The Fells by Cath Staincliffe (Audiobook)

 

The discovery of a skeleton in a Yorkshire cave has the police revisiting the twenty-year-old case of the Fellside Strangler, a local who killed three women and was suspected of killing a fourth, although her body was never found. Could the skeleton be the missing victim?

The Fells is the first in a new series by Cath Staincliffe and features Yorkshire-based detectives Leo Donovan and Shan Young. The pair are investigating skeletal remains discovered in a cave. It is suspected the remains belong to Vicky Mott, a young woman who went missing in 1997 and was believed to be the fourth victim of the Fellside Strangler.

As we follow the investigation, the story is intertwined with the events of 1997 when Vicky, along with a group of university friends, attended a music festival. Switching between the two storylines makes for a pacey story and ensures the victim is seen as a young and vibrant individual, rather than a set of bones. As suspicion falls on different individuals we also get a glimpse of how they fit into the original events.

It is the two detectives that really make the story. Leo Donovan is a well-established, fifty-year-old detective and very traditional in his methods. Shan Young is paired with Donovan on her first day as a newly promoted detective and couldn't be more different. Born in China and adopted as a baby she was raised in Yorkshire. The pair have nothing in common, the dynamics shouldn't work but the pair immediately click. They are willing to give each other a chance, rather than be narrow-minded. The narrators help by adding to the authentic feeling of the characters thanks to the Yorkshire accents, I felt as if I was listening to real detectives discussing a case. Glimpses into the personal lives of each detective really humanises them - and highlights the conflicts they may face in their personal lives because of their profession. I'm already looking forward to the next installment in the Donovan & Young series.

The Fells by Cath Staincliffe is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and W. F. Howes Ltd for a review copy.

Author Details

Cath Staincliffe is a best-selling, award-winning novelist, radio playwright and creator of ITV’s hit show Blue Murder. Cath has been shortlisted for the CWA Daggers five times, winning 2012’s Short Story Dagger. She won the WGBB Best Radio Drama Award in 2019. Cath’s standalone titles describe the human impact of crime on ordinary families, giving voice to victims, the bereaved, survivors and witnesses.

Cath is a reading junkie who loves hill-walking or pottering in the garden. Her new detective series features chalk and cheese duo Leo Donovan and Shan Young in the stunning setting of the Yorkshire Dales.