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The Exmoor Trilogy is the work of Belinda Bauer, a British Author who grew up in South Africa. The Exmoor trilogy wasn’t supposed to be a trilogy. In fact, Blacklands and Darkside, the first two books in the Trilogy, work perfectly as standalone novels.
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Order of Jonas Holly/Exmoor Trilogy Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blacklands | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Darkside | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Finders Keepers | 2012 | Description / Buy |
They both take place in the village of Shipcott on Exmoor, England, but Belinda actually wrote them with the intention that they would stand independently on their own. The last book in the series, however, is designed to essentially pull enough threads from the first two books together to form a trilogy.
Some people have made the mistake of reading Finders Keepers first, and that has spoiled the plots and conclusions of the first two books in the process. Belinda has admitted that her books could have worked better as an organic Trilogy.
She also admitted to understanding that readers love series, and her publishers had expressed interest in the novelist’s take on a crime fiction series. However, Belinda has explained that she simply lacks the ability to tell stories as series.
She is often so engrossed in exploring her characters to the organic end of their story in a given book that she is unable to think about any potential progression they might make in future books.
She also believes that, in trying to force a series out of her ideas, she would end up delivering low-quality results. For this reason, Belinda only makes the most modest of efforts to turn the Exmoor Trilogy into an actual series of novels.
That being said, even Finders Keepers, the last book in the series which works hard to draw the stories of the first two books together, can be read as a standalone novel; though, only audiences with knowledge of the events of the first two books will appreciate the character development in Finders Keepers.
Blacklands, Belinda’s first book in the Exmoor Trilogy, captured hearts and minds as it told the story of a little boy and his odd relationship with a serial killer.
Exmoor Trilogy Awards
Blacklands, the first book in the Exmoor Trilogy, was actually Belinda’s debut novel, published in 2009. And with the novel, Belinda was able to hit the ground running, winning a Crime Writer’s Association’s Gold Dagger Award for the book in 2010.
Best Exmoor Trilogy Books
Belinda Bauer made such a splash when she first entered the writing arena, especially with her Exmoor Trilogy, with some of the most notable books in the series including the following:
Blacklands: When Billy Peters disappeared, everyone was certain that he was one of the numerous children Serial Killer Arnold Avery had confessed to killing and burying in the small English village.
While Billy’s mother remained convinced that he was alive, and mourned his absence greatly, Steven, her 12-year-old grandson, gave her a reason to live, healing the cracks in the family.
Determined to give his family the closure they deserve, Billy began by digging holes all over the moor with the intention of bringing Billy’s body back home. However, he soon determined that he was more likely to succeed if he wrote a letter to Avery in prison, asking for his help in finding Billy’s body.
When Avery learns that his new secret penpal is a little boy, his life is given new purpose.
This is a coming-of-age story of sorts that makes incredible use of violence. Belinda shows a masterful ability to represent the pure innocence and depravity hiding within her characters.
Darkside: The murder of an elderly woman leaves the small village of Shipcott dumbfounded. With the village isolated by snow, Jonas Holly is the only policeman around that they can look upon to solve the crime.
However, Jonas is preoccupied with the plight of his wife and he is soon sidelined by an abrasive detective, a fact he hides from his wife. Jonas soon finds that he is trapped in a deadly game when someone in the village begins taunting him for not doing his job properly and protecting the village.
Darkside stands on its own despite taking place in the same location as the first book. The compelling novel is written as a psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing.
Other Book Series You May Like
“Glenmore Park Mystery” written by Mike Omer, this crime fiction series of novels follows a group of police officers who work to solve crimes in Glenmore Park. While most of the characters are consistently present, each novel tends to highlight one or two characters over the rest, this allowing Mike Omer to expand upon the personalities and histories of his entire cast with each new novel.
The “Eddie Grant” books are the work of John Pearce, a Journalist who spends a lot of time walking around Paris with his wife while crafting new ideas for his books. The Eddie Grant books often center of Paris. Written as suspense thrillers, the books have been compared to Ian Flemming’s work and typically combine art and history with murder.
What Is The Next Book in The Jonas Holly/exmoor Trilogy Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Jonas Holly/exmoor Trilogy Series. The newest book is Finders Keepers and was released on January, 1st 2012.