Pentacle is the third novel of a smart, highly engaging crime thriller series from J.K. Flynn, starring Detective Sergeant Esther Penman, a brilliant but flawed investigator. Read my full review.
Pentacle Publisher’s Synopsis
A MISSING GIRL
A SECLUDED CABIN
AN OCCULT SYMBOL
Sixteen-year-old Mila Rose has been missing for three days. As concern for the teenager grows, Detective Sergeant Esther Penman is tasked with finding her.
Esther’s hunt takes her into the Norwick Hills. There, in an abandoned cabin deep in the woods, she makes a chilling discovery.
But odd symbols and evidence of strange rituals are only the beginning. As one sinister revelation follows another, it soon becomes clear that Mila’s time is running out.
And that there are worse things waiting to be found in the hills above Belfield…
My Review
Since reading J.K. Flynn’s unusually accomplished debut to launch this series, I’ve been a fan of DS Esther Penman, a brilliant police investigator but a woman who still has her demons to deal with. This third installment in the series is another compelling, character-centrist story that will not disappoint the discerning crime-fiction fan. Flynn is a talented writer with a good sense of place, and I am already looking forward to Penman’s next outing.
Pentacle has all of the ingredients: snappy police procedural details, a fast-paced thriller, sharp sense of place in the UK, and relentless momentum. J.K. Flynn’s outstanding third novel in the series reintroduces our sympathetic lead, DS Esther Penman and her sardonic mentor Detective Inspector Jared Wilcox.
Penman gets assigned a missing person case involving a sixteen-year-old girl at first thought to a runaway. But as Penman and her team delve into the circumstances they discover some occult symbols and sinister rituals that tell Esther the missing girl is likely in grave danger with her time running out.
Flynn uses great pacing and continues ratcheting up the suspense throughout keeping the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. In addition to the engaging police investigation, we get an extended look into the personal side of DS Penman including her continued struggles as a recovering alcoholic and a first meeting with the parents of her partner and love interest Triona.
As much as I enjoyed the first two books in the series, I rate Pentacle as the best thus far. J. K. Flynn’s writing and storytelling just continue to improve with every outing.
