Review: ONE LESS SNAKE, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DT4RG4D4
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 22 April 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 298 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185426
• Book 16 of 21 ‏ : ‎ DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller

Synopsis (AmazonAU) 

Even sleepy, picturesque coastal towns have their secrets.

Welcome to Solva, where a burned-out car, a corpse, and a hauntingly precise execution greets a morning walker.

DCI Evan Warlow faces a case steeped in fear and the worst of modern crimes.

As clues lead him down twisting trails, Warlow must confront not only the killer’s identity but also the lingering echoes of a community’s darkest sins and the intersection of power, revenge, and justice.

My Take

Matt Gittings was one of those politicians who really only thought of what he could get out of his position. That he would come to a nasty end was probably inevitable. But his death in a burning vehicle provides DCI Evan Warlow and his team with a real puzzle.

These stories continue to be entertaining, well planned and thought-provoking, although in this one the "dad" jokes are a bit overwhelming. 

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, A MATTER OF EVIDENCE - #12

4.5, THE LAST THROW - #13 

4.6, DRAGON'S BREATH - #14

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15 

4.5, DRUID'S MOOR - #18

Review: THE LAST THROW, Rhys Dylan

• 
   This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CWCR9N4R
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185242
• Book 13 of 18 ‏ : ‎ DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

This time, it's more than personal.

Within the tranquil confines of a west Wales village, peace gives way to pandemonium as a trivial theft transforms into a devastating tragedy.

DCI Evan Warlow confronts what initially appears to be a straightforward case, only to find himself ensnared in a web of deceit. And when a routine press assignment also exposes a team member to a malevolent scheme, chaos begins to spiral.

From idyllic coastlines to rugged peaks, Warlow races across diverse landscapes in pursuit of answers and to foil a deadly adversary. In an electrifying narrative of suspense and sacrifice, he must forge unconventional alliances to tilt the scales in his favour before it's too late.

Prepare for yet another spellbinding police procedural that will keep you glued to the pages long after midnight.

My Take

Another good read in this series. Some threads tied off and new ones begun. One of their team is abducted by a very nasty killer and then the search is on. There is a side plot of a robbery at a cheap jack store when a store assistant dies. But all is not as it seems.

This series really needs to be read in order and you can see from the list below that I am playing catch up. I am really hooked! The plots are good and the character development is excellent.  

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, A MATTER OF EVIDENCE - #12 

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15 

Review: A MATTER OF EVIDENCE, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSBVCX35
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 23, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185228 
• Book 12 of 18: DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller 

Synopsis (Amazon)

One wrong does not justify another

In the desolate landscapes of SENTA, the Bannau Brycheiniog army training grounds, DCI Warlow and his seasoned investigators find themselves ensnared in a deadly game of shadows.

A man, recently released from prison after a 20-year wrongful conviction, is discovered dead, igniting a storm of doubt and suspicion. As long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the line between truth and deception blurs. With everyone involved in the original case now a potential suspect, they must tread carefully and confront the crimes of old as well as the present.

As the stakes escalate, can Warlow decipher the puzzle of the past before the present claims another victim?

Edge of the seat crime fiction. 

My Take

Twenty years ago the Welsh justice system had failed Mark Morgan, convicting him of attempted rape without evidence. Eventually he was released without compensation, but now final justice has eluded him. Someone has murdered him. As always plenty to challenge Evan Warlow, and the reader's brain, in this investigation.

This series has developed an interesting structure: individual cases embedded within a long ongoing investigation in which police officers are unwittingly assisting the cause of evil.

There are other ongoing strands which link these novels into a continuum, and characters are steadily developed as life goes on. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: THE LIGHT REMAINS, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Book 11 of 18, DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMPBB6CM
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185204 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

The games people play…

When a revered sports legend falls victim to a brutal home invasion, a nation is shaken to its core. Outrage swells and the press and powers that be demand answers.

DCI Evan Warlow, fresh from a well-earned vacation, is thrown into the cauldron to lead the investigation. But the victim, despite his iconic status, has secrets of his own.

Amidst the chaos of jealousy and rivalry that swirls around the case, a darker underbelly emerges. The pursuit of truth transforms into a gripping hunt, but whose truth is the team hunting?

Something else lurks in the labyrinth of deception. Something vile and twisted that could strike again at any moment... unless it’s found.

Another fast paced, gripping, police procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

My Take

I continue to thoroughly enjoy this series. Each new story contains not only the continuing story of DCI Evan Warlow and his team but also human interest elements related to one or more members of the team.

Evan has just returned from a short holiday with family in Western Australia. He has the importance of family on his mind.

The new case in hand is the apparent burglary of the house of a elderly man, one a Welsh rugby star, once a household word. Ronnie Probert was bashed severely during the burglary, and the case becomes murder when he dies of his injuries. He was much wealthier than anyone had thought and so the motive of the burglary is one of the considerations.

This series is best read in order. They are really police procedurals.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: A BODY OF WATER, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZFX729C
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 13, 2023
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185143
• Book 8 of 17 ‏ : ‎ DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller  

Synopsis (Amazon)

 

The egg man cometh...

When a delivery driver stumbles across the dead body of a reclusive author in a remote area within a stone’s throw of the Llyn Brianne dam, his first thoughts are that the elderly man has had a heart attack.

But the knife sticking out of the corpse’s chest tells a different story.

Dial in some missing walkers, a secretive cult, and the unwelcome presence of paranormal-hunting podcasters and DCI Warlow has his work cut out getting to the rotten heart of the case.

This dark murder mystery full of action and pathos with a dash of dark humour will keep you guessing. 

My Take

 

Another engrossing plot, this time with some unusual elements. Each time we learn a little more about members of Warlow's team, and their personal stories progress a little further. Reading the stories in order really pays off. 

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: BURNT ECHO, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BRYL8Z6N
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (March 28, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller Book #7  

Synopsis (Amazon)

In a deep, dark, hole…

When the putrid smell oozing out of an old mine shaft in the Cambrian hills’ ‘green desert’ of Wales turns out to be a corpse, DCI Evan Warlow and his team quickly slip into gear.

But this is no pot-holing adventure gone wrong. Soon, Evan and the team are hunting for another missing person and discovering ghosts from the past that no one wants to confront. With the team stretched and confronting their own demons, DCI Warlow has his work cut out in unravelling a web of manipulation and lies.

Yet there is more than one victim here. And unless he can find a way to the truth and quickly, someone else is going to fall foul.

My Take

Another excellent story in this series. A combination of police procedural and a string of personal problems challenging Evan Warlow's team. Not only a foul smell emanating from an old mine shaft, but a missing mother with mental health issues. The landscape of this series continues to build. I'm loving it.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: A MARK OF IMPERFECTION, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This book read on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BK74FYBM
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (January 16, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
• DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller Book 6  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Evan Warlow is a man with enemies. As a DCI in the Dyfed Powys force, that comes with the territory. But when two of his most vicious critics are abducted and turn up dead in a macabre tableau, tough questions need to be asked.

The uncomfortable answers lead Evan and the team back to his roots and an old case that has haunted him for years. The deaths in the forest have all the hallmarks of a dangerous killer with no fear of consequences. And when one of Evan’s fellow officers becomes the next target, it’s clear that the murderer isn’t finished yet.

There’s a coppery aroma of vendetta in the air. Unless Evan and the team can get to the root cause of the killer’s twisted anger, there will be more deaths. And guess who’s next on the list?

This dark murder mystery full of action and pathos with a dash of dark humour will keep you guessing. 

My Take

This series is developing nicely. I like the focus on team development and the introduction of KFC who doesn't quite fit - he is cynical and constantly looks to cut corners. For the rest of the team, each is becoming a personality with memorable characteristics, and, in some cases, problems.

 

The story is a macabre one: a very nasty couple have been killed, but there are few clues as to who or the motive. 

The series is quite long now (17 books) but I am planning to work my way through it. So far it has a nice blend of believable plots and challenging mysteries.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1
• 4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2
• 4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3
• 4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4
• 4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5
  
• 4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15
  

Review: GRAVELY CONCERNED, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B7P8ZTNY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (November 1, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
• Book 5 of 17  

Synopsis  (Amazon)

Predators watch. They’re patient. And strike when it’s least expected.

In broad daylight, on a quiet rural road, six-year-old Osian Howells disappears from his own front garden. In the blink of an eye he’s a missing person, taken, in the words of a headline hungry press, for nefarious purposes.

DCI Evan Warlow knows that the first hours after an abduction are crucial. Decisions have to be made quickly. Evidence can get lost or compromised, persons of interest need to be interrogated. And one or two have the team’s antennae twitching.

Worse, the abductor’s deviousness seems to know no bounds as cruel taunts pepper the investigation. With emotions at boiling point, and under pressure from family, the press and his superiors are all ‘gravely concerned’ for the boy’s welfare.

As always in such cases, the clock is ticking. Warlow and the team need answers and soon, before a kidnapping turns into something infinitely worse.

Gravely Concerned is the fifth book in the DCI Warlow bestselling series of fast-paced thrillers by Rhys Dylan. Set in the heart of wild Wales, this dark murder mystery full of action and pathos will keep you guessing.

My Take

Another cracking read. The abduction of a child from his front garden spurs an investigation with a strict timeline. Red herrings abound. And the pressure on Evan Warlow mounts as the hours progress.

The urgency and the characterisation are both very well done.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: THE BOWMAN, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJ5N28GZ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (January 21, 2025)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages 
• DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller Book 15 

Synopsis (Amazon)

In the wild heart of Wales, terror stalks the open moor.

In the remote and unforgiving Cambrian Mountains, two bodies are found, sparking fears that a long-buried nightmare has returned. DCI Warlow is plunged into a chilling mystery, hunting a murderer who disappeared without a trace—leaving only blood and silence behind.

As Warlow’s team battles against mounting pressure, they face a haunting question: is this the work of a twisted imitator, or has The Bowman, a ruthless killer thought to be gone forever, resurfaced?

With each dark discovery, they’re pulled deeper into a case where the land itself seems to conspire against them—and the answers may come at a deadly cost.

Edge of the seat crime fiction. The Bowman is the 15th riveting novel from bestselling crime author, Rhys Dylan, perfect for fans of JD Kirk, Simon McCleave, and Peter Robinson

My Take

Oh dear! I've jumped the gun a bit (see below for my list of books read) by reading this title, the 15th in the series, when I should have read the 5th. Never mind, I fully intend to correct that in the near future. I did have some trouble in catching up on what has happened in the series since #4.

I have become thoroughly immersed in the books each time though. The characters are great and the scenarios believable.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1
• 4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2
• 4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3
• 4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4
  

Review: SUFFER THE DEAD, Rhys Dylan

• 
   This edition on Amazon (Kindle)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B155HT72
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (2 August 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
• #4 in Black Beacons thrillers
  

Synopsis (Kindle)

Nothing bad ever happens in the countryside… right?

When a farmer and his son go missing whilst chasing rustlers, DCI Evan Warlow and his team are called in to investigate. Everything points to a botched raid by heartless thieves, but with no bodies, and little or no clues, the team quickly start chasing their tails.

The close-knit community reels from the shock, but not everyone the team comes across is being entirely honest, and it quickly transpires that, under their prim and proper facades, some have secrets they are desperate to keep.

But even Warlow isn’t prepared for the monstrous truth when, like a rabid sheepdog, it finally sits up and bites him on the leg.

He’s too busy trying not to get killed himself.

Suffer The Dead is the fourth book in the DCI Warlow bestselling series of fast-paced Black Beacons thrillers by Rhys Dylan. Set in the heart of wild Wales, this dark murder mystery populated by true to life characters will keep you guessing. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, JD Kirk. JM Dalgliesh and Simon McCleave. Celtic noir with a spattering of dark humour. 

My Take

Another gripping read - good plot, good character development, with a nasty twist to finish off. What is not to like about these stories?

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1
• 4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2
• 4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3
  

Review: ICE COLD MALICE, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle from Amazon
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09SZ9GR2
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (May 16, 2022)
• #3 in DCI Evan Warlow series of Black Beacons thrillers
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 334 pages  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Revenge is a dish best served...ice cold.

While beach combing on MOD property, two young boys stumble across a reeking mound of tangled kelp. But it isn’t the seaweed that stinks. It’s the decomposing corpse beneath it.

Called in to investigate, DCI Evan Warlow’s team are faced with finding out how and why the body of a struck-off doctor ended up on a lonely beach within sight of Laugharne’s famous boathouse.

But this is no innocent victim. This is a man with more enemies than friends. A fact that muddies the waters no end as Warlow unearths more and more of the dead man’s sordid history. Not to mention a long line of suspects.

With a killer in their midst hell-bent on achieving a deadly goal and determined to let nothing and no one stand in their way, the team need to be on their guard.

Unless they want to end up as victims, too.

Ice Cold Malice is the third book in the DCI Evan Warlow series of Black Beacons thrillers by Rhys Dylan. Set in the heart of wild Wales, this dark murder mystery tinged with wry humor and populated by true-to-life characters will keep you guessing. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, JD Kirk. JM Dalgliesh, TG Reid, and Simon McCleave. Celtic noir with a spattering of dark humor. 

My Take

I am thoroughly enjoying this series so far. The development of the characters working with DCI Warlow has been interesting and the plots are credible. I am looking forward to continuing my reading journey. Once again my recommendation is to start from the beginning of the series. There are many continuing threads, and the development of characters and the scenarios they are involved in is important.

My rating: 4.6

I've already read

• 4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1
• 4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

Review: THE ENGINE HOUSE, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09P3S8FH7
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books (January 6, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
• A Black Beacons Murder Mystery (DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller Book 1)

Synopsis (publisher)

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-one man and his dog-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.

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?

The Engine House is the gripping debut crime thriller set in the heart of wild Wales from author Rhys Dylan. A # 1 Amazon bestseller in three countries.

My Take

I'm always on the look out for new-to-me authors and this series came recommended by a couple of reading friends. There are already 13 books in the series, and I'll certainly be reading the next one.

Ex-DCI Evan Warlow has retired and there is a level of mystery about why he has taken early retirement. He was known as a very committed detective but it cost his marriage. Now a cold case that was one of the last he was involved in has resurfaced with the discovery of a couple of skeletons in a cave on the cliffs. Thy are identified as those of a couple who disappeared while out walking, who lived in a cottage on the cliffs. Who better than Warlow who had worked so hard on the case, to become involved again.

Warlow had vowed to give up police work, but he finds he can't refuse the offer.

Well written, interesting characters, an engaging plot, a bit of Welsh history, and some modern issues.   

My rating: 4.6

About the author

Rhys Dylan lives on the edge of the Black mountains of Wales with his wife and a dog who doesn't like the rain. Though he has written books for children and adults under different pen names in other genres, the Black Beacons Murder Mystery series sees him return to crime and his love of Celtic noir and dark humour. He hopes readers will find a brief escape from a very troubled world inside the stories. He does not expect to get rich as an author, but as someone once famously said, money can't buy you love, but it can get you some great chocolate digestives.