The first half of this goes very slowly. Or at least they’re all separate bits and you have to wait until the second half for anything to begin to link up - so bear that in mind. I was originally thinking 2 stars as a result, but it did improve and I was leaning towards 3.5 stars, but I can’t say I took to any of the characters at all, sadly. I don’t think I’d have missed self centred Fliss at all, if they hadn’t found her - she was a caricature that wound me up. The book does feature how in the past, mental health and “socially embarrassing” conditions were avoided, with people being dumped in homes like Hill Barton… and it could have been a 4 star book as a result, except for none of the characters really feeling likeable to me. I couldn’t picture any of them in my head, either - either there was little description, or I missed it. So I’ve ended up on 3 stars.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review, apologies for the delay in providing this.

I ended up DNFing this book and I am very sad about it. I wanted to love it so much. The description made it sound amazing and I just couldn't get into the story.

I enjoyed this original plot thriller with the slow build-up and gathering speed to a damn good finish. What more can one want?
An independent review NetGalley / Head of Zeus

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc. This is the fourth book in a series involving DCI Fliss, I was not aware of this until I completed the book, and I didn't feel confused whi,e reading this. I do wish I'd known this was a series so that I could have read the others. This was a thrilling book about a verger who falls from the top of the steeple of the church. In his death DCI Fliss must sort out what or who caused his demise. This was an engaging and quick read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The fall works on so many levels-from the  Biblical allegory which is made by one of the principle narrators, Willow, it also represents scales falling from eyes and truth being set free after decades of subterfuge and hidden agendas.

Willow's first major exhibition, highlighting the diaries and notes of those who worked in, and were patients in the mental institution which stood so close to St Albans cathedral, did not imagine that the worries she over the speech she needed to make on opening night, would be overshadowed by the death of a local verger. His dive off the cathedral tower is a catalyst not only to open an investigation into whether it was murder or suicide, it precedes another attempted murder and a missing person's enquiry. presiding over this is Detective Maarten, originally from Holland, ably assisted by sidekick Sunny. Sunny, is involved in more ways than one, his bride to be being Willow's twin sister, Fliss.

And when the wedding party which was due to intertwine with Willow's exhibition arrives, past and present collide in a hideous expose of family secrets, hidden trauma and a damning indictment of the way society at large treats those with mental health issues.

From the perspectives of those who underwent what we would now regard as barbaric treatments, there are two concurrent storylines aside from Willow's-that of the detectives investigating the fall, and the other is a young girl from the 1960's , also a twin, who was blamed for a crime and locked away.

As each narrative thread pulls closer, the final reveal is both breathtakingly shocking and brutal. You , the reader, are so invested in seeing appalling wrongs righted that the story just sweeps you away with it. It is a masterful exercise in exposing not just the investigative process, but also the justice process of what is done versus what is seen to be done.

I am kicking myself for not knowing about this writer earlier, The Fall is just fantastic, so well plotted and full of memorable characters that are multifaceted and complex .I am hugely grateful to Sophie Ransom for the review opportunity!

When Willow Elliott arrives to set up a museum exhibition at St Albans Cathedral she would never have expected to be witness to a death. A suspected suicide of an 80 year old man who fell to his death from the roof of the cathedral. DCI Jansen is investigating this death but is it a crime, are their secrets hidden in the past of the sleepy town…

This was by no means a total showstopper but I flew through it and it was an easy, enjoyable, twisty read. I was concerned that it was part of a series but actually it worked really well as a standalone book so please don’t be put off by the “series” aspect. It was a decent, quick read with a few shocks along the way, it just felt a little clunky in parts, hence the 3 star review.

This was a difficult to follow book and it seemed like it was translated from another language - Dutch maybe?

Phwoar, this was a gripping read with twists and turns right up to the end. The author has a real knack for scene setting description (the opening few pages are just brilliant) and I throughly enjoyed this book. Heartily recommend.

When the verger discovers a body at the bottom of St Albans Cathedral DCI Maarten Jansen is called to investigate; but is this a straightforward suicide or something more sinister?

This was an interesting thriller and I liked that the story was linked to the past and that this was slowly revealed. Although this wasn't my favourite type in the genre I still really enjoyed both the characters and the

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

Willow Eliot is the main character of this mystery thriller, even though she's a twin to Fliss. Willow is the witness to an event that then turns, as all mysteries do, into something of a quickening pace of who did it, where even Willow becomes a suspect. As the story unfolds from different view points of characters, and even flash forwarding and back in time, the drama unfolds to reveal a secret no one saw coming. A quick and easy read that kept me engaged throughout. Well done! I didn't know this was the fourth book in a series about DCI Maarten Jansen, until after I finished it, but it can definitely stand alone by itself, though to be honest, now I have to search out the other books to read.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

DCI Jansenis investigating a fall from the cathedral roof ruled as suicide. Why an 80 years old man should jump from the cathedral tower? The witness, Willow is hiding lots of dark secrets, that soon will be revealed.
Thanks, Netgalley for this creepy story.

I was initially drawn to this book by the stunning cover; there's just something so dark and menacing about the cathedral and the top of the tower looks such a long way up that I could easily imagine the horror of someone falling from it. But, did they fall or were they pushed?

St Albans cathedral is the focal point of the novel with a fall from the tower, an exhibition about the history of a psychiatric hospital and a marriage taking place within days of each other. Willow Eliot is the character who links the events together - she witnessed the fall, she is in charge of the exhibition and it is her twin sister who is due to get married. I loved the strained relationship between Willow and her twin, Fliss - it's a real case of one-upmanship.

The police investigation is led by DCI Maarten Jansen and I really liked him and his team so I'd love for this to be the start of a new series. The police procedural elements felt very realistic as I followed every step of the investigation with the team.

Interwoven between the mystery of the fall from the tower and other strange events is an intriguing tale of twins Alice and Betty. I kept wondering how this was going to fit into the story but it does so beautifully. I can't say any more for fear of releasing any spoilers but it's masterfully done and I really must applaud Rachael Blok's ability to keep the reader hooked and on their toes.

The Fall is a beautifully written thriller touching on mental health and family relationships. It's the first book I've read by Rachael Blok and it certainly won't be my last - I loved it.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

So, this wasn’t bad, it was a pretty okay mystery thriller book. There are a few points of view both past and present as the two come together. Usually with multiple POV's, there's always one that seems unnecessary or one that I only really care about but both of these were equally interesting. Some of the dialogue between characters was weird and the pacing felt a little disjointed for me but I did like the uncovering of the mystery and was surprised with one of the plot twists. This is listed as the 4th DCI Jansen book but I didn’t really feel like I was missing anything so I would say you probably don’t need to read books 1 through 3 before picking this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Definitely creepy. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DCI Jansen returns to investigate a dramatic fall from the cathedral roof. It seems straightforward until a witness (Willow), newly arrived in the city, casts doubt. Atmospheric and layered with dark secrets, this story is an addictive mix of noir, police procedural and psychological suspense. The gradual revealing of past secrets informs the current investigation, but each secret revealed leads to further questions, keeping the reader guessing until the end.

I like the multilayered characters, the complex detective and the atmospheric, twisty plot.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

When Willow arrives late at night to set up for an exhibition, she witnesses a man falling to his death from the roof of the cathedral. Everyone seems convinced that this was a straightforward suicide, but when Willow's sister goes missing shortly before her wedding day, DCI Maarten Jansen has to look at the possibility that the man was pushed, and that the two incidences are connected.

This seemed at first like a classic whodunnit / murder mystery, but as the story unfolded, it actually covered some very dark themes. The way that the case progressed and linked with Willow and her family history was so intricate and beautifully plotted. I was surprised by some of the reveals towards the end of the book and it took a completely different direction to how I had imagined when I started reading.

The Fall was a fresh and interesting mystery, which really hooked me in as more and more of truth came to light. This was my first book from the author but I will definitely be going back now to read through the previous DCI Maarten Jansen books.

Thank you @netgalley, @headofzeus and Rachel Blok for the ARC of this book.

This was my first Rachel Blok novel and it won't be my last. It was twisty, entertaining, full of mystery and told from the POV of multiple characters

This reads fine as a standalone and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book.

thank you to head of zeus publishing for providing me an arc through netgalley.

some spoilers ahead!

overall, i liked this book but it fell a little flat for me. the premise is intriguing- multiple deaths happening in the same place, history of the towns old mental hospital, there’s a lot going on. the story is told from multiple point of views that appear to all be happening at the same time. we have willow, dci jansen, a little girl named alice, and a few others.

when we first met alice, i thought she was the daughter of one of the other characters - michael. but she isn’t and once the timeline is revealed, the rest is pretty easy to figure out.

overall a good story, but nothing keeping me on the edge of my seat or reading *just one more* chapter.

Dark, Devastating…
A fall or a push? A verger discovers the body of a man seemingly having fallen from a high church tower. A dramatic entrance in this dark and devastating literary thriller incorporating a police procedural aspect and a solid mystery at it’s heart. With a pacy narrative, a heavy atmosphere, a credible cast and an intriguing storyline this is perfectly constructed and the short, snappy chapters add to the sense of growing unease and tightly wound tension. Both compelling and absorbing.

The Fall is the 4th book in the DCI Jansen series however I only realised this when pulling information together for my post as the book reads perfectly well as a stand-alone. It is my first novel by Rachel Blok and I am looking forward to reading more of this series now.
When an elderly man falls to his death from the roof of the cathedral it initially seems like a simple suicide but as information begins to emerge, there is more at play that it first seemed. This is a tricky book to review without giving anything away but it’s a really enjoyable, slow burner of a crime book with literary features and a focus on mental health – particularly historic stigma and effect
The main narrator of the story is Willow, who is visiting the cathedral to show an exhibition and also for her sister’s wedding (which happens to be to one of the detectives on the case). Willow is a witness to the fall and the more the investigation learn, the more Willow’s life and history becomes entwined. Willow also has to put up with the tension between herself and her sister as the build up to the wedding puts more strain on their relationship.
There are also chapters from the perspective of Alice, a young child which also give insights into the crime. I like the way these were written, very childlike and innocent. A very interesting perspective to see things through.
The cathedral and it’s grounds provides a very atmospheric setting for this plot, kind of like a malevolent figure always casting a shadow onto everyone and everything. I found this a very clever use of a building.
In the beginning, The Fall may seem a little confusing with lots of characters and jumps in time but it really does cleverly pull together. The Fall is not the fastest paced detective novel but it is meant to unravel slowly and it really does become addictive.