The pace of Death Under a Little Sky may be slow and deliberate, but I fell under the story's spell just the same. Stig Abell's tale is atmospheric, lyrical, and completely in tune with the natural world.

The land that Jake Jackson inherits is beautiful, and as he wanders the fields and bathes in the lake, he begins naming parts of it after crime writers. (There's Morse Field and Poirot Point, for example.) The house may not have a bath or shower... or a washing machine or a dryer, but its library is any crime fiction reader's idea of paradise.

Readers follow along with Jake as he becomes acquainted with his land as well as the people in the nearby village. Some of them are friendly, like Dr. Peter, who "emerges from his house, as always like an animal from a burrow," but some folks eye him with suspicion. In fact, I found that village to be rather claustrophobic. As I walked with Jake down its main street, I felt the hair stand on the back of my neck. (How's that for getting drawn into a story?)

I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters surrounding Jake, especially Livia the veterinarian and her daughter Diana, Chief Inspector Gerald Watson, and Sarah the pub owner. However, I can see that, if you find that you don't particularly care for Jake, you're probably not going to like the book. He is center stage almost all the time.

When the identity of the killer finally dawned on me, I swear someone should have been able to see the light bulb turn on above my head. From the marvelous setting to the main character to the mystery itself, all I can say is that I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Jake again. ( )

alweer zo’n enorm traag, niet-spannend, niet uitdagend om naar de dader te zoeken, niet meeslepend boek. Jake erft van zijn excentrieke oom een groot huis in het allerdiepste platteland zonder enige praktische voorziening en genoeg geld erbij om in plaats van zijn werk als politieman en zijn doodlopende relatie voor altijd echte rust en verwezenlijking te vinden. Het dorpje Parvum Caelum telt maar een paar zielen en een winkel/kroeg, men is er niet erg gesteld op buitenstaanders en nieuwelingen, en tijdens een jaarlijkse feestdag wordt een zak gevonden met beenderen. Die blijken afkomstig van een vrouw die 10 jaar eerder op een van de boerderijen gestorven is. De dode oom van Jake en een andere nog levende excentrieke oude man blijken heel geïnteresseerd in deze vrouw en haar dood te zijn (geweest), maar de dorpelingen vooral op de boerderij wilden er niets over kwijt en proberen uit alle macht Jake’s onderzoek tegen te houden en te saboteren. Een enorm deel van het boek gaat heen met het beschrijven van enerzijds het nieuwe leven van Jake als goede wilde zonder stress, anderzijds zijn opbloeiende verhouding met de dierenarts Livia (van kleur), die ook een dochter heeft. De vraag naar hoe en waarom Sabine gestorven is wordt eindeloos vaak herhaald. Uiteindelijk komt het antwoord nogal uit de lucht gevallen in de laatste tientallen bladzijden. Dit boek werd wel zeer nadrukkelijk en toneelmatig voorgelezen. ( )

Quite enjoyable in part, with engaging descriptions of the main character making a hermity life for himself in an isolated location and a compelling enough mystery (if a little light on the detecting). But the descriptions of naked bodies (sometimes incidental, such as when a character is swimming, and sometimes sensual and/or sexual) felt slightly icky to me, though I couldn't for sure say why, except perhaps that they always felt tinged with nastiness when they seemed meant to be either neutral or joyful. Eventually, the mysterious death the plot revolves around turns out to have been the result of a serial stalker, rapist, and murderer of women in the area. The inevitable (?) scene of peril where the murderer threatens to rape the main character's girlfriend also felt icky (of course), but it felt icky in kind of the same way the other descriptions did. Which was unpleasant in the extreme. Ultimately the book left a bad taste behind, and I am unlikely to read any more of what I expect will become a series. ( )

Death Under a Little Sky is Stig Abell's excellent debut novel.

What first caught my eye was Lucy Foley's cover blurb - "Gloriously atmospheric."

But what kept me turning pages was Abell's slow burning plot, his introduction to wonderfully interesting characters and that rich atmospheric setting.

Jake Jackson was a Detective in London, but when he inherits a large isolated property, he decides to chuck it all in and move. When he hears of a historic crime in the area, he can't let it go, and starts to investigate. Abell's case slowly and surely unfolds.

Just as interesting are the changes Jackson makes to his life. A slower pace, finding and enjoying nature, eating clean, physical labor, exploring interests and more. And perhaps someone to love. I really enjoyed how the two were blended together. I sat and savored the descriptions of Jake's new life and his inner thoughts. The descriptions of the physical settings are worth savoring as well.

And....I was thrilled to see that there is a second book featuring Jake coming out in April of 2024. Keep an eye out for Death in a Lonely Place - I will be! ( )

It's an atmospheric mystery story, the level of menace increases as the story progresses. The author does a good job in doing that. Two stories are woven together in the book. Jake's transformation to a sort of hermit, and in parallel to that is a present-day mystery over a suspicious death.

I lost interest at about two-thirds through the story and put the book aside." ( )