The Guilty Ones

Jackman & Evans, Book 4

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The Guilty Ones

By: Joy Ellis

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

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About this listen

Jackman and Evans are back in the latest gripping thriller by Joy Ellis, performed by the incomparable Richard Armitage.

Jackman’s sister-in-law Sarah disappears to London and throws herself into the river. What drove her to this? She was a woman with a seemingly happy homelife and two beloved sons. DI Jackman and DI Evans dig into Sarah’s life. And Jackman realises he knew almost nothing about his sister-in-law’s past.

Then, they discover a woman in a neighbouring village died in similar circumstances. What is the connection to a convicted murderer whose family are convinced he is innocent? Who is really pulling the strings?

Joy EllisRichard ArmitageAudible StudiosJackman & Evans (Published Order)Jackman & Evans (Recommended Listening Order)

Crime Thrillers

Fiction

Mystery

Police Procedural

Thriller

Thriller & Suspense

Crime

Exciting

Scary

Law

Suspense

Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting Scary Law Suspense

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Introducing Richard Armitage, our star narrator

Richard is well-known for his array of film, television and theatre work, including The Hobbit, Spooks and The Crucible. His trademark baritone voice has earned him recognition, too, through his performance on many notable audiobooks as well as in TV and radio show narration. This experience shines through in Armitage's gripping performance of the Jackman and Evans series where he plays host to a plethora of characters.

And Joy Ellis, the book's author

Joy Ellis started her career as a flower seller in Mayfair in the 1960s, before going on to open her own florist in Surrey. When the recession hit, Joy had a career change and became a bookseller, and attended a writing course in Greece where she was mentored by Sue Townsend. She now lives in the Fens with her partner Jacqueline, where the flatlands and marshes provide inspiration for her eerie plotlines.

Most relevant

I'm a huge fan of this series and will definitely continue with it in the future but of the four that I have read so far, this one doesn't quite hit the mark as well as the others. It's got Ellis's very human detectives, a feeling of natural warmth emanating from the very cold and dark places that her storylines tend to end up. It's also got a very interesting concept about the killer which I enjoyed very much. And yes, talking of warmth it's got those simply molten tones that Richard Armitage delivers making the whole experience incredibly smooth and easy to listen to.

So, lots of good things and I think anyone who has enjoyed the first three will likely find themselves enjoying the Fens again but in this one I'd question the two lead characters and possibly the ending just a bit. Jackman is starting to come across as a bit too perfect, a bit too universally liked and admired. Where this grated was in Evans continually telling him how right he was repeatedly. No harm supporting a colleague but Evans is a character who I think has enormous potential as a strong female character and while she does get up to some biking action at one point she's starting to feel a bit too much in Jackman's shadow. As for the ending, don't expect everything to be resolved as you might hope it would be is all I will say, this is very much an episode rather than a full story.

I'm definitely still enjoying Jackman and Evans and it's very possible that I've overdosed on them a little, this is after all the fourth one released on Audible since June last year. So, while I enjoyed this one well enough it didn't leave me with the same kind of buzz as the first three.