You can bury the bodies, but you can’t hide the truth.

When a landslip on Pembrokeshire’s stunning coastal path reveals the harrowing remains of two bodies, ex-DCI Evan Warlow’s quiet retirement is shattered.

As the original investigator for the two missing persons eight years before, Evan is recalled to help with what is now a murder inquiry. But as the killer scrambles to cover up the truth, the body count rises.

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Working with a new young team, Warlow peels away the layers to reveal the dark and rotten heart that beats beneath the chocolate box tranquillity of an area renowned for its quiet beauty.

But does he still have what it takes to root out the monstrous truth before all hell lets loose?

My Review

The Engine House is a very tightly written story, put together by someone who knows how to write a chilling tale with plenty of twists and turns. Lots of detail but no waffle. Everything is relevant. And very entertaining – the sarcasm and banter between the police officers had me laughing out loud. I was surprised to discover therefore that this is the author’s first venture into this type of crime thriller, though he has written other books in different genres.

I really enjoyed this book and certainly will be interested in reading more in the series. The character of DCI Warlow is hard-bitten, cynical and often very funny. But he carries a dark secret and only his senior officer knows what it is.

Eighteen months ago he took early retirement, but when a storm causes the cliff to collapse into the sea and the bodies of two missing persons are revealed, he is asked to come back and help with the investigation. But this isn’t just a missing persons cold case. It turns into something far more complicated, sinister and involved (not that two dead bodies stuffed in a crevice isn’t sinister enough).

In the meantime, we find out that the missing persons – the Pickerings – lived in a house situated between the farm belonging to the Gowers and the deserted engine house perched on the edge of the cliffs. The Pickerings’ house is now occupied by Izzy and her partner Marcus, who have moved here from London after Marcus’s stressful job became too much for him. But is it all peace and quiet out here in the Welsh hills? Well it was until the bodies were found.

Towards the end I really couldn’t put this down – and I don’t mean that in a cliched way. I really couldn’t. A brilliant, cleverly-constructed murder mystery with more depth than you normally expect from a police drama.

Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Rhys Dylan was born and grew up in West Wales, went away to university in London, but came back to live and work in his country of birth. Along the way he indulged his imagination by writing books for children and adults under various pen names and in a variety of genres.

2021 sees him turning his hand once more to crime with DCI Evan Warlow in the Black Beacons crime series. Spread over 500 square miles, the Brecon Beacons mountain range sits like a giant doorstop at the heads of the South Wales valleys. To the north and west, they nestle in the crook of the ancient kingdoms of Powys and Dyfed, stretching from the eastern Marches to the wild southwestern coast. Many of the mountain peaks in the range have names. Others are simply referred to as black. It is in this timeless landscape that the books are set.

Rhys lives on the edge of the Beacons with his wife and a dog that doesn’t like the rain.

Follow him at:
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/rhysdylanbooks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rhysdylanbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RdylanBooks
Website: http://www.rhysdylan.com/

Buy Links
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engine-House-Beacons-Mystery-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09P3S8FH7
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Engine-House-Beacons-Mystery-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09P3S8FH7/