I really enjoyed Dark Objects, Simon Toyne's first outing for forensic expert Laughton Rees so was looking forwards to this one.

London set Dark Objects was London urban stylish and an intriguing character in Laughton Rees as she investigated a ritualised murder scene. The Clearing is set in The Forest Of Dean, how will cool Laughton Rees cope surrounded by trees and local myth?

Two sisters live in a long established commune campsite, one goes missing. Her disappearance flags her up as a person of interest, pulling Laughton into the search.

The feel of the forest is captured well, there's a suitable menace around certain characters and it's an interesting storyline. It took a while for Laughton to get fully involved, but once she's committed it's really picks up.

Worth a look and I'll be quite interested to see where Laughton's adventures take her next.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow

Great mystery. Awesome twists and turns in this whodunit. I was dying to know the outcome and couldn't put this down. I absolutely adored Rees. And I loved the creepy and spooky scenes. Very well done.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

Wow! First, I really loved how fast paced it was it definitely kept my attention. Second, I loved how our main character approached the crime solving here, investigating the link between murders/lore. I think the missing girls and the residents believing a legendary "character" is to blame was a unique concept. It was a really great atmospheric mystery that had a chokehold on me!

4.5 stars. I really liked “The Clearing”. It was a book that I had to tear myself away from to finish household duties. It was pretty fast-paced and kept my interest throughout the story. It is the second book by this author to feature forensic specialist Laughton Rees. I will be reading the first book featuring this protagonist because I enjoyed her approach to crime solving.
The story centers around a large forest with a space in the center called “The Clearing.” The main characters are Adele Friar and her sister, Maddie. The girls changed their names after escaping from a horrible foster family situation and have settled in a small town, Cinderfield. The town is the site of a large number of disappearances of young girls/women. Residents believe a legendary character, the Cinderman, is responsible. When Maddie disappears, she is thought to have been another victim. However, Adele doesn’t believe she would have left without notice since the sisters were very close, so she files a missing persons report. This report is flagged in London and brings Laughton to Cinderfield to investigate. The action is fast-moving at this point and many unsavory characters appear. These include the local constabulary, landowners and unsavory forest dwellers. The troubles Laughton encounters toward the end of the book really brought me to the edge of my seat. The ending was not predictable until almost the last few chapters and was very satisfying.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC.

Crime forensics specialist and researcher Laughton Rees dominates in The Clearing, second in the explosive Tannahill Khan and Rees series by talented writer Simon Toyne. While Khan is at a conference, Rees receives a computer alert to a new missing person case in rural Cinderfield. She’s studying links between folklore and real crimes. Local legend says that the black clothed Cinderman carries away young women and Rees has discovered that many women have gone missing in this area. She decides, against Khan’s advice, to travel to the town and help Adele Friars find her missing sister Maddie. What happens next is pure gothic horror mixed with a police procedural, corruption and mysterious happenings on castle grounds.

As in Dark Objects, first in this series, The Clearing is character driven. Laughton Rees is a prickly, intelligent, driven woman. While Tannahill Khan appears only as a voice on the phone, the growing relationship between the two is palpable. The moody location and the complex, multilayered plot make this a must read. I’m looking forward to what happens next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Simon Toyne for this ARC.

Adele Friars sister Maddie goes missing in a forest steeped in legend and superstition. Is the Cinderman just folklore or real?
Laughton Rees investigates the mysterious disappearance. She finds dangerous family secrets that people want to remain hidden.
This was a creepy read that had me glued to the pages. I hated to put it down.
Thanks NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC that will be released July 11, 2023!

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, spooky, A crazy who done it and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!