I am a huge fan of this series! Harrison, the main character in this police procedural, is so fascinating and unique. I always imagine him as Dave Bautista, dressed like a biker but with the demeanor of a professor. It's great that we get to see little glimpses of his personal case being solved in each book. This series is amazing and it's surprising that it doesn't have more reviews. The writing is excellent, the action is non-stop, and the characters are so well-developed that you can't help but get attached to them. The narrator is also fantastic! He's definitely one of my favorites. He has a way of telling the story with feeling and making you feel like you're right there in the middle of the action. His accents are also spot on!

This is such a good series, I read the first 3 books to get ready for this one and I am so glad I did. I am now invested in the story and can't wait to see how it ends!

#InnocentDead
#NetGalley

I absolutely love this series! Harrison is such an interesting and unique character for a police procedural. I always picture him as Dave Bautista as a biker dressed liked a professor. He’s a great character and I love that we get little tidbits of his personal case being solved with each book. This series really is great, I can’t believe it doesn’t have more reviews. It’s well written, action packed, and has characters you can’t help but get attached to. And the narrator was AMAZING! One of my favorites. He’s great with telling the story with feeling and making you feel like you are there. And spot on with the accents!

Huge thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

I didn't realize this was a part of a series but I was able to follow along well and enjoyed the novel all the same.

I was suprised that this is a police department mystery/crime story with a twist.

Harrison Lane is Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit, and this means he investes crimes from a unique perspective. Harrison gains information about different crimes through an understanding of culture, religions and spiritual practices.

In this instance the team is called in after a brutal assault of an African healer by congregation members of a local church. The team needs to figure out how both communities have been interacting amongst themselves, and eachother, in order to figure out who is to blame for the conflict and deaths.

Along with his professional work, Harrison is piecing together mysteries from his past, and trying to stay ahead of his own saboteurs in order to solve his own story and not be taken out by the persons setting him up.

This was a satisfying novel. I loved the religious/culrural/spiritual elements to the crime solving. So unique in a sea of cop crime novels.

Good storyline, good narration. I feel as if this was either very short in length, or maybe it was so good that I lost track of time while listening!

It would have been good to know that this is the fourth installment in a series. When I requested the book, it was not apparent. I do not think that it referred too much to the previous books but still, I do not really like to read a book in the middle of a series when I have not read the previous ones.
As for the story, I found it to be mediocre at best. The sleuth tried to be Sherlock Holmes which did not really work. I cannot say that I really cared for it.

Boom ba ba boom ba ba boom ba ba boom……

Book Information

"Innocent Dead" was written by Gwyn Bennett. Released on May 3, 2023, the book spans 244 pages. The audio version, narrated by George Weightman, became available on May 31, with a runtime of 6 hours and 18 minutes. Before becoming a full-time fiction author, Bennett established herself as a prominent broadcast journalist and newsreader for the BBC and ITN in London. This installment serves as the fourth book in Bennett's Harrison Lane series.

Summary

"Innocent Dead" follows Harrison Lane, the Head of the Ritualistic Behavioral Crime unit, as he delves into a perplexing case. When an African healer is brutally assaulted by two seemingly law-abiding parishioners from a nearby Catholic church, Harrison is called to investigate. The attackers claim self-defense, citing the healer's alleged use of 'voodoo magic' to curse their church, resulting in a wave of deaths and illnesses among the panicked congregation.

As Harrison uncovers eerie artifacts at the healer's residence, including bones, ritual figures, robes, and an altar, he becomes convinced that there is more to the story. With the parishioners falling ill one by one and the evidence mysteriously destroyed, Harrison faces a race against time to identify the killer lurking among them. Is it a voodoo practitioner or an even more sinister presence closer to home?

My Thoughts

"Innocent Dead" seamlessly blends elements of mystery, thriller, and police procedural, creating a compelling story. Tension is expertly built on all three fronts, ensuring that the book remains engrossing throughout. One aspect that particularly appealed to me was the book's symmetrical structure, with a beginning and ending that align. While this may not be significant to everyone, as a reader who appreciates organized storytelling, it pleased me.

This book is the fourth installment in a series that I had not previously read. However, the author's adeptness at introducing the protagonist, Harrison, through an event at a boys' school was both well-placed and incredibly helpful. This clever approach enabled new readers like myself to quickly familiarize themselves with Harrison's character, his investigative process, and the reasoning behind his conclusions. It skillfully avoided the need for excessive narrative backstory that often bogs down newer additions to a series.

The novel is exceptionally well written, and despite featuring numerous characters, which can sometimes be overwhelming, this was not the case here. The author successfully manages a large ensemble cast without sacrificing clarity or confusing the reader. Each character feels distinct and developed, adding depth to the story.

Although I managed to deduce the main mystery before Harrison, it did not diminish my enjoyment of the novel. The author's skillful plotting and well-executed writing ensured that the solution was neither obvious nor poorly developed. It was satisfying to piece together the puzzle alongside the hero.

George Weightman did an outstanding performance in portraying the main character and secondary characters in the story. Weightman's masterful use of various tones and inflections brought each character to life, making it effortless to differentiate between them. Furthermore, his impeccable pacing and delivery kept my attention from start to finish, immersing me in the world of the book.

Recommendation

Overall, "Innocent Dead" is a delightful read that successfully combines mystery, thrills, and police procedural elements. Gwyn Bennett's writing is skillful, with well-developed characters and a satisfyingly structured narrative. Whether you are a dedicated fan of the series or a newcomer like myself, this book will entertain you until the very last page.

Rating

4 Juju Priest Stars

Innocent Dead is the fourth book in the Dr Harrison Lane Mystery series. This is the third book I've read in this series and you can easily slip in and out of this police procedural series mixed with rituals and cults. I love how unique this series is and with each book we get a more in depth look at who Dr Harrison is and what has happened in his past. I don't think this is the best so far in the series but this does have a good suspenseful and thrilling mystery and makes an easy short read.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration on this book for the characters perfectly! George Weightman did a wonderful job fully encompassing all of the characters. The story itself is the fourth book in the series but can also be read as a standalone. I personally hadn’t read any of the series before this book and I feel like I would’ve enjoyed the main characters better if I had. There wasn’t a whole lot of backstory for them (I’m sure it’s been covered in the past) and not a lot of recap for what’s come before this. Overall, the writing was enjoyable and the story held my attention.

Innocent Dead
Gwyn Bennett
I was disappointed in this book; I couldn’t get into it. The plot was slow moving. I do not post reviews of less than 3 stars. I will only post it here.

Innocent Dead is the fourth book in the Dr Harrison Lane Mystery series. It follows Harrison, who is the head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime Unit, when he is called to investigate a brutal attack on an African healer. Those arrested for the crime claim to have been acting in self defence as he had used 'voodoo magic' to curse their church. When members of the congregation start falling ill, Harrison has to consider this as a possibility.

Things get even more suspicious when the first of the congregation to die is cremated before her body can be tested, is someone trying to hide the evidence?

When I requested this book, I hadn't realised that it was the fourth in a series; I usually like to read books in order. I listened to the first book and realised that it wasn't necessarily 'my kind of book' so then went straight on to this one.

I enjoyed it as a police procedural and thriller, but I found that all of the cult and ritual based crimes weren't something that I particularly enjoyed reading about.

I also found it odd that the audiobook is narrated by an American when the story is set in the UK.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This one didn't catch my interest at all. Glad it was short.
A man is accused of performing black magic voodoo on a woman that passed away
Police are going based on a witness that says it is this particular man that performed the magic by blowing some dust from his hand

Innocent Dead by Gwyn Bennett is the 2nd book in this series that I've read. I really enjoyed the first book I listened to but this one for some reason did not grasp my attention quite as much. I just could not get into it and I had to DNF it. However, I would love to continue this series and maybe other books will work for me better as the premise is always interesting. The narrator is great.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book I have read in this series (missed book 3) but I enjoy the character of Dr. Harrison Lane and how the team works together to solve the crime. This story kept my interest and I will continue reading this series.

As this book was an audioARC, I will start by saying that I loved the narrator. I found his voice incredibly relaxing and soothing. Normally, this wouldn't work for me with a crime novel but it did with this book and I finished this one in two days because of it!

As someone who hasn't read the previous Harrison Lang books, I liked the quick introduction to Harrison through the event at the boys school at the beginning. It was very cool to hear his process and reasoning for the conclusions he drew. After this case, the immediate start into the next one did lead to some confusion at times with how everything came together but this was resolved by the end. The investigation path was very clear, and this helped alleviate any confusion I had and instead turn that feeling into a suspenseful need to know what happens next.

I also appreciated the references to COVID and placing the book in a modern setting. This in my opinion allowed for all the cultural elements to really work, as they were real and directly connected to the world we are currently living in. I loved the acknowledgment of the lack of women in the detective field and how that's changing. I also loved the complex dynamics of race and how this played a role in the crime. The science explained around this topic, such as how witness misidentification increases across different ethnicities was especially compelling.

The only difficult thing for me was that there were a lot of characters, especially given that there were two unrelated crimes, so it was difficult to keep track of everything without a physical book to reference. That said, I loved how all these characters came together in the end and how everything wrapped up nicely. Although the ending was a bit fast, I loved the drama and how it tied up all the loose ends. I also loved how the first chapter tied into the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I did not realize this was part of a series at first, but this works just fine as a stand-alone novel and this did not impact my reading experience. This was a quick and decent thriller. I really like the use of differing cultures and the exploration of different religions within the story.

"The louder they scream the better the medicine."

Innocent Dead is guilty of Dr. Lane needing a TV series. This is the fourth book in the Dr. Harrison Lane murder mystery series by talented author Gwyn Bennett.

Why did two parishioners from a local Catholic Church attack an African healer? Seems they believe he cursed the church as the congregation falls ill and many are dead. Dr. Lane doesn't believe in curses but the bones, teeth, stones, and herbs found in the healer's home are curious.

Narrator George Weightman adds even more layers to our hero as the past catches up to him and the murder of his mother. As he solves crimes his own life is unraveling and the author has created a character we have come to love.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved The Innocent Dead by Gwyn Bennett! There were some dark, heartbreaking moments and they made this story so good. Harrison Lane, Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit was asked to help to solve the brutal assault of an African healer. There were more questions than answers, and things just got more complicated. I liked how Harrison trusted his feeling that not everything is how it looks like. His understanding of rituals and the people around them was just amazing. Things got more complicated when an unknown illness started killing the parishioners. Harrison knew he must hurry to find who and why is doing this!
I want to thank Netgalley, Gwyn Bennett, Dreamscape Media, and absolutely talented narrator George Weightman for this opportunity to listen to this audiobook! George Weightman made this audiobook so good! You could feel how he enjoyed the story and delivered it with the most delicate approach!
I would highly recommend jumping on the Dr. Harrison Lane series as each book is an amazing journey!
#InnocentDead #NetGalley

Two men, parishioners of a nearby Catholic church, are arrested after attacking a South African man. The men claim it was self-defense as he caused the death of one of their follower church-goers and cursed their church with "Voodoo Magic". The investigating officer, Harrison Lane, thinks that this man was an innocent bystander and that something else is at play.

I had both a hard time reading and rating this book. Initially the book begins with racial and religious tension and I was very unsure of what I had gotten myself into. However, once the main character enters that clears up and I think the author actually did a decent job handling delicate and sensitive topics despite them being the focus of the novel. I was also unaware that this was part of a series when I began the book. As such, a lot of information regarding the character and relationships were mostly likely explored in previous books and were therefore missing in this one. As a stand-alone it was missing information but I am assuming, if read in the correct order, that that would be present based on the author's work in this novel. Overall pleasant, but would not recommend starting here.

I wanted to like this one but for a book about ritualistic killings, it was really slow. I also just didn't care a ton about any of the characters so it was hard to get invested.