corruption, greed, deceit, false-information, family, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, law-enforcement, procedural, rural, small-town, murder-investigation, murder, archaeologist, artifact, fraud, thriller, England*****

Devious!
Fast paced with definitive characters and an interesting mix of antagonists to the law enforcement teams. Excellent police work in a really tough time (all the rules of Covid) in a difficult place (mire) with some VERY uncooperative suspects.
I have to confess that I needed a bit of pseudo reality regarding C-19. It was getting too weird with other people's storylines acting like it never existed or caused massive problems to law enforcement.
This was a great story and it kept me up much too late reading it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Canelo via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was a fast paced, interesting book, little different than other books by this author.
When a decomposed body is found at a building site, Detective Gillard is stumped. So many different aspects pf the body don't add up - like the state of the body, weapon used, or even the DNA found. While investigating, he uncovers fraud, then a missing person, an abduction, and a lot of suspects and no one willing to talk.
The characters, like always, are great, and the plot was intriguing. Had a surprising concussion I did not anticipate.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When a badly decomposed body is discovered on the banks of the River Wey DCI Craig Gillard heads up the investigation. Identifying the body won't be easy, but when the name of a man missing for 6 months, Ozzy Blanchard, is brought to the attention of Gillard it looks like it could be him.
Unfortunately, nothing in this case is that easy and no matter how hard they try they just keep coming up against brick walls.
Could local issues with the water supply and a fraud investigation at the Water company have anything to do with with the murder or is Gillard right that notorious local family the Ticketts are involved somehow? With so many different strands working out where they fit in is proving impossible.
I really enjoy the Craig Gillard books. This one took you in one direction and then totally turned on itself and left you wondering what would happen next!

A solid four star read. Well written. Fantastic characters. Fast paced. Gripping. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled... Would definitely read his next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

This is the ninth book in the DCI Craig Gillard series by author Nick Louth.

A decaying corpse is dug up by workmen in the middle of an Anglo-Saxon burial site, but it is not the remains of any dark age body. The modern dental fillings point to a much more recent death. DCI Craig Gillard is investigating the case and given the state of the body it is not going to be easy. One possibility is that it is the remains of Ozzy Blanchard, a contractor employed by the same water firm doing the digging who disappeared six months ago, his crashed company car found nearby. When the corpse is x-rayed it is discovered that a shard of metal is lodged in his neck and is identified as an Anglo-Saxon dagger unknown to archaeologists. DCI Craig Gillard must identify both the corpse and the killer.

This was a good read but I didn’t feel it was as strong as previous books in the series. I enjoy the characters and the novels are well written so fully intend to continue to read the series.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

There's water problems in Surrey. Flooding, escaping sewage, and one of the water firm's contractors is missing.

And in the middle of an Anglo Saxon burial site, a corpse turns up. But it's not ancient. The murder weapon is though....

On top of all this, DCI Craig Gillard has a decades-long feud between two local families to contend with.

Another brilliant addition to this excellent series

306 pages

3 and 1 / 2 stars

Covid is rampant in England and the public is in lockdown. The team of police officers are greatly reduced due to the number working from home and those who are sick.

DCI Craig Gillard is down to three officers to aid him in his latest investigation. A body has been found in a newly dug ditch at a site intended to aid the water and sewage problems in a local village. The work is being done by a company called Aqua Western.

At the same time, Ozzy Blanchard hurriedly packs and leaves home, leaving his wife speechless. His car is later found wrecked, but Ozzy is missing.

Gillard and his team wonder if the body in the ditch is Ozzy. Ozzy worked for the company that is supposed to be installing the corrections on the sewage project. Something is not right. Why did Ozzy take off? Where is he? Is he the dead man?

Gillard is run ragged interviewing people and the team is not making much progress. A DCS from the adjoining precinct is being obstructive. There seems to be an investigation into Aqua Western’s business practices, but Gillard cannot get ahold of any information. Add to the mix a private eye. Who is his client?

Things come to a head when another Aqua Western employee goes missing. This time, it is Ozzy’s boss.

Gillard and his team uncover a conspiracy to defraud the sewer project. Who all is involved?

This is a widespread conspiracy in which no one seems capable of telling the truth. Gillard and his team have leads going every which way. Will they ever solve this case? What about the man they found in the ditch? Who is he?

This book is well written as are all of Nick Louth’s novels. However, it seems to wander a little more than usual. I usually don’t read books about fraud as I find the details too dry and more than a little boring. I like Gillard and his team, they work well together. I like that we get little glimpses of their personal lives. It adds color to the book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Canelo Crime for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

No Historic Discovery…
The ninth in the DCI Craig Gillard series finds Gillard and his team knee deep in death once again when a corpse is discovered by workmen digging an Anglo-Saxon burial site. This, however, is no historic discovery. It’s an all too recent death. Fast paced, twists and turns aplenty and with a cast of credible and well crafted characters this is an intriguing and compelling read with plenty of personal life interaction too. Another great read and a fitting addition to this solid series.

Nick Louth has done it again, another superb thriller. This is the ninth DI Craig Gillard book and just as well written as the previous eight. This story involves murder, fraud and abduction. The plot is fast-paced and complex with full of twists and surprises. There are a host of suspects and everything is pulled together well by the end of the book. A very entertaining and exciting read.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, and quite a few who done it! The storyline was pretty interesting, the characters were well liked, all and all it was a decent read! It didn't have me on the edge of my seat, but as I said it was Interesting! I will recommend this book as its worth reading, but its just not one of my all time favorite! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I think the author has wrote a really good book here. The story started off really well with a great opening chapter that just made me want to carry on reading. There are quite a few characters here, most I liked or thought were ok, and a few I didn’t like at all. I loved all the separate story threads and really enjoyed following them with some keeping me guessing throughout the book. DCI Gillard investigates a murder, a missing man and a Company that is being looked closely at by the Fraud Office. How are these links connected? I thought this was a fast paced read told through mostly Gillard and his team’s perspectives which I liked, and, for me, added depth to the story. I loved the glimpses into Gillards home and personal life, I feel like I know him, his wife and work colleagues really well. The book raced to a thrilling conclusion with all loose ends tied up and I loved the ending. Looking forward to the next book.