This series is rendered even more captivating as results of previous events and how they affect Dr Gregory spice up the stories. I can’t wait to know where we’ll be heading next! While she will always be a northerner at heart, she currently lives with her husband and their son in Bath on the outskirts of London where she spends her days writing her detective mysteries. Ross loved books from a very early age when she would find old books from her mother’s chest that she would staple and illustrate during her middle school years. Even as she has a varied taste in the types of novels that she reads, and will not mind reading the odd women’s fiction or a romance. Thinking of a creative venture that would take her away from her job, she fell pregnant with her son. Motherhood was a very exciting prospect for L.J. Ross, though she was still unsatisfied with her career that would not give her the flexibility she desired to have as a mother. Dr Gregory is proving to be more fascinating with each book. His expertise, although essential, never cuts him from the world and his peers. He finds himself spiraling with everyone else in a mysterious and somehow tragic investigation. The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.

Apart from the editing, which her husband proudly did, she did not have to pay anything, and was pleasantly surprised when the novel took off. She has been publishing as an Indie ever since. The DCI Ryan Mysteries are set in Northumberland, which is a region of England that the author is particularly familiar with, given that she grew up there. These are fast-paced mystery and murder novels peppered with a bit of romance and humor. The setting of Paris fit well with the modelling story but I've never been to Paris so I'm not familiar with the various arrondissements. It is clear that the author knows the area well, but maybe too well as I couldn't really conjure a vivid picture of the setting in my mind. Not that it bothered me too much, as I was more interested in the storyline than the Parisian sights. Something else to note in relation to the setting, there are a couple of phrases in French that some people might have difficulty with. I grasped most of it but anyone who hasn't studied French will struggle. Don't let it put you off though; just remember, that's what Google Translate is for. Gregory’s lips twisted into a reluctant smile. He couldn’t deny his interest had been piqued by the case, as well as his compassion. For any person to be rendered mute by such severe trauma was a cause of great sadness, and he yearned to help her—not merely so she could confirm her identity to the police and help to find the person responsible, but before any temporary damage became permanent and she was consigned to a life of silence."Hysteria is well named as it felt like my brain was being put through the wringer whilst I was reading. I was struggling to see how some parts of the story fit and couldn't for the life of me work out where the story was heading. It's not my first LJ Ross book though, so I knew that everything was there for a reason. All I'll say is well played, LJ Ross. Very well played indeed.

Overall, I don't regret reading this second installment but felt the author missed an opportunity by not including more substance and engaging storyline depth to this book. I needed to learn more about the primary character to motivate my interest in the next installment. What was really interesting, was not only to see Alex in work mode but we get to see more of how events from the previous book have affected him. This being said, I would highly recommend reading that one before this one. There is no wonder he is fighting his own demons and it adds a little something to the story, making it darker and deeper. Gregory is a careful, perceptive and methodical man when he is working on his investigations. In his personal life, however, he is a tormented soul and he can often find himself distracted by issues from his childhood that can overwhelm him – invariably in his dreams. His early years’ experiences have conditioned him to believe that he cannot rely on others, his work is his be-all and end-all. His head and his heart are often in conflict and he really struggles with the split nature of his emotional personality. L.J. Ross peels our skins to reveal the vulnerable and fragile parts of ourselves. Gregory doesn’t escape this. Throughout the book, everyone is scrutinized, and truths appear. Paris’ Fashion Week. The usual frenzy that accompanies it. L.J. Ross depicts a dreamy Paris, with its crows, its wealth, but she doesn’t sell postcard cities. She takes your hand and shows you the other Paris. The everyday not-so-glamorous side of France’s capital. And dead bodies with mutilated faces. The contrasts between the city’s different sides associated by the differences between the French police and the UK system played a part in this story, at times reinforcing the parallels, at times widening the gaps.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’. With a passion for writing and reading, a writing career seemed the most plausible way to express her creativity. The idea for the first novel in the series came while she was traveling to Edinburgh with her husband. Nonetheless, it is the vintage crime authors such as Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, which have had the most influence on her work with her DCI Ryan Mysteries. After practicing law for nearly ten years in London, the stressful environment and the long hours began to take their toll. It was great to catch up with Dr Alexander Gregory again. I do have a bit of a soft spot for him (don’t tell DCI Ryan!), he is a fascinating character. LJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide.