Yes, I have read Book 4 in the Six Stories series! I may just go ahead and binge book 5 and 6, since it would be a pity for me to dive back into my TBR and forget about this series.

In this new instalment of the Six Stories “podcast”, Scott King has travelled to the small Northumbrian town of Ergarth to investigate the murder of popular vlogger Elizabeth Barton. Almost universally loved for her sweet personality and caring nature, Elizabeth was murdered after doing a series of dares called “Dead in Six Days”. Her head was decapitated in a shocking murder that made waves.

Scott King isn’t here to find her killer – they’ve already been tried and found guilty. However, a mysterious piece of graffiti “Who locked Elizabeth in the Tower?” sets him on a path that uncovers more facets to the popular vlogger than he initially thought. Was there a reason for this murder or is he chasing after nothing?

Now, I mentioned that I loved Changeling, the third book in the series. Beast had a very tough act to follow and while it is a decent book that explored the subjectivity of character (truly not making a judgement on the case), it did not give me the same emotional rollercoaster that Changeling did.

I think one big thing about this book is that to me, the supernatural aspect was not played up as much as it could be. It did start strong, with a story about the legend of the Ergarth vampire, but the book very soon starts focusing on the people. The ambiguity of the supernatural that gave the previous books a horror vibe never really established itself here – I felt this was more tech and people driven than the other stories.

Additionally, having seen a pattern in the author’s work after reading the previous book, I found myself on the lookout for more of this here. I did find it, but it’s pleasingly non-dominating; I think the succession of interviewees helps weave the themes into the story rather than have it be the main thing the reader sees. The blurb by the publisher does give things away, though, so I wouldn’t really recommend reading it if you prefer to be surprised (and if you already know that you like this series).

Overall, this was a good book. Changeling might have set the bar too high, but Beast was a solid thriller that explored an intriguing case. I hope that the next two books have a bit more of the supernatural ambiguity that hooked me in the first few (especially Hydra and Changeling) and I guess I’ll find out soon!

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