a lot of people stay away from her。 But there's a small number who think she is a wonderful person， even with her horrible behavior。Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her。 Is she onto something dangerous or just pushing her new friends away？No one believes her suspicions until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty Fen marshes。As I have found with all this author's previous books， it is well-written， the plot is full of solidly drawn characters。 Gina is the one to watch。 She's vicious while sugar wouldn't melt in her mouth。 The background of the lights on the marshes was a terrific backdrop to the crimes committed。 It's a page turner， for sure。 Although 4th in the series， this is easily read as a stand alone。 I do recommend reading in order because of the backstories of Matt and Liz。Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller/ crime fiction。 Read and reviewed voluntarily， opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own。 。。。more

Lou ，

Marshlight is the fourth instalment in the former Detective Chief Inspector Matt Ballard and Detective Sergeant Liz Jones series; they both now work as Private Investigators in the rural fenlands， Lincolnshire。 Matt and Liz have just been winding up a case they were hired to investigate regarding a missing person， and despite it being a welcome break from the rather tedious cheating spouse investigations that make up the bulk of their work， they have not been able to find missing woman Amy， who Marshlight is the fourth instalment in the former Detective Chief Inspector Matt Ballard and Detective Sergeant Liz Jones series; they both now work as Private Investigators in the rural fenlands， Lincolnshire。 Matt and Liz have just been winding up a case they were hired to investigate regarding a missing person， and despite it being a welcome break from the rather tedious cheating spouse investigations that make up the bulk of their work， they have not been able to find missing woman Amy， who is Liz’s friend’s sister and the few leads they once had turned out to be fruitless。 Meanwhile， Liz is delighted to receive an unexpected email from her cousin Christie McFerran who is coming to the Fens for a visit to carry out some research。 Christie is a researcher for prominent blind author Auden Meeres and will be coming to the area to gather information about the folklore and beauty of the area for her boss’ next book as he likes to ensure the descriptions he gives are accurate。 However， she ends up staying longer than anticipated as Auden falls seriously ill and so she befriends many of the local folk。 Retired vicar Ian Hardy used to be London-based but has come home to care for his dying sister， Evelyn。 He is kind enough to offer Christie the use of her beautiful cottage and gardens， known as The Mulberries， to stay in。Two other people she instantly enjoys the company of are Tom Parrish， the manager of the local bookstore， where Christie has been spending many long hours researching， and his assistant， Delphi。 However， the proprietor of the shop， Gina Spearman， is an individual Christie can see right through。 She's manipulative， condescending， controlling， a liar and very much proves herself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing yet most have given her the benefit of the doubt or are woefully naive。 But soon strange incidents begin happening， there's increasing friction and suspicion between the townsfolk， Delphi vanishes completely and the bodies begin piling up; Christie is adamant Gina is somehow involved。 Is she？ This is a riveting， extremely complex and compulsively readable addition to a much-loved series and the atmosphere of the rural Fens can be felt from the start。 When I say it is action-packed， I really mean it as there are multiple intertwining threads and more than enough drama， murder， backstabbing， secrets and shocks for any small town。 Ellis places some of her enthralling trademark twists and turns throughout and makes good use of red herrings to throw you off the scent。 A scintillating， absorbing and thoroughly entertaining procedural with plenty of thrills。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Rekha Rao ，

This is my first Joy Ellis book I read and definitely won't be the last。 I loved the storytelling and character portrayal。 The spotlight is on toxic and manipulative behavior rather than on 'murder mystery'。 This makes the book a tad different from the usual police procedurals I have read so far。 If you love experimenting with your reads， do give Marshlight a try。 This is my first Joy Ellis book I read and definitely won't be the last。 I loved the storytelling and character portrayal。 The spotlight is on toxic and manipulative behavior rather than on 'murder mystery'。 This makes the book a tad different from the usual police procedurals I have read so far。 If you love experimenting with your reads， do give Marshlight a try。 。。。more

Peter Snell ，

This book starts like an episode of The Archers; an everyday story of fenland folk。 We are introduced to a cast of characters who are not just one dimensional， or even two dimensional but genuinely three dimensional。 They are real people， some of whom I like and some of whom I don’t。 But there are people in these pages that I would like to have in my circle of friends。 Even the fens themselves are characters in this tale。It was a very pleasant and cosy read， not what I expect from a psychologica This book starts like an episode of The Archers; an everyday story of fenland folk。 We are introduced to a cast of characters who are not just one dimensional， or even two dimensional but genuinely three dimensional。 They are real people， some of whom I like and some of whom I don’t。 But there are people in these pages that I would like to have in my circle of friends。 Even the fens themselves are characters in this tale。It was a very pleasant and cosy read， not what I expect from a psychological thriller。 But before the mid-point in the story the undercurrents are beginning to swirl and make me wonder about some darker strands that have been woven into the web。There is a running thread concerning a cold case and the murder of a young woman， but there is also conflict between the personalities that builds in a very satisfying way。By chapter thirty two， just a little more than two thirds of the way through the book， it is obvious that one character may not be quite who or what they present themselves as， or claim to be。The final section promises huge revelations。 The plot lines are brought together well and sustain the tension until the very end。 This is a great mix of psychological thriller， murder mystery and an examination of manipulation and people under pressure。There is a bookshop that plays its part in this drama and provides a hub for many of the characters。 This is an accurate reflection of the social contribution of bookshops to their communities。 Trust me， I was a bookseller。The final conclusion to the tale is left hanging。 It is for you to interpret and decide。Whatever you do， do not miss out on “The Marshlight Mysteries” by James Alfred Ballard。These tales of mystery portray the fens as a bleak and dangerous place。 。。。more

Louise Wilson ，

DCI Matt Ballard #4An old friends sister disappears without trace。 There's no sign of foul play， but she's been acting very peculiarly。 Meanwhile， Liz's cousin Christie comes to stay。 She takes an instant dislike to the local bookshop owner， Gina。 Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her。 No one believes her until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty Fens marshes。 Can Matt and Liz uncover the truth in time to save lives？There is a lot going on in this DCI Matt Ballard #4An old friends sister disappears without trace。 There's no sign of foul play， but she's been acting very peculiarly。 Meanwhile， Liz's cousin Christie comes to stay。 She takes an instant dislike to the local bookshop owner， Gina。 Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her。 No one believes her until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty Fens marshes。 Can Matt and Liz uncover the truth in time to save lives？There is a lot going on in this book with several different plotlines。 Ex-policeman - now turned PI Matt Ballard and his DS Liz Jones， have both retired from the force。 Matt gets a call from one of his ex- colleagues about a woman who had been murdered several years ago。 No one had been brought to justice。 Liz's cousin Christie comes to stay but she manages to upset one of the locals。This is an atmospheric crime thriller。 I like the authors writing style and you can tell the book has been well researched。 There is a few sub-plots that make the story more intriguing。I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #JoyEllis for my ARC of #Marshlight in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Scilla ，

Liz and Matt have been trying to track down Amy， the sister of a friend who disappeared。 All they know is that she was acting funny just before she disappeared。 They have also been looking into unfaithful marriage partners and don't like doing that。 Liz hears that her cousin Christie is coming to the Fens to research a mystery book for a famous author， and she invites Christie to stay with them。 Liz takes Christie to her favorite bookstore where she meets Tom and Delphi， who work there。 She soon Liz and Matt have been trying to track down Amy， the sister of a friend who disappeared。 All they know is that she was acting funny just before she disappeared。 They have also been looking into unfaithful marriage partners and don't like doing that。 Liz hears that her cousin Christie is coming to the Fens to research a mystery book for a famous author， and she invites Christie to stay with them。 Liz takes Christie to her favorite bookstore where she meets Tom and Delphi， who work there。 She soon figures out that their boss， Gina， is playing games on them， and treating them very badly。 Christie also becomes friends with Tom's mother， and a retired minister， Ian， whose sister is very ill， and the local painter， Jane， whose paintings she has purchased and is also being manipulated by Gina。 Tom and Delphi think that Gina is wonderful， and can't see how she is manipulating them。 Christie finds lots of good information for her author， and likes the area so much， she is considering moving there。 Meanwhile， Liz and Matt are asked to help with a cold case of a local murdered woman。 After Ian's sister dies， Christie helps him sort through her things and falls in love with the house。 Ian agrees to sell it to her whenever her current house is sold。 Ian gives Christie Gina's mother's address， even though Gina has been saying she died a few years ago。 Christie pays Gina's mother a call， and soon Christie knows that Gina is even worse than she had thought。 When Delphi disappears， Christie is sure that Gina is responsible， but Gina had left a note to Delphi not to go out。 Liz and Matt begin to think all the deaths are connected， and they must find the killer before he or she kills again。There is a lot of suspense in this book， some excellent characters and wonderful descriptions of the Fens。 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Marshlight， the fourth novel to feature former DCI Matt Ballard and his partner former DS Liz Haynes， now PIs in the fens。Matt and Liz have been looking into the disappearance of a friend’s sister， but with all leads exhausted have had to admit defeat， which gives them time to help out the local police by looking into the background of various individuals linked to the cold case murder of Lindsay Harrison。 At the same time Li I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Marshlight， the fourth novel to feature former DCI Matt Ballard and his partner former DS Liz Haynes， now PIs in the fens。Matt and Liz have been looking into the disappearance of a friend’s sister， but with all leads exhausted have had to admit defeat， which gives them time to help out the local police by looking into the background of various individuals linked to the cold case murder of Lindsay Harrison。 At the same time Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay and takes an immediate and most say irrational dislike to local bookstore owner Gina Spearman。 Christie thinks she’s an evil manipulator， her friends say she’s a loyal， if difficult， supporter。 Who’s right？I thought the previous novel in the series， Dying Light， was a fantastic， atmospheric slow burn of a novel and was really looking forward to Marshlight， but I found it disappointing and overly long for such a slim plot。 Don’t get me wrong， the novel has the usual warm， readable style， an atmospheric setting and （some） relatable characters， but the content didn’t appeal to me as I found it obvious and rather repetitive。The main storyline is the psychological cat and mouse game between Christie and Gina。 It’s not really my cup of tea as there is only so much crime fiction can say about psychopaths and this brings nothing new， just different details to a standard trope。 There is a sense of inevitability about it all， but the novel takes it time getting there。Marshlight did not appeal to me。 。。。more

Marion ，

This is the fourth offering in the DCI Ballard series， we pick up with Matt and Liz still involved with their private investigator business， though finding the matrimonial work pretty tedious。So when they get a call from an old friend Frances， whose sister Amy has disappeared without a trace they immediately take on the case。 Time spent doesn`t bring the inquiry to a satisfactory conclusion so its moved to the back burner when Liz`s cousin Christie gets in touch。Christie is a researcher for an a This is the fourth offering in the DCI Ballard series， we pick up with Matt and Liz still involved with their private investigator business， though finding the matrimonial work pretty tedious。So when they get a call from an old friend Frances， whose sister Amy has disappeared without a trace they immediately take on the case。 Time spent doesn`t bring the inquiry to a satisfactory conclusion so its moved to the back burner when Liz`s cousin Christie gets in touch。Christie is a researcher for an author and is gathering data on the history， Jack-o-lantern and other mysterious goings on on the fens。As Liz spends time with Christie and her project Matt is delighted when hes invited to look into a two year old murder， involving a young girl by his old boss。The tale unfolds introducing the reader to an array of characters， likeable and unlikable。 The atmosphere and mystery of the Fens almost tangible as slowly but surely the three apparently separate investigations are cleverly drawn together in what is a totally absorbing and satisfying mystery。Thanks to Joffe books for allowing me to read this as an ARC ， such an easy recommend， 5 stars from me。 。。。more

Terri ，

Another great book from Joy Ellis。 Having left the police force Matt and Liz are now fully fledged private investigators and they use all of their investigative skills when Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay。 Christie is researching the myths and mysteries of the Fens but she becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue masterminded by a psychopath。 Disconcerting and chilling at times this is an excellent read。

Martha Brindley ，

Another well written and descriptive read from Joy Ellis in the Matt Ballard series。 I loved the characterisation， Margaret has to be my favourite character but I can't say the same for Gina！ Plenty tension and descriptive passages of the Lincolnshire Fens and a complex case， make this another winner for the author which fans will enjoy。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。 Another well written and descriptive read from Joy Ellis in the Matt Ballard series。 I loved the characterisation， Margaret has to be my favourite character but I can't say the same for Gina！ Plenty tension and descriptive passages of the Lincolnshire Fens and a complex case， make this another winner for the author which fans will enjoy。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。 。。。more

Brenda ，

Set in rural England's fen country， this story is deliciously atmospheric with superb descriptions of the land， plants （I want that arbour！）， Reading Room （want that， too） and renowned marshes。 Smidgens of folklore contribute to the air of mystery。Retired police officers Liz and Matt are investigating a case as detectives。 Christie， Liz's cousin， is sent to the fens to research the setting for an author's book and at first stays with Matt and Liz。 But， as the book progresses， lives change and th Set in rural England's fen country， this story is deliciously atmospheric with superb descriptions of the land， plants （I want that arbour！）， Reading Room （want that， too） and renowned marshes。 Smidgens of folklore contribute to the air of mystery。Retired police officers Liz and Matt are investigating a case as detectives。 Christie， Liz's cousin， is sent to the fens to research the setting for an author's book and at first stays with Matt and Liz。 But， as the book progresses， lives change and the unexpected happens。 Christie quickly becomes friends with locals including Tom， Jane and Delphi。 Condescending and bossy Gina isn't one of them。 Those around her feel Gina is misunderstood。 Christie wants to find out why。 Meanwhile， she feels right at home in rural England。 But murder rears its head and causes angst， rifts and suspicions。Though atmospheric and tense between characters， this book is a bit light on suspense。 However， the plot and subplots are beautifully written and seamlessly knit together。 There is also a good balance of likeable and unlikeable characters。 My sincere thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fabulous book！ 。。。more

Jen ，

Marshlight is the 4th in Joy Ellis' Matt Ballard series。from description: "An old friend’s sister disappears without a trace。 There’s no sign of foul play， but she’d been acting very peculiarly 。 。 。Meanwhile， Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay。 She takes an immediate — and uncharacteristic — dislike to the local bookshop owner， Gina。 Why does everyone put up with her awful behaviour？"Joy Ellis is one of my favorite authors， but the Matt Ballard series is not my favorite of her three series。 Gi Marshlight is the 4th in Joy Ellis' Matt Ballard series。from description: "An old friend’s sister disappears without a trace。 There’s no sign of foul play， but she’d been acting very peculiarly 。 。 。Meanwhile， Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay。 She takes an immediate — and uncharacteristic — dislike to the local bookshop owner， Gina。 Why does everyone put up with her awful behaviour？"Joy Ellis is one of my favorite authors， but the Matt Ballard series is not my favorite of her three series。 Gina is a game player， a manipulative woman who manages to berate and coddle， denigrate and reward her employees and friends。 Christie sees this， but Gina's victims make excuses for her。Ellis manages to bring to life some of her characters: Tom's mother Margaret， Ian， even Pip and Dominic。 Strangely， the more important characters don't fare as well。 The inability of Tom， Delphi， and Jane to see through Gina makes them seem quite dense。 NetGalley/Joffe BooksMystery/Suspense。 July 8， 2021。 。。。more

Trudy Wilson ，

Just love Joy Ellis's books。 They take you on a long twisty path & doesn't fail to capture the reader with the storyline。 Great read。 Just love Joy Ellis's books。 They take you on a long twisty path & doesn't fail to capture the reader with the storyline。 Great read。 。。。more

Greta Halliday ，

This book， like all her other books before it was an utter joy to read。 It has everything you could wish for and I just could not put it down。 Joy Ellis you are a star。 Thanks to the author and Joffe books for giving me the opportunity to read this book。

Linda ，

Joy Ellis does it once again。 Marshlight is an amazing and excellent read。 I have been awaiting this next in the Matt Ballard series to arrive and when Joffe Books send me a copy to read and review， I simply could not wait to get stuck in。 The stories set on the Fenlands fascinate me as they are mystical， magical and at the same time eerie。 Matt & Liz are a lovely couple， very well suited， and despite the sadness of them leaving the police， they are making a name for themselves as private detect Joy Ellis does it once again。 Marshlight is an amazing and excellent read。 I have been awaiting this next in the Matt Ballard series to arrive and when Joffe Books send me a copy to read and review， I simply could not wait to get stuck in。 The stories set on the Fenlands fascinate me as they are mystical， magical and at the same time eerie。 Matt & Liz are a lovely couple， very well suited， and despite the sadness of them leaving the police， they are making a name for themselves as private detectives with the advantage of still having colleagues in the force。 This plot was a particularly deep and disturbing tale which was complex and intriguing。 Right from the start there was a magical and mysterious feel to it with the will-o’-the-wisp on the marshes and the danger that hunting the strange haunting light can bring with it。 This was coupled with a deep psychological feel to it when Liz’s cousin arrives to stay and gets involved with new friends who turn out not to be quite what she believed they were。 The plot is extremely well thought out and the book very beautifully written。 As usual， there is a lot of fun and light-hearted moments mixed up with the suspense， and once more we see Matt and Liz solve an extremely complex and intriguing case。 The ending is intense， and the author certainly keeps her readers guessing all the way through。 I simply loved this book and found it hard to put down。 I also enjoyed the appendix and consider it well worth a read。 Hopefully， we will see more of Matt and Liz in the future。 。。。more

Aileen （Ailz） Grist ，

I'm really enjoying these PI books with exDCI Matt Ballard and his DS Liz Jones。 Very human stories， interesting scenery and believable characters。 A good move after their severe injuries， it would have been unbelievable if Liz had been able to go back to being a copper。。Loved it。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and my own opinion。 I'm really enjoying these PI books with exDCI Matt Ballard and his DS Liz Jones。 Very human stories， interesting scenery and believable characters。 A good move after their severe injuries， it would have been unbelievable if Liz had been able to go back to being a copper。。Loved it。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and my own opinion。 。。。more

Carole Gourlay ，

Once again I was so thrilled to receive this book from Joffe Publishers as an ARC。 I say it every time， but Joy’s books are a delight to read。 Her writing is so descriptive and she whisks you along with her story as if you are there。 As I’ve said on many occasions， you can almost feel the damp enveloping every pore of your skin， the clamminess， the tension and eeriness of the Fens as you turn the pages。 Although I’ve never been， I feel like I know Lincolnshire very well， and I’m not sure I’d lik Once again I was so thrilled to receive this book from Joffe Publishers as an ARC。 I say it every time， but Joy’s books are a delight to read。 Her writing is so descriptive and she whisks you along with her story as if you are there。 As I’ve said on many occasions， you can almost feel the damp enveloping every pore of your skin， the clamminess， the tension and eeriness of the Fens as you turn the pages。 Although I’ve never been， I feel like I know Lincolnshire very well， and I’m not sure I’d like to be out there at night！ Well， I digress， this is another cracking story and it was nice to catch up with Liz and Matt， and this time they have Liz’s cousin to stay who is doing some research for her author boss。 As usual things are never what they appear。 She meets up with some lovely people， and of course， the owner of the bookshop， one Gina Spearman， who made my hackles rise immediately。 She is one nasty bitch， but seems to have control over those closest to her。 As the story progresses， Liz’s cousin， Christie gets more involved and begins to suspect there is more to Gina than meets the eye。 Not only is Gina manipulating everyone around her， Matt and Liz are running their own investigation into a missing sister of an older friend， and their old boss has asked Matt to see what he can find out about a missing girl。 The tale marches on， and some of the despicable things Gina does， made me want to stick pins in her eyes！ There are a few old faces in this book， dear old Rory and of course Matt’s old pals at the police station。 I do hope that Joy continues with Matt and Liz， and perhaps we can see what’s happened to the other characters in another book， as Joy is very clever and entwining the characters together， and they always have a massive twist at the end。 My thanks once again to Joy， and Rudi from Joffe Publishers for the ARC。 Can’t wait for the next one！ 。。。more

John Derek ，

MARSHLIGHT by Joy EllisEngland's rural fenland is a strange place， with its never-ending fields， winding tracks， and long straight droves （the old livestock routes）。 The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are， for a good part of the year， filled with tall， whispering reeds。 Closer to the Wash， high sea-banks form a barrier between river and marsh and the richly fertile soil of the drained land。 But when the mists come down， as they so often do， perspective is destr MARSHLIGHT by Joy EllisEngland's rural fenland is a strange place， with its never-ending fields， winding tracks， and long straight droves （the old livestock routes）。 The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are， for a good part of the year， filled with tall， whispering reeds。 Closer to the Wash， high sea-banks form a barrier between river and marsh and the richly fertile soil of the drained land。 But when the mists come down， as they so often do， perspective is destroyed， and all sense of direction lost。 And then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger。 Somewhere that you do not want to be at night。Matt and Liz may have retired from the police， but that does not mean a quiet life。An old friend’s sister disappears without a trace。 There is no sign of foul play。 But she had been acting very peculiarly recently。Meanwhile， Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay。 She takes an immediate and uncharacteristic dislike to the local bookshop owner， Gina。 Why does everyone put up with her awful behaviour？Hunting will-o'-the-wisps on the marshes can be a dangerous hobby。Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her。 Is she onto something dangerous or just pushing her new friends away？ No one believes her suspicions until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty fen marshes。Can Matt and Liz uncover the truth in time to save lives？Marshlight is an atmospheric crime thriller with a difference。The author paints a vivid， vibrant picture of the Lincolnshire Fens。 The ancient folklores， mysterious lights and gases from the marshes all bring a magical ambience to an excellent narrative。Will o’ the Wisp is caused when marsh gas or methane is formed from rotting vegetation。 It bubbles up from submerged mud， sometimes spontaneously combusting to produce a ‘cold’ flame。 But it does not detract from the many sightings that permeate the Fens history。The main protagonists， Matt Ballard and Liz Haynes， gel really well as a team。 The characters development has been highlighted in previous books， but it was fascinating to see their progress post-retirement。On behalf of some ex-colleagues， Matt and Liz have been unofficially looking into a cold case murder of a young adult female， Lindsay Harrison。 This occurred several years ago。 But Matt has needed something to get his teeth into。 The best thing about this is you will not find the usual police procedure or red tape tying the pair down。 I did say the main protagonists are Matt and Liz， but they are closely followed by Christie Liz。 She is a researcher for a famous blind author。 She is currently doing research on the folklore and beauty of the Fens。 She ends up staying longer when his illness keeps the author hospitalised。 She becomes friendly with some of the locals。 But she notices something is not quite right about the local book shop owner， Gina。 And here is another excellent sub-plot。The writing flows really nicely。 The language is realistic yet informal。 The novel has been well researched and well written。 There are a few sub-plots within the narrative， which makes for a genuinely intriguing and engaging read。Marshlight is a crime-thriller with added mystery。 Real-life characters， full of human strengths and weaknesses that we can all relate to。 This has to be the authors best work to date。 5-stars。Thanks to NetGalley， Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for the ADC。 。。。more

Nerys Roberts ，

Former police officers turned private investigators Matt and Liz have been searching for a friend's sister who has gone missing。 She had drastically changed her appearance the last time her sister saw her and her behaviour was totally out of character。 Matt and Liz can find no trace of her but promise to keep looking into it。 Liz is delighted that her cousin Christie is going to visit as she is researching the history and lore of the Fenlands for the author she works for。 Christie quickly makes Former police officers turned private investigators Matt and Liz have been searching for a friend's sister who has gone missing。 She had drastically changed her appearance the last time her sister saw her and her behaviour was totally out of character。 Matt and Liz can find no trace of her but promise to keep looking into it。 Liz is delighted that her cousin Christie is going to visit as she is researching the history and lore of the Fenlands for the author she works for。 Christie quickly makes friends in the area， especially two people who work in a local bookshop and a local artist。 However， surprisingly for her， she takes an instant dislike to the owner of the bookshop and believes her to be manipulating her three new friends。 Matt is delighted to get a call from his local colleagues at the Fenland Constabulary who ask him and Liz to look into a cold case - the murder of a young woman who worked at a garden centre。 The original suspect， her boyfriend at the time， had a solid alibi and the police think Matt and Liz can help them with background information about those involved in the case。 Christie soon finds herself in the grip of a game with a manipulative and wicked woman and she fears that the climax will lead to her losing her new friends or even worse。 Another great read from Joy Ellis。 Love the way she conveys the bleak but beautiful atmosphere of the fens。 Thanks to Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Suesyn Zellmer ，

There is a LOT going on in this book！ Several different plot lines to follow， so prepare yourself， as you'll need to keep everyone straight。 To start with， retired detectives and current private investigators/couple Matt and Liz are finishing up a case they could not resolve。 A fanciful sister of a friend of theirs has gone missing but they were unable to locate any trace of her。 Here sister is focused on the loss of her colorful spirit the last time they met and swears she didn't just take off There is a LOT going on in this book！ Several different plot lines to follow， so prepare yourself， as you'll need to keep everyone straight。 To start with， retired detectives and current private investigators/couple Matt and Liz are finishing up a case they could not resolve。 A fanciful sister of a friend of theirs has gone missing but they were unable to locate any trace of her。 Here sister is focused on the loss of her colorful spirit the last time they met and swears she didn't just take off on her own。 Matt and Liz are disappointed in the result， but there's no further avenues of inquiry that they can follow。Their focus turns to Liz's cousin Christie， who is coming to stay。 She's a researcher for a famous blind author and travels the world so that he can write with the knowledge of someone who has captured the environments first hand for him。 She's currently researching the folklore and beauty of the Fens for what may be his final book， as he has taken severely ill。 She ends up staying longer when his illness keeps him hospitalized， and is thus able to get to know the locals。 She becomes close to a few， but develops a severe dislike of the manipulative owner of the local book shop， Gina。 Gina is manipulative and controlling to everyone， especially Delphi， Jane， and Tom， a trio whom Christie quickly grows fond of。 Unfortunately， no one else seems to grasp how terrible Gina is because they are all incredibly naïve， apparently。Except there are two other characters that do agree with Christie about Gina - Tom's mother， Margaret and her old friend， Ian， a vicar from London。 He's back home to be with his ill sister， Evelyn， and is staying with Pip and Dominic， owners of Stone House and friends to all of the other characters。 Evelyn is also best friends with Margaret and are you confused as all get out yet？？ Margaret isn't shy about her dislike of Gina， especially because Tom grows continually more irritated and impatient with her， due to Gina's influence。 Ian attempts to keep Christie calm about her animosity because there's only so much you can do when people don't want to see what's right in front of them。And lastly， Matt and Liz have been unofficially looking into a cold case murder of a young adult female from several years ago。 Matt's thrilled because he misses 'real' cases that aren't mere spousal infidelity - the bulk of their PI work。 Liz enjoys this case also， but worries that Matt misses detective work much more than she does， as she knows past injuries will keep her from ever returning to the force。 It soon emerges that this case might be relevant to the other drama around town which complicates everything。So if you can keep it all straight， it's an engrossing story， but I do think we could have done without some of the subplots and characters。 If there hadn't been so many connections， this could almost have been broken up into more than one story。 The complete lack of awareness that Gina's acolytes showed was quite frustrating， especially because unlike a cult leader tends to be， she's not breathtakingly attractive or enthralling in the least。 Thank goodness for Margaret， she was by the far the most interesting and hilarious character。 Bring her back， please！ 。。。more

booklover BEV ，

Book Four Matt Ballard private investigator is back with partner Liz Haynes。Cannon Farm， Tanner's Fen are getting company her cousin Christie McFerran is bringing author Auden Meeres to stay as his new book setting for Marsh Light and Liz would be his favourite guide， not a well man and this could be his final novel both cousins are long over due a good catch up。Matt is asked by his ex colleges to dig into Lindsay Harrison who found murders four years ago the case was never closed or solved as L Book Four Matt Ballard private investigator is back with partner Liz Haynes。Cannon Farm， Tanner's Fen are getting company her cousin Christie McFerran is bringing author Auden Meeres to stay as his new book setting for Marsh Light and Liz would be his favourite guide， not a well man and this could be his final novel both cousins are long over due a good catch up。Matt is asked by his ex colleges to dig into Lindsay Harrison who found murders four years ago the case was never closed or solved as Liz says he is now working as a snout。As always this author Miss Ellis never disappoints her readers， with her work， I loved every detail in this book chapter after chapter as we read into some new characters and get to grips with some gruesome stuff。It get the big thumbs up from me all the way through。 。。。more

Harmony Kent ，

Many thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for a free Advanced Review copy of this book。I have read and enjoyed previous Joy Ellis books， so I jumped at the chance to read MARSHLIGHT pre-release。 Unfortunately， it fell somewhat flat this time for me。 By 25% of the way through， nothing big had happened。 Both the murder and the disappearance had happened prior to this story beginning。 At this point of the narrative， the book had read more like a love affair with the Fen Marshes than anything remotel Many thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for a free Advanced Review copy of this book。I have read and enjoyed previous Joy Ellis books， so I jumped at the chance to read MARSHLIGHT pre-release。 Unfortunately， it fell somewhat flat this time for me。 By 25% of the way through， nothing big had happened。 Both the murder and the disappearance had happened prior to this story beginning。 At this point of the narrative， the book had read more like a love affair with the Fen Marshes than anything remotely resembling a 'totally enthralling psychological thriller' as the blurb promised。 Also， with the many characters and plot threads， I felt that this diluted my connection。 I didn't feel that I cared one way or the other for any but Ian， the bereaved priest。The final denouement brought no great surprises for me， and the ending was somewhat open and loose。 I enjoyed the portrayal of Gina， which was as brilliantly over-inflated as any megalomaniac would be， and I hated her immediately。 So her character was incredibly well drawn and portrayed。 I offer 3 stars， which means it was an okay read。 See my notes below。*** NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review。 Picky about which books I give 5 stars to， I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me。5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING！ I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN！ — Highly Recommended。4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book。3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD！ — An okay read。 Didn’t love it。 Didn’t hate it。2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing， characterisation， and/or problematic plot lines。1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book。 。。。more

Susan ，

Ex-policemen and now P。I。 Ballard is asked by the police to look into an old murder case， that of Lindsay Harrison。 On one of their cases his partner Liz has to inform Frances Morton of their failure to locate her sister。 Meanwhile Liz's cousin， Christie McFerran， visits for a working holiday。 Soon she takes an instant dislike to a local female， and her treatment of her friend's。 Will the truth be revealed。An entertaining and well-written psychological thriller。 Another good addition to the seri Ex-policemen and now P。I。 Ballard is asked by the police to look into an old murder case， that of Lindsay Harrison。 On one of their cases his partner Liz has to inform Frances Morton of their failure to locate her sister。 Meanwhile Liz's cousin， Christie McFerran， visits for a working holiday。 Soon she takes an instant dislike to a local female， and her treatment of her friend's。 Will the truth be revealed。An entertaining and well-written psychological thriller。 Another good addition to the series with its likeable main characters。An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Misfits farm ，

DI Matt Ballard is now retired as is his wife Liz after their close call on a case a while ago。 They set up a private detective agency but Liz is finding the matrimonial work rather tedious。 When a friend Christie calls to say she will be staying in the area to help research a book， Liz is thrilled to have a companion and something a little different to focus on。 Matt gets a call from one of his ex colleagues about a woman who was murdered several years beforehand but no-one so far has been brou DI Matt Ballard is now retired as is his wife Liz after their close call on a case a while ago。 They set up a private detective agency but Liz is finding the matrimonial work rather tedious。 When a friend Christie calls to say she will be staying in the area to help research a book， Liz is thrilled to have a companion and something a little different to focus on。 Matt gets a call from one of his ex colleagues about a woman who was murdered several years beforehand but no-one so far has been brought to justice。 One of her friends has taken it upon himself to do his own investigations and castigate the police all over social media and the police need to both reign it in and find out more information which is where Matt comes in。 Christie loves the area and soon finds new friends but also someone who rubs her up the wrong way even without saying anything and she can't quite put her finger on why。 This is a very different book from Joy’s other ones as we don;t really begin with a murder and the loveable Rory。 A tale of complex relationships and the damage coercive control can do along with narcissism and toxic personalities。 Whilst this is fiction people like this really do exist as some know to their cost。 A topic sensitively dealt with and as ever a very well thought out captivating read。 A treasure of a book。 。。。more

Hannelore Cheney ，

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC。This is my favorite book so far by Joy Ellis， I absolutely loved it！ Not only is it a good mystery， the setting splendid， the array of characters likeable and interesting， but it has a female bad apple， so vividly portrayed you find yourself despising her。 She seems to put a spell on most people， who slavishly follow her。 But not Christie， the young woman who has come to the Fens to do research for a book。 As soon as she meets Gina， she takes an i Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC。This is my favorite book so far by Joy Ellis， I absolutely loved it！ Not only is it a good mystery， the setting splendid， the array of characters likeable and interesting， but it has a female bad apple， so vividly portrayed you find yourself despising her。 She seems to put a spell on most people， who slavishly follow her。 But not Christie， the young woman who has come to the Fens to do research for a book。 As soon as she meets Gina， she takes an intense dislike to her - totally out of character for someone friendly like her who generally likes everyone。This is not a police procedural， which is a nice change， but a mystery。 The story is so good， you won't be able to put your Kindle （or book） down。 Christie is highly likeable， I'd love her （and her lovely house）to be featured in a book again， along with some of the other characters。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more

Joyce ，

1306 kb5 starsMatt and Liz are two retired detectives。 Liz for medical reasons， but Matt misses the old days and the guys at the shop。 They now run a private detective service。 Liz hates the domestic part – especially following cheating spouses， but this new case is a missing person。The atmosphere in this book is amazing。 The lights at night on the fens and the eerie atmosphere is delicious。 The characters in this book are very well fleshed out。 I especially like Matt and Liz。 They are a wonderf 1306 kb5 starsMatt and Liz are two retired detectives。 Liz for medical reasons， but Matt misses the old days and the guys at the shop。 They now run a private detective service。 Liz hates the domestic part – especially following cheating spouses， but this new case is a missing person。The atmosphere in this book is amazing。 The lights at night on the fens and the eerie atmosphere is delicious。 The characters in this book are very well fleshed out。 I especially like Matt and Liz。 They are a wonderful couple and I think they would be enjoyable to be around。 I have no idea how Ms。 Ellis manages to come up with such varied and great ideas for her books。 She just wows me time after time。 I can't wait for t he next book in any of her series。I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read， enjoy and review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more

Carol ，

Joy Ellis brings the Lincolnshire Fens to life: the magic， ancient folklores， mysterious lights and gases from the marshes。 The mood is evocative and the characters authentic， but evil is lurking。MarshLight is unique， a departure from police procedural， and will have you gripped。 Expect the unexpected， you will not be disappointed。 I read it in a couple of sittings and loved it。