"‘The House in the Woods� by Mark Dawson is excellent! I could not bear to hit stop on my Libby audiobook download, but of course I had to. I highly recommend this exciting and twisty procedural! I plan to go on with the Atticus Priest mystery series. Although this is book one, there are no loose ends at the finish, except there are hints at more mysteries to come, including a stalker.

Atticus is an ex-cop, having been fired over a failed drug test. He is trying to build a private detective agency, take care of his new dog, and move on from his relationship with a married police officer, DCI Mackenzie Jones. She is the one who called off the affair because her husband threatened to take their children away from her. Because of not being able to see her anymore, Atticus lost his enthusiasm for police work and began using drugs, which led to his being fired. He did not have any friends on the force except for Mac because he is a bit on the autism spectrum. While his talent at noticing things was good, his inability to engage emotionally was not. No one spoke up for him when he was fired.

When the wife of an accused murderer hires Atticus to find exonerating evidence before his trial, it is a relief! He can pay bills. But he learns he will have to discredit the police investigation led by Mac. Wow. She is certain to think he is taking this case out of revenge. Plus, as his investigation progresses, so do the twists and turns. So many complications! Thank goodness for us readers, right? Right?
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