Body in the Woods is a murder mystery novel and the first installment of Dawn Brookes' Carlos Jacobi series. On a visit to his sister Sophie Cole's home in the sleepy village of Peaks Hollow, Private Investigator Carlos Jacobi finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery when his canine companion Lady unearths a dead body in the local woods. The victim is identified as Sophie's neighbor Harold Sissons, whose wife Meg and estranged daughter Caroline waste no time in recruiting the services of Carlos to solve the case. After finding out that the lead detective assigned to the investigation is none other than his old rival Terry Masters, Carlos is left with no choice but to try to solve the murder on his own. But things get complicated further when Lady discovers the body of Harold's long-missing son, Matthew.

Body in the Woods is a flying start to the Carlos Jacobi series. Filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue, Dawn Brookes' absorbing investigative tale hooks you in from the start and refuses to let go. The plot moves at a fast pace, and the twists and turns seem genuinely surprising. I thought the characters were compelling and found them to be well-crafted and developed. I enjoyed all of them, but I found Carlos, Sophie, Caroline, and Fiona to be my personal favorites out of the bunch. Body in the Woods was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience for me, and I look forward to more novels in the Carlos Jacobi series. I would recommend it to fans of murder mysteries.

Body in the Woods by Dawn Brookes is the first book in the Carlos Jacobi series. Carlos Jacobi is a private investigator. Visiting his sister in the Peak District for Christmas, he is shocked when his ex-police dog unearths a body in the woods. Hired by the victim’s wife, Carlos discovers that the police ignored her when she reported him missing. His investigation begins to uncover secrets the village would prefer to stay buried; people with things to hide. Then Carlos meets someone he hoped never to see again – the man heading the investigation. The bad blood between the two gets in the way of the investigation and DCI Masters does all he can to thwart Carlos. Plugging on, Carlos gets closer to the truth and the stakes are raised when his dog makes another discovery. Carlos and DS Fiona Cook team up but can they get to the bottom of the mystery or will Masters keep getting in the way?

Body in the Woods (Carlos Jacobi Book 1) by Dawn Brookes is a promising start to what looks like being a great new series. A gripping story brought alive by a storyteller with a gift, this book will hold your attention from start to finish. A fantastic cast of characters teams with a twisty dark plot full of secrets and lies in a story that flows seamlessly from one chapter to the next. Packed with suspense and plenty of action, this story will have you guessing all the way through. The characters are developed enough for you to get a real sense of who they are – including Lady, the Springer Spaniel – and they are relatable and likable too. The only thing I wanted was more information about the bad blood between two of the main characters but, given that this is the first book in a series, perhaps we will learn more about this later on. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommended for those who love a good murder mystery they can fully immerse themselves in.