I love cosy crime, although that sounds like a contradiction in terms! But the gentle pace, lack of gore, but enough tension to keep you turning the page is very satisfying.

Finding the Source is one of those stories. Full of detail, set in rural communities, it brings a warm glow of its own. The characters are wonderful: a couple of barmen, a book collector, a homeless young man, and there is Isabel, the PI, who used to be a journalist. Isabel has a lot of experience as a journalist to ask the right questions, but she also seems to bump into the right people to ask questions and find more answers.

Joan Livingston, the author, has done a great job in stringing the reader along as Isabel visits older people at home, meets over a pub lunch and spends time with her elderly mother who is a great asset to the PI. There is a lot of detail, as well as little snippets in between that make you feel more part of Isabel’s life.

Finding the Source isn’t fast paced, but it draws you in, and you find yourself making lists in your mind along with Isabel, adding or rejecting suspects. Subtly, you find out one of the characters lied, but does that move the person from the witness list to the suspect list? One suspect had only one arm; does that let him off?

Finding the Source has a surprising ending, even though I felt the suspect was a definite option. I did worry about Isabel’s safety, especially as the weather was turning tricky at the same time. The end of Finding the Source is very satisfying, with all loose ends tied up, as well as an invite to a new case for Isabel.

Finding the Source is part of a series, and I found it a little bit tricky to place characters, as some of them will be familiar if you have read the previous books. There is a little bit of backstory where necessary, so it didn’t stop me from enjoying the different people, but I would recommend reading the books in order. I did want to know more about the Hawthorn Family, as there seem to be some interesting family members… I loved how real Joan made the characters with flaws and failings, as well as the odd noble deed to redeem themselves a little.

I received a copy via Reading Between the Lines but was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review.