Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr - Book Review

Series: PC Lucy Halliday #1

Publication Date: 11th July 2024 

Genre: Police Procedural, Mystery 

3.7 stars 

One Liner: Slow but worth it 

PC Lucy Halliday gets a call to bring her search dog, Moss when a hand is found in Gallows Wood. Lucy wonders if the case is linked to her husband’s disappearance, as she did with every other case for the past two years. Her husband, Nico, was a journalist with a penchant for digging up truths. Lucy is sure something happened to him. 

New DI Jack Ellis is on the case. He has secrets of his own which he intends to keep buried. He also has a reputation for being successful and a great career graph to prove it. Jack wants things to be done fast and as per the rules. Lucy is desperate to find the truth even if it means bypassing certain channels. 

As things get messy and people continue to keep secrets, it’s a race against time for the police to solve the crime. Can Lucy find answers to her questions? What will it cost her? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Lucy and Jack (with a few snippets from other POVs). 

My Thoughts: 

The first in the series is a slow-paced book that takes some time to get into the flow. Be patient as it gets better and leads to a solid ending. 

It was around 15% that I could start to connect with the characters. Until then, somehow even Lucy didn’t appeal to me (despite her tragic backstory). But once I found the rhythm, the story moved ahead seamlessly. 

Dogs naturally have a good space in the book. Since these are trained for different jobs, we get to see them in action. Moss has a greater role since he is with FMC most of the time. Moss is cute but doesn’t make the book lighthearted or a cozy mystery. This remains a police procedural. 

The case is about something I don’t particularly like. However, it is handled well and is likely to form the basis for the overarching theme of the series. I have a few doubts about a few things and am hoping those will be cleared later on. 

Both main characters have tons of baggage and trauma to deal with. I’m not sure if they will become each other’s love interests. It should take time or we’d have a train wreck on our hands. Slow burn is mandatory here! 

I do like that they both have good brains despite the various flaws. This ensures competency as well as retains the human/ emotional touch. The side characters have been introduced. Have to see how they’ll be developed. 

I could guess the culprit simply coz I disliked that character right from the introduction. Nothing makes me happier than seeing such ones get their due. 

There’s some new information toward the end. The next case could be anything, though. I will read it (obv). This is my first book by the author and won’t be the last! 

To summarize, Gallows Wood is a dark police procedural that starts slowly but picks up momentum as it progresses. It is compact and has much to offer, though I recommend checking the triggers first. 

Thank you, NetGalley, and Canelo Crime, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #GallowsWood

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TW: Domestic abuse (graphic, three scenes), date rape (non-graphic), drugs, alcoholism