When it comes to thrillers and detective novels, I have always struggled to find ones that I enjoy. Particularly when it comes to thriller series. So much seems to become formulaic and eventually, incredibly predictable to the point that there is very little of interest left. And usually, this is completely separate from the way that the novel is written. It could be the best writing I’ve ever read and I will still find it difficult to enjoy. So when I first saw adverts for Joy Ellis’ D. I. Jackman & D. S. Evans series on audible, I was highly skeptical. However, it was read by Richard Armitage, and as an avid fan of Thorin Oakenshield, I could not resist hearing more of his smooth and svelte voice (I’m really not kidding about being an avid fan).
So, I took the plunge and decided to download the first novel in the series, and then… well I’ve blown through the first three in the series, and I am in love! How had I never heard of these stories before? While nothing extremely new or original in the premise of a detective duo story, getting to know D. I. Rowan Jackman and D. S. Marie Evans is a joy, and even more so because of the animation and vitality that Richard Armitage brings to the story and its characters. Every character is given a distinct sound and personality that comes out increasingly throughout the course of the novels.
Much of this is obviously a testament to the great writing of Joy Ellis. However, Armitage’s dramatisation of the novel brought a dimension to it that I enjoyed just as much as the stories. Of the five novels released, four are available on Audible, in series order: The Murderer’s Son, Their Lost Daughters, The Fourth Friend, and The Guilty Ones.
Following the detective pair who are operating within the Fenland Constabulary, Ellis describes a series of mysteries that are brought to the constabulary and how they go about solving the crimes that leave others perplexed. It is only through the dynamic of the team that the pair have built together and the trust and loyalty that have in each other that they are able to solve the murders brought to their doorsteps.
While the murder mysteries are interesting and definitely leave you wondering what’s going to happen next everytime you pause the audiobook, it really is the relationship between the characters that truly has you coming back for me, and it is only emphasised by Armitage’s incredible reading and narrative abilities. So much so that though all novels in the series are available as physical copies, I decided to wait until the next one was released on Audible instead so that I could continue the journey on audiobook.
If you are looking for a new audiobook and similarly enjoy thrillers with twists that you might not have seen coming, I highly recommend listening to the D. I. Jackman and D. S. Evans series! It will leave you so thoroughly entertained that you’ll be wondering how you hadn’t known about the magic of Richard Armitage’s reading voice before.
~S~
