This was a disturbing and challenging read but I am very glad that I stuck with it. It tells the story of eminent child psychiatrist Dr David Galbraith who also happens to be a sadistic paedophile who has tortured and abused hundreds of children and murdered at least one.
Young Anthony Mailer is struggling with his emotions following the recent breakdown of his parents marriage and is referred to Dr Galbraith who becomes obsessed with making Anthony his latest victim.
A child abuse storyline is always going to be a tough read but I found it compelling and excellently written. It is clear to see that the author has experience in the field and although fictional it is based on real life events from his background in police and social work. As a parent I think this is a very important book as it reiterates the message that sometimes those that we trust the most are the ones we should trust the least and that we should always question what makes us uncomfortable particularly when it comes to our children and the most vulnerable in society.
Many, many thanks to the author for what must have been a very difficult book to write - a powerful and important read and I look forward to more from this author.
Thanks also to Netgalley UK and the publishers for the advance review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is not the book for the faint hearted. It is a dark emotionally wringing portrayal of paedophilia. It is brutal and real. Obviously the author draws deep from his professional career to create such a sadistic and evil character. The abuse scenes whilst heart rending are not too graphic thank goodness. I think that is the sign of an intelligent writer, just giving enough information and leaving the rest to the readers imagination.

I'll be honest, I'm finding this a hard one to review. I found the first page and chapter really shocking and disturbing and nearly gave up there and then, thinking I couldn't possibly read a book with a topic like this....however, something persuaded me to read on and I am glad I did.
This book is definitely not for the faint hearted but I found it well written and fast paced. I felt disgust and contempt for Dr Galbraith and everyone in his 'ring'... and at times felt like screaming at certain characters and detectives for missing obvious (to me) connections in the investigations! It definitely played with my emotions!
This book also scared me, how easily it could be a true story. That these 'people' are operating all around us, even in positions of trust and power.
After all the ups and downs and frustrations of the investigation I did feel that the ending was rushed and not quite complete. I wasn't entirely satisfied. I have lots of unanswered questions and am hoping for a sequel to clear these up!

Horrible subject but beautifully written. The author has drawn on his police experience to write this and has made an excellent job of it.

I love a good psychological thriller and I especially love a good thriller with a twist. The books I generally read are quite 'tame' compared to 'White is the Coldest Colour' but I have to say the subject matter was massively intriguing for me- purely because it sounded like the kind of TV drama I would normally go for. A 7 year old boy is sent to a psychiatrist but it turns out the psychiatrist is a peadophile and a killer. Yes the content was pretty disturbing, so please do not read if you get easily upset or blur the lines between fiction and reality, but if you do like dark and creepy fiction (is like the right word?!) then the writing is brilliant and will suck you in. The scary thing is that fiction is often and extension and elaboration of real life and the evilness of human beings is portrayed so well that it was easy to feel the emotions surrounding the case. This had more than the usual psych thriller but I raced through it just as quickly. I would have given 5* but Dr Galbraith...well...

I am afraid to say I really didn’t enjoy this book. I knew the subject matter before I started reading it (a child psychologist takes advantage of his professional status to abuse and even murder young boys) but this is not the reason why I did not like the book.
I found the characters very two-dimensional, stereotypical and yet unbelievable (save for the young boy Anthony).
I felt that the author was trying to convey an important message about child abuse and yet almost making a mockery of the topic by his over dramatised writings.
One positive thing I can say is that the typographical/ grammatical errors that are referred to about earlier versions of this books appear to have all been resolved in this 2018 print.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

5☆ Gets Under You Skin!

White is the Coldest Colour is not a book for feint hearted. It contains child sex abuse, paedophiles, but it's extremely gripping and once again John Nicholl has created a book based on reality by drawing from his experiences in the child protection team.

This was a book that got under my skin and wouldn't let go.
It is one of these books you know you shouldn't enjoy because of the nature of the book but you couldn't help keep turning those pages and screaming at the detectives 'NOOOO don't look there' , 'Don't tell that person'

I can't go into detail about the story as it will give much away. You only have to read the blurb to understand what is going on.
But what I will say is....

I don't normally swear when writing reviews but I really feel that it's warranted!!
Dr David Galbraith  is a sadistic bastard, who is a machauvenist, paedophile who preys on young boys and despises women and manipulates them for his own entertainment and studies!
He uses his power for evil.
You will hate him!! You are meant to!

As I mentioned before White is the Coldest Colour seriously got under my skin.
It was meant to. John's writing provoked all the right emotions perfectly.
It was creepy, sickening, frustrating, emotional, elated, thrilling, intoxicating, suspenseful, yet you just had to keep turning those pages!

I do highly recommend this book don't be put off by the subject. John Nicholl has this way of making you feel uncomfortable but yet addicted, and wanting to read more!
John is fast becoming one of my favourite Authors.

EXCERPT: 'Do you know Dr David Galbraith, the psychiatrist?'

'Dr Galbraith, yes, of course I do. Do you want him to work with the Bevan kids? I can talk to him for you, if that helps?'

'The two oldest children have named him.'

'Named him?'

'He's part of the ring.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Be careful who you trust…

The Mailer family is oblivious to the terrible danger that enters their lives when seven-year-old Anthony is referred to the child guidance service by the family GP, following the breakdown of his parents’ marriage.

Fifty-eight-year-old Dr David Galbraith, a sadistic, predatory paedophile, employed as a consultant child psychiatrist, has already murdered one child in the soundproofed cellar below the South Wales Georgian town-house he shares with his wife and two young daughters.

When Anthony becomes Galbraith’s latest obsession he will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality.

But can Anthony be saved before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS: I blew hot and cold on this book as I read. It took a little getting into, not so much because of the subject matter, but more to do with the writing style. White is the Coldest Colour begins with a scene of child abuse, and at this point I feel it is only fair to warn any potential reader that there is content in this book that may be considered disturbing. However, having said that, I have read more graphic descriptions in other books.

Once I got past the first 20%, which I found to be somewhat repetitive language-wise and perhaps even a little contrived, I began to enjoy the story, but then at around the 50% mark, my interest once again waned. I felt like I was hearing about everything second hand, while I like to feel as though I am right there, seeing it with my own eyes.

I thought Nicholl's portrayal of the Mailerseries as a family in crisis to be very realistic and well depicted. Their story, and the police investigation was what really held my interest. It was Nicholl's portrayal of Dr Galbraith that I had difficulty with. There was a little too much repetitive language from a man who was extremely well educated. Yes, I understand he had anger management and self control issues. He also seemed to feel no gratification or pleasure at his actions, which really left me nonplussed. He actually detracted from the quality of the read.

Overall, this book just didn't quite reach the mark for me. 2.5☆

Appreciation of a book is a very personal experience. Just because I didn't particularly like this book doesn't mean that you won't. You may be one of the many people who love this read. So if you enjoyed the excerpt and like the summary of the plot, please go ahead and read White is the Coldest Colour by John Nicholl, and let me know what you think of it.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of White is the Coldest Colour by John Nicholl for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

This book is hard to read at first, because of the topic, but if you can get past those beginning pages, you will definitely enjoy the book that you are going to get to enjoy. It's heart wrenching, nerve tingling, and chilling. If you like thrillers, and can handle disturbing, you need to get this book!

After reading the first few pages of the book I wasn’t sure if I could/ want to read this story. Too much detailed information about how a little boy is abused and then murdered by a well respected doctor. But I stuck to it and, while it wasn’t a read I loved, I found it interesting and it got me thinking. Who can you really trust? I’m glad I didn’t give up, because overall it was a good, solid debut. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books!

White Is The Coldest Colour – John Nicholl

I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.
Set in The UK’s Wales, this book is not for the faint at heart, as it’s subject matter deals with the all too dark behaviors of pedophiles and their sexual predation – while described scenes are fortunately bland, the subject matter is not.

Dr. David Galbraith is, by outward appearances, a very well respected and highly skilled pediatric psychiatrist. However, as the reader learns on page one, he is also a sadistic sexual predator – and his victims are very young boys.

Molly Mailer is a newly minted single Mom to her two children, as her husband has left her for another woman. Her teenaged daughter is a bot out of control, and her young 7-year-old son Anthony has developed some issues of his own – leading his pediatrician to make a referral to the local pediatric psych physician, Dr. Gilbraith.

Local social workers and police investigators have recently identified Dr. Gilbraith as a person of interest, but the investigation is in it’s beginning stages, as interviewing his young victims, and gaining useful information from their childish minds has been difficult and tedious work.

Dr. Gilbraith becomes fascinated by young Anthony Mailer on his first office visit and works to gently manipulate Anthony’s family into allowing unsupervised appointments – Molly, seemingly seeing positive changes in her son after a first visit, agrees, but later changes her mind and cancels later visits. But Dr. Gilbraith is not to be deterred and attempts to kidnap young Anthony, grievously injuring Molly in the process.

It becomes a race against time, as police and family services attempt to connect the dots, find the evidence to put Dr. Gilbraith away forever, but will they find young Anthony before it’s too late??

A fast-paced novel with edge-of-your-seat suspense as you cheer for good to prevail over evil! I was sucked in on page one, and I could not put it down!

For a debut novel, this has a well constructed plot and mainly believable characters. The tension is maintained throughout although I was increasingly frustrated by clues that were missed. This may be accurate in normal police investigations and I bow to the author’s experience and knowledge.
A difficult subject matter which isn’t too graphic but still conveys the grim, disgusting reality of this sordid side of society.
My only gripe was the continuous use of some phrases - bitch, little bastard, man up etc.
I found that quite irritating after a while.
Nevertheless, an impressive debut.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

An emotive subject but not particularly graphic. Didn't find it to be well written though.

Anthony Mailer is referred by his GP to see a child psychiatrist.  After the break up of his parents marriage, Anthony (7 years old) is having problems and feels guilty, thinking it is his fault that his mum and dad are no longer together.  Unfortunately he is referred to Dr Galbraith, a predatory paedophile who has gone under the radar for many years.  He uses his position and knowledge to undermine, manipulate and abuse the defenceless and the innocent.

Oh  wow! Oh dear god!  Bloody hell! How can you admit to loving a book so much when it has the most evil of subjects as its plot line, it feels so wrong to admit to it.  It is one of the most intensely twisted psychological reads I think I have read.  John has a background of being an ex police officer and child protection social worker and this experience gives such an extra dimension, edge and a truth to this story.  The way the agencies have to work, liaise and co-ordinate, the way protocols and working procedures are used adds extra factors. The plot is a mix of the Mailer Family, Police and Agency Workers, there is a paedophile ring and finally the character of Dr Galbraith.  I don't think I have ever hated a character in a story as much as I have hated this one, he is smug, self-righteous, loathsome, evil and abhorrent, credit to John for making this character so believable as to evoke such anger, hatred and disgust.

The start of the story is disturbing, it is not easy reading and given the subject it shouldn't be.  But John has crafted his writing in such a way that he has not glorified the details of events, he has used just enough words to give an indication.  It did not take long before I realised that this was a story I just could not put down. The way you are taken into the thoughts and lives of the characters is superb, and at times very scary.

It is a truth that this is based on things that happen a lot more than people realise.  It is often mentioned in the news that people are coming forward on a regular basis to report abuse to them, this may have happened in recent times but also a lot are now admitting what happened years and even decades ago.

Yes this is a shocking, disturbing, intense and shows the levels of psychological manipulation that are astounding.  It is also heartbreaking, at times frustrating and also verypowerful.  It shows how people can find the inner strength to change, challenge and stand up to atrocities.  This is a book that will stay in my thoughts for quite a long time, and I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to those who read very real psychological thrillers.

Holy crap, this book is incredible. It’s emotional, it’s raw and it’s disturbing. The writing is beautiful and it’s one of those books you have to keep reading to know what is going to happen. I will reiterate the warning that is written in the blurb above, due to the subject content it won’t be for everyone so do be warned, it is violent and disturbing.

I will have to start the review by saying the cover is stunning, I absolutely love it. It fits in well with the book and it’s one that I would notice on the shelf.

I won’t go into the plot as you can read the blurb above but it is gripping, thrilling and it feels so real. You will hate Dr David Galbraith with a passion and if you’re like me, you’ll think of many ways you would like him to die whilst reading. John has written the characters so brilliantly, you can feel the evil coming off the page.

I loved the fact that it was set in the early 1990s, it made it feel more real and at times it read like a true crime book. All the characters had depth and I really felt part of the story. I also loved the Welsh setting, again this made it feel more real and it also hit home the fact that these things happen anywhere. The monsters can be disguised as anyone who are brilliant at hiding their true nature and that is the scary thing for me.

Throughout the book I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, there are few books that affect me emotionally but this has made it to the top of that pile. The sad thing is that John has drawn on his own personal experiences in the child protection services and I dread to know the stories he’s heard and experienced over his years.

This is the first book I’ve read by John but I’ll definitely read more.

The book blurb says this. The author says this in the foreword. And I am also going to say it. This book is going to be an uncomfortable and upsetting read for many. It was for me, especially the first 30% of the book. Here’s why.

White is the Coldest Colour is the darkest and most disturbing psychological thrillers I have ever read. You thought Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train messed with your head, try this one out. This will turn your brain into paste.

I have read a few books where you are introduced to the antagonist from the start. But this was the first time I read a book where not only I knew who’s the antagonist but he was the protagonist too. He took up most of the book. And even when he didn’t make a presence in the scene, you’re worrying what he might be upto. In the first 30% of the book, you as a reader are literally sitting inside his head. You can see how much filth is in there. The way he thinks, the way he behaves, the face of a caring and dedicated psychiatrist he puts on for others and the actual he has that only his wife and children see. And don’t get me started over how he treats his wife Cynthia. It was absolutely disturbing and painful. All this was so disturbing that I didn’t want to read anymore. But I continued in the hopes that someone will stop this insane, lunatic monster. After the 30% mark, you could see a flicker of light and at 50% you can’t stop reading because you want this monster to be caught. The end is absolutely befitting, couldn’t have asked for a more better end. All through the read I was uncomfortable and pained but this book was worth the read as it made me realise that such sadistic people are there in this world and they need to be stopped. Hats off to the author for writing this novel!



Final Verdict:

White is the Coldest Colour by John Nicholl gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

I am reviewing White is the Coldest Colour by author John Nicholl. Here are my thoughts:

^^ Dr David Galbraith is a very good child psychologist and all sorts of children come his way for help. But immediately, within the first few pages, we discover that he is NOT to be trusted, and to say he is abusing his power is an understatement. It’s horrifying what he is able to get away with.

^^ Unfortunately, the Mailer family are going through some tough times due to marital breakdown, so in an effort to help their child Anthony, they take him to the well-known Dr Galbraith. Oh yes, you can see where this is going, right? This fact alone made me race through this book. One half of me is screaming at the pages, “Don’t take him to Dr Galbraith!” and the other half of me is going, “WOW! This is going to turn out bad, I can’t wait to see what happens!” 🙂 It’s both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. I loved it.

^^ It's clear the author also drew from his own experiences as a member of the police force with child protection social worker contacts, and this is also what made the book an outstanding and realistic read. It's all too terrifyingly real in some places, and that's what makes this plot so gripping.

^^ This totally exceeded all my expectations as a debut book by an author I have never actually heard of before. It’s well written, fast paced and totally unputdownable.

Overall: This is a stunning, psychological thriller, which really pulls you in deep to the dark side, and although the subject matter at times is very sad, and quite distressing, it’s very well done. I am totally looking forward to what this author has to offer next!

Thank you to the author John Nicholls, Bloodhound books and Netgalley, for my copy of this book, of which I was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.

The opening pages of this book are very hard to read but necessary so if you can get through them this is a great book.
Dr Galbraith is a child psychiatrist and when Molly and her husband split up their son Anthony is referred to him as he is taking the separation hard. What they don't know is that Dr Galbraith is not what he seems, he is a paedophile and a bully who preys on vulnerable children. John Nicholls has a wealth of experience into this subject through his previous jobs and once you get past the original shock you can't help but be glued to the book. I couldn't put it down until I had got to the last page as I wanted to see if justice would conquer but I am not going to tell you whether it does or not. You will have to read the book yourself.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound for the copy of the book.

White Is The Coldest Colour written by John Nicholl has a warning attached as it centres around the topic of child abuse, yes the subject matter is dark, but its a true fact its out there, John has written this book with a justifiable narrative that doesn’t glamourize the darkness but points starkly to the facts.

The Mailer family are suffering from a marital split, seven year old Anthony is suffering, the family GP has arrange for Anthony to go to a child guidance service. Dr. David Galbraith is the psychiatrist tasked with helping Anthony, but there is an ulterior motive, Galbraith wants Anthony, needs him and will do anything to have him.

Dr. Galbraith is a predator, immersed in a darkness that obsesses over young boys, a paedophile with a position in society where people trust him but its cover which allows him access to his needs.

White Is The Coldest Colour is a dark psychological thriller which John Nicholl covered a whole host of themes which are relevant to todays society. Johns previous careers in the Police and as a Child Protection Social Worker validates the authenticity of his research when developing the plotline for this psychological thriller.

I thank Sarah Hardy, Bloodhound Books and John Nicholl for an advanced readers copy of White Is The Coldest Colour to read in exchange for an honest review. An intense read that will hopefully gain more social awareness of child abuse and give us the insight to report if we suspect abuse.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book but I have to say it is really well written and although the subject matter is very hard to read at times the story is an addictive read.
What can I say about Dr Galbraith other than he absolutely gave me the creeps and I really wanted to punch his lights out. I think he is the definition of pure evil.
The book is so well written and really draws you in but at the same time it is so distressing to think that although the book is fiction it is based on experiences that actually happen and it makes you realise how vulnerable children are. The fact that the main character is a respected child psychiatrist makes the story even more distressing.
Despite the very delicate and traumatic subject matter the book is a really gripping thriller that really draws you in. I would highly recommend this book.