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We have a love interest as well that bulks the book out and some very stereotypical nasty villager types. In March 2014, Abell started co-presenting a show on LBC Radio alongside Sky News television presenter Kay Burley from 8am to 11am on Sundays. Burley was the main presenter while Abell reviewed the papers and added political comment. However I would be interested to read another novel by the author, to see how his writing develops in the future.
Jake himself is at the centre and in a sense the whole book is a character study of him, seeing how he retreats gratefully from a world that has become difficult for him, embracing the isolation absolutely but also wondering if this is a temporary healing process or how he wants to live for ever. He is damaged, but so much more authentically than the drunken angst-ridden detectives who bore their way through contemporary crime fiction. Introspective and aware of his own emotional state, he is also empathetic and kind, and those qualities mean that he gradually starts making tentative connections of his own. And he finds in himself a love of nature, of the joy of growing his own food and making things from wood, and of watching the weather and the seasons; all of which Abell writes about beautifully.
Gloriously atmospheric and masterfully plotted with such a strong sense of place, this is a huge treat for crime fiction lovers. I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Lucy Foley In het begin moest ik even wennen aan de schrijfstijl, daar het niet als een thriller overkwam, maar meer als een roman die op gang moest komen. Wel is er direct heel beeldend geschreven, waardoor je het idee hebt dat je in het verhaal aanwezig bent. Geleidelijk aan begint er meer spanning te komen in het verhaal en gaat het meer op een thriller lijken. De spanning wordt na ruim de helft van het boek goed opgebouwd en je wordt nieuwsgierig wat er nu gebeurd is en wie dan uiteindelijk de dader is. It reads more like a character set up and introduction in a longer series for Jake rather than an exciting stand alone detective story I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves
What starts as an innocent game turns sinister, when a young woman’s bones are discovered. And Jake is thrust once again into the role of detective, as he tries to unearth a dangerous killer in this most unlikely of settings. I’d call this book a cosy thriller, the first half of the book was definitely slower than the second half however that didn’t take away from the storyline. I loved learning about this quiet community that Jake found himself living in. I loved meeting all of the locals too, some good and some not so good. What I absolutely loved the most was the imagery, seriously, I could see Jake rambling around his acres of land and imagine every single step he took and what he was seeing, I love an author that gets that right.Furthermore, there is a nice homage to famous detective novels of the past in the use of their character names as places and landmarks in and around Little Sky. There is also some odd dialogue, very stilted ways of talking even from the policeman Watson (!) And some of the exchanges between the couple made me cringe at times.
Het verhaal wordt vanuit Jake verteld. De sfeer van de woonplek wordt zeer geloofwaardig beschreven. Als lezer krijg je een kijkje in het leven en de gedachtes van Jake. De dagelijkse beslommeringen die horen bij een verhuizing en het opnieuw leren kennen van een woonplek spelen een grote rol in het verhaal. All this green, all this prettiness, the quiet of the river.. you realise its a hard place to make a life sometimes.’ Tense but patient, fast but thoughtful, and twisty but substantial – this is a truly excellent debut, and I want the next installment now’ Lee Child Thank you, Harper Collins for an ARC of Death is under a little sky. I can’t believe this is a debut novel. At first, I thought is this actually a crime novel? As, the writing is beautiful, quite poetic in fact. This is a very experience writer.Talking about one of the characters in the book, the writer explained: “Livia, this wonderful vet who I really like and Jake ends up liking, is also a bit of a nod towards my wife.” Stig Abell loves detective novels above any other literature, films, plays or television. This is the first one he has actually written. Away from books, he presents the breakfast show on Times Radio, a station he helped to launch in 2020. Before that he was a regular presenter on Radio 4’s Front Row and was the editor and publisher of the Times Literary Supplement. At one time or another he has written for almost every newspaper in Britain, and one or two in America as well. He lives in London with his wife, three children and two independent-minded cats called Boo and Ninja (his children named them, obviously). Dodelijke Afloop is een Whodunit met persoonlijke sfeer. Je speurt als lezer met Jake mee. Zijn angst wordt levens echt beschreven. Het voelt alsof je hetzelf ervaart. Dit geeft het verhaal body en kracht.
The first one, Death Under a Little Sky, is out now and I’ve got a deal to write three more. So there will be four of them. The second one is pretty much written and being proof edited and I’ve actually finished the first draft of the third one. I don’t know if the publisher is happy or just bemused by me, because all I want to do is sit and write these books. I’m not worried about deadlines, I’m not thinking, ‘How am I going to get it done?’ All I want to do is sit and write.Jake ligt in scheiding met zijn vrouw en vanwege een erfenis van zijn oom besluit hij om weg te gaan en als voormalig rechercheur naar het helemaal afgelegen dorp waar hij eigenaar is geworden van een woonboerderij te gaan, die van zijn oom was. Tijdens een spel vind hij botten van een vrouw en raakt hij verwikkelt in het onderzoek om te ontdekken wie deze vrouw is en wat er met haar gebeurd is.
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