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Taken to the Hills

Luke Sackville Crime Thrillers, Book 1

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About this listen

Abductions and murder are not what ex-DCI Luke Sackville expected when he left the police after tragedy struck his family. Luke’s return to the workplace was meant to be a soft landing, but when a woman vanishes after being accused of taking bribes, he is assigned a disparate team and tasked with tracking her down.

Their search becomes more urgent when her disappearance is linked to the death of a second woman. When a third goes missing, the hunt becomes a race against time. Luke’s return to work presents him with the most challenging case of his career as the murder victims mount. Murder and intrigue are peppered with humor in this fast-paced crime thriller set in and around the beautiful city of Bath in the southwest of England.

Taken to the Hills is the first in the Luke Sackville crime series. If you like a team you can root for, then you’ll love this audiobook. Perfect for fans of J. D. Kirk, L. J. Ross, J. M. Dalgleish, and David J. Gatward.

©2023 S. J. Richards (P)2023 S. J. Richards Crime Crime Thrillers Thriller & Suspense Fiction Thriller Exciting Scary Witty Murder Disappearance Suspense
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Listener received this title free

I thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller. I listened to the audiobook which I felt truly captured the tension of the victims and the pressures ex-DCI Luke Sackville and his team were under trying to figure out what was happening. The story caught my attention from the first chapter, and I was hooked until the very end.
 
It was a departure from the standard police procedural as Luke was no longer with the police but part of an investigative team within a financing company whose company secrets had been revealed by a female staff member to a business rival in exchange for bribes who then subsequently disappeared. This distinction created roadblocks for Luke as he didn’t have access to his usual forensic tools but also allowed him freedom to work more organically as he wasn’t tied to police procedure. This made for an intriguing format for how the story unfolded. Luke’s team (Sam, Helen, Maj and Josh) provided some lighter moments and hilarious banter within their interactions especially Josh who was the youngest member. Josh kept using the most ridiculous sayings trying to be trendy as well as incorporating his twist on police lingo which added plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me.
 
After a murder occurs the stakes grow higher, and the more time spent with the killer/kidnapper the more unhinged we discover they are. I found the scenes with the victims intense and unnerving as the Killer was so rational about their disturbing behaviour, that you never knew what they were going to do next which added layers of suspense and a loud ticking clock to the plot which kept the narrative fast-paced and addictive.
 
Overall, this was a compelling story with plenty of twists and turns which had me second guessing who was behind the corporate intrigue as well as the motivations of the killer and their identity. If you are looking for a well-paced thriller with an attention-grabbing plot and well-developed characters, this is the book for you. This is book 1 in a new series and I eagerly await Luke’s next investigation.

A compelling story with plenty of twists and turns

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Listener received this title free

This is a brilliant debut novel from SJ Richards. It is skillfully written with characters you can't help rooting for. Luke, the ex DCI, Josh, the young wanna-be with his own blend of the English language, Helen and Sam the accountant and Maj the ex security guy are all thrown together in this fast paced, action packed edge of the seat thriller. I found it impossible to put down and it's had me chuckling in me boots at times and at others holding my breath. A 10 star listen if that were possible. A book I shall definitely be listening to again, I hope there will be many more in this series. Highly recommended. Aubrey Parsons narration was outstanding as always and he is the perfect choice for this kind of detective story. **********
I was kindly given a copy of the book by the narrator and leave this honest unbiased review.

Brilliant Listen.

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The story has an interesting plot with lots of twists & turns, some had me guessing, others not so much. I found all of the characters in the team to be likeable, although one of them got on my nerves from the outset to the point where I considered giving up but I eventually warmed to the character & am glad that I persevered.
Now I’m interested to find out how the characters develop so I plan to read the next book in the series.
In my experience, every book narrated by the wonderful Aubrey Parsons is guaranteed to bring the story & characters to life & his narration of this book was 5*

An Enjoyable Read

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Listener received this title free

Really enjoyed this book; particularly liked the characters (obviously apart from the deliberately unpleasant ones). One of those books where one is intrigued to find out what is coming next!

Great characters and gripping plot with unexpected twists

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Listener received this title free

Firstly, the title is what got me. It's spooky, and yet, the cover made me feel like it wouldn't terrify me too much. Guess what? I was right.

This was a mix of mystery and thriller, with a dash of humour. I mean, they're the ethics team! Need I say more? It was just a perfect mix of the right people who came together for the right reasons. It all worked out in the end. And yet, I'm left wanting more!

The audio for this was fantastic. I really think the narrator did a great job. I was able to keep up, my confusion level was at a minimum, and I really enjoyed myself.

This is book one in a new series, and I, for one, am looking forward to more. Definitely recommend.

Looking forward to book two!

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