I'd like to start this post with a preface - L.J. Ross is one of my favourite murder mystery writers. She has a way of writing plots that keep me engaged and interested, and there is always an unpredictable twist. I read (most of) her DCI Ryan series last year, and moved onto her newer series when I found the three already published books together! I adore her characterisations, and I find she never makes anything too complicated with confusing plot-lines and too many characters. All three of these books had Ross' usual charm and twists that I love so much, so if you're looking for a murder mystery, why not give her a go? Without further ado, here's my mini reviews of the first three books in the Dr. Alexander Gregory series!
Imposter
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The first in the series is a brilliant introduction to our new character - forensic psychologist Alexander Gregory. Set in a small town in Ireland, this story follows Dr Gregory as he tries to make sense of the seemingly random murder of a young mother, well-loved by the town. The story brings the local police and and some colourful local characters to the forefront of the story, making this an all-round enjoyable read!
Hysteria
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The second book in the series takes Alexander Gregory to Paris for fashion week, after an attempted murder on an up and coming model. Again, Ross combines her talent for creating lovable characters with a genuinely intriguing storyline. I think this one fell a little flat on the setting, however, it wasn't described as well as Ireland was in Imposter, and I don't think this second book has the same oomph that the first had.
Bedlam
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The third instalment, once again, sees Alexander Gregory travelling away from his home city of London, this time assisting the FBI with a case involving gang leaders in New Jersey. I think the storyline was a little more complicated in this book, definitely taking away from my enjoyment of the novel. Part of the story has Alexander posing as an in-patient at a psychiatric facility, which took away his power as the story-lead, and left me feeling like I wanted more.
Content warnings for all three books: murder, violence, death
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