One evening, a mother-of-two fails to return home from work, raising her husband's alarm. The workshop where she ran her mail-order business reveals evidence that she was taken by force, which prompts DCI Warren Jones to investigate. Evidence suggests she was taken by force as DCI Warren Jones investigates the workshop where she ran her mail-order business. When DCI Warren Jones investigates the workshop where she ran her mail-order business, evidence suggests she was taken by force. As DCI Warren Jones investigates the workshop where she ran her mail-order business, evidence suggests she was taken by force.Evidence suggests she was taken by force from the workshop where she operated her mail-order business.



As Warren and his team investigate the missing woman's life, a complex network of relationships emerges. What is Louisa's husband talking to on his second, secret phone? What's the truth about her relationship with the convicted criminal next door? And what happened to Louisa’s university housemate a decade ago?How did Louisa's university housemate fare a decade ago?
Can the team break through the lies and get to the truth?Is it possible for the team to get to the truth through the lies?


I give Web of Lies five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A masterful addition to the DCI Warren Jones series, offering a labyrinthine plot that ensnares the reader from the first page. Gitsham's skillful narrative weaves a complex tapestry of deceit, where secrets fester and lies proliferate, echoing the novel's title in a chillingly accurate manner.

The story picks up with a cold case that unexpectedly intersects with a current investigation, creating a riveting juxtaposition between past and present. Gitsham's protagonist, DCI Warren Jones, is a character of depth and determination, whose dogged pursuit of the truth leads readers through a maze of twists and turns, each more unexpected than the last.

Gitsham's prose is sharp and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the emotional landscape of his characters while driving the plot forward with relentless momentum. The narrative is peppered with red herrings and false leads that challenge both Jones and the reader, making the journey towards the resolution as compelling as it is satisfying.

Not only a gripping police procedural, also a study of human nature and the lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets. This book will resonate with fans of crime thrillers and mystery fiction, leaving us eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.

My first dip into this series, and I hope there will be more to come! This was a well-thought out police procedural and mystery, wrapped up well and with a host of good characters. Who killed Louisa and why?

The clues and search for her murderer take the team back over a decade to the victim's university days and the group of close friends she had then, and in the present. It twists and turns, and despite all that, the author keeps the plot moving forward in a straight line. Really well done!

I was able to find my feet in this quite quickly, despite being so far into the series (no 9), as the story and writing flowed well and there didn't need to be too much backstory, although you know it's there somewhere. It works well as a standalone, with enough enjoyment to want to go back and start from the beginning.

Really odd formatting in the Kindle version, however, but that's not the author's issue.

Recommended and I look forward to reading more!

A stunner! I guarantee you’ll put everything on hold until you arrive at the shocking final scenes! With a deftly drawn cast of characters, an intriguing plot and an immersive and compelling narrative, this is a one sit compulsive read.

This book definitely packs a punch that I couldn't put down. Well written gripping story and well developed characters. Full of twists and mystery.

This is for fans of police procedural series. It is Book #9 and seems to live up to the genre. I have not read the previous 8 books, but feel that originality probably begins to diminish over time.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author. Enjoyable police procedural, part of a series, but it could be read as a stand-alone. A little repetitive in places, but recommended nonetheless.

A great police drama investigation that connects deaths from the present to the past among a group of friends. I suspected who the killer was about half way through …but the hunt was interesting.

Absolutely brilliant police procedural. I loved the twists and turns of this plot and can't wait to read more from this brilliant author.

Louisa, devoted mother of two little girls, fails to return home from work one night. She had her own mail order business and often beavered away into the early hours in a small unit on a light industrial estate. There’s no way she would have walked out on her children.
DCI Warren and his team lead the investigation into her disappearance, and find evidence to suggest that she didn’t leave the unit of her own free will.

Louisa’s husband Ben is the obvious suspect, especially when it’s discovered that he has a secret second phone. The investigation then takes DCI Warren right back to Ben and Louisa’s university days some ten years ago, where old friends also come under intense scrutiny.

I have no idea how the author managed to conceive this convoluted plot, there were so many suspects, so many lies, so many twists and turns, and together with skilful use of smoke and mirrors, my head was spinning! That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did, but I’m in awe of the author’s ability to keep this terrific police procedural on track, such was its complexity. Complete concentration will be needed, but worry not, the reader will be richly rewarded!

A well written police procedural that was both authentic and gripping.

So many ways this case could have been resolved. My original assumption turned out to be right but I was never confident until the end.

DCI Warren Jones was a great tour guide to our mystery. Competent and very likable without the usual troupe of being damaged or belligerent to proper police procedures. He followed the rules and it lead him to the truth.

This was my first Paul Gitsham book and I look forward to reading more.

The first time I have read this Author but I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This was my first real police procedural book and I also realize that this is the 9th book in a series (though based off of this one, I believe they can be read as standalones - you just may not pick up on some of the nuanced threads connecting the prior books). This book was not for me. I found the initial premise of the case to be interesting and I love a book set in Europe, but the amount of times a chapter ended with a “but wait”, really started to have me rolling my eyes. It felt like there were too many directions here for me, but I liked the relationships developed between the characters and how everyone’s past was catching up with them. Not for me, but if you’re really into police procedurals- then maybe check out the series 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is book 9 of the Warren Jones series so, for full enjoyment, character development and backstory, I would recommend you start from the beginning and read in order. That said, the main story told herein is self-contained should you choose not to!
Warren and his team are called out to investigate the disappearance of Louisa, wife and mother of two small children. It appears that she never returned home from the unit she rented for her job. There are signs of a struggle there but, on first look, no clue as to who would want to take her. Her work-neighbour is a convicted criminal so the investigation starts there in earnest. But as that starts to fizzle out and they turn instead to family and friends, it becomes evident that no one is really telling the full story. With so many secrets, lies and more than a healthy slice of dysfunctional behaviour it means that not only do Warren and his team have their work cut out for them, but that they now have to solely rely on technology to help them...
Now this is your bulk standard Police Procedural, ticking all the necessary boxes. But it is a really good example of its genre. The characters, series, main and extras, are all equally well drawn and act their parts well. The story is well crafted and executed and the pacing matches the story all the way through. Interest and intrigue are front and centre and, for the most, kept me guessing. And it's all delivered in a no nonsense, no padding, no waffle way. And the ending, when we got there, was wholly satisfying. What's not to like!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well established and respected series... roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Web of Lies is the latest book in the DCI Warren Jones series by Paul Gitsham and it is definitely an apt title which describes the crime solving that takes place during the book.

Unfortunately for me and whilst the main murder storyline was very good there were just too many “in depth” discussions of what if and without giving away any spoilers too many convoluted red herrings

Despite that I have enjoyed the series to date and will keep an eye out for future books.

It was my first reading encounter with the work of Paul Gitsham.
After "Web of Lies" I know that I must reach for other books by this author.

I received an excellent investigation led by, among others, Detective Superintendent Warren Jones.
He was investigating the disappearance of his 31-year-old wife and mother, Louisa Greenland.
She left for work and has not been heard from since.
What happened to her?
Will she ever see her daughters and her husband again?

Here one lie is chasing another.
The investigation goes in the right direction, then the action takes a turn and everything spins around.
The fast-paced action doesn't let you stop reading.
The ending is a veritable armageddon.
You will be shocked to know the truth.
The book is very emotional.

A great thriller not to be missed.

Wow perfect story.
The mistakes of youth affect our future.
Remember that.

Web of Lies is the perfect name for this twisty thriller. Lies on top of lies on top of lies… This is part of a detective series but is robust enough to stand on its own as a complex, intriguing mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Web of Lies, as you would expect from the title is a complex and tangled web of deciet, secrets and lies that derive from a cold case that impinges quite dramatically on a current investigation.
DCI Warren Jones and his team have their work cut out as they pull lead after lead in their attempts to unravel the web of lies that typifies their investigation.
This is a well researched police procedural that gives a realistic insight into the frustrations of an investigation that is almost derailed by lies, subterfuge, half-truths and sleight of hand.
Gitsham's plotting is spot on, with each new clue dropped in at exactly the right moment to creat a satisfying 'Ohhhhh My Goooood' moment. The interview scenes were tense and compelling leaving me hooked with a 'just one more page' mantra going on as I read inot the wee hours.
Police procedural fiction at its best.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Web of Lies, the ninth novel to feature DCI Warren Jones, set in the fictional Hertfordshire town of Middlesbury.

Warren and his team are asked to investigate the disappearance of Louisa Greenland who never returned from a late night shift at her business. There are signs of violence at her workshop but no clues as to would want to kill this mother of two. Digging into her life they find a group of friends with secrets and complicated relationships.

I thoroughly enjoyed Web of Lies, which is a complicated tale of secrets and lies (obviously, given the title), where every character is downright parsimonious with the truth. I found it enthralling as Warren and his team try to get at the truth.

I love a good police procedural and this ticks all the boxes with an initially inexplicable murder, lying witnesses, no comment interviewees and a deeper motive than originally suspected. It also delves into an historic cold case and moves forward with more death. It is extremely well plotted, barely putting a foot wrong while covering a wide ground. As well as this more standard crime fiction fare it also makes wide use of technology. Remind me never to switch on my phone when I’m committing a crime and leave it at home.

There is so much for Warren to discover in this case that the novel never stands still. Louisa Greenland and her friends have had an eventful life, but none of them are interested in full disclosure. The gradual pressure from the detectives gets some answers, in a trickle rather than a flood, so the team spend a lot of time hypothesising. I found this fascinating as there are so many ways of interpreting this trickle of information and it keeps changing as more information becomes available. They start with a small group of suspects, hauling in the obvious liars and those with a criminal record first, but as everyone is lying the dilemma of who and what to believe only gets larger.

Louisa’s group of friends, including her, are uniformly unlikeable. They are self centred and self indulgent. There was a certain amount of schadenfreude in this reader as they got their comeuppance, not only from the long arm of the law.

Web of Lies is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Web is the exact description needed for this book- so many tangled threads, so many half truths and so much past for the detectives to unpick!
The investigation brings in new suspects as fast as it discounts current ones and it is hard for the armchair detective to tell who is telling the truth and who is weaving yet more deceit!
I like Warren as a character and absolutely detested Ben- I don't think I have ever met a man so alluring that every woman he meets falls at his feet so from that point of view I had to suspend disbelief!!
A great procedural novel with lots of insight into the workings of the investigation.