I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy of At First Glance, a novella featuring DCI Warren Jones of the Middlebury, Herts Police.

When local drug dealer, Kyle Hicks, is found in his car with his throat slashed DCI Jones and the team follow the blood trail to what they think will be a quick solution. Things, however, are never as easy as they seem.

I thoroughly enjoyed At First Glance, which is a quick but detailed police procedural with a twist. It is told entirely, apart from the prologue, from Jones’s point of view so the reader can get stuck in and concentrate on solving the crime along with him. I like a good procedural with its constraints and protocols as it always gives a novel a solid framework. In this case suspects are arrested and released and the solution comes from the hard slog of routine procedure.

I think the solution is supposed to be a twist but it was fairly obvious from about half way through where it was going, although the author does manage a surprise just before the reveal. This did not spoil my enjoyment of the read as I like the slow inevitability of the genre, where the investigation starts with a wide net and inexorably draws closer to a solution as more facts and evidence come to light.

At First Glance is a short, easy read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read Paul Gitsham's novella "At First Glance" in return for a fair review.

I have been reading the series, so jumped at the chance to read this novella. And it did not disappoint.

The story centers around one case - the murder of a lowly drug dealer who had designs to becoming a player - and how the various threads of the means, motive and opportunity are pulled together by DCI Warren Jones and his team. And the suspects are many!

There's really no way to get into the story without giving something away, but suffice it to say that they question, arrest, and release multiple suspects (with one being out of commission for the entire case) until they finally hit upon the least-suspected suspect! I did not see that one coming.

Recommended for fans of the series.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for letting me read and review this book.

DCI Warren Jones is called to the scene of the murder of a drug dealer, which starts his team’s investigation. Besides the fact that the people in the neighborhood did not appreciate having this kind of activity in their area, the victim had a number of seedy people in his circle that could also be the killer. With a dead body and a missing stash of drugs, the police team has to follow up on every potential clue and every potential suspect. After several suspects are eventually cleared, the team finally tracks down the killer.

#AtFirstGlance #NetGalley
An enthralling thriller.
When a small-time drug dealer is found with his throat cut, a trail of blood leading to the weapon and killer, DCI Warren Jones looks forward to a fast resolution. But what seemed like an open-and-shut case quickly becomes a twisted trap: an innocent man set up to take the fall.
Narration is good.
Characters are very good.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for giving me an advance copy of this book.

For all fans of Dci Warren this is a must read, although a novella its as gripping as his novels. New members of the team are introduced and help to assist in the investigation to a young dealer who warned to make a name for himself although not in the way he does

4 stars

I have read all of Paul Gitsham's novels and have enjoyed every one of them. This novella is no exception.

Because is is a short novel, time is of the essence in the telling. Mr. Gitsham manages to hit all of the high points in the investigation into the murder of a drug dealer and the story moves along quite quickly. The reader is introduced to two possible new members of DCI Warren's team.

This is a tightly run police procedural and sufficient information is given to keep the reader apprised of the progress of the investigation. It is written in Mr. Gitsham's usual straightforward style – informative and very well plotted. A huge surprise at the ending of the book makes the reader go “ah, ha, I wouldn't have guessed it!”

I want to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for forwarding to me a copy of this most excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Here is an author I’ve been meaning to read for sometime; no excuses I own a number of his books.
This is number 9 in this series. 5 novels and 4 novellas. My problem is I like to read books in the chronological order they are published; these in between shorter books do however allow a way in for a new reader like me.
These in between books provide a fix for fans before the next novel is out. Act as a trailer for the next instalment while keeping the profile up and going. It is the reason ebooks became popular for me as this format allows this flexibility.
So this a shot to nothing. A free hit; a punt if you like.
It introduces an author and his successful crime series. If like me you like what you read we can go down the snake; go straight to the start and pick up book 1 in the certain knowledge we’ll like that book too. (8 books lie in wait for me!)
At First Glance is also a transitional piece as it allows Gitsham to introduce new members of the detective team. Devoid of a lot of packing and packaging it is a pure story told in the space of a few days. No padding the only writing responds to the case at hand. This is a strong police procedural with little description, background story or recapping. It is a perfect vehicle to test out this writer and these characters.
A young drug dealer; newly crowned prince of his manor wants to be a key player. When he is murdered it appears other people have designs on his territory and stash.
A methodical investigation follows. This demonstrates the author’s ease and writing skill and makes you fully engrossed into the fictional town created in Middlesbury. It may be a made up location but it is a gritty story with some good set piece action and a tight and twisting plot.
Read it because your already a fan or try it and then like me you’ll want to read more.