Hysteria: An Alexander Gregory Thriller (The Alexander Gregory Thrillers)

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The setting of Paris fit well with the modelling story but I've never been to Paris so I'm not familiar with the various arrondissements. It is clear that the author knows the area well, but maybe too well as I couldn't really conjure a vivid picture of the setting in my mind. Not that it bothered me too much, as I was more interested in the storyline than the Parisian sights. Something else to note in relation to the setting, there are a couple of phrases in French that some people might have difficulty with. I grasped most of it but anyone who hasn't studied French will struggle. Don't let it put you off though; just remember, that's what Google Translate is for. Struggling to find a killer that is hiding in plain sight, while navigating small town politics and pagan rituals that muddy the waters, romance is blossoming between the two tortured souls, threatening to slow down the investigation. “Sycamore Gap”, the second novel in the DCI Ryan series of novels is an excellent novel about the adventures of the handsome and troubled Detective Chief Inspector Ryan. The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category. Dr Gregory is proving to be more fascinating with each book. His expertise, although essential, never cuts him from the world and his peers. He finds himself spiraling with everyone else in a mysterious and somehow tragic investigation.

This series is rendered even more captivating as results of previous events and how they affect Dr Gregory spice up the stories. I can’t wait to know where we’ll be heading next!

Set on the historic Holy Island otherwise known as Lindisfarne, “Holy Island” is a gripping novel that introduces Detective Chief Inspector Ryan. Ryan has retreated to Holy Island to recover from a tragic case that had a particularly bad effect on his psyche. A few days into his sabbatical, the tranquility is broken when the body of a young woman is discovered abandoned on the ruins of the nearby monastery buildings.

Whenever I recommend books, one author springs to mind time and time again: LJ Ross. As much as I love the DCI Ryan series, I'm really enjoying the Alexander Gregory books and Hysteria is the second instalment of that series. Don't worry if you haven't read Imposter though; Hysteria works very well as a standalone. Apart from the editing, which her husband proudly did, she did not have to pay anything, and was pleasantly surprised when the novel took off. She has been publishing as an Indie ever since. The DCI Ryan Mysteries are set in Northumberland, which is a region of England that the author is particularly familiar with, given that she grew up there. These are fast-paced mystery and murder novels peppered with a bit of romance and humor. Thinking of a creative venture that would take her away from her job, she fell pregnant with her son. Motherhood was a very exciting prospect for L.J. Ross, though she was still unsatisfied with her career that would not give her the flexibility she desired to have as a mother.The author LJ Ross’ work is synonymous with Northumberland and Tyneside, where she sets her DCI Ryan mysteries. Hysteria is the second outing for Dr Alexander Gregory, an elite forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler and this time she has him heading for Paris. Overall, I don't regret reading this second installment but felt the author missed an opportunity by not including more substance and engaging storyline depth to this book. I needed to learn more about the primary character to motivate my interest in the next installment.

With a passion for writing and reading, a writing career seemed the most plausible way to express her creativity. The idea for the first novel in the series came while she was traveling to Edinburgh with her husband. Hysteria is an enthralling read filled full of mystery and suspense. I’m enjoying the different settings that the author takes her readers to as well as the tangled web she weaves, ensuring we are kept on our toes, not knowing how things are going to conclude. Gregory’s lips twisted into a reluctant smile. He couldn’t deny his interest had been piqued by the case, as well as his compassion. For any person to be rendered mute by such severe trauma was a cause of great sadness, and he yearned to help her—not merely so she could confirm her identity to the police and help to find the person responsible, but before any temporary damage became permanent and she was consigned to a life of silence." To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.Hysteria is well named as it felt like my brain was being put through the wringer whilst I was reading. I was struggling to see how some parts of the story fit and couldn't for the life of me work out where the story was heading. It's not my first LJ Ross book though, so I knew that everything was there for a reason. All I'll say is well played, LJ Ross. Very well played indeed. With a bigger dose of romance than the first one, (well, what do you expect in Paris - the city of Love!?), the mystery in this book kept me hooked from start to finish. Even though I had numerous suspects in my mind, I couldn't be sure of any one in particular. When the truth was revealed, I was left open-mouthed. I could never have envisaged what happens in the end.

Again, we saw another, more vulnerable, side to Alex in his relationship with a certain lady, who is another brilliant character. LJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide. Paris’ Fashion Week. The usual frenzy that accompanies it. L.J. Ross depicts a dreamy Paris, with its crows, its wealth, but she doesn’t sell postcard cities. She takes your hand and shows you the other Paris. The everyday not-so-glamorous side of France’s capital. And dead bodies with mutilated faces. The contrasts between the city’s different sides associated by the differences between the French police and the UK system played a part in this story, at times reinforcing the parallels, at times widening the gaps. What was really interesting, was not only to see Alex in work mode but we get to see more of how events from the previous book have affected him. This being said, I would highly recommend reading that one before this one. There is no wonder he is fighting his own demons and it adds a little something to the story, making it darker and deeper.L.J. Ross is an English author made popular by her bestselling DCI Ryan mystery series of novels. Ross was born in Ponteland, Northumberland and attended the Darras Hall First School, Central Newcastle High and Dame Allans, before she proceeded to Kings College at the University of London to undertake a degree course in law. She wrote her first novel “Holy Island”, the first novel in her DCI Ryan Mysteries in 2015.