I say latest because much reference is made to previous mayhem, which I assume was covered in earlier novels. We left the town at the end of the last instalment with Samson’s name cleared and (nearly) everyone safe after the entire town was involved in a showdown with corrupt coppers, eastern European mafia and money launderers.

There were a few minor disappointments: fiction in general seems to miss out on proofreading and the text has several typos. La fin est explosive, en quelques pages, Delilah et Samson résolvent plusieurs mystères qui les poursuivent depuis le premier roman.It tied the narrative strands from the previous books together very well, though I still don't understand exactly how international crime and money laundering work! So I was curious to see if my crush with this background was tied to the adrenaline rush I had with seven books read in a little more than a month. In the eighth novel in the Dales Detective series, Date with Evil, Samson and Delilah are about to discover that all of their new cases may be connected to a network of evil that seems to be surrounding Bruncliffe. I have grown very fond of the cast of characters and the well-described locations and had been eagerly awaiting this episode. I was so nervous and excited to pick up this book, the village of Bruncliffe with it's overly familiar residents, inter-related families, cake, tea.

The stakes are high, the danger greater than ever as the villain of the piece sees their plans fast unravelling, but will the Dales Detective Agency succeed in discovering the perpetrator, and will Bruncliffe be left unscathed, or will the village be scarred forever by the fallout of this last(? Julia's writing is so descriptive I can visualise myself there in that brutal landscape and hear the accent of the people speaking in this book.But in each book we get a glimpse to the end game, so if you are going to start this series I recommend book one! That leaves space to concentrate on the main plot line and for tying up of loose ends, while still leaving enough of a cliff hanger to please even the most ardent of thriller fans. From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe’s Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases.

Something that will finally expose the network of evil which has been infiltrating the Dales town over the past decade, and in doing so place Delilah in the utmost danger. I wouldn't recommend anyone to read this book without reading the others first, relationships and storylines all converge in 'Date with Evil', but if that's too much of a reading commitment, I would at least start with the first book to get to know the characters, then read one or two before this one, if by that point you feel you can bear the spoilers. I’m so happy I got into these cozy mysteries, they are delightful and the character development is spot on! It’s hard to know which crackles with energy more, the various explosions and fires or their chemistry.However, as I kept reading I did get more into the swing of the current story and found it a compelling read. This works as a stand-alone but I think familiarity with past events would have added to my enjoyment. I know it's counter-cultural and a very small point, but would a gang of pensioners really be so modern about two people going to bed together? Usually I am confident about just jumping into an ongoing mystery series as authors will provide background for readers new to the series. PAF, on laisse tous les attachants personnages de Bruncliffe avec une suite que nous aurons imaginé.