I would like to thank Joy Ellis for writing a brilliant part of the DI Jackman and DS Evans series. I found the characters really likeable (the police and the Jackman family).

I think the ending was too soon, but I figured out who it was about 75% through in the book.

Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. An edgy mystery full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. This book brings it ALL!

This was my first Joy Ellis book but not my first murder mystery, and Ellis stands out from the others. Ellis' writing style and characters are very much in keeping with other police force/ detective books - the fast pace of killings/detecting, the police officers dealing with loss, the tight community of a team with quirky characters, the evil killer who thinks a lot of himself... But there is something about the way Ellis brings the tale to life. First of, we know who the killer is before 75% of the way through, and there are little red herrings/ actual clues for the more astute reader (many of which I missed initially). The last 25% centres on the final chase. Usually crime authors make a mountain of the big reveal, but Ellis' way is to drop it in and make it so obvious that the big focus is on catching the perp rather than who he is and why he is the way he is - although that is analysed along the way too. The characters are so black and white, with emotions spelt out for the reader, but that to me is part of what I want from a crime novel. The Guilty Ones was fast paced and easy to read in one sitting and although there were hints of backstories, I didn't even realise I was reading the fourth in a series! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Ellis' work. Definitely recommend to readers of crime. Not often done well, but Ellis does is brilliantly with all the charms of the genre.

The guilty ones by Joy Ellis.
This was an absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Jakeman Marie were my favourite characters.  I was hooked from page one.  I had a feeling that Sarah didn't kill herself. Her brother in law Rowan jakeman is a police officer and is shocked when he finds out. But when another body is found that looks like suicide he thinks they may be linked. His team along with jakeman start to figure things out. Then 2 more bodies are found. Will he find this killer before another body is found?
I had my own theory about who it is. I'm thinking someone on the victim side but I could be wrong. I love joys books. I love it when I read a book and it's not easy to see who the killer is. Wow what a ending.  Can't wait to read next one  I do hope there is more to come. 5*.

Joy Ellis and The Guilty Ones is a definite page turner and kept me guessing! Jackman and Evan's are a great team along with all the secondary characters that really add to the plot. I loved the tie in with characters from the other book series and can't wait for more!

I have read most books written by Joy Ellis and have enjoyed them as look forward to new offerings! . However,The Guilty Ones is by far the best I have read. A brilliant plot which kept the reader guessing until the end and shows a great progression in the style and quality of writing by the author. Look forward to the next DI Jackman outing. Review on Amazon

As one of my favourite authors, Joy Ellis delivers another fast paced, gripping read. I love the camaraderie between the characters especially between DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans. The story tied in some of the Fens characters which I really liked. Exciting read and cannot wait for the next in the series.

Joy Ellis is definitely one of my favorite authors out there right now, and this book really cements that.

Ellis has the unique ability to take seemingly-simple, straightforward mysteries and turn them into wonderfully complex stories that lead you on a journey. It's really amazing.

This book is part of a series, but can certainly be read as a standalone novel.

This novel starts with the suicide of DI Jackman's sister-in-law, Sarah. However, things don't seem right from the start, and soon, it's almost certain that something sinister is going on. As the body count rises, Jackman and Evans must work to get inside the mind of a sadistic killer, but first they have to find out what the heck is going on.

This novel is another hit from Ellis in what was already a great series. It's complex enough to give you pause, but isn't so out there that you get lost.

I also love the characters. I actually am not only invested in the mystery itself, but in the personal storylines that surround the team. And I can't wait to see where they go in the future.

Overall, highly recommended!

I always love it when I have a Joy Ellis to read and the clever original plot didn’t disappoint. After saying that I didn’t find The Guilty Ones as enthralling as many of the Fens books and I think maybe I was missing my favourite old characters.

This is a really good fast paced thriller. I was hooked from the first page. I have read several books by Joy Ellis. They are all full of action and very good stories. There is a lot packed into every book.

The Guilty Ones is a well written mystery. The plot has many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.. I always enjoy this author’s writing and this book did not disappoint. I recommend to fans of mysteries.

I have read several books by Joy Ellis. This is a DI Jackman and DS Evans story and once again, it did not disappoint. There is something about her style of writing, which means this author’s novels are always a page-turner for me.

Jackman’s sister-in-law goes to London and appears to have committed suicide leaving behind a husband and two sons who are heart broken. She didn’t seem to be the type of character to kill herself and this leads to the investigation especially when another body is found in the same manner.

Cleverly plotted with numerous twists and turns, which kept me engrossed from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Highly enjoyable and recommended.

A tensión building story, that reached a unexpected ending. The story held me captive till the end. Look forward to the next story from Joy Ellis in this Jackman and Evans series.

WoW.......The Guilty Ones DI Jackman & DS Evans book 4 by Joy Ellis was a brilliant read. This latest Jackman & Evans instalment is just Excellent. It was fast paced and gripping from the very first page to the last chapter. Joy's books only get better and Better.....Looking forward to the next book from Joy Ellis.

Big Thank you to Netgalley, the author and to Joffe Publishers for the ARC for a honest review x
5 star read from me.

Let me start with this: I am not a fan of books where unhappy things happen with family or friends of the main character. I don't understand why it is necessary to have those poor people die or hurt or whatever, just to write a story. In this book, Sarah could easily have been a total stranger. Now Jackman is left with a lot of questions and a grieving brother.
This said, I must also say I enjoyed the book but it did not leave a big impression. In fact, I had to reread some parts when writing this review because it is already more than a week ago I've read the book. Would I have remembered the whole story clearly, I would have rated it 4 starts instead of 3. This is not to say it is not a nice and well-written book. It is just a bit too average for my taste. I would be happy to read more of Joy Ellis though so when I can find more books of her on NetGalley, I hope they will allow me to read them.

This is the fourth book of Joy's I have read, and the second in the Jackman and Evans series.

Even though this is the fourth book in the series it is quite easy to jump into it without having read the previous three stories, although it obviously does help as bits of the story jump back and relate to the previous books.

The book starts off with DI Jackman's Sister-in-law committing suicide, which is totally against character leaving a husband and two sons heart broken.  As he investigates he realises that her death isn't as straight forward as it seems, and when another body is found the same way the team link the two and start to investigate.

This is a brilliant book, which goes back to investigate an old murder, which is the only link between the two current dead bodies, and deals well with the issues and how it affects the people left behind.

Due to the involvement with DI Jackman's family we do learn a lot about them, which I think makes him  a much believable character and makes him that much easier to relate to when his entire family could be caught up in the investigation.

The book is very fast paced and left me guessing all the way through to the end, leaving me wanting more and being disappointed that Joy hasn't had it published yet.

THE GUILTY ONES by JOY ELLIS. This series just keeps getting better. While revisiting a cold case, new evidence comes to light and the team has another complex case to solve. In addition to getting to know more of the personal lifes of DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans and the rest of the detectives, there is a sadistic and clever killer seeking revenge. While solving a cold case, new evidence comes to light and the team has another complex case to solve. Looking forward to more of this series.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed reading this author. Would read another book by her. Would recommend this book to others

I love Joy's books and I was really keen to get stuck in to this one!

I loved the ending and it bumped my rating up from 4.5 stars to 5 and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series after that ending! The characters are great and I loved catching back up with them.

There are some tough subjects dealt with in the book but Jackman, Evans and the team deal with the situations well and it is done with sensitivity as part of the story.

It has the same great writing style and pace as per the author's other books and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Five stars from me - very highly recommended - I think Joy's books just keep getting better and better!!

When DI Jackman’s sister-in-law commits suicide, his family finds it hard to believe. She was a loving wife and mother and didn’t seem to have any real cares in the world.
His partner, DI Marie Evans, finds it so hard to believe she becomes convinced not all is as it first appears. It’s a belief that becomes a reality as first one then two more suicide victims are found, neither of which are quite what they seem.
It looks like someone has come up with a very clever way of committing murder – by getting his or her victims to do it themselves. It’s also a very clever idea of a book, one I enjoyed as I watched the police scramble to figure out just who was behind some rather vicious attacks on seemingly innocent people.
And here is where I come up with a dilemma when reviewing this book. I did enjoy it, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Ellis’ other books so I am struggling a bit with where to place it on my scaling of loving and liking.
What I liked – a lot – was the plot, and the idea of a different type of psychopath on the loose in the Lincolnshire Fens, a place that sounds beautifully atmospheric. What I didn’t like as much was the characters. I kept comparing them to Nikki Galena in the other Joy Ellis series I have read. I love Nikki and Marie Evans just didn’t make the same connection with me.
Reading this book, I felt a little like my characters were going through the motions and I couldn’t quite get past it. It might be because this is the forth book in the series – there were a lot of references to the past which I didn’t know about – and so there is too much water under the bridge. I wonder how I would feel if I started at book one?
Whatever the reason, it left me feeling a little flat when I was done. I wanted more than I got here, which is a shame. It was a good book that, with the storyline, could have been great.