What a delicious, creepy novel this was.
From the prologue on. It really sets the tone for this slow burning dark novel.
Emma a young, blonde student who is abducted and kept prisoner by an unidentified male who wears a clown's mask.
The abductor/ killer is revealed early on; but that is not the purpose of the book.
The author uses his skill as a writer to shape and form characters who live in your mind and sends shivers down your back and makes you invest in their story and his narrative.
His Di Grav is a throwback to another age. An unfit man, who eats,smokes and drinks more than is good for him. But he is filled with a desire to do the decent thing.
The abductor is a well drawn character who displays all the traits of the psychopath. No remorse, con conscience.
It is a book well worth investing in. It will be worth your effort.
John's writing is of a top quality standard. I urge you to read this book.
Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had read White is the coldest colour so when I saw this book I was eager to get a copy and I was not disappointed, this was more of the gritty and descriptive writing that I loved. This made me look into the dark recesses of my bedroom and in the wardrobe before I slept, Emma's captor had been hiding in her room waiting for her to sleep and then abducted her and from that moment on her world changed to one of pain and uncertainty. When five bodies of young women are found DI Gravel realises that this is a serial killer and he needs to find Emma before it's too late but they don't really have a lot to go on and Gravel will stop at nothing to find her.
This is very gruesome in parts so if you are of a feint mind then be aware but I love the way John Nicholl writes and although I knew who the killer was it didn't spoil my view of the book and felt it was necessary to the plot. I can't wait to read more from him in the future and hope to meet up with DI Gravel again.
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Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books. I really enjoyed this book. It was a thoroughly gripping read and the protaganist was as creepy and as sadistic as they come. What a freak!! I felt the ending was very slightly rushed but that doesnt take too much away from the overall read. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. The cover is fantastically spine tingling.

Thank you NetGalley, John Nicholls, and Bloodhound books for the free ebok in exchange for an honest review.

When nineteen-year-old Emma wakes up after being abducted, she finds herself alone in a nice room naked and panics. She’s alone in a concrete box with no windows or doors that she can see and her face is covered in blood. Where is she? Then to make matters worse, she spots the video camera watching her every move and a man comes through the speakers and tells her to call him “master” or else. DI Gravel and his team must find the sick serial killer who buried five other female bodies after he was done torturing them.

The first chapter of this book had me hooked, but then I found the first bit after that was a little slow for my liking. The book ramps up though and you start meeting the mysterious and creepy characters of this novel. I enjoyed both the Gravel and Rankin characters and how they worked together to solve the crime. I also enjoyed how some of the chapters were written by the killer or people close to him and how they view both the police and Emma.

I found this novel didn’t dig too much into the procedure side of the case and not a whole lot about the many moving part of an investigation, which is actually a nice change for this type of novel. I did find the last 15% very creepy and more graphic than the rest of the book. I was a bit saddened by events in the ending, but overall I loved it. It was such a different ending and one where it seemed like the killer finally got what he deserved. This is definitely a darker fiction, but if that’s what you enjoy, then you will definitely love this book! This is my first novel but John Nicholl, but I will definitely be trying more of his novels.

I enjoyed this book a lot, I loved the storyline, that of a sadistic serial killer, who with the help of his mother, has successfully managed to Kidnapped and murdered 5 young girls. The story begins with the kidnapping of his 6th victim, a young University student by the name of Emma Jones. From the very first chapter I was gripped, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to find out what would happen next, I was gripped from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I felt the ending was a bit of a let down, to me it seemed rushed, as if the author was in a hurry to Finish, I am left with a lot of unanswered questions. I hope there is a follow up to this book, as I really do think there are some things that need to be explained. A very enjoyable book, it’s definitely worth a read.

I just love John's books, he gets you into the storyline straight away. This is a fast paced twisty story and each chapter leaves you in suspense.

I like his style of writing and overall this book was brilliant and extremely well written I must admit, although the ending was different it was very well thought out.

I look forward to reading John's next masterpiece.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of Portraits of the Dead, the first novel to feature DI Gareth "Grav" Gravel of the West Wales police.

When the goddaughter of West Wales' Chief Constable, Emma Jones, is kidnapped from her Cardiff flat Grav is instructed to find her. He, in turn, delegates the search for Emma to DS Clive Rankin while he deals with the five murdered young women found buried in the local woods until it appears that they might be linked.

I enjoyed Portraits of the Dead in parts as it is a good read with several unexpected twists. The novel is told from two distinct points of view with Emma and her kidnapper alternating with Grav and Clive. Initially the kidnapper's motives seem a bit clichéd, sex and control, but this is only the tip of the iceberg and I felt my eyes popping out of my head as I read one of the twists, re-reading it to make sure I'd understood! I must admit that I did not enjoy his interactions with Emma which seem repetitive and offensively gratuitous. In this case less would have been more. The investigative narrative is more to my taste. I enjoyed the banter between the characters and the sense that they were banging their heads against a brick wall. It makes a change to see an investigation that makes little progress. The novel, however, ends with a bang with some great twists and is well worth the journey. For that alone I have rated it at 4*.

Portraits of the Dead is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Okay, first of all can I just say that this cover freaked me the hell out? Well done, Mr. Nicholl!
This was a race against time thriller that was so creepy and edgy, it may not be for everyone, but man-oh-man was it for me! I LOVED it!!! And let me tell you, DI Gravel? Well, he was pretty damn amazing. I loved him as a character. Throw in a serial killer as horrifying and sadistic as the one in this book and I will run you over to get to it. Just kidding. I would never do that. :) But, this one really was this good.
It was scary. It was thrilling. It was dark and twisted. And...It. Was. Fabulous!

This thriller really grabbed and held my attention. I ended up staying up until Midnight to finish the novel I started yesterday. I loved the flaws of the characters and seeing into their lives.

The serial killer was a demented person who was really brought to life. He was someone you wanted to see what he would do next, but didn't. That's a skill a lot of writers struggle with, while Mr. Nicholl didn't.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars was the ending. It left me just a bit dissatisfied. I really wanted the characters to squirm and be shown how wrong they were.

This is the first John Nicholl book i have read. It started off good, then got a bit odd at one point which i think even for me was a step to far. The ending was pretty short and snappy, i think i would have prefered a different one, however, it was a fitting end. I Will read more of his books.

ive read books by this author previously and was lucky enough to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review. it does not disappoint and is a fabulous read which i have told all my friends to download on publication day! the story is dark and twisted with an ending i hadn’t expected. definitely one to read this year.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Initially Emma and her captor didn’t completely enthrall me. I enjoyed the storyline though and it’s not too graphic if that concerns you.

Loved the two main police characters in this book. Reminded me of old fashioned policing.

The ending seemed a little rushed though there were a couple of unexpected twists thrown in too.

Look forward to reading the next book by John Nicholl.

From the very beginning, this book had me at the edge of my seat! Portraits of the Dead is a rollercoaster ride of fear, adrenaline and suspense. I found myself holding my breath while reading, almost afraid of what the next page contained. This is an intense thriller and will leave you breathless.

**Spoilers**

Emma is woken up to find a man in her room and before she can act, she is knocked out. She awakes in a dark room, afraid and disoriented. Suddenly a light flashes on and she sees she's in a windowless room with photographs of 5 other women, who bear a startling resemblance to her. A man's voice comes through the room and he tells her this is her home now. He is demanding and tortuous. He tortures her psychologically for a while...turning off the light and playing horrible recordings of his other victims screaming. Before she completely breaks down, he ends the torture for the time being and commands her to call him "master" from then on. She must obey his every whim, no matter how depraved or demeaning, or else he will kill her. She decides early on that she's going to fight with everything in her, even if that means playing along with his tortuous game.

Emma's mother goes to the police, hell bent on finding her daughter. An investigation ensues aand after 2 weeks of Emma missing, 5 bodies are discovered, horribly mutilated. The 5 women all look like Emma. They know his MO now and realize the same man who kidnapped her also killed these women. They will have to do everything they can to bring this killer to justice. The police are racing against the clock to bring Emma home before it's too late.

We find out the person who is the kidnapper/murderer is also a cannibal and there is quite a bit of talk about torture and rape. These parts of the book will be quite disturbing to some readers. So I'm adding this in as a warning, but it does help to describe the evil and psychopathy of the character.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Bloodhound Books, John Nicholl (the author) for allowing me to have his ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

I think the best thing about this book is Gravel. He's a decent likeable character.... got a good few books in him I'm sure.
Emma,and the situation she finds herself in was a pretty good storyline too.
I found however I couldn't take the killer seriously.. he was never scary in my eyes and get a little simplistic in the way he neatly explains why he's psycho.
The mother didn't help matters.
I'll give Gravel another go,but won't be raving about this much.

This is a very creepy, disturbing book set in the same universe as the author’s Dr. Galbraith books. The culprit is revealed in the middle of the story, so the suspense comes from the coppers trying to find the girl that he has abducted. Emma, the victim, is a very smart cookie and just may be able to manipulate the situation enough as to set herself free. The baddie is also well drawn, as well as his surprising accomplice. The brilliance of the other books that I read by this author is how well he shows psychopathy and how truly scary the situations that they cause are. The view from the victim’s perspective is equally compelling. What I didn’t quite like about this book is that it focuses in the procedural aspect too much in my opinion. The police detectives are efficient and we know them to be good, but I wasn’t as engrossed by their investigation as I was by the ordeal of the rest of the characters. I really liked the ending, surprising and so good it made me gasp.

WOWSERS…. firstly the cover of the book scared the bejesus out of me, thinking of Stephen's King's IT.... but braved it after reading the bio.....This is my first read by John Nicholl but I can say hand on (thumping heart after that read) that it certainly won’t be the last. This is the kinda book I dine on, from the get go you are pulled in, its fast paced and chilling to the core. The story follows 3 parts, that of Emma who has been kidnapped, Master with his sickening mind, cravings, fetishes that will leave you with your mouth hanging open and then there is DI Gravel. Can Gravel save Emma in time, will Emma please the Master enough to stay alive? Its sit on the edge of your seat finger nail biting stuff…. And whoah mamma…. That twist mid way through the book…. Did not foresee that, will say no more for fear of ruining it for anyone but you WILL KNOW what I mean when you come across it…. Those of you who love a psychological crime serial killer book with many twists and turns, THIS IS A MUST MUST READ.

Many thanks to John Nicholl, Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was freaky as hell! I was captured and seriously pulled into Master's world. We flip flop between Master and the cop. I love the view of hunter and hunted... I feel like my pulse pounds heavier and I get caught up more into it. Mr. Nicholl taps into a fear I've always had... heck, fears we all have about someone hiding in our closet. Right?!?! Keep it up Mr. Nicholl! Your books keep getting better and better!

I also listened to the audiobook and goodness, Jake Urray can tell a scary story! His voice is this lovely smooth accent that lulls you in and you're captivated by his words... his enunciation. It's terrifyingly perfect!

Nicholl's has done it again. I was gripped by the first page getting into Emma's story. It is a fast-moving suspenseful book. Nicholl is a great storyteller. He has the ability the show the reader everything so that they can visualize. I cringed at certain moments because it was very gritty and dark. This novel can easily be read in one sitting just like his other novel. Once you start reading you don't want to stop.

John Nicholl has excelled again.. I think John's writing just gets better and better and this book had me riveted all through the night until the very last word. Whether you have read John's previous great books or not, it doesn't matter - you will want this one on your to-read list!

The book is set in Wales, around the beautiful city of Cardiff that I have had the pleasure to visit and without giving too much away the book gives us a thrilling, chilling plot of a serial killer with unhealthy needs and fetishes, twisted and damaged with a fixation on young woman who all have his signature "look". As with all great serial killer books I loved the fact that John lets us get into the mind and life of the killer as well as in the mind and world of his current abductee and "plaything". She is NOT a fortunate young woman.

The pace is great, you are right into the meaty good stuff from page one and it doesn't stop from there. No boring bits here people! The book has the added elements of us viewing the story from the police perspective as their hunt for the killer is well underway in South Wales. There are plenty of characters to both love and hate in this novel, all well developed and not overly-complex to connect with and picture. You might as well be watching a great movie or TV drama, it's clear, dramatic and exciting fiction.

It would be a spoiler but there is one character that I particularly felt was well-written and very cleverly done in this book. I wonder if you can guess who I mean when you get around to reading it. The character is central to the entire plot so I can't share, sorry to tease! I really just loved the plot overall and whilst I guessed a few things reasonably early in the book (the killer's real identity was one of them) I was not expecting THAT ENDING. It was excellent, really exciting and somewhat left me speechless.

The book is not overly graphic for those of you who might be afraid to enjoy it that are squeamish, it's emotionally charged and I have to say there is one particular scene where I felt John really did go to the "dark side" with the imagery and the writing and I cringed and nearly turned my head. I am pretty thick-skinned with dark fiction, gory crime, horror books so that says a lot. I must admit I would like to see something in future from John with more of that extreme end of things, I think that would really float my boat (sick I know!).

The story is compelling and lovers of both crime fiction and psychological thrillers will enjoy this book as it's a mixed blend in my opinion. Five huge stars from me and I predict this book will be very popular, if not THE most popular of all of John's great books. He is an author that just keeps giving the public what they want and I can't wait for the next book.

I felt very blessed to be able to read an advance copy of this book pre-publication thanks to Bloodhound Books.

Emma doesn't know where she is. Emma doesn't know who took her. Emma doesn't know why she was chosen. Emma does know she's scared, she's in pain, and he's never going to let her go ... at least not alive. He calls her Venus 6. He orders her to call him Master. And he wonders .. is she the one?

DI Gareth Gravel and DS Clive Rankin are investigating Emma's disappearance. At first glance, she looks like a 19-year-old college student, most likely traipsing out yonder with a boyfriend. But Emma's mother is absolutely insistent that her daughter would never do that.

Gravel practices due diligence and speaks to Emma's housemates and discovers that she had had a stalker of sorts. An old bearded, gray-haired man had seemed to be following her. Rankin takes on the university and her professors. No one knows anything, no one has seen anything out of the norm.

But then 5 bodies are found in various stages of decomp. All are missing parts of their bodies and when finally identified, they all resemble the missing Emma.

And so begins the hunt for one of the most sadistic, brutal, cold-blooded killers I've had the pleasure of reading. The author's pen has brought this human monster to life... a monster that we hope is only fiction.

This is an extremely well written psychological thriller. After reading this author's first two books, I expected nothing else. The characters are drawn with fine precision. The storyline is such that the reader cannot put the book down until the very end.

About half way through the book is quite a twist ... one I certainly never saw coming. The ending is quite intriguing, a cliff hanger of sorts. Normally I do not care much for cliff hangers, but this one has whetted my appetite for the follow-up book.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced copy of this riveting book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.