Clara’s Verdict
Belsay, the twenty-third DCI Ryan mystery, returns Ross to festive territory with obvious affection. After a long year of crime-fighting, the team are rewarded with a Christmas party at a grand country estate, and the celebration lasts precisely until a dead body interrupts the dinner. It is a setup with a lovely theatrical flourish, and Ross plays it for all it is worth.
At under six hours this is a brisk, self-contained seasonal mystery, the kind of thing designed to be enjoyed in a single sitting by the fire. Reviewers found the opening a touch leisurely before the plot locks in, but once the body falls the story moves with real momentum. There is a satisfying whiff of the country-house mystery here, updated with Ross’s warmth.
It is a generous, good-humoured book that knows exactly the mood it wants to create.
The country-house Christmas mystery is one of the most durable shapes in all of crime fiction, and Ross clearly enjoys slipping her thoroughly modern team into that classic frame. A body crashing into the middle of a festive dinner is a wonderfully theatrical opening, and the compact length keeps everything moving briskly once the initial scene-setting is out of the way. It is a book that knows its traditions and wears them with an affectionate smile.
About the Audiobook
The twenty-third title in The DCI Ryan Mysteries, Belsay opens with the promise of a peaceful Christmas. After a hard year, Ryan and his team are treated to a party at beautiful Belsay Hall, a spectacular country estate on the outskirts of the city, complete with the occasional turkey stottie. Crime, however, never sleeps.
Their festive dinner is interrupted by the untimely arrival of a dead body, a reminder that the secrets held within the walls of Belsay are not done with them yet. As the team swap party hats for notebooks, it is time to find out who has been naughty and who has been nice, in a fast-paced whodunnit that keeps Ross’s familiar romance and humour alive against the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.
The seasonal setting does far more than provide decoration. A grand estate full of history, a team relaxing with their guards down for once, and a house with secrets of its own all give Ross a rich set of suspects and possibilities to work with. The festive backdrop ends up sharpening rather than softening the mystery, lending the whole thing the pleasing shape of a Christmas puzzle to be unwrapped by the fire.
The Narration
Under six hours long, Belsay is a compact seasonal listen, and Jonathan Keeble gives it the convivial warmth the setting invites. The early party scenes let him play the easy camaraderie of the team at its most relaxed, before the tone tightens the moment the body appears.
Keeble’s handling of the grand country-house atmosphere is nicely judged, and he keeps the sizeable cast of guests and regulars distinct as the investigation gets under way. It is exactly the kind of controlled, characterful reading that makes this series such reliable company at Christmas.
Keeble is on comfortable ground with the convivial ensemble scenes, and he lets the party warmth build before the mood abruptly turns. His reading of the country-house setting has a pleasant, almost golden-age quality to it, well suited to a mystery that carries its conventions lightly. Across a shorter runtime he keeps the sizeable cast of guests and regulars distinct, so the investigation never becomes a muddle of voices.
What Readers Say
Belsay averages 4.6 stars across 31 ratings. Kathleen Spindler, at five stars, praised the well-portrayed characters and the well-written story, noting that although the beginning felt a little long and drawn out, it soon hooked her. A Kindle Customer, also five stars, enjoyed the sheer theatre of the premise, with a body dramatically interrupting a stately-home dinner.
Frances, awarding four stars, called it a great location and storyline, easy to read and quick to draw her into the lives of the team. Another delighted reviewer raved about the ending and the way the series celebrates the beauty and history of the north-east, describing the characters as friends. The seasonal goodwill in these reviews is palpable.
Several reviewers flagged a slightly slow opening before agreeing that the story quickly finds its feet, and the warmth of the responses is unmistakable, with more than one describing the recurring cast as friends. As a shorter, seasonal entry it seems to have delighted the faithful, going down as an easy, festive pleasure rather than a demanding read, which is surely exactly what Ross intended for a Christmas outing.
Who Should Listen?
Belsay is perfect for listeners who love a Christmas mystery and a country house full of suspects, and for series followers wanting a shorter, warmer entry. Newcomers could just about follow it, though the cast rewards familiarity. If a festive dinner turned deadly appeals to you, you can Listen to Belsay on Audible and join the party at Belsay Hall.
