Jess Bridges is back! Having recently read ‘Black River’ and discovered a new favourite female investigator, I was delighted to meet up with her again. Like all good crime novels the story begins with a death - a woman’s body is found on the white horse carved into the Oxfordshire countryside. Leo, the enigmatic and handsome detective of ‘Black River’, is called in to investigate and Jess Bridges is undercover looking for a missing girl and their cases are due to overlap! As with ‘Black River’ this was a wonderful mixture of laughter stirred up with the fear. Jess undercover in a commune was a glorious recipe for comedy. But a second death provides a chilling reality check. I really love this series - frightening but not too graphic, refreshing humour, fast moving plot and a will they won’t they romantic interest. The series does not have to be read in sequence but why would you miss out on time with Jess! Straight onto the next one for me! Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this entertaining read!!

Now I'll admit, after reading to first installment of this new series, I was hesitant. Don't get me wrong, Black River was a good enough read but it wasn't paced enough for me so was expecting the same again.

I WAS SO WRONG!

Straight away this second installment grabbed me, span me around, plonked me down and walked away leaving me slightly dazed!

This is most definitely a more 'darker' offering than the first book and I personally felt that Jess' character was more relatable in this one. Her character really started to come through, showing a real strong female lead.

I do love reading about the whole 'cult' scene and Joss really captured the sinister side of it extremely well. I felt I was part of the whole investigation.

The misdirection and plot twists and cleverly intertwined and the pace was spot on.

I'm so glad I gave this series another go and ant wait to get started on the 3rd one now.

Huge thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the ARC.

4.5 stars
After reading Black River, this book set up my love for the Jess Bridges series.

Leo and Jess have to discover who could kill a young woman and drop her body in a very historical setting. I will be honest, this book reminded me so much of a Midsummer Murders episode about secret society where once you are in, it’s difficult to get out and the interaction with the outside world is almost inexistent. Going undercover takes a lot of courage and strength, particularities that our heroine posses in full, and her quirky mind and humor made it once again an addictive read.

Fast-paced, suspenseful and unstoppable read, this is another favourite story by a now must read author.

White Horse is the second in the series featuring detective Leo George and private investigator Jess Bridges. Having previously met during the wild swimming murder investigation in Oxford, it is the death of a young woman, found on the chalk horse figure near the village of Kingston Beauchamp that reunites this pair. Whilst Leo is beginning his investigation alongside colleagues Harry Boston and Suyin Wong, two familiar figures, Jess is at the Frankfurt book fair with ex boyfriend Michael Harrison. It is here that her next mission to locate a missing person falls into her lap thanks to author Dr Tanglewood White. Dr White has had no contact with her daughter Lisette for the last two years and believes her last known whereabouts is a cult commune in Kingston Manor, close to the Uffington White Horse. Without much consideration, Jess agrees to go undercover and gain entry into the commune in the hope she can reunite mother and daughter. Is there a connection between the death of the as yet unidentified young woman and the missing Lisette? This promises to be another entertaining if strange murder mystery entangling both Leo and Jess as their lives collide once again. You can expect to be as invested in their characters and interactions with one another as much as you are in the solving of this murder. Truly this is a partnership like you’ve never encountered before.

Setting is crucial to the storyline with the vale of the White Horse, the Iron Age fort of Uffington Castle and the actual prehistoric chalk figure of the white horse an ideal location for this murder mystery which focuses on pagan beliefs, rituals and ceremonies. As ignorant as I am I had no idea how many of these chalk figures are present in our English countryside so I was both educated and entertained by the author as I joined Leo and Jess in their latest adventure, most of which centres around a commune where the cult Children of the White Horse reside. With Father Oak aka Terry O’Brien at the helm, the author is able to explore myths surrounding these kinds of alternative lifestyles and how easy it is for power to fall into the wrong hands, brainwashing well meaning individuals into a life it is then virtually impossible to escape. Obviously this is a lighthearted piece of crime fiction but I did find the actual premise enlightening, educating me in a subject I know little about. I love it when a book prompts you to investigate subject matter further so thank you Joss!

Jess, going undercover to infiltrate this cult in order to find the missing Lisette initially believes all the rumours surrounding this lifestyle, relishing the opportunity to indulge her hedonistic nature but hilariously doesn’t anticipate how bizarre this life could be. Brothers Pine, Maple and Gorse and Sister Ivy together with Father Oak are either harmless, eccentric individuals bonded by common beliefs or else there is something more sinister going on behind the doors of this Manor House. What connection the dead woman may have with the area is up to Leo and his team to discover as their investigation increasingly focuses on the residents of both the village and the commune. It’s a well paced, intriguing storyline that I found difficult to put down, thanks mainly to the loveable, chaotic, soft hearted man eating Jess.

I expressed the desire to learn more about Leo’s character as this series progresses in my review of Black River and I did feel Leo started to emerge slightly from his shell. He’s still incredibly buttoned up and proper but I could see with this investigation a friendship, respect and mutual attraction gradually forming between these two contrasting characters, building on their previous encounter. I initially voiced concerns that this unlikely partnership wasn’t working well for me but I have to retract that statement now as I’ve come to the conclusion Leo and Jess’s differences compliment each other perfectly. Leo could definitely benefit from adopting Jess’s more free spirited and carefree ways whilst Jess at times is in need of more self control, reigning in her impulsive streak. By her own admission she often finds herself a square peg in a round hole and this storyline allows her to be her true unpredictable self, charging headfirst into a situation with little thought for the consequences. I’m beginning to think that I wouldn’t want her any other way and it’s her outlandish behaviour and devil may care attitude that makes this series so appealing. As in Black River, the narrative sparkles with humour alongside a sense of foreboding and danger so that you can’t take anything too seriously, enjoying Jess’s antics knowing Leo and Michael will always come to the rescue.

The author leaves the reader with a real cliffhanger of an ending, tempting you to pick up the third instalment in this quirky detective series. I am so looking forward to Red House, wondering whether this slow burning potential romance between Leo and Jess will ever ignite or if it’s one of those relationships that will only ever come tantalisingly close to teetering over the edge of professional into the more personal. I can’t help feeling something or someone, possibly Michael Harrison, will thwart any further development but I guess I’ll have to wait and see! My thanks as always to the publisher One More Chapter and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Jess Bridges is back to take us on another entertaining investigation. Jess's character is a perfect combination of seriously good investigator and seriously snarky chronicler of tales. Joss Stirling has created a cast of characters that work well together and have enough back story to keep this 2nd volume of the series from ever being boring.

A young woman's body is found. Staged to look like a ritualized sacrifice, the police immediately suspect she was a member of a local cult. But no one seems to know her, either in the cult or the local community. As this investigation seems to stall, our intrepid Jess Bridges has joined the cult in search of a missing young woman. The two investigations will cross and merge as more and more ugly truths come out.

An excellent continuation to the series started with Black River. White Horse can easily be read as a stand alone, but this series is so good, it will be around for awhile, so you might as well start with the first one. You won't be sorry.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘White Horse’ by Joss Stirling in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in Joss Stirling’s series of mysteries featuring private investigator, Jess Bridges. I missed the first book, ‘Black River’, though have since bought it. Yet I didn’t feel lost as Joss Stirling provided background on the characters.

Some 3000 years ago the abstract shape of a horse was carved into a hill near Uffington Castle in Oxfordshire. This enigmatic chalk hill figure is a key location in this novel and is featured on the cover.

Jessica (Jess) Bridges, is a private investigator and specialises in missing persons. She has been hired by author Tanglewood White to find her wayward daughter, who has joined a commune called the Children of the White Horse, and to attempt to persuade her to leave the cult. The group is very secretive and Jess’ plan is to go in undercover.

Complicating this plan is that recently the body of a young woman was found laid out on the hill figure in a manner that suggested a ceremonial killing. Detective Inspector Leo George suspects that the victim was a member of the Children of the White Horse, though none of the cult members are talking. So when he learns that his friend, Jess, is working her case undercover there he realises that she can also serve as his eyes and ears. Yet at the same time he is concerned about her safety. It turns out that he has good cause.

I adored this mystery. While not quite a cosy, it has a playful feel, especially Jess’ inner dialogue and banter. Both Jess and Leo were appealing leads. The chapters were divided between Jess’ first person narrative and Leo’s third person perspective. There’s also a few chapters from the viewpoint of Michael, Jess’ friend, who is an Oxford professor.

As noted above I enjoyed this very much. Okay, it’s not great literature but it provided me with a few hours of entertainment and an intriguing whodunnit. Two further books are scheduled for publication in this series: ‘Red House’ in November and ‘Grey Stones’ in January, 2021. I certainly plan to buy and read both.

This is a really promising new series, and I have enjoyed both books. The characters are well drawn and engaging, and the plot draws you in and keeps you involved. I am looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

White Horse is the second book in new Jess Bridges Mystery Series featuring private detective Jess Bridges and Detective Inspector Leo George.
I would highly recommend this, together with the first book in the series, Black River, and, Don’t Trust Me, which is when we first meet Jess (and her ex Michael) as it fills in their backstory explaining in more detail why Michael and Jess are no longer together and how Michael sustained his injuries.
This book continues soon after Black River concludes, with Jess taking on a lucrative missing person case which causes her path to cross again with DI Leo George. If successful, Jess will be able to expand her business as a private detective, so she has a lot riding on a positive outcome. DI Leo George is also seeking a positive outcome of a murder investigation which may be related to the matter Jess has been hired to investigate. Can both of them get what they seek or is there a conflict of interests? Will Jess put her own business before Leo’s police investigation?
Such a great read, intriguing plot, quite a few laughs and I really like the strong main characters. I hope that there are many more books to come in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

White Horse is the second instalment in the Oxford-based Private Investigator (PI) Jess Bridges Mystery series and is set a few months after the events in Black River. Thirty-one-year-old PI and flawed protagonist Jess specialises in locating missing people. When she attends a book fair in Frankfurt with an author friend as part moral supporter, part drinking partner, she wasn't expecting to be approached by another writer who requests her help in locating a missing young woman last seen at what appears to be a commune or possible cult in Uffington. She is offered enough money to make it a no-brainer and therefore accepts. Jess returns home and decides to risk going undercover as Sister Poppy within the cult group to try to locate the girl. Coincidentally, DI Leo George has been called to the scene of the 3000-year old ancient site of the White Horse in the Downs surrounding Uffington where the dead body of a young woman has been splayed over the landmark and a ceremonial robe belonging to Children of the White Horse cult lies in the undergrowth nearby. The whole incident smells very much like a ritual killing. As Leo and Jess’s cases overlap, can they work together to find the truth?

This is an enthralling, addictive and much darker offering than the first instalment, as there is less humour but it still has some lighthearted banter about it and Jess’s inner monologue is often quite amusing. I have always found cults fascinating whether it be in fiction or nonfiction and it gave the whole book a sinister and unpredictable feel to it, which I loved. We get to learn more about Jess and Leo, in particular, and Jess really tries her utmost to help her client's, if the price is right, of course. The characters are quirky with an equally madcap and anarchic sense of humour which punctuates the story with a lightness to offset the dark and gritty cult storyline. There are several good twists throughout, great use of misdirection and red herrings, the action rarely stands still and the pace just keeps moving and swiftly. As disturbing secrets are unravelled by our dream team the book concludes unexpectedly and satisfyingly. I am already looking forward to the third outing and hope it'll be just as gripping, captivating and dramatic as the first two. Many thanks to One More Chapter for an ARC.

🔎Page-turner whodunit with an intrepid PI stumbling her way through danger😮

4.5🌟stars
I got thoroughly wrapped up in this Jess Bridges mystery which I felt was a solid improvement over Black River, the first book in the series. Investigator Jess, DI Leo George and her former lover Michael are back, this time involved in two different investigations -- a murder and a missing person -- that dovetail into each other because they both lead to the same place on the Downs. The story flowed well and the last half was really fast-paced and exciting. I must admit the identity of the killer and motive eluded me through most of the story.

Although Joss Stirling is still keeping readers in the dark about the reason for Michael's fall that crippled him and why he and Jess broke up, this book harkened less back to events that preceded this story. On some points, like references to Jess's jailed dad, a reader will just wonder unless they've read Black River. I think I've grown to like the Jess Bridges character better than in the previous book. She's still impulsive and a bit quick off the mark on sharing her physical charms, but she's proved herself conscientious about serving her clients and loyal and protective of her friends. I would gladly read more about this trio.

Thanks to publishers Harper Collins/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Jess, Leo, and Michael are back in Book 2 of the Jess Bridges Mystery Series, White Horse, and they have new cases to solve, new crazy predicaments to get into, and new dangers to face.

What I Loved

White Horse picks up basically where Black River leaves off with just about a couple of months between the two stories. It can be a bit of a stretch for the imagination to believe all of these mysteries could happen in such a short amount of time. Still, I love the characters so much, and watching them in action is such a wonderful experience that I am more than willing to make my imagination stretch.

There are three mysteries again – one is Jess’s PI case, one is a murder that Leo is trying to solve, and the third is a suspicious death. This time, unlike in Black River, the three cases are intertwined, so Jess and Leo find themselves working together again. Three mysteries in one story may sound like a lot, but they are handled so expertly that I never get confused or lost in the plot. Instead, I just found that it made the pages turn faster and faster without a lull.

I also love that Jess Bridges reminds me so much of one of my favorite literary characters Stephanie Plum from the series by Janet Evanovich. Jess and Stephanie both are “strapped for cash and recklessly impulsive,” which is a large part of their charm. Both are very attractive to the opposite sex, and both are never sure where they stand in relationships. The most significant difference between the two characters is that Jess has a band of support characters that help ground her and keep her safe. In contrast, Stephanie has a madcap group of over the top support characters. Jess is a PI, and Stephanie works for a bonds bail man, but both find themselves in dangerous situations due to their job. And they are both the most enjoyable female characters that I have had the opportunity to read.

I love that this time the group took on a cult. There is such an air of mystery to cult activities that added the extra layer of mystique to an already action-filled story. Of course, Jess’s plan involved going undercover into the cult, which creates many situations that are as laugh-out-loud funny as they are full of suspense.

To Read or Not to Read

If you love light, hard-boiled mysteries, you must pick up this new series by Joss Sterling.

The discovery of the body of a young woman on the ancient site of the famous White Horse near Uffington starts a tricky investigation by local Detective Leo George whilst at the same time, local quirky private investigator Jessica Bridges begins the task of convincing the daughter of her acquaintance Tanglewood White to quit the local cult / commune. Jess joins the commune to progress her case and it isn’t long before both investigations become entwined and Jess gets to work more closely with Leo which she is only too happy to do.

The story is cleverly told and there are enough suspects to keep the reader guessing until the end.

White Horse is the second book in the Jess Bridges series by Joss Stirling and it is a crime novel that is a little quirky.

Told from multiple angles I found this book easier to read and more enjoyable than the first probably as I now know the main characters and have got used to the writing style.

This time Jess goes under cover with her usual uniquely chaotic style which produces some strange results.

I definitely benefitted from having read the first book in the series and would recommend White Horse on that basis

Well written, captivating, fast paced thriller by Joss Stirling.
My first time reading that author.

Interesting storyline and characters, well developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the series featuring Jess Parker. We met her first in the book Black River which I’ve also read. When a body is discovered in the grounds of Uffington Castle, D I Leo George is on the case of what maybe a ritual killing. Private eye Jess is at a book fair where she meets a fellow writer who asks her to find a young woman who has gone missing from a commune in Uffington.
Both Jess and Leo work together with Jess joining the commune to find out more after the cult members clam up. The characters are very likeable & quirky. The story is very gripping and the settings are brought to life. Told in points of view, with plenty of action. A must read.

I read this book pretty much straight after finishing series opener - Black River - which I do recommend you also read first - series rules and all that!
So... this time we follow Jess as she is asked to find a missing young woman who might have joined a cult. Coincidentally the same cult that DI Leo George is also investigating with respect to a body found laid out on the famous chalk White Horse. The two of them have history from the first book and there is a connection... Will this hinder or help them in their endeavours or will it enable them to pull together to figure out what is going on?
I connected well to Jess in her first outing, well after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing!. She's feisty and knows her mind and is not afraid to get stuck in. She's also a bit fearless which can lead to a bit of recklessness at times too. Her interaction with George is intriguing and interesting and adds rather than distracts from the mystery being solved. The mystery itself is a bit simpler than in Jess's first outing and I did guess the majority well ahead of time but it did keep my attention nicely along the way and at no point was I so convinced of my conclusions that I didn't keep guessing.
The action and intrigue ramp up nicely throughout, with pretty much no padding or waffle and eventually culminate in a very satisfying conclusion.
All in all, a great follow up to a cracking series opener... roll on book three. My thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

White Horse – Book 2 in the series – Love it! Jess, Leo and Michael are back on the case. I love how the characters got more depth in this book. It was great to read (and learn) more about the White Horse,

Fast paced, kept me turning pages. Looking forward to Book 3.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book and give my review

Thus begins the second (third) installment of the Jess Bridges murder mystery. She always seems to be in the wrong and right place at the same time, and getting into all sorts of shenanigans! Atleast this time she wasn't the one to find the body!

I always love how I can't quite seem to pick out the real murderer from the word go with this series. It's a refreshing aspect.

I enjoyed the possible new love interest, who seems to be far more appropriate than her previous love affairs! I hope to see more of this in the next few books!

On the magic mushroom front however, it is common knowledge that they grow in the UK, amongst other places. It didnt negatively impact my reading experience however.

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, and as ever, I am looking forward to the next one.

The latest book in the Jess Parker series was just as enthralling and equally well written as Black River. The plot was again realistic and easy to follow. I love this series and am looking forward to reading the next one.

Another fantastic addition to my new favourite mystery series featuring the wacky Jess Bridges.
This time Jess joins a sex-cult to get in touch with a client's daughter. Meanwhile Leo is called onto a case- a woman's body is found on the 3000-year-old historical place - and a robe of the above-mentioned cult is found near the victim. Jess and Leo are going to join hands and solve the case once again.
The quirky humor and mind-blowing sleuthing (add some wacky too), combined with excellent character development and a unexpected twist in the end, White Horse is no doubt another wackalicious favourite in the series.