The Snowdonia Killings by Simon McCleave

 

DI Ruth Hunter has had it with London.  She is sick of the never-ending violence and crime and has requested a transfer to North Wales, in Snowdonia.  Surely the crime rate is lower in a rural jurisdiction.  She also has a personal reason.  Her lover got on a train three years ago and disappeared.  An extensive investigation was done but no clues ever emerged.  She had disappeared as if she had never existed.  

But as soon as she arrives, a teacher at the local high school is murdered and the case is assigned to Ruth.  She has to get to know her new team, who are suspicious of a London transferee as well as get to know the case and the locale.  It's a daunting task.  The murdered woman was the kind of woman who made enemies in both her business and personal life.  Was it a student, a townsperson she argued with or someone from her love life?

Ruth's second in command, Nick, has his own issues.  He is an alcoholic and trying to wean himself off without medical help.  He is also not sure about an outsider coming in and trying to solve a murder.  When another person from the school is also murdered, the tension rackets up.  Can this new team solve the murders?

This is the first novel in the Ruth Hunter series.  Ruth is a common sense woman whose life has been upended with a personal tragedy.  There is a big of heavy handedness about the lesbian life but it doesn't really detract from the story and is necessary to lay the backstory for this character who will be featured in other novels in the series.  The setting is interesting as is the Welsh names and phrases throughout the book.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.