Audio Review: The Patient Man by Joy Ellis, Narrated by Richard Armitage @midaspr @Phoebe_Swinburn

It’s a pleasure to be sharing my review for The Patient Man by Joy Ellis as part of the audio book blog tour. Many thanks to Phoebe and Ben if Midas PR for the invitation.

About the book

From number one best-selling author Joy Ellis, a totally absorbing mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
A mystery which will captivate you till the dramatic ending.
Jackman and Evans’ most dangerous enemy is back to finish things off.
The domestic bliss of Detective Inspector Rowan Jackman, of Fenland Constabulary, doesn’t last long. His old nemesis, serial killer Alistair Ashcroft, is back in town and ready to tidy up unfinished business.
Ashcroft sends a sinister text to DS Marie Evans. His opening move in what will prove to be a lethal game of cat-and-mouse. Yet for all his taunts, where is he? In a county crawling with police on the lookout for him, Ashcroft is nowhere to be found.
Everyone Jackman cares about is in danger. Alongside the hunt for Ashcroft, however, normal police work must continue. The separate thefts of six pigs, a thoroughbred stallion, guns and some oil lead Jackman’s crew to the notorious Lorimer family, ruled over on their farm by the fearsome matriarch Rachel.
Meanwhile, a seemingly routine break-in at the home of gun-club owner Kenneth Harcourt quickly becomes more complicated when the man long held responsible for having killed Harcourt’s young daughter in a hit-and-run is shot dead in a car park – by a sniper. A killer is on the loose in the quiet streets of Saltern-le-Fen, and he isn’t going to stop at claiming one life. But why is he focusing on young Kevin, so close to promotion to detective?
And the sniper, like Ashcroft, takes to taunting the police: they’ll never catch him, they need to respect him, they shouldn’t be sidetracked looking for their old adversary.
In a stunning conclusion, Jackman and Evans race against time to catch the sniper and track down their deadly adversary. A lethal game with a very patient man. Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you listening until the shocking ending. Set in the atmospheric Lincolnshire Fens whose towns and isolated villages hide many dark secrets.

The Patient Man is available to purchase now – Audible

My thoughts

The Patient Man is the sixth instalment in the Jackman and Evans series but the first one I’ve listened to and I’m totally kicking myself now. I so wish I’d read the previous books but not having done so didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this one, if anything it’s made me really want to catch up on the first five now.

Narrated by Richard Armitage who really brings this story to life, I found myself totally and utterly gripped. His narration is fantastic and the different voices he uses really gives each character depth. I sometimes find my mind can wonder when listening to audiobooks but not once did I have to go back and listen again.

Like I said previously this is my first Joy Ellis book but I didn’t feel lost at all, I mean obviously there are things mentioned that I knew were connected to previous story lines but it didn’t take the enjoyment away in the slightest.

I got a real feel for the characters very early on, they just seemed to come to life in my ears and I liked that and them. Both Jackman and Evans are interesting characters and I’m looking forward to finding out more about them and catching up.

The plot is fantastic and I’m not going to give anything away but it really had me on the edge of my seat, with many twists and turns this is a story that you find you don’t want to stop. I had to keep listening to find out what was going to happen next. It’s an addictive listen and it’s probably the quickest I’ve listened to an audio book in a long time.

So I think you’ll gather that yes I will be recommending this audio book and I will definitely be catching up on the books I’ve missed. Great story, fantastic characters and a fabulous narrator (even if his Scottish accent sounds like Mrs Doubtfire). I’m so pleased I’ve been introduced to the gripping world of Jackman and Evans.

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About the author

Joy Ellis started her career as a flower seller in Mayfair in the 1960s, before going on to open her own florist in Surrey. When the recession hit, Joy had a career change and became a bookseller, and attended a writing course in Greece where she was mentored by Sue Townsend. She now lives in the Fens with her partner Jacqueline, where the flatlands and marshes provide inspiration for her eerie plotlines.

About the narrator

Richard is well-known for his array of film, television and theatre work, including The Hobbit, Spooks and The Crucible. His trademark baritone voice has earned him recognition, too, through his performance on many notable audiobooks as well as in TV and radio show narration. This experience shines through in Armitage’s gripping performance of the Jackman and Evans series where he plays host to a plethora of characters.