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DS Ashley Knight #3

Death in Bacton Wood

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Preorder the new instalment in the bestselling Norfolk Murders series! A family’s secrets lie buried. The time has come to uncover the truth…

When a mud-splattered man staggers from Bacton Wood with a terrifying tale about being buried alive, DS Ashley Knight and her team are called in to investigate. Soon, another victim is found, and more men are missing – all with connections to the well-known Vialli family.

The Major Investigation Team find themselves attempting to untangle a case that stretches from Eastern Europe through to North Norfolk. Along with rookie detective, the whip-smart Hector Fade, Ashley is in a race against time trying to help a family who seem determined to take matters into their own hands. And when Ashley suspects there is a department rat, the stakes get even higher.

As the evidence continues to point in different directions, and as new victims are uncovered thick and fast, Ashley and Hector begin to fear they have finally met their match in a killer too ruthless and clever to be caught.

Bestselling Ross Greenwood is back with a breath-taking page-turning thriller, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Ian Rankin and Peter James.

What readers are saying about DS Ashley Knight and Hector

‘Ross Greenwood is great at the twist. I know you’re going to scream at me for using the ‘twist you didn’t see coming,’ but I really didn’t.’

‘The only thing I can say that was a disappointment about reading this book, is that I somehow missed the first one in the series... What a cracking read! I'm now off the find book 1! 5 solid stars.’

‘This is the second book featuring DS Ashley Knight… This is a cracking good thriller that pulls you this way and that and keeps you guessing… I've always loved everything that I have read by Ross Greenwood and this book is no exception.’

‘This was brilliant! So much going on throughout the book it was hard to keep up but so captivating till the end. Great story & characters. Loved it!’

‘This was an incredibly well plotted adrenaline race of a thriller… The plotting was amazing, so many different threads all wound together and when the author pulled on them, the result was just a beautiful bow of an ending with no tangles left to unpick ..... until the next time!’

429 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2024

About the author

Ross Greenwood

25 books464 followers
I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King's School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I'm still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, i randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

I've now written five further books. My second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by a publisher, and Lazy Blood is also out. All my books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour. Reading the reviews has been great.

The first three books are stand alone, however, some of the characters cross over, and you can see how at times, their lives overlap.

Abel's Revenge is something a bit different. It's a modern day love story set against the backdrop of an escalating serial killer. There's a whodunnit element to it, and some smiles along the way.

Shadows of Regret was inspired by my time on the women's side of the jail in Peterborough, and analyses the close relationship between victim and villain. You won't have read a book like it.

I hope you enjoy reading them.

Please feel free to get in touch.

https://www.facebook.com/RossGreenwoo...

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5 stars
368 (55%)
4 stars
241 (36%)
3 stars
52 (7%)
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4 (<1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,512 reviews143 followers
April 10, 2024
Hamish wakes up after a night out with partner Max to find out he has been buried alive and Max nowhere to be seen. He manages to escape and but ends up getting hit by a car. DS Ashley Knight arrives to investigate why the man has been buried and why? Also, what happened to Max?
When another body is found in the same way as Hamish, but this time they have been tied up. Max’s father Rocco Valli who arrives on the scene fears the worst, he thinks it is Son but when he identifies him it is another person that works for the Valli family. When the investigate further they discover that the family is involved in Drugs, people trafficking and a rival gang settling old scores. Ashley and her team are on a race to figure out what’s going on before more bodies turn up.
Death In Bacton Wood is book 3 in the DS Ashley Knight and Wow what a fab book this is. This is a gritty twisty thriller, but the storyline flowed easily, and I couldn’t put this down. At first thought that this was quite a long book. But it was so good I didn’t feel it so as I read this is 24 hours. I can’t wait for more of this fab series. 5 stars.


Profile Image for Shereadbookblog.
797 reviews
April 22, 2024
This is the next installment in the Norfolk Murders series and can be read as a standalone. The plot is labyrinthine… people buried alive, organized crime, drug use, immigrants, human trafficking, a possible “bent copper”, revenge….what do they all have to do with each other? And on a personal level will DS Ashley Knight realize that the fellow officer she is seeing is a poor choice for a romantic dalliance and will she cut him loose?

A solid police procedural, I like this investigative team with their close personal relationships and sarcastic humor. The criminals in this installment are quite malevolent and their crimes abhorrent while the writing pulls you in in this engrossing, can’t put down read.

If you like police procedurals featuring capable female detectives, you can get in on this series from the beginning as this is only the third book. I have read two of them. While this story is grittier than the prior one I read, this author/series has been added to my “must read” list.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the DRC.
Profile Image for Matt.
4,195 reviews13k followers
August 15, 2024
Ross Greenwood returns with yet another strong police procedural, shifting the setting to Norfolk. In a great thriller, the reader is tossed into the middle of a ghastly case where bodies are found buried in a wooded area. Is this the sign of a new serial killer or a long-held form of retribution. DS Ashley Knight and her team will have to explore every aspect before determining if they have a killer lurking in the shadows. Greenwood dazzles in this novel, adding depth to this great series.

Waking and discombobulated, a man pushes himself out of the hole and tries to remember what happened. He stumbles out of the woods and is able to recount bits of his story, covered in mud and having been buried alive. This sends DS Ashley Knight and her team out to investigate the odd set of facts presented to them. When surveying the scene, more bodies are discovered, dead and buried, with an odd connection to a well-known family in the region. Their notoriety is less for charitable acts than control of the underworld!

Convinced that this is a case with deep roots, DS Knight and the Major Investigation Team begin probing deeper. Their leads send them to the depths of Eastern Europe and a vendetta, as well as local connections in Norfolk. There is little time to wait, forcing DS Knight and her eager rookie, Hector Fade, to make sense of this while staying safe. As the case progresses, leaks within the department make progress even more difficult. As if there were not enough to do, now there’s a rat sending suspects intel.

With more bodies and a family vendetta mounting, DS Knight must use all her resources to ensure the killer is caught. However, with so many leads pointing in different directions, no one can be sure where to look next. A killer is somewhere, but they might have outsmarted the Major Investigation Team. Greenwood weaves a story well worth the reader’s time.

I have long enjoy Ross Greenwood’s writing and various series. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter and keeping the reader hooked. The narrative builds from the opening pages and keeps the reader wondering as the story gains momentum. There is little time to synthesise it all, as the reader is thrust into many directions. Characters add great highlights to the story, exploring cultural and historic pieces that create an even-stronger story.

The plot has to be on point to work for this book, which Greenwood makes sure to develop through the numerous twists the novel possesses. Surprises are key to keeping the reader enthralled, as the mystery deepens and the series proves itself sooner than later. I am excited to see what else is to come and how Ross Greenwood will add to Norfolk and other collections he keeps producing.

Kudos, Mr. Greenwood, for a great rural police procedural.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for Claire-Louise  Armstrong-Brealey.
154 reviews6 followers
May 2, 2024
You may have gathered that I have a pash for this author. Not only does he write marvellous tales, but he sets them in an area I know and love.

This latest tale is scarily close to the knuckle of fact. I really don't like illegal immigration, but I especially loathe trafficking of men, boys, women, and girls. It is sickening, and at least in this book, some people get just desserts.

Be brave and read this tale. Be angry as this happens and always needs highlighting.

Mr. Greenwood has done a marvellous job, J'adore!!
Profile Image for Fictionophile .
1,195 reviews362 followers
May 12, 2024
The third book in this police procedural series proved just as engaging as the first two. This is a police procedural crime series that is a pleasure to follow.

Once again DS Ashley Knight finds herself heading a crime investigation that proves a real challenge. Hamish MacDonald, a young man, after a night out drinking, wakes up to find himself buried alive in a crude grave. Desperation and adrenaline help him escape. After other men go missing, and with the help of her 'fast track' young constable, Hector Fade, she must discover who is targeting these men who all seem to have some connection to the Vialli Italian crime family. When Hamish is forcefully taken from the hospital, Ashley's case just turned ugly. The patriarch of the Vialli family impedes the investigation once he realizes that his sons and nephews might be involved. Also, this powerful man seems to have someone from the police providing him with classified information. Who is the mole? And how and why are they doing this?

Three books into the series finds Ashley and Hector's friendship maturing. Their banter and jibing adding greatly to my enjoyment of the novel. Now Hector is almost finished his secondment to the team and Ashley wonders what decisions he will make about his future career.

The rest of Ashley's MIT team included DC Barry Hooper (several years younger than Ashley - whom she is sleeping with), DC Emma Stones (mother of three), and the pregnant DS Bhavini Kotecha. Ashley answers to Chief Inspector Vince Kettle. Even the peripheral characters in the book were interesting to get to know, however slightly.

DS Ashley Knight was an intelligent, lonely, and quite damaged protagonist. She has had a lot of 'life lessons' that have caused her to be empathetic to others. She is in her forties and single. In this novel she is looking to advance to Detective Inspector and her assessment is imminent - causing her more stress.

The setting was skillfully described. Norfolk, with all of its autumnal splendor.

The homicide investigation takes up about four months after the last book. In my opinion it would be advantageous to read this series in order to fully realize the development of the characters backstories.

Be warned, there are some distressing topics covered in this book. Gangland murders, torture, and people trafficking to name but three. Furthermore, readers will be delighted that there are some plot twists that keep you guessing. In addition to the present day police investigation, there are some chapters set one month previously that are devoted to the harrowing experiences of illegal immigrants. These chapters made me wonder how they could be linked to the present day criminal investigation.

With a well crafted plot, strong characterization, and a satisfying conclusion, this book should appeal to many fans of the genre. All in all, "Death in Bacton Wood" was a very tense and immersive police procedural and I hope that there are further books in this series. Fingers crossed!

Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Julie Lacey.
1,837 reviews117 followers
May 2, 2024
This is a great crime thriller.
Ashley is called when a man stumbles out of the woods and is then hit by a car. At the hospital he says he was buried alive in the woods, so Ashley and the team need to find out why and who was responsible.
Soon a body is found and Rocco Vialli, a local businessman, is convinced it’s his son.
With the Vialli’s seemingly being targeted, Ashley has many questions for Rocco, but he’s not too keen on answering them.
The family seem to be mixed up in people trafficking and when the full extent of their crimes are revealed, it’s clear someone wants revenge.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Profile Image for Helen Frost.
582 reviews22 followers
January 27, 2024
Brilliant! As usual I whisked through this at breakneck speed as Ross’ writing style is utterly compelling and obviously I needed to find out how it was all going to pan out. I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the level of gore and suggestion of even more horror than described because isn’t your own imagination the most terrifying ever? We’re definitely supplied with more than enough accelerant to fuel that and there were a lot of gasps and edge of the seat moments.
The baddies are plausible and suitably sinister and their family loyalties and underworld come to life in glorious technicolour. The Police characters are excellent and explored in their individuality to the max and their own stories draw you in as a welcome addition to and diversion from the main plot. There are lots of nice details showing a real insight into their psyche and unique humour too, as I’ve come to expect and look forward to. The women in the plot are fantastically vulnerable but fiercely strong in equal measures so lots of boxes ticks there too. As usual I’m now eagerly awaiting my next fix which I very much look forward to.
1,036 reviews21 followers
February 12, 2024
Here we are with the third in the series and it's another fantastic read. It begins with a young man, Hamish, buried alive, who somehow manages to escape. This immediately had me hooked. His friend is still missing and when Hamish disappears from the hospital, Ash and the team are wondering what is going on.

There's lots of intrigue in this book. There's links to organised crime, human trafficking, drugs. Ultimately it's a story of family feuds and revenge with an eye for an eye being the name of the game. There's plenty to get your teeth into here and the increase in bodycount and the gruesomeness of the torture that is being endured, is horrific. All in all, a terrific read.
Profile Image for Jean.
1,256 reviews6 followers
February 3, 2024
Wow! What a beginning when a man escapes from being buried alive you just couldn't stop reading as more bodies are found and DS Ashley Knight gets her team to investigate.
A great story with great characters can't wait for the next in the series.
123 reviews4 followers
May 3, 2024
I don’t often give 5*. For me from the first page I knew I was in for a rollercoaster of a read!, On waking up in a dark confined space Hamish was soon to realise he was buried alive, what an absolute nightmare, I felt claustrophobic just reading the opening pages. This is the 3rd book in the series, though it holds up as a stand alone too. I had my thoughts as I progressed as to where the plot line was heading, and it didn’t disappoint, and certainly had a couple of good revelations, Death in Bacton Woods is well paced, layering on the suspense as it delves into the dark criminal underworld of drugs and people trafficking, and centres around the Vialli family and their businesses, Ross Greenwood is quite explicit in methods used to extract information, some may find them hard to read, though I feel they were integral to the plot line and added a necessary realism. The characters are well written and have grown into a great team, and actually like and respect h other, that’s so refreshing.
Those who make money from human trafficking deserve no sympathy when they become the target….
Profile Image for Karen.
970 reviews10 followers
May 1, 2024
The latest in the Norfolk Murders series brings us another complex police procedural with the team still headed up by the excellent DS Ashley Knight.


This time they are investigating reports that a man has been found hit by a car, while he has other wounds that don't relate to the car accident. His talk of being buried then escaping before being hit seems far-fetched, until a body is found in similar circumstances. When in turns out there are links to a local family who are known for their shady dealings, Ashley and the team have their work cut out trying to get to the bottom of what has happened before any more people are hurt.


This is a gritty crime read that has some great twists and a brilliant bunch of characters, making it very easy to get drawn into. Looking forward to the next!
Profile Image for Heather Copping.
591 reviews11 followers
April 22, 2024
Hamish wakes up thinking someone has shut him in a cupboard, but then he realises that someone has buried him, he eventually manages to force his way out, pushing an old door out of the way and finds himself in Bacton Woods. Struggling through the undergrowth, he eventually gets to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital in Norwich. Staff there are trying to work out what happened to him, and so are Detective Sargeant Ashley Knight and Detective Constable Emma Stones, but something just doesn't add up. Especially when the next morning Hamish has disappeared from his hospital room, and according to CCTV footage, not by his own free will.
The police are doing a thorough search of Bacton Woods both on foot and by the helicopter. Soon, another body has been found, and the police investigation steps up to find out what is behind it. Then it's not long before more bodies turn up in the area.
Complete with police corruption, family ties, and connections, you are certainly left guessing and wondering who, what, and why? What I particularly liked was, in the end, it was all laid out in the last few pages who was responsible and for what reasons.

Set in Norfolk in the East of England, this is the third book in this series of Detective novels. I was drawn into this storyline straight away, although I hadn't read the previous two books. Although I certainly will now, as I have just purchased the two previous books. This is a real page turner, full of intrigue, incidents that happen and make you not believe they could, and all set in the North Norfolk area that I know well, living in Norfolk myself.
A five-star read from me.
Profile Image for Booklover BEV.
1,522 reviews27 followers
April 12, 2024
A family's secrets lie buried the time has come to uncover the truth.
The Norfolk Murders.
D.S. Ashley Knight.
Bacton Woods and a reported incidence, a man ran out in the path of a van, distressed state running for his life, Hamish MacDonald in a concerned mental state, upset he has been buried alive.
Ashley and D.C. Barry Hooper go to the hospital to question the poor man and he is just not making any sense.
The story continues on to find two dead bodies buried and two bodies thrown over the cliffs, this is turning into one hard complicated case for the team to deal with.
Lots of action, lots of gripping chapters, lots of who done it, to keep the readers turning page after page.
Its mind blowing all the way throught.
Profile Image for Marion Walker.
58 reviews2 followers
April 18, 2024
I started this book at the end of march as it’s part of a trilogy and I hadn’t read any of the others it did take me a few days to get into it . However I soon became hooked and had to keep going back to my kindle to read a little more the twists and turns kept me guessing and at some parts holding my breath. The characters were fabulous and I enjoyed how Ashley’s private life appeared in threads throughout everything she was going through in her job .Ashley is a strong career focused detective with a heart of gold. This is evident at the beginning of the story when she agrees to dropping off her neighbours young teenage son at hospital so that he can spend time with his grandmother who is terminally ill. This book kept me gripped until the end and I am going to make it my mission to read more of Ross Greenwood’s books and start at the beginning of this trilogy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
30 reviews
April 30, 2024
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book which made it a captivating reading.
I found the description of the gore to be right up my street. The different subject matters it covered were of an interesting range and enough to make you wonder what was going to happen next.
This is the first in the series that I read and I can say that the book can be read standalone without reading the prior 2 books.
I will be going back and reading the other 2 books in the series.
April 30, 2024
Next instalment in the Norfolk murders book, but it could be read as a standalone. A great police procedural Book.

This book as everything, and the bad people were bad, family feuds, human trafficking. The book starts with a man being buried alive. I was hooked.

Great author and great book as are all his others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Keith Weller.
199 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2024
Another great book this series just gets better and better keep them coming
Profile Image for Emma Roper.
34 reviews7 followers
June 15, 2024
Brilliant as always!!! I LOVE this series.. Please write more!!
122 reviews
August 2, 2024
I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, i like the building of the characters learnt loads with this latest one. A good storyline a few unexpected twists and turns.
198 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2024
Another great read featuring DS Ashley Kniight and her team...thrilling from start to end telling the story of family loyalty murder trafficking and being buried alive ! Ashley is also taking her Inspectors exams whilst trying to catch the killer of gruesome torturous murders.
Profile Image for Louise Sowter.
80 reviews6 followers
April 7, 2024
Never disappointed and I would say one of my favourite authors in this genre .. book kept me guesssing from start to finish . The character as full as ever and praying now for another book to devour .. if haven’t read on of the other books then definitely need to as you too will be hooked . BRILLIANT
Profile Image for Gillian Morris.
59 reviews
April 7, 2024
Death in Bacton Wood is the third in the series featuring DS Ashley Knight and the Murder Investigation Team. When someone survives having been buried alive the team have job on their hands as a vigilante seems to be working in the area.
I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced, with engaging characters, it’s a great story.
April 25, 2024
Really enjoyed this book lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked, I really like Ross's style of writing as it makes his books unputdownable.
Profile Image for kelly freaney.
236 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2024
Probably the best in the series so far!
The old cliché but I couldn't put it down. The twists and turns kept coming which made it a truly brilliant read! I hope there is a 4th and that Hector returns
Profile Image for Gail.
163 reviews4 followers
April 3, 2024

A taut and gripping thriller about revenge the old fashioned way, when a family is brutally punished for its hidden criminal activities.
I liked the relationships and character development of the police team - very natural and realistic.
The deaths are a bit gruesome but had historic relevance.
What's next for the newly promoted Ashley Knight?
Profile Image for Lisa Toner.
100 reviews17 followers
May 5, 2024
This is my third novel by Ross Greenwood. When I saw the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review, I jumped at the chance! This author is a master at weaving together an interesting storyline with well-developed characters and great pacing to keep the reader engaged. Highly recommend!!
Profile Image for Beccy Thompson.
810 reviews19 followers
April 2, 2024
Loved this book from start to finish
Brilliant characters and such a clever plot that it kept me engaged until the end.
Highly recommend!
8 reviews1 follower
March 15, 2024
Death in Bacton Wood

I had been looking forward to this third & potentially concluding instalment for DS Ashley Knight & the Major Investment team , as the first two books in the series left me wanting more.

When a blooded & dishevelled man emerges from Bacton Wood he says he's been buried alive, DS Ashley Knight and her team are called in to investigate.Very soon, another victim is found, with several others missing , who all appear to be connected to the local well-known Vialli family.

The Team find connections between Eastern Europe and North Norfolk & Ashley is caught up in a “ vedetta “ scenario with one family who look to take matters into their own hands.

The evidence continues to lead the team in many different directions, with new victims being uncovered thick and fast.

This story would be a fitting conclusion to the series , but hopefully more are in the offing.
A well deserved 5* rating.
66 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2024
Whilst I rated it three stars, I did enjoy this, but I found the events incredulous in crime fiction, and I didn't feel I could really connect to any of the characters. Perhaps I'd have felt differently if I'd read the previous two in the series, and should I read those I shall update my review. The first victim's father inserts himself into the investigations from the start, and I found it very hard to believe the police would be so willing to share information with someone so close to the crimes, or to allow them to remain at crime scenes, or to have such a laissez faire attitude to them in general. In real life more questions would've been asked and this irked me throughout. I'd definitely have rather this higher had it not been for this detail.
Profile Image for Christine.
1,096 reviews30 followers
May 27, 2024
I just loved it! The plot was complex, thrilling, full of action, tension. What I also really enjoyed in this book and in the Norfolk Murders lies in the police team characters. All are relatable, none is a drunk; they all have ordinary problems which makes them very real. They do give the feeling you know them. An important and beautiful part of this novel is of course Norfolk also vividly depicted. A great read!
Thank you Ross for letting me read this novel as an ARC. I can't wait for number 4!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews

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