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Death Under a Little Sky

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Death Under a Little Sky

By: Stig Abell
Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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The stunningly written, atmospheric new debut crime thriller you won’t want to miss! Winner of the 2024 CrimeFest Debut Crime Novel of the Year!

A detective ready for a new life
Jake Jackson, high-flying ex-city detective, inherits a rural retreat from his reclusive uncle. It’s the perfect chance to start anew.

A death that disrupts everything
But then the local annual treasure hunt spirals into terror when a young woman’s bones are discovered. Suddenly, Jake is back to being a detective, as he tries to unearth a dangerous killer in this most unlikely of settings.

Praise for Death Under a Little Sky

‘Tense but patient, fast but thoughtful, and twisty but substantial – this is a truly excellent debut, and I want the next installment now’ Lee Child

‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves

‘Gloriously atmospheric and masterfully plotted with such a strong sense of place, this is a huge treat for crime fiction lovers. I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Lucy Foley

‘Stylish…a more than promising debut’ The Times

‘Stylishly written by a skilled wordsmith, and an absorbing tale’ Sun

‘A vivid, atmospheric debut’ Daily Mail

‘A cosy crime read with an appealing protagonist’ Guardian

©2023 Stig Abell Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Private Investigators Romantic Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime Suspense
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Critic reviews

‘Tense but patient, fast but thoughtful, and twisty but substantial – this is a truly excellent debut, and I want the next installment now’ Lee Child
‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves
‘Gloriously atmospheric and masterfully plotted with such a strong sense of place, this is a huge treat for crime fiction lovers. I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Lucy Foley
‘Stylish…a more than promising debut’ The Times
‘Stylishly written by a skilled wordsmith, and an absorbing tale’ Sun
‘A vivid, atmospheric debut’ Daily Mail
‘A cosy crime read with an appealing protagonist’ Guardian
‘A pitch-perfect blend of psychological thriller and classic detective fiction, rich with smart plotting and characters so real we feel we know them’ Jeffery Deaver
‘Brilliant, gripping, fantastic … I can’t put it down’ Chris Evans
‘An atmospheric, often meditative, and beautifully written crime novel’ Vaseem Khan
‘An outstanding debut’ Jeffrey Archer
‘With his awkward but likeable hero, a compelling relationship between Jake and Livia, and the skillfully realized setting, Abell’s new career in crime fiction is off to a promising start’ Daily Mirror
‘A joyful dive into the detective genre…I was charmed and engrossed’ Observer
‘A tense and twisty crime thriller’ iPaper
‘A deep, searching novel, as preoccupied with human nature and ordinary evil as it is with detection’ A. J. Finn, author The Woman in the Window
‘A brilliant debut. Perfect to get lost with next to the fireside’ Dermot O’Leary
‘A truly clever, deeply unsettling and beautifully written mystery’ Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End
‘Mesmerizing prose…and a devilishly constructed plot’ PW starred review
All stars
Most relevant
A detective story that is a little bit different from the norm. Plenty of characters to acquaint yourself with, such that you can start to wonder ‘who on earth dunnit’? All set a tranquil insular countryside setting. Worth a try as it’s far from straightforward.

A different detective story

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The plot is well worn and written in a very basic style. The characters are two dimensional. There is too much cringeworthy leering by the protagonist at the main female character. Real people simply don’t speak the way these characters do and it feels laboured. No style or substance really. I agree with many of the other reviewers- disappointing.

Disappointing

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I can’t understand all the good reviews - this is a really poorly written, under-researched, occasionally cringe-inducing substandard cosy crime. I respect some of its reviewers and wanted to like it, but on top of everything else, it was deeply irritating in its gestures to Austen. Gave up halfway through and feel really cheated.

Waste of a credit - celebrity guff

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There is no doubt that a descriptive picture of Little Sky is created by the author and as the reader you are under no doubt that the main character is living in an isolated spot. However, it takes ages for anything to actually happen and then it all happens in the last couple of chapters. If you intend to listen to this while you are doing something else then you will probably enjoy it, but if you give it your undivided attention, then you might find the pace of the storyline frustrating.

Evocative language but a slow burn

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An entertaining and well written story. Enjoyed all the detective novel references and the setting.

Well written debut

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