Rhys Dylan – The Engine House

The Engine House is luckily the first book in a new series, and I am so happy that I was invited along for the ride by ZooLoo’s Book Tours. First, check out the synopsis.

Rhys Dylan

You can bury the bodies, but you can’t hide the truth.

When a landslip on Pembrokeshire’s stunning coastal path reveals the harrowing remains of two bodies, ex-DCI Evan Warlow’s quiet retirement is shattered.

As the original investigator for the two missing persons eight years before, Evan is recalled to help with what is now a murder inquiry. But as the killer scrambles to cover up the truth, the body count rises.
Working with a new young team, Warlow peels away the layers to reveal the dark and rotten heart that beats beneath the chocolate box tranquillity of an area renowned for its quiet beauty.

But does he still have what it takes to root out the monstrous truth before all hell lets loose?

The Engine House is the gripping debut crime thriller set in the heart of wild Wales from author Rhys Dylan. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, JD Kirk. JM Dalgliesh and Simon McCleave. Celtic noir with a spatter of dark humour.

The Engine House is a rather atmospheric, gritty, and dark crime thriller. Set in West Wales and so vividly described that I could have been there. The characters were also realistic, which made this such an immersive book.

I always love meeting a brand new detective, and Detective Chief Inspector Evan Warlow certainly ticks all my boxes for an intriguing character. His back story just adds to the interest, too. He is a man who doesn’t mess about. He has been called back from retirement to help new detectives investigate a case that isn’t a run-of-the-mill one. I thought the dynamics of the team fabulous, and I enjoyed seeing these three bounce of each other as the book developed.

The mystery of the case is certainly gripping alongside getting to know these characters, and then we have Warlow and his issues, too. Rhys Dylan has certainly created a set of characters that I would love to see more of.

A really well written thriller in which the author has created a story I couldn’t put down for any length of time. The twists and turns are perfectly placed to keep the reading turning the pages. A dark story with humour running throughout (the banter between the colleagues) that I thoroughly enjoyed. More, please!

Thanks to ZooLoo’s Book Tours and Rhys Dylan for my copy of the book and my place on the tour.

Author Bio

Rhys Dylan was born and grew up in west Wales, went away to university in London, but came back to live and work in his country of birth. Along the way, he indulged his imagination by writing books for children and adults under various pennames and in a variety of genres.

2021 sees him turning his hand once more to crime with DCI Evan Warlow in the Black Beacons crime series. Spread over 500 square miles, the Brecon Beacons mountain range sits like a giant doorstop at the heads of the South Wales valleys. To the north and west, they nestle in the crook of the ancient kingdoms of Powys and Dyfed, stretching from the eastern Marches to the wild southwestern coast. Many of the mountain peaks in the range have names. Others are simply referred to as black. It is in this timeless landscape that the books are set.

Rhys lives on the edge of the Beacons with his wife and a dog that doesn’t like the rain.