A POISON TREE
A DCI Will Blake Novel, Book 1

by J.E. Mayhew

Narrated by: Owen Welsh

Production by: Jon Mayhew

Review by Rox Burkey

Intense Twists and Turns!

Author J.E. Mayhew creates an interesting character, DCI William Blake as he launches this new series. In many ways I found it to be an interesting, complex crime story with a variety of twists and turns. A once beautiful dead teen is found barefoot in the park. Though she is identified early, the clues to her character are shared in pieces. Details of the brutal current and past murders are tied to shoes that find their way into a secondhand shop.

Blake is a complex character that takes care of Serafina, his dead mother’s cat. He takes care of the house, while the cat runs the roost. Their contentious relationship helps clue you in on the man and his approach to solving the case. As the senior investigator of the murdered girl, he directs his team on the investigation while also being hands-on. The details of police procedure appear correct, but in some places slow the story.

The descriptions of the locations, people, and interactions provided a good framework for the story. I liked the descriptions home life of the various families pulled into the investigation.

As the story unfolds the connections between this murder and past murders add a level of suspense and interesting dark secrets which can no longer remain buried. The action is good and keeps the listener moving along with the story. It is one of those murder mysteries which require you to go all the way to the end.

The narration is clean without issues. I found good distinguishable accents by the narrator Owen Welsh. The pace up front was almost too slow yet pick up after a dozen chapters. I enjoyed the faster pace and race to the end.

It seems a good start to a series with a lead character like Will Blake whom I hope will continue to evolve. If you like the darker side of murder mysteries this may be just the ticket to start your new series.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook, it was clear and well produced.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.