A Hollow Sky (An Alex Ripley Mystery, #2)

by M Sean Coleman

[zooloo1983]

I have just finished this book and bloody hell that ending! I need the next book like yesterday!! I adore this series, Dr Alex Ripley is such a refreshing character and I can relate a lot to her with her current situation, as I said in my last review, of her husband being AWOL, my biggest fear!

This story touches on the case from the previous book, in fact, the book carries on a matter of days after the first so I would read it. You would not be missing out if you did not read it, but you would miss the overall picture by not doing so.

I loved that this book, as mentioned before, continues from the first book and that Ripley is not a machine and back to normal, that the case in Cuckoo Wood has affected her. We learn more about her husband John and him being AWOL. And we return back to a character from the first book Ian Hewitt! He feels his wife was duped by a supposed child healer and this is where Ripley joins the fray.

Ian’s story is a heartbreaking one and it is one which explains the meaning of A hollow sky, I just wanted to cry. But when Ian turns up at the girl’s house things get out hand and Ripley comes to town. Then things seriously go crazy!

I love that this is another sleepy village story but contrasting from the first book in that they don’t renounce strangers but welcome them, all the while watching their every move! Everyone seemed to out for themselves, with their own motives and no consideration for anyone.

The ending was shocking for one storyline and heartbreaking for another and OMG for another! I don’t quite know how to compute it all.

I can easily get lost in Mr Coleman’s writing! It took me a day to read, had to get my normal 5 hours sleep in, as I just didn’t want to put this book down. I had to follow the clues with Ripley and I didn’t have a scooby how it would end or what would cause it to end and I loved it! This series is detective work but a different kind, Ripley wants to debunk the miracles but all the while wanting one. She is there to question not your faith but the reality of it all. And I love that it is not a typical police procedural book, we get stuck in the characters, if and when there are deaths it takes a back seat as the characters and motives take the forefront making this such an exciting series to read!

I love it and I can not wait for the next book. Have I said that already?! Well, I can not! Just wish I had it now! Cliffhanger much!!!!!