Clara’s Verdict
Longstone takes the DCI Ryan Mysteries out to sea, and the salt air suits them. The tenth instalment sends its detectives into the world of marine archaeology and shipwreck diving, and LJ Ross clearly relishes the fresh subject matter. A Viking hoard beneath the North Sea is a wonderful engine for a mystery, and she cranks it well.
I was especially pleased to see Dr Anna Taylor take a more central role. The book opens with her expertise, not Ryan’s, and that shift gives the tenth outing a slightly different centre of gravity. It is a well-plotted, atmospheric listen with a strong sense of the Northumbrian coast, and a reminder that this series still has new corners to explore ten books in.
What pleases me most is the research worn lightly. Ross clearly did her homework on marine archaeology and the murky economics of wreck diving, yet the detail never congeals into a lecture. Instead it deepens the world, giving the murder a specific and unusual milieu to inhabit. Handing Anna the opening also pays off, letting the series widen its lens beyond Ryan for a spell.
About the Audiobook
The tenth DCI Ryan Mystery begins with treasure. Viking gold is discovered beneath the icy waters of the North Sea, and local historian Dr Anna Taylor is called in to help catalogue the most exciting hoard in living memory. When a shipwreck diver washes up dead, however, she quickly finds herself out of her depth, and she knows just the person to call.
When DCI Ryan arrives at the picturesque fishing town of Seahouses, he is met by an impenetrable wall of secrets and lies. Juggling marine archaeology and the cut-throat world of shipwreck diving, he must contend with a community closing ranks, and when another murder blows the case wide open he is forced to delve deeper into the hearts of those around him to find what lies beneath. Ross sets it all amid the spectacular Northumbrian landscape of the coast and the Farne Islands, with her usual seasoning of romance and humour.
The Narration
Jonathan Keeble narrates a listen of a little over seven hours, and he takes naturally to the maritime setting. There is a briny, weather-beaten quality to his reading of the diving world and the fishing town that grounds the more technical material and keeps it human.
He also handles the shift in focus deftly. With Anna driving the early chapters, he gives her the authority the role needs, then folds Ryan back in without the join showing. The cast of divers, archaeologists and locals could blur in less careful hands, but he keeps them separate and alive. It is a steady, immersive performance that lets the coast do a great deal of the atmospheric work. Across a little over seven hours he keeps the briny world of the wreck divers vivid without ever letting the technical detail slow the current, and he lets the coast itself set the mood throughout. The shift of focus onto Anna in the early chapters gives his reading a welcome fresh angle.
What Readers Say
Longstone carries an average of 4.6 stars from 36 ratings, and readers respond warmly to its setting and subject. One reviewer relished the ruthless world of deep-sea diving for wrecks and the Seahouses backdrop, following the marine archaeologist at the heart of the case with real interest. Another local fan was thrilled to find the story set around Seahouses, the Farne Islands and the Grace Darling Lighthouse, places they had spent a holiday exploring.
The reviews bear out both the appeal and the honest caveats. Local readers delight in recognising Seahouses, the Farne Islands and the Grace Darling Lighthouse, and follow the marine archaeologist at the heart of the case with genuine investment. Others praise the gripping, well-built mystery beneath the salt and diesel of the diving world.
In the interest of balance, one four-star reviewer raised a stylistic quibble, feeling the romantic interludes sat awkwardly against the thriller machinery and preferring the more precise, procedural passages, though they still found the story gripping and well written. That kind of specific, considered criticism is worth passing on. The prevailing view, however, is that this is a fabulous new mystery that fans of the series will happily devour.
Who Should Listen?
Longstone will appeal to listeners who like a crime novel built on an unusual, well-researched world, in this case marine archaeology and shipwreck diving, and to series followers keen to see Anna Taylor take a larger share of the stage. It suits anyone drawn to the Northumbrian coast and a community with something to hide. It works as a standalone, though the character warmth pays off most for the faithful.
If a Viking hoard and a coastal murder tempt you, you can Listen to Longstone on Audible and find out what the sea gave up.
