This has to be one of John’s darkest stories yet! It actually gave me a nightmare. Legit. Parts of this story are so dark, gruesome and intense. A story that will have you on the edge of your seat and biting your finger nails. A brilliant cover too, even if I am petrified of clowns.

Portraits of the Dead is a fast paced, easy to read and terrifying thriller! This has to be one of the most twisted serial killers I’ve read about it. I felt so sorry for Emma! Will the team find her before its too late? Chilling. 5 stars. Highly recommend…

One to read with the light on and not alone in the dark before bed!

Wow, John Nicholl has done it again, he has written another disturbing and brutal book that chilled me to the bone. Portraits of the Dead is as creepy as the cover suggests, it was sheer brilliance! This is the third book of John’s that I’ve read over the past few months and it had me hooked from the very first page.

Emma is a student at Cardiff university when she is abducted in the middle of the night by someone hiding in her wardrobe. Yikes. Next thing she knows she is being held in a room by some unknown person. DI Gravel is assigned the case and when other young women start turning up dead he knows he has a serial killer on his hands. Will Emma be found in time? Who is the killer?

We first met DI Gravel in White is the Coldest Colour but with this book being more about the investigation it was good to get to know him as a character more. I loved how the book was part police procedural, part sadistic psychological thriller, it was an excellent mix. John’s writing was as brilliant as ever, he drew me in right from the start and didn’t let me go until that final word.

I loved how John revealed the killer to the reader but left the police in the dark, I was almost screaming at my kindle, come on DI Gravel, you can figure it out! Bloody brilliant John. I devoured this book quickly, it goes along at a steady pace and after each chapter you just have to keep reading.

Portraits of the Dead is a dark, disturbing, brutal serial killer thriller written in a gripping way that I’ve grown to love with John’s books. The killer is sadistic and it was just brilliant. John I must say you are quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

Nicholl delivers on his promise! This book is utterly chilling, totally creepy, and an adept study in suspense and the macabre.

This was a fast-paced, disturbing read. The events were relatively predictable until the ending, but that didn't take away from this engrossing story. Felt sort of like a written version of The Poughkeepsie Tapes. This was my first read by John Nicholl and I'll be checking out his other works.

I didn’t really help myself when I was sat in bed at 2 o’clock in the morning with my Ovaltine and a thought of I will just read for a while before I go to sleep because OMG! I wanted to sleep in my wardrobe just so no-one else could hide in there after I had read the first chapter. Damn this man. John Nicholl had done it again with me in the very first chapter, he is good, no he is brilliant at getting me right at the very first couple of hundred words. There was only one thing for it. It was going to be a long night! I was going in.
Now if you thought IT was scary for the kids in it, then double the scare factor here for adults because this is one mean son of a psycho that got into my head. For a lot of young women it was already too late, five of their portraits hung on the wall in this sound proof room but there was plenty room for more to be added and for Emma she was just at the start of her horrific ordeal. Oh wow there is being frightened and there is wakening up to discover slowly the horrendous things that have been done to you. Could this man be called human? I read every new discovery with my hand over my mouth. John Nicholl is very graphic with his descriptions and does put you there in amongst the worst of it.
It wasn’t going to be the first appearance for DI Gareth Gravel and DS Clive Rankin in John Nicholl’s novels but the disappearance of a 19-year-old student wasn’t causing a great deal of concern with either of them except for the fact that the girl’s mother was a personal friend of someone high up the chain of command. The two detectives play a much bigger role in this book than previous ones. They were frustrating at times, all part of their characters in the story but at times I wanted to batter them. It is very early on that you discover who the bad guy is which does add to the way I viewed how the case was handled.
There are so many shocks in this story that I really was left speechless. So much I just didn’t see happening. John Nicholl is definitely a man with very dark thoughts. Super read! Bring it on Mr. Nicholl! I am camped out in my wardrobe and waiting.

I absolutely loved this book! A twisted serial killer thriller.
Emma is locked in a room, she is scared but is doing her best to stay strong and survive.
The story is told from different perspectives and I liked how we know who the culprit is pretty early on. So the story includes his thoughts and what he's doing while Emma is locked up.
A brilliant read for fans of thrillers.

Portraits of the dead is one of the creepiest books I have read in a long time and I mean that in the good way!

Portrait's of the dead pulls the reader in from the start into the creepy world of the serial killer and doesn't let go to the very last line.

This book allows the reader to see into the serial killer mind and why he feels he can torture innocent girls. The part with the things in the food will haunt me for the rest of my days!

The reader will feel empathy for Emma and be kept at the end of their seat hoping that Emma can be saved in time by DI Gravel.

This is the first John Nicholl book I have read but it definitely will not be my last! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a creepy psychological thriller.

*ARC recieved from publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I always wondered how an author can entice a reader into his imaginative world, now I can see it, the cover for Portraits of the Dead is the start, emanating suspense, thrilling intentions and the call to turn the pages, smacking of full on chills, chills and more chills.

From the cover to the initial first pages, the characters, the plot, to the last gasp of the final few pages, John Nicholl held my attention tight with the intention of not letting my mind wander from the words until I devoured the all consuming End.

One thing I haven’t noted but will now is the tagline on the cover ‘The greater the evil, the deadlier the game……‘ a jolt of electrifying energy sears itself through my very core reading and seeing this one deadly statement, the bait that John has dangled has created a point of no return and so the book begins…

Lets look at Portraits of the Dead and what we can expect from John Nicholls standalone serial killer thriller, how dark did John go…..oh John went real dark. Emma a student snatched from her bed, no witnesses, no evidence, captured by a killer who has a tally of five women, gone, erased, removed from this world.

Will Emma be his victim……

Emma has a small part to play in the whole scheme of things, even though not always at the front of our minds, the dark depravity inflicted by the killer sits sullenly at the fore front, heavy and laden with horrific scenes. John tapped into the cold insatiable appetite I have for the grisly and macabre plotlines, ensuring I read on, to follow Detective Inspector Gravel as he looks to unlock the secrets to determine Emma’s future and that of the serial killer.

What I will say about Portraits of the Dead is that it’s certainly a mixed bag, part psychological thriller, part police procedural and a whole lot of Darkness, Depravity and Downright Horrifying scenes, but boy did I love it. I’m for more but will you join me……

My thanks go to Bloodhound Books, John Nicholl and Sarah Hardy for an advanced readers copy of Portraits of the Dead in exchange for my honest opinion whilst reading and reviewing for the Blog Blitz.

A decent if slightly dated and obvious plot line except for the very last twist. Set in the 90's before the days of mobile phones and technology.
Personally I found the cover terrifying and it alone would put me off buying a hard copy of this book.

This was an outstanding read. I haven't read either of Nicholl's previous two books featuring down-to-earth, take no prisoners DI Gareth Gravel but plan to now as this was such a fabulous book. I hope the others prove to be as compelling - I have been assured by friends that they are! Also, a quick sentence about the cover art - wow, it's creepy and fits the synopsis perfectly.

From beginning to end 'Portraits of the Dead' held my interest and if you, like me, find disturbing, creepy and sadistic serial killer thrillers a joy to behold then give this one a go! I can't see how you could be disappointed. I found the pace to be impeccable te whole way through and there was plenty action too. DI Gravel is put on the case of an abducted girl and knowing that the killer has murdered five times before, he is in a race against the clock to save Emma from the same fate.

Nicholl's characterisation is great and you easily feel a connection to each character. There are also a few key twists including at the end which I didn't predict. Nicholl knows how to captivate you and pull you into the story from the first pages. His books are definitely not for the feint-hearted!

I have no hesitation in recommending this book especially for those who enjoy police procedurals and stories that centre around a serial killer. Impactful, deliciously dark and very sinister, this book is a winner and deserves the full five-stars.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book from start to finish! A disturbing story of a deranged sadistic serial torturer/killer perfectly told at just the right pace. The bodies of five girls have been discovered and DI Gareth Gravel is back hunting his man before another kidnapped girl meets the same fate. It works fine as a stand-alone although I, for one, am itching to read this author's previous books as soon as possible. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good police procedural with a deadly dark side.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was a fabulous yet creepy cover.. When I read the blurb and found it is a police procedural I wanted to read it. This is one of my favourite genres. The serial killer is a very sick puppy but he does believe he is too intelligent to ever be caught. Expect the unexpected with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this continual aspect of the book which kept challenging what I thought was happening. The ending was not expected either. But I will be searching out more books by this author!

This is the first book I have read by this author, it is hard hitting, gripping and very dark. I loved it!!! will be looking John Nicholl up to see what other books I can read now

Described as “a gripping serial killer thriller” I had really high hopes for this book, sadly it didn't quite live up to expectations :-(

This is my favourite genre and I have read countless numbers of serial killer thrillers, some more memorable than others, and although this isn't one of the best it was still a good read and I will definitely be reading the rest in the series when they come out.

The characters were strong with a solid plot line and Gravel is the stand out guy and he will make a very followable DI. The bad guy was fairly easy to work out but i think that was intentional. The most memorable and standout part of this book has to be the ending! Without giving any spoilers and ruin it for potential readers the ending is a definite WTF moment!! It will be very interesting to find out what comes next for DI Gravel following on from that explosive ending.

If you want to read a fast-paced, creepy thriller with a nice twist ending, this is the right book for you. It might not be a stand out among other similar novels, but fans of the genre will not want to miss it.

Portraits of the Dead by John Nicholl is the first in the DI Gareth Gravel Series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bloodhound Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Note that this book was originally published in August 2016.

Series Background:
DI Gareth Gravel (Grav) has been with the West Wales Police force for over 20 years. Grav has recently lost his wife Heather to cancer, and his some of his bad habits are resurfacing. He has a rather gruff manner, smokes cigars, loves his sugar, and has really good investigative skills. He figures he could probably be a DCI, but he doesn’t always play well with others, and politics are not his forte. His partner is DS Clive Rankin.

My Synopsis:
When a prominent member of society reports her daughter missing, Grav figures the 19-year old probably just took a break from university. He is skeptical, but as his superiors want him taking lead on this case, he will follow their orders. He asks Rankin to assist, and sends him out to gather some information. But when five bodies of other young girls, with remarkably similar appearances to Emma, turn up, Grav knows he has to work fast. There is a serial killer on the loose, and Emma is next on the list.

But everyone underestimates Emma. She is being held in a small, sound-proofed room, and trying to appease the sadistic killer who insists he be called Master, tries to feed her body parts, and drugs her when he wants access to the room…and to her. But Emma is determined to stay alive. She will say and do anything she has to while she tries to hatch a plan.

Not everyone is going to survive.

My Opinions:
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I always am when I find an author that is new to me, with a series on the go, and the first book so appealing!

The characters are deep enough that you feel a connection, which makes their actions and emotions more captivating. You are drawn into the story very quickly, and hesitate to put it down in case you miss something. It had the right amount of creepiness and gore, without going over the top. Nicholl is a talented author, and this book was action-packed and fast-paced. A perfect mystery with a few twists. Loved it!

I will definitely be exploring other novels by this author.

I enjoyed this book but felt the story was a bit rushed at the end.
Emma is taken from her bed one night and wakes up in a sealed room with a man’s voice welcoming her to her new home.
She is subjected to having to dance for this man in high heels and he drugs her then has sex with her.
We soon learn the identity of the man but the Police have no idea who he is.
Soon five other bodies turn up and the Police realise Emma could be the next victim.
The ending is a bit strange really and like I said, a bit rushed.
I’d give this book 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Portraits of the Dead by John Nicholl is quite haunting and seriously freaked me out at times. But in the way that a true crime podcast or an episode of Law and Order: SVU would, ya know? The story focuses on a serial killer who has kidnapped a young 19-year-old girl and has her locked in some unknown room. He forces her to call him Master, plays tricks on her, abuses her mentally and physically, and sometimes dresses as a clown when he does so. SOLD.

The writing style of this book is so clear and easy to follow. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was turning the pages and how I barely looked up at all while reading. I read this in only two sittings because I literally could not put it down. I had to know just what twisted scheme, conversation, or action was going to take place between the serial killer and his recent victim. I had to know what the cops were going to uncover, if anything. And I had to see just how everything was going to unfold. Did the girl get abducted at random? What’s the motive? Did she know her abductor? There are all kinds of questions that raced through my mind on this one.

The serial killer/abductor, y’all! Seriously a twisted psychopath. He is not continuously disgusting and shocking, but the few moments that he does something of note like that will stick with me for quite some time. I can’t tell you how many people I mentioned one scene to and their reactions were all, “OMG! What kind of books do you READ?!” It’s true. I guess I may be a little messed up because I actually enjoyed how dark, dirty, and twisted a few scenes were (purely from an entertainment aspect! I am not in the game of emulating said psycho!)

This book also hits on a lot of my own personal fears, and some that I believe a lot of people have in common: feeling vulnerable in your own home, being abducted, clowns, bugs, physical and emotional abuse, the works. I think we can all connect with the victim and would strive to be like her if we were unknowingly slung into her situation.

I enjoyed the dialogue in this book quite a bit. I never had a hard time with believability or credibility. The author did a great job of having purposeful dialogue: not too wordy and flowery but at the same time quite informative and to the point.

Overall I am going to give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I found it exceedingly entertaining and haunting at the same time. Can’t wait to read more from John Nicholl if this is the kind of thing he writes about and if his style Is consistent book to book! Thank you to NetGalley and Bloohound Books for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is another excellent read, an extremely well written psychological thriller by an author whose books I have come to love. Pulled in from the start, held in a vice and not released until the very end, this book is not for the faint hearted. A massive 5* from me.

John Nicoll's book are certainly not for the faint hearted but once you start to read, they grip you and never let you go.
Portraits Of The Dead certainly will not disappoint.

3.5

"We don't see the monster behind the mask."

19 year old Emma is kidnapped and held like a slave in an impenetrable room. Her captor calls her Venus and she has to call him master and do as he likes. She is at the mercy of a ruthless killer who is watching her every move.
The investigations intensify when the bodies of 5 missing women are found in the woods. Is Emma going to be the 6th victim or is she going to see the daylight once again?

I have mixed feelings about this book. It started with a bang, but then slowed down and I didn’t like the ending one bit! It was rushed and nothing was resolved.
The investigators were drinking, chatting and joking more than investigating.
There were so many irrelevant conversations between the characters.
The abrupt change of the points of views in consecutive paragraphs was confusing.
The identity of the killer was pointlessly revealed almost at the beginning. If the reader soon learns who the culprit is and the victim is securely imprisoned, with no chance of escape, then why use a mask?
There were so many reasons the investigators could have suspected the murderer, but for some reason they chose to ignore them.
The killer was shown to be very intelligent and thorough but was making blunder after blunder and acting recklessly throughout the book.
Who was the anonymous caller about the bodies?

Initially I was sure this is going to be a 5 star read. Then it became 4 and at the end I am sorry to say 3.5.

Thanks to John Nicholl, Bloodhound books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy.