Excellent crime story, it combined mystery and fiction and police drama, I was hooked from page one. Strong characters throughout. I read it in one sitting on holidays. Throughly enjoyed it, a definite page turner with a strong story line filled with suspense. High recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Damien Boyd for sending me a copy of this book. I agreed to give my honest and unbiased opinion voluntarily.

This is my review as posted on Goodreads:

I have read all 6 of the previous DI Nick Dixon novels so this is a bit like meeting old friends.

Like the previous book, 'Death Sentence', the story moves beyond the Somerset area. This time it switches between Manchester and Somerset. This story opens with a fairly graphic and slow drowning of a victim in a van, being flooded by the rising tide.
Why has he been mutilated?
Why is he handcuffed to the van?

Many of the key characters have featured in the earlier books, so the depth of the characters can be seen to develop. I would recommend reading the stories in order if you can. However, this would still be worth reading as a story in its own right.

As the body count for the copy-cat killer 'the Vet' rises in Somerset, there are parallels with old gangland cases in Manchester.

If you like this genre and are looking for a well-researched novel with a range of UK based geographical locations, I think you will enjoy this book.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas and Mercer for a copy in exchange for this honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Heads or Tails, the 7th novel to feature DI Nick Dixon of Avon and Somerset Police.

Nick is on a stakeout to capture some elver poachers who seriously injured an Environment Agency officer when he discovers a van half submerged in the sand with an injured man in it. Efforts to save the man, Harry Lucas, fail so Nick has a murder on his hands but it is soon taken from him and handed to MIT when the method of death is found to be the same as a series of gangland killings in Manchester in the 90s.

I thoroughly enjoyed Heads or Tails. The plot is well developed with new reveals in every chapter which had me glued to the pages for a one sitting read. The characters are pleasant and are becoming like old friends so it's also a comfortable read.

While the plot is maybe not the most believable I have ever read it is well done. It is full of action, suspense, some tension and very readable. It is a change from the previous novels in that the team soon identify Harry Lucas's killer so it is more of a search novel as they hunt for him and try to tie him to 1990s Manchester. It gets quite convoluted by the end.

I like the characters. Nick Dixon is a real bloke who just gets on with the job no matter who gets in the way, including his long suffering girlfriend, Jane, who suffers a lot of heartache over his impulsive, heedless of danger behaviour. He also finds it hard to be empathetic over her recent meetings with her birth mother and the troubles they bring. And yet he's not dislikable, in fact he's a very engaging protagonist. I also like that Mr Boyd does not waste a lot of time analysing the motives of the bad guys - they did it, case closed. It's very refreshing not to have to suffer through a load of tosh about their upbringing and thought processes.

Heads or Tails is a straightforward police procedural which I have no hesitation in recommending as a good read.

Thank you Net Galley. (three and a half stars). I have read most of the books in the DI Dixon series and have enjoyed them, This one too was good but not as good as the previous books. It lacked that hook which kept one glued to the book till it was finished. Still a pleasant read. Recomended.

A thoroughly decent crime novel. Just the right mix of pace, intrigue, mystery, double crossing and humour combine to produce an enjoyable read that works perfectly as a standalone novel.

This series just keeps getting better and better, I loved this book it kept me hooked all the way through, I totally didn't guess the ended which was great. I like the characters in this series of books and it is interesting to see how their relationships develop with each book. A really good 5 star read.

4 stars

DI Nick Dixon is taking part in a night time sting on some eel poachers on the coast. After capturing the poachers, one of his officers alerts him to a body in a van that it in the water and the tide is closing in fast. Nick discovers that the man named Harry is still alive but he is handcuffed to the steering wheel. He has strange wounds on his body, including a hole in the middle of his forehead. After freeing him from the steering wheel, he still can’t get him freed. His foot is stuck. Time runs out. When the tide goes out again, they discover that his foot was handcuffed to a foot pedal. They couldn’t have gotten him out any sooner.

Nick vows to catch the killer of Harry Lucas. The pathologist Roger Poland remembers some similar cases – perhaps a while ago. He has to look it up. The killing appears to have the same MO as a person who was active in the 1990’s called “The Vet.”

When the Major Investigation Team shows up and takes over Nick’s case, he is naturally upset. When he learns that he is to be temporarily assigned to the MIT he relaxes a bit.

While Nick is convinced that the killer is not The Vet, but a copycat, he does not tell the rest of the team just yet. The vet was just not as sloppy as Harry Lucas’ murder was. Nick wants to see the lay of the land first.

The investigation gets underway and personalities clash. When Nick is badly injured, he swears his team to silence for their bad guys most likely believe that he’s dead and out of their hair.

As with all of the Damien Boyd novels, this book is both well written and plotted. The story starts out with suspense and the tension in the story increases as the book goes on. I like the way Nick’s team interacts and gets along well. Mr. Boyd is a remarkable writer and I will most certainly continue to read all of his novels.

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.