The body in the Marsh by Nick Louth.
A very good read with good characters. I do like this author. 4*.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

When a woman goes missing, it gets personal for DCI Craig Gillard. But he could never imagine what happens next.

Criminologist Martin Knight lives a gilded life and is a thorn in the side of the police. But then his wife Liz goes missing. There is no good explanation and no sign of Martin…

There's more to this book - so much more! It just keeps on giving and has brilliant insight into police procedure and investigation processes... it really feels well researched. There are brilliant twists and turns to keep you on your toes as well - it's hard to solve the mystery before the ending. I love that about a book! It's not particularly fast-paced but it is gripping. Brilliant book!

I absolutely loved this book, and I’m sure I’ve already left a review.

I think all Nicks books are well written and exciting and I look forward to the next one

DCI Gillard is given a missing persons case and he dated the woman who's missing as a teenager which gives the case an extra emotional edge. DCI Gillard is a very likeable character . Is Liz's disappearance linked to the Girl F case which the police had previously dealt with?

There are plenty of red herrings and plenty of travel involved whilst solving the plot.

An enjoyable read.

I'm a huge fan of crime and thriller novels, so when I was offered the opportunity to review The Body in the Marsh I was instantly intrigued. The title alone was enough to grab my attention, but this book turned out to be even better than I could have imagined.

The book centers around DCI Gillard and his investigation into the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend Liz Knight. Liz's husband, Martin, an outspoken critic of the police force's mishandling of the Girl F case, has also gone missing. When grisly discoveries are made at their home it begins to look like this is more than a missing persons case. The hunt for Martin Knight, and for Liz's remains, is on...

This novel has so many twists and turns that kept me absolutely glued to the pages. Although I did begin to sense where the book was going about halfway through, this was more due to clever hints throughout the story than any predictability. I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a sub-plot around the Girl F case, which I had not seen coming in the slightest! There was tension throughout the book, so even when I began to think ahead, the plot and writing kept me interested and absorbed.

The writing, particularly, was really wonderful. The setting of the book is absolutely perfect for the tone. I could just picture the silent, spooky marshlands and the sense of hopelessness when confronted with the idea of trying to find a body amongst them. It was wonderfully atmospheric. I also really enjoyed the focus on the investigation; it was refreshing to actually see logical progression of a case, rather than the highly improbable leads that seem to pop up in many thrillers. I also loved the concept of a detective who isn't the stereotypical 'hard man' and who freely expressed how he felt - although his emotional connection to a woman he had dated 30 years ago was a little bit needy!

However, this relationship is crucial to the overall plotline. That connection between DCI Gillard and Liz Knight is beautifully expressed, and is a really unique take on the theme of love in a police procedural. Gillard's lingering affection for Liz pushes him onwards in the face of a seemingly impossible task, and it really is true to say that it is personal for him.

This is a well written and intriguing thriller that will keep you guessing. By the end I was flying through the pages, desperate to see if my theories were right. I'd highly recommend this book to any crime lovers out there - a very enjoyable read!

This book is the first in a new series about DCI Craig Gillard and what an opening novel! It was amazing and had me captivated throughout. I really can’t wait to read more by Nick Louth.
The thing that I loved was that it is set in normal places that I know, it even mentions Bracknell! Plus the marsh in question is Romney Marsh which just happens to be where Chris grew up and where we visit often!
The characters are all believable and the main detective has a personal connection with this case. He dated the victim 20 years earlier and has never stopped thinking about her…
Liz Knight is reported missing by her friends. The police contact her husband who then also disappears. Then blood and dismembered body parts are discovered and the case becomes a murder investigation.
There are also sub plots of Craig’s current relationships and a police enquiry into the handling of a child abuse case. The personal touches keep the book grounded and make the characters more appealing. The enquiry gives an insight into how police procedure works and how old cases continue to have ramifications for current cases.
There are some grisly details but no graphic violence is described. The plot is well thought out and the narrative is smoothly flowing. I really loved it!

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65640>

A book which you cannot put down, recommended for holiday reading or just escapism at any time. Well written with a strong plot and interesting characters. Please don't ever give away the tale in any reviews published as it is such a strength of the book.

This is an excellent British police procedural thriller, a bit on the hard-boiled side, with a surprising ending.

DCI Craig Gillard and his team are brought on to find the disappeared wife of an outspoken critic of the police. When body parts are discovered and the critic goes missing, an international manhunt begins for him. The critic is an elusive fugitive, much to the embarrassment of the police. A complication for DCI Gillard is that he once dated the missing woman, until she ended the relationship to marry the critic. His continuing strong feelings for her drive Gillard to solve the case.

There's an overlapping story about a missing teenager who was killed by persons unknown, several years before the main story . The critic speaks out about police bumbling of that case and there's an antagonistic relationship between them. This storyline comes to a shocking conclusion too.

It's a busy book to read with many moving parts, but in the end the crime is solved and the loose ends are tied together.

Gillard is an interesting character and the only one that us really developed throughout the book. There are several supporting characters of interest but they play minor roles.

Louth is a talented writer who has created an intriguing story and presented it in an entertaining fashion. It's a superior police procedural novel and therefore I recommend it for readers who enjoy this genre.

I want to thank the publisher who provided me with a review copy through Netgalley in exchange for an independent review.

Follow Detective Chief Inspector Craig Gillard as he is on the case to find a missing woman. This is a regular British police procedural crime thriller.

I found The Body in the Marsh to be an okay read. It was a little frustrating for me in parts as it wandered around with the time frame, going back to when DCI Craig Gillard and the missing woman were both teenagers. This story was not just told from the detective’s point of view but included writings by the missing woman before her disappearance, that were not available to the police. More frustration came from the police very conveniently just stumbling across evidence and leads by accident rather than solid police investigation.

The characterization of DCI Craig Gillard and the other officers was okay but this is not a character driven novel. The plot was disappointing and appeared rather shallow until I got about 90% through when all the little details started clicking together and I began to think it was quite clever.

I thought the entertainment value of this book was second rate, like a B movie. All the detail and progression is there but this novel does not shine. There are small little titbits of humour dotted through the story but are not of the depth of stand-up comedy. The best social observation jibe was when DCI Craig Gillard went into a pub and ordered a beer.

When I got to the end of this book, I cast my mind back to form an opinion. The tale had come a fair way and included a secondary plot and storyline. I found the police procedurals to be good and I loved the inclusion of real life crimes and events. The detail of the plot was subtle and then I asked myself the question of realism. Had the missing woman needed to take the actions she did? This lead me to my conclusion that The Body in the Marsh was an okay, 3 star read that did not shine but was readable and was useful when my tachograph recordings showed “period of availability”.

No problems whatsoever categorising this book - it's police procedural to the marrow of its bones. And the set-up for the plot made me dubious to begin with - a detective investigating the death of his first love has been done before - but as the story develops, wow! It's a pacy read with lots of twists and turns, but its big strength is not the who-dunnit (which I guessed from about half-way through) but how-dunnit, Genuis! A great story and very original. There are other authors out there who are more skilled with the English language and write better characters - I found the characters a bit wooden - but when the story's this good, who cares?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of The Body in the Marsh, a police procedural set in Surrey and Kent.

Unfortunately I could not finish this book as I was finding it difficult to read and enjoy and I don't think it would be fair for me to leave a negative review for the book.

A big fat 5 stars! This book was fantastic I loved everything about it. The characters were likeable and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me engaged and wanting more. A hard book to put down. Really well written, a real page Turner.

If you are a fan of police procedural stories with complex story lines, then this book is for you! This shows the reader how evidence can be manipulated to show one thing, when in fact it is far from the truth. Then there is the emotional side of the people involved in trying to solve the case, and those the case is about. Loved, loved, loved this story! I would like to thank Net Galley for my copy of this book so I could voluntarily review it.

This was the first of Nick Louth’s books I’ve read and it was throughly enjoyable - gripping and fast-paced with likeable characters.

I did spot the twist coming but that didn’t impact on my enjoyment of the last third of the book!

The Body in the Marsh is my introduction to Nick Louth, but I’m a huge crime fiction fan so when an email popped into my inbox with this blurb (if you’re a regular reader you’ll know what a fan I am of Patricia and Carol) I jumped at the chance to take part!

The Body in the Marsh follows DCI Craig Gillard as he investigates a complicated missing persons case. The woman missing is Liz Knight, Craig’s girlfriend for one wonderful summer before she left for Cambridge. To make the case a little more complicated her husband also goes missing, Liz’s husband just happens to be a world renowned Criminologist who has been heavily involved in condemning DCI Gillard’s police force for their handling of a sexual abuse case involving Girl F.

This is quite a difficult review to write, as I absolutely loved the book but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who is considering picking it up, and you definitely should! Nick creates a fantastic cast of characters beginning with DCI Gillard.

When we’re first introduced to DCI Craig Gillard he’s halfway up a rock face in the Lake District, on a long activity filled weekend when he spots a woman in distress and rushes to her aid. It would have been easy to see him as a slightly false super!cop, instead he came off as genuine and I remember thinking he better be one of the good guys! Is he? You’ll have to read the book to see!

DCI Gillard is surrounded by his team, my personal favourite is DS Claire Mulholland, and PSCO Sam Phillips. Nick also introduces a number of secondary characters related to the missing persons case, we get a clear picture of both the missing Knights as well as their children and a collection of friends, all the characters feel fleshed out, there’s always more to tell but I wasn’t left disappointed with any of them.

Nick also does an incredible job of pulling together his plot, full of twists and turns that will leave you second guessing everything. He also manages to interweave aspects of the Girl F abuse case in a way which feels natural and not at all forced.

Would I Recommend?

Absolutely! I flew through this in less than a day, no doubt annoying everyone else as I hogged a table in Starbucks thinking I’ll just read one more chapter, just one more… The characters and the plot were engaging and I just couldn’t give up on it, Canelo have published some amazing thrillers this year and this is yet another one! You can’t buy many things in life for £1.99 these days but this is worth it and more! I’m not sure if there’s a series to come from this, it felt as though it reached a natural conclusion, but I certainly wouldn’t be adverse to following DCI Gillard into another case!

5 Words: Family, mystery, sentimentality, police, murder.

I love how much the story twisted. It lead you first one way, then another and another and another... And I just didn't know what to believe. There were so many suspects, so many mysteries.

Although not incredibly fast paced, the story is certainly gripping. I loved the interweaving story-lines and how seemingly unrelated events were actually an integral part of what was going on. It is an excellent police procedural and I loved the little details dropped in, from mishearing names to battles with the media.

The settings serve to further build the atmosphere in the story, driving the tensions between the characters. From a mountainside to a marsh to a drab station, and even a villa in Spain, everything has a purpose.

By a little under half way through I had guessed the ultimate outcome, but it wasn't easy and I did doubt myself several times. It was thoroughly a enjoyable read.

The very ending was... Interesting. I actually kind of wish that it hadn't shown what was happening in the future as I so badly want more! I want a sequel, to see where Gilard and Sam go next in their investigations.

Rarely does a mystery offer such an extreme and plausible twist. Reading The Body in the Marsh, I discovered how deceiving appearances can be and how forensics can be manipulated to create a very different truth. What first appears to be a standard procedural is definitely something far more complex and far more compelling. The amount of research Nick Louth must have done in preparation is difficult to conceive. The Body in the Marsh has two adjoining plotlines. The first is the disappearance of an academic and his wife and her apparent murder and dismemberment. The second is a cold case. Allegations of rape and abuse by a young repeat offender are now being reexamine do after her suicide. The police are accused of mishandling the case, and one of their most stringent critics is the missing academic. Complicating the former is the SIO, DCI Craig Gillard’s history with the academic’s missing wife. The development of the central plotline overwhelms the secondary cold case, but there is enough overlap to justify its inclusion.

The Body in the Marsh is an impressive thriller. Louth’s killer is a brilliant tactician, and the resulting drama pushes The Body in the Marsh far ahead of its standard competition. If you like police procedurals, pick up a copy of The Body in the Marsh - you won't be disappointed.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Body in the Marsh from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

5☆ Intriguing Police Thriller with a Killer Twist

The Body in The Marsh, gives you a real insight to a police investigation and all the highs and lows of uncovering the truth of a brutal murder!

It had me gripped from the first few chapters. Nick took me on an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows, twists and turns, suspicions and lies.
Just when I thought I had things worked out, along come more evidence that threw my theory out the water.

When Craig Gillard discovers Liz Knight is missing, his Ex Girlfriend from years back.
He is distraught with worry. He has never stopped loving her even though she broke his heart.

Determined to uncover the truth about her disappearance the detectives begin by trying to find her husband Martin Knight who also seems to have disappeared.

After uncovering several horiffic discoveries, evidence seem to point to the murder of Liz Knight.

But are things really as they seem or are they far worse?

Join Craig and his excellent team as they interview suspects, discover clues, get led on a cat and mouse chase to find out the truth about Liz.

Alongside this case Craig and his team are working on the Case of Girl F.
The case was never solved.
Girl F committed suicide after being abused by  mystery men. They never found the main abuser but now the Case is being 're looked at and things really are not what they seem. This case really intrigued me just as much as the main story if not a little more

Craig is a very good detective however his feelings for Liz seem to cloud his judgement at times.
So much so he pushes away Sam who has started to develop feelings for Craig. After he rescues her from a cliff and an abusive stalker Ex.

There are so many fantastic strong characters within the story there are far too many to mention.

All of the Police team were very relatable and each of the roles within the team were researched so well.

 Every single member of the team had a role to play in solving the Case.

I really enjoyed learning what each of them did. For example Shireen a Qualified Accountant and Financial Specialist, it was her job to check all the accounts etc..

Then there was Response Intelligence Officer DC Rob Townsend who liased with all the specialists the CSI unit, phone tracking, Forensic Labs etc..

I did find the first few chapters a little confusing at times, due to all the detective names and titles. I found myself referring back a fair bit in the beginning.
But stick with it as it's really worth it. Once you get used to the police wording then the story becomes a really easy and enthralling read.

Nick has done a fantastic job making the Case come to life. You can see how much passion and research Nick has put into his book. Enabling the reader to be fully emerged into the murky world of the police force.
All the little extras he has added in, for example tracking calls, discovering DNA all make the reader feel very much a part of the investigation.

The Body in the Marsh is a book about, Love, relationships, family, Murder, Lies, Secrets, Mystery, Investigations, twists and Turns.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had so much Tension and Suspense it kept me guessing right up until the last few chapters.
This is my first book by Nick and I'm excited to be reading more.

Would I recommend this book..... without a Doubt..... YES!!!!

Highly recommend to readers who love Detective books, Murders, Killer Twists, Thrillers, Mysteries, Fast Paced and action packed books.