A copycat serial killer is leaving clues all over, while the original serial killer is in jail.
The detective In charge is Angelica Henley, who is an amazing character with strong yet vulnerable moments. Henley’s backstory kept me highly intrigued as it was slowly revealed as the story progressed.
Though this wasn’t a super intense or gripping serial killer story, I still enjoyed every single word. It was more of a character driven police procedural that had me stuck to it.

3.5
DI Anjelica Henley is returning to work in the field after injuries, both physical and psychological. She has a husband and young daughter who could balance out her life, but she wants to be present in her hard-earned job, and it is conflicting. At the beginning of the novel she is teamed up with a detective-in-training, and discovered body parts lead to a search for a murderer. This in turn leads to a convicted serial killer who has a traumatic connection to Henley.
Henley is a mixture of vulnerability in private and grit on a case. As an black detective and a female, issues with race and gender show up as part of her experience. The novel switches to different points of view from Henley to the serial killers to other police officers. The amount of violence and descriptions of gore and torture is unflinching and described in detail. There are scenes with the serial killers harming their victims and you are in the mind of the victims and can “feel” along with them. There are suspects and lots of evidence to process, so those who like reading and/or watching police procedurals are more likely to appreciate this one.

My review is based on listening to the released audiobook while sometimes reading along with the published novel or e-galley. Thanks to HarperCollinsPublishers and NetGalley for the e-galley. My ratings and reviews are my own.

TW/CW: murder, torture, mentions of past sexual violence, PTSD, infidelity

This was a good police procedural/serial killer story. I did struggle with it at times though. The story was a little long, which at times made my attention wander. I kept getting the characters names mixed up.

DI Henley's mostly recovered, physically, from her takedown of serial killer Olivier. Mentally, though, things are not great, and when she goes back to work to help suss out a copycat, her marriage takes a nosedive. Navigating a complicate web might prove to be too much for this detective. Plus, Olivier, the Jigsaw Killer, maintains a special interest in DI Henley, and that could be the final straw. For readers who like their procedurals smart and their protagonists complex, this is going to be a winner.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

The Jigsaw Man is a stellar mystery. The clues dropped to the reader about the copycat murderer and the serial killer are enough to keep the reader engaged. More unusually , the character development of DI Henley , the subplots of the book all tie together to form a terrific read. I am looking forward to the next installment!

The Jigsaw Man was an intense page-turner that kept me guessing! Definitely a graphic read, read this at night if you dare!!

Let me preface this review by saying I should have listened to my gut and not requested this book. I’m a chicken and this book gave me nightmares for 3 days!! It wasn’t enjoying to me and I couldn’t finish it. That being said - it was obviously well written!!

DI Anjelica Henley has just returned to active duty to the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU) after being on desk duty after her encounter with Serial Killer, Peter Olivier, AKA the Jigsaw Man. She didn’t expect to be sidelined on her first day back on the job by a having a new trainee and much less another violent case.

Body parts are found on the banks of the River Thames in Deptford and the nature of the killings is bringing back memories DI Angelica would rather forget as they have the hallmarks of the violence perpetrated by Peter Olivier who is now serving a life sentence. When a severed head is delivered to Henley’s house she knows that the killer is targeting her and putting her family at risk.

Not only does DI Henley have to contend with a her family life in crisis as her husband has said it’s her job or their marriage, but she is also worried about her child and her own feelings of anxiety and PTSD which have been exacerbated by the personal nature of these violent acts.

She’s going to have to rely on her colleagues, Trainee DI Salim Ramouter, and even face Peter Olivier to find out who can be behind these killings. All bets are off though when Olivier escapes prison and now Henley is racing to put two killers behind bars.

I liked the details about the detectives’ personal lives and the issues they are facing, I thought the pacing was great as you wanted to keep turning the pages, and all in all I have to say is I want more of DI Henley and TDI Ramouter.

A dark, gritty and gripping story that kept me one the edge.
Good plot and character development, a tightly knitted plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was unable to provide a timely review of this book due to interference by a chronic neurological condition. However, I did participate in a virtual book tour and posted a book showcase featuring this book on my blog: http://thebookdivasreads.com/2021/03/15/book-showcase-the-jigsaw-man-by-nadine-matheson/.

The Jigsaw Man is the first book in the Inspector Anjelica Henley series by Nadine Matheson. It is a new British police procedural thriller series featuring DI Anjelica Henley and the members of the Serial Crime Unit.

Henley is still dealing emotionally with her last confrontation with the Jigsaw Killer as she investigates this new case. When he escapes from prison, Henley and the other members of the SCU must work to capture not one, but two serial killers as the number of body parts continues to grow and the Jigsaw Killer focuses on his revenge.

This is a dark, gritty and violent serial killer thriller that at times is graphic enough to send chills down your spine and I could not put it down. With every twist and turn of this intricate plot, I was surprised. DI Anjelica Henley is a protagonist that was completely focused on her job and finding justice for the crime victims, but her personal life is very messy. Peter Olivier, the Jigsaw Killer is brilliant and terrifying and I liked that there is a question mark surrounding his demise. All the members of her SCU team are fully fleshed and I am looking forward to reading how Ms. Matheson continues to use them in future investigations.

I highly recommend this serial killer thriller and I am looking forward to more books in this series!

I'll be honest - I didn't get through this. I just found it so tedious. It's about bodies being chopped up, so how can that be?? But the police codes that I didn't understand, the slang and references I had to look up, and the feeling that I was in the second or third book in a series (what is with the flashbacks??) made me feel like I just didn't get the story at all. The main character was unlikeable as well, which I always have a problem with.

I tried.

The Jigsaw Man was one of my most anticipated reads this spring. Based on the description and early hype, I expected an intense, gritty, fast-paced thriller. While there are some gritty moments concerning the murders, the story is not intense and is definitely not fast-paced.

This is a dragged-out police procedural, but not the kind where readers are actually able to solve the crime along with the detectives. I guess I'd label it crime fiction with a police procedural storytelling style.

The crime itself is interesting, but there's way too much extraneous detail for me. We have a large cast of characters with a whole lot of personal drama. Quite a bit of backstory is woven in, so this first book in a series feels more like a second or third.

I didn't find the characters well developed or particularly interesting. I kept spacing off. I was bored. At about a third of the way in, I gave up.

4.5, rounding up to 5 stars!
This was amazing. It took a second to hook me, but once it did, I was in love! Intense, gruesome, and creepy with a great protagonist and not one, but two chillingly evil antagonists. The Jigsaw Man opens with a dismembered corpse on the bank of the Thames, and doesn't stop as DI Anjelica Henley and her trainee/partner Salim Ramouter chase a killer who seems to be copycatting jailed serial killer Peter Olivier, "The Jigsaw Man". My only complaint would probably be the length could have been tightened up a little bit, but the story was so good, I barely noticed. (And I really hated Anjelica's husband, but that just goes to show Matheson's characterization skills!) Trigger Warning: If you are easily grossed out by graphic violence, you may want to pass on this, but it was right up my alley. It's actually hard to believe this is Nadine Matheson's debut novel -- and I'm thrilled to learn that it's the first in a planned series!

So grateful to NetGalley and Harlequin/Hanover Square Press for the opportunity to read The Jigsaw Man and discover a new must read author.

OMG! This book was amazing. I am a huge fan of suspense, and thrillers and this one fit the bill perfectly!!

I stayed up late to read into the night and woke up early to pick up where I left off. Dark, twisted, graphic and intense but I loved it. I can’t wait for book two by Nadine Matheson!

This book is spooky and pulls the reader in right at the very beginning as a dismembered body is found in pieces scattered along the sea. A seasoned detective with a troubled marriage and a fierce loyalty to her job takes on the case, despite there being some rather suggestive things she feels are meant specifically for her from the killer. I loved this fast paced thrill ride!

🧩 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 🧩⁣
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Title: #thejigsawman⁣
Author(s): @queennads⁣
Publisher: @hanoversquarepress⁣
Pub Date: 3/16/21⁣⁣
Type: #audiobook / #ebook (thanks @netgalley)⁣
Genre: #mystery #thriller #crimefiction⁣
Must Read rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐃𝐈 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫. 𝐄𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬.⁣
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My thoughts:⁣
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-OH MY WORD. This book. All of the fantastic, creepy and haunting stars for this one! I found every single reason to turn this audiobook back on. I simply could not stop listening!! The production was flawless, the narrator was incredible and the story was all-consuming. This is a must read for my crime fiction friends ... and I highly recommend that you listen to this vs. read it. The experience was incredible and I have to be honest that I am not sure if I would have liked this in print form as much.⁣
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-You guys know how much I love serial killers and full transparency, Peter Olivier, scared the living daylights out of me! His character and messed up psyche got under my skin and his gruesome murders haunted my dreams. I think his character was written perfectly and I still have so many questions about him! Also, the reader is treated to a copycat killer, who was just as fascinating, so this kills 2 birds with one stone (pun intended). ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.⁣
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-This one is highly descriptive and gruesome, so if you're squeamish, I'd suggest passing on it. I thought Matheson balanced the grit and gore seamlessly. Each of the victims and murders were⁣
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-I adored the characters, their individual storylines and their idiosyncrasies. Everyone played a critical role and I loved the character development throughout the story. I can't WAIT til book #2 in this series because while the reader gets closure on some things, the story is begging to continue. This book produced the perfect cliffhanger, so BRAVO! I will be recommending this one to everyone!

YES!! I have a new cop series to look forward to. This story just had so many of the elements that I look for in a satisfying mystery/thriller/police procedural series. The author has introduced the characters, I already care about them, they are flawed yet dogged and caring, and I look forward to getting to know them more intimately as the series progresses. This had vibes of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole or Jussi Adler-Olsen's Dept. Q. The story just takes off running from the first few lines as body parts turn up along the Thames River in the neighborhood of DI Angelica Henley. I also got a bit of the feeling of Thomas Harris Silence of the Lambs and the Dr Lecter character. DI Henley races to find the killer before they strike again. I don't know what book two is going to bring, but I am ready to dive in. #NetGalley #TheJigsawMan

Bits of dismembered bodies are appearing near Greenwich Pier and Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley and the Serial Crime Unit know they have their work cut out for them. As the investigation begins into the brutal murders of the first two victims, Detective Inspector Henley starts to identify the unsettling similarities between these murders and those of Peter Olivier, better known as The Jigsaw Killer. Olivier, currently serving time in a high-security prison can’t possibly be responsible for the dismembered bodies, so Anjelica must discover who is.

With its pacy and dark plot, The Jigsaw Man is seriously suspenseful, gruesome and atmospheric and will not disappoint. I can follow instinctive and smart DI Anjelica Henley in this new crime series when book two comes out.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing/ Hanover Square Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.