I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this book but whatever it might have been, this is a story which really did hit the spot. Perhaps more contemplative than fast paced or intense, in The Killer On The Wall, Emma Kavanagh takes us to the town of Briganton, a Northumbrian settlement in the shadow of Hadrian's Wall, but that had developed a reputation far darker than its Roman origins. Twenty years earlier, a serial killer had terrorised the town, claiming six lives on his way to becoming the eponymous Killer On The Wall, so named for his M.O. of leaving his victims propped up against the historic landmark. The killer was caught, his infamy secured. Careers were made from his capture. And Briganton ... well the town moved on. Until now.

When we rejoin the residents of Briganton it is on the verge of a new reign of terror. It's fair to say that not everyone has been able to move on from the past, chief amongst them Professor Isla Bell who, in a bid to understand the horrors she witnessed as a teenager, has made a career out of trying to understand Psychopaths, particularly the Killer on the Wall. Isla is inextricably linked to the horrors of the past, and, as it becomes clear that a potential copycat has arisen, targeting people linked to the prior killings, she is in the sights of the new perpetrator too. Whether her studies can provide any answers to what is happening, or whether it will fall to her father, Superintendent Eric Bell, who caught the original killer, or new to the area DC Mina Arian is something we have to wait to find out.

You can really see throughout this book the author's passion for, and understanding of the psychology of psychopathy. She does not try to defend the killer's behaviour, to glorify or simplify it, but I did find that she made the whole idea of psychopathy and potentially links to brain activity quite accessible and understandable. It's a really interesting subject. What does make people kill. What triggers a negative response in some when others, who may have been through far more traumatic experiences, never once contemplate violence. What drives a complete lack of empathy or remorse in some, and is some expressed through fear and pain, and others through getting their kicks as a CEO of a large company, for example? I'm not sure that question is fully answered here - it's not a psychology textbook after all, but it really did make me think and piqued my interest in the subject.

As for the story surrounding the study - the possible recreation, or maybe even resurgence of, a serial killer in what should be a quiet country town, was really compelling. Through an exploration of the emotional impact of the murders on the community and those closest to the investigation, and the author's use of varying point of view to tell the story, I was completely invested in both the case and the characters. The key protagonists here are definitely Isla and Mina, both with their own motivations but ultimately with their minds set on the same outcome - to stop the killings. With Isla it was easy to see what drove her, and not just the need to survive this latest batch of murders. For Mina it was somewhere between guilt driven by how close she had been to being able to save the first victim, to a determination to uncover the many problems with the initial investigation. For both of them I was totally invested in their stories and absorbed in what came to pass.

This is a slower paced book in spite of the nature of the investigation and the apparent speed at which the killer escalates their crimes. It is driven by the emotion as much as the tension, although that threat is ever present. I think I was more drawn into the story by the need to understand, much as Isla was, as the need to see a killer behind bars. Yes that was important, but the revelation as to who was behind the latest murders, and the full scale of what happened in Briganton comes right at the end. It was a surprise but also perhaps something I think I was already resigned to expect. Looking back, there were clues, but the very nature of how the story was told, meant they were very carefully disclosed. The author writes beautifully, using setting - the remote nature of the location, the weather - to create atmosphere and add to the tension, but there is a kind of melancholy that feeds the narrative too. An inevitability about the tragedies that we witness that drew me in and kept me reading.

For a keenly plotted, beautifully written psychological thriller, where the reasons behind a compulsion to kill are every bit as important as the acts themselves, this book is definitely recommended. Atmospheric, chilling, often intense, and completely absorbing, it held my attention from the stark and emotional opening chapter right to the end.

A slow burn read. but one the pace picked up it was a gripping read. Bodies discovered in Hadrians Wall are investigated. An intriguing read

Dear Publishers.

Firstly, thanks very much for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Unfortunately, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be reading and reviewing this title due to the large number of titles that I currently have on my shelf, and my inability to read them all. Also, I feel that a review at this late stage probably won't assist you or the author. For these reasons, I've decided to tidy up of my Netgalley shelf and I will be removing this one from my TBR pile.

I hope to be able to read and review further titles for you in the future.

Thanks and Regards
Kim

Bodies on the Hadrian’s Wall. Twenty years ago they thought the case is closed. But then...bodies are found again. Independent murderer? Copycat? Accomplice? Who?

I liked the psychological settings and the two heroines entangled in the case - Isla the psychologist and Mina the detective. They are both smart and feisty (without being rude) and their sleuthing pace is similar, so they well complement each other.
Isla’s damily is more complicated, as she is the daughter of then leading detective and wife of one of the victims, so the case is much more personal for her - mainly because the killings might be closer to the home than she thinks.

So, the premise is good. But the handling is a bit heavy-handed for me, the atmosphere a bit too eerie and aloof, it is difficult to emotionally relate even if I can understand the characters.
The build-up is smart, though, and while a bit predictable, I enjoyed the subplots and motives.

Ms Kavanagh can deliver a solid mystery and this certainly is a good mystery. A bit of warmth included and I would go for 4 stars easily!

This novel is told from multiple perspectives, so it is quite hard to choose the main character. I think they all played a very important part in this book. I really liked Isla and Mina (police detective investigating the murders), they are two smart, dedicated, and determined women. Ramsey’s (Isla’s husband) parts were quite boring, and my mind just wandered off on multiple occasions. I liked the way the characters interacted between each other, and even though they are into different things, they all had something to offer to this investigation.
I liked the narrative of this book, it was full of surprises and you never knew who is going to die next. The investigation part was quite slow and not very inventive, but I enjoyed all the twists and deception it had to offer. I have to admit, after finishing this book, I had a ton of questions and some of the things didn’t make sense to me.
The writing style was creative, and overall delivery of the book was pretty good. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t leave me bored. I liked the ending of the book, it was very unexpected and it rounded up the story very nicely. This book carries some gross details about murders, so it’s a joy for true crime lovers, but a nightmare for sensitive readers.

The Killer on the Wall is an utterly riveting psychological thriller written in a clever and tense way, keeping the reader glued throughout.

It doesn't always happen that i change the rating of a book i read, and when that does happen it is usually to reduce the rating. Not this time however.
I decided to increase my rating of this book from 4 to 5 stars for the simple reason that after almost a year from my first reading it i still remember the story and the characters and in this time when sometimes i forget a book as soon as i close it, i think this is pretty important. I didn't get around to writing a review when i finished reading it, and it came as a surprise that this was almost a year ago.

Anyway, after such an introduction to this book, what can i actually say about it. Years ago Isla Bell found bodies popped on the famous Hadrian's wall of their small village, the killer was caught and presumably all went back to normal in this small community. Isla chose a career in forensic psychology as a way to start understanding the dark corners of the human mind. However it was not that simple, bodies started showing up again, positioned also against that same wall. Was there a mistake before? did the killer have an accomplice?

More that the story itself, i liked the characters, the way they were developed and the unexpected turns and discoveries that makes the reader question the general understanding about psychopaths and sociopaths and what's the trigger for them and so on.
My review does not probably add much more to what was already said about this book, but i thought it was an interesting and enjoyable book.

When fifteen-year-old Isla Bell finds three bodies propped against Hadrian’s Wall, her whole world falls apart. In such a close-knit community, everyone knows the victims, and the man who did it.

Twenty years on and Isla has dedicated her life to forensic psychology; studying the brains of serial killers, and even coming face to face with the convicted murderer who turned her world upside down. She is safe after all, with him behind bars.

Then another body appears against the Wall.

And another.

As the nightmare returns and the body count rises, everyone in town is a suspect.

Great story line - brilliant. Had me guessing to the end and I still got it wrong - Well recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel in exchange for an honest appraisal. I can't say I really enjoyed this sadly, but you can't win them all. I found that the red herrings felt very blunt and obvious and the writing whilst good, did not reach the level I have seen previously from the author.
I am disappointed as I really wanted to love this. If you are an avid reader of this type of psychological thriller then it may not give you enough substance either. If you are new to psychological thrillers then this would be a passable entry point into the genre. (less)

Intense, riveting and dark ... just what you want from a psychological thriller about a serial killer in a small town. An excellent read and an author I will most definitely be looking out for in the future.

It began with the bodies. Indeed it did. The opening of the this new detective story from Emma Kavanagh starts thrilling with the discovery of multiple bodies neatly positioned against Hadrian’s Wall. It’s meant to shock the reader right into the story, but I’ve to admit, that I actually had a hard time getting into it, because after its great opening it slowed down quite a lot.



This story is set twenty years after the events described in the opening chapter. It mainly focuses on the effects it has had on the small community it took place in. Everyone knew the killer, but also the victims. It’s twenty years later and people seem finally ready to leave the past behind and move on. That is, until a new body appears, right against Hadrian’s Wall.

A big part of this story stands or falls with Isla Bell, who did not only discover the first bodies, is the daughter of the police officer who arrested the original killer but also is now the renowned forensic psychologist who’s talking to serial killers and looking at their MRIs. On top of that she’s also married to the brother of one of the victims who himself is the only survivor of the murderer. I very much doubt that given her connections to the case, she would have been allowed to visit him for her study, but either way, that is exactly what happens. The other main character is a young police officer who’s trying to prove her worth, while the older police officers try their best to ignore this.

For some reason, I didn’t connect to the characters. I could feel the uneasiness of the village and its inhabitants, but the main characters, and the people immediately surrounding them somehow slightly annoyed me. The mystery in itself was not enough to fully compensate for this. Still an okay read, but nothing special for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A good thriller with a great storyline. In 1996 a serial killer strikes and leaves bodies displayed against Hadrian's Wall. Isla age 16 is out jogging and discovers the bodies. The killer goes on to murder others and is eventually caught and jailed. In the present day Isla has gone on to become a Professor of Criminal Psychology. she is studying MRI images of people's brain to find out if serial killers have different markers. She contacts Heath MacGowan, who is the Killer on the Wall, serial killer. He agrees to talk to her. Soon bodies start piling up again as the Killer on the Wall appears to be back. Is it a copycat or is Heath MacGowan innocent? Read on!

The Killer on the Wall is an atmospheric, dark thriller. It starts with the discovery of bodies posed against the Hadrain wall. The person who makes the discovery is Isla, the fifteen year old daughter of the detective who later solves the case with the arrest of Heath McGowen. Twenty years later, Isla is working on studying serial killer’s brains and that is how she meets Heath once again. Soon afterwards, murders around the Hadrian wall start again.

This is a solid thriller set in a small town full of secrets. The setting itself feels like a character. Everyone knows everyone and they all know exactly what happened twenty years ago. Newcomers stand out easily although they did add to the drama of the setting. The psychology aspect intrigued me. I was interested in Isla’s work. The idea that psychopath’s brains are different was both chilling and intriguing. Some of the revelations that she made in the story added interesting twists to the plot.

My only issue with this book was that I was able to predict the ending a bit too early. A few chapters in and I had it right. This made the book a bit predictable for me. However, I read way too many thrillers so perhaps that is why it was easy to guess how the story would go. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Emma’s writing and look forward to reading more of her books.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this great read.
A fifteen year old girl discovers three bodies propped against a wall. Her father solves the crime, and she is later becomes a forensic scientist, studying serial killers.
This was really an entertaining read and worth the effort. Do treat yourself to another killer read!

I really enjoyed this novel. Is the killer easy to spot? Well yes but that didn't really detract from what was a very entertaining read. A teenage Isla Bell finds three dead bodies on her early morning run. Now grown up she is married to the only surviving victim of the Killer on the Wall and spends her time studying serial killers, including the man locked up for the triple murder. When another body is discovered, propped up against Hadrian's Wall, the terror and panic that gripped the small town all those years ago resurfaces (to the point where I could of happily of slapped Isla's sister) Did they lock up the wrong man all those years ago? or was there an accomplice all along?
Like I said it's not too difficult to work out the murderer but there are a few red herrings along the way. The Killer on the Wall is a tense, psychological thriller that I loved.

The Killer on the Wall is a very dark psychological thriller. I felt it was a bit slow to develop at the beginning but soon gained pace and I am glad I stuck with it. I kept changing my mind on who the killer was but got there in the end.

When Fifteen year old Isla Bell goes running alongside Hadrian's Wall first thing in the morning, every morning, it is to set her up for the day, to clear her head before school.

One morning Isla's morning run is interrupted and her young innocence shattered with the discovery of Three bodies against the wall. A Fourth 'victim' is barely alive.

The bodies have been placed to look as if they are merely resting against the wall, their hands clapsed together and placed in their laps, their heads lolling forwards on to their chests as if they were sleeping.

Isla sees through her shock enough to realise that they are not breathing and she must get help. Help arrives swiftly in the form of her Police officer father, Eric Bell. The search for the perpetrator begins almost immediately, and when another potential victim goes missing, local man Heath McGowan is arrested.

Twenty years later Isla is married to Ramsey, the sole survivor of the so called 'Killer On The Wall', who is supposedly safely in prison. Isla however, as a professor at the local university is about to come face to face with McGowan.

Her aim in her work is to scan the brain activity of serial killers, murderers and assess and identify patterns as well as placing and scoring them on the 'psychopath chart'.

Isla feels safe in her job knowing that these dangerous criminals are shackled to their prison guards at all times, and all objects that could feasibly used as a weapon are put out of reach. Her meeting with McGowan is nothing out of the ordinary.

And then a body is found propped against the wall...

Has Heath instructed someone from the inside, is this a copycat killing, or a one off just to shake the local community.

The local residents are fearful, as well they might be, for the truth lies much closer to home than any of them dared to believe.

Absolutely loved this book. It kept me interested all the way through and I could not wait to get back to it each time. An interesting mix of characters that you could relate to, an great mix of old and new crimes and a really good pace of story. Wonderful stuff, look forward to more by this author.

The setting is Briganton, infamous as the town where, twenty years previous, Heath McGowan went on a killing spree, with a signature of leaving his victims propped up against Hadrian’s Wall.
McGowan is now in prison but the killings have started again. Are they connected to the original murders and how can they be stopped?
Professor Isla Blair is a psychologist with a special interest in psychopathy. Her father is the police superintendent who solved the original case, and she is now married to the sole survivor of Heath McGowan’s attacks. McGowan has kept quiet on his crimes for the last twenty years, can she get him to talk, and will it help?
This is an entertaining and absorbing thriller. The success of Emma Kavanagh’s novels lies in her ability to produce well written, unusual and complex plots. Her tendency to re-tell a section from the perspective of each character, darkens the atmosphere as much as the endless wind and rain.
It is just a shame that neither Isla Blair nor Mina Arian, the determined police detective, truly take off as great characters, but the tension holds up almost to the end.
After The Missing Hours I looked forward to the next one, my expectations have been well satisfied.
I look forward to reading more.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK

Loved this book, a real page turner and a brilliant mystery. I love retrospective/ modern day stories. This is made all the more interesting by the location of Hadrian's wall as a body dumping ground and the character of Isla. The old case new murder aspect is well done, so is the development of Isla and her reasoning. This book is well written and I'd read it again as well as wanting to read more from the author.