A Cold Cold Heart

I have read all of this authors books and he never fails to create a horrible and extremely unlikeable character in them. In fact White Is The Coldest Colour, has one of my most hated characters ever in it! The serial killer in A Cold Cold Heart certainly gives him a run for his money in this book though.

If you have read some of the authors books you may recognise DI Gravel. Don’t worry though as this book is a total stand alone and you don’t have to have read any others before this one. I would love the author to start or turn the books into a crime series though as DI Gravel is a great character and he is one I would happily read more books with him in.

The case that DI Gravel finds himself working on is an horrific one. As the victims are all young females, he fears for the safety of his daughter, and him and his team are very much racing to catch the killer.

This is one of those stories where the reader knows very early on who the serial killer is. It makes it even more frustrating as at times I wanted to scream out who it was so that the police could grab them before they took anyone else’s life. It was certainly some gripping stuff though seeing the police close in on them.

A Cold Cold Heart is a book that will definitely have you feeling like someone has walked over your grave. It is dark, gripping and totally had me on the edge of my seat. Another great read by an author who is vast becoming one of my go to authors whose books I will always turn to when I want a book that will have me hooked throughout as he hasn’t let me down once.

I definitely am a lover of a good mystery, thriller or suspense novel. Recently, I finished what I thought was a very good book written by an author who used to write/edit puzzles. The light bulb went off in my head and I realized what draws me so strongly to this genre. I love finding clues, puzzling them out and in a very good story, being wrong more often than right and figuring out how the author and my brain led me astray.
I was slightly concerned when I realized the serial killer's identity was revealed early in the book. There wouldn't be any clues for me to ponder or incorrect suspect guesses leading up to that pivotal reveal moment. Fortunately, the police attempt to identify and catch the killer kept me quite engaged and the killer's POV showing both his false face as well as the evil that lurked inside him kept me flipping pages, hoping he would be unmasked. So I did have two mysteries to consider, how did he become this loathsome man and would he be caught before there were many more victims.
A gripping story and one that is too often encountered in the real world. The evil that walks among is often disguised behind an attractive facade. Two things to note, it is as I said a serial killer story and what happens to the victims is graphic and horrific and there is quite a bit of profanity used throughout the story. As long as neither of those things makes you decide not to finish a book, the author's writing style made for an intense read. My first John Nicholl book and not my last.
Thank you, Mr. Nicholl, Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and review. Books like this one have made me realize I don't need nearly as much sleep as I thought.

Meet the suave and debonair Charles Turner. A gentleman and solicitor of impeccable manners who has a fondness for pretty young ladies. He wines them, he dines them, he surrounds them with his wealth and musical taste and introduces them to his large detached residence in the country. There is just one problem with Mr C he is partial to erotic asphyxiation, enjoys the thrill of strangulation, and has a fixation with his dear departed mother her elegant party dresses and the smell of her lavender perfume. DI Gravel is having a bad day with a serial killer on the loose, the body count mounting, and his only daughter Emily about to step into the jaws of a crocodile when she accepts a job at a respectable local firm of solicitors Harrison and Turner.

I really enjoyed this book and unusual in the fact that the reader knows very quickly who the killer is. There are some well defined characters namely DI Gravel and his unhealthy life choices, his very able assistant Detective Sergeant Laura Kesey and a dangerous predator who will stop at nothing to feed his depraved sexual lust. Many thanks to netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written. I will certainly be reading more by John Nicholl as I enjoy his witty and fast flowing prose.

DI Gavel is on the hunt for the sadistic killer of young women. Whoever he is, he's smart, he's crafty, and he really, really enjoys mentally and physically torturing his victims before finally killing them. None of his victims have anything in common ... other than they somewhat remind him of his mother.

When Gavel's adult daughter moves back home to take a position with an attorney's office, they are both delighted. He warns her time and time again ... please be careful. His daughter, Emily, looks just a tad like the victims that have been discovered.

The reader knows from the very beginning who the killer is. What makes this a killer book? As he talks to his intended victim, he's very charming, and witty, and funny. But while he's talking, the reader sees exactly what he's thinking ... and it's ugly and evil and downright frightening.

And while Gavel is frustrated at not finding the killer, when the human monster turns his attention to Gavel's daughter, he takes it very, very personally .. at great risk to his own health.

This author is definitely one to follow. I've found all his books to be well-written, with characters that will stay in your memory .. especially when the lights go out.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I've read and reviewed John Nicholl’s books before and to say he has a dark and vivid imagination is an understatement, so I always look forward to a new novel by this author as to be frank I'm never quite sure how dark or disturbing it’s going to be, but one thing I'm guaranteed it's bound to be a “hell of a read”. Everything you need to know is in the book description, so I'm definitely not going to “rehash” the plot details, suffice to say DI Gravel is on the hunt for a serial killer, a killer who is by definition a monster of the worse kind.

A word of warning for the feint hearted A Cold Cold Heart does contain some graphic descriptions which some readers may find distressing. The author has a knack of creating the most despicable characters, he is able to get inside the dark recess of his characters mind, so the reader is very much privy to the Killers thoughts and reasoning which means this book sometimes makes for an uncomfortable and a very chilling read, fortunately for me I do love this type of read.

If you have read some of this authors previous books you may recognise DI Gravel (although fear not this book can be read as a standalone) he isn't your usual stereotypical detective, he's overweight, heading for retirement, suffers with arthritis and angina, he's sarcastic with a jaded opinion of the legal system and the killers he chases, but he's like a breath of fresh as he tramples through crime scenes and blunders his way through witness interviews! You can help but warm to him.

From the beginning you know who the killer so there's no mystery there, now sometimes this can spoil my enjoyment of a crime thriller as I do like to try and work out who the killer is and his motives. Fortunately the killer is such a sick individual I found the suspense came from wanting the killer to slip up and see justice served. Although not highly original in plot John Nicholl adds his own unique signature to A Cold Cold Heart by incorporating a character study of a serial killer who will send chills down your spine. All in all A Cold Cold Heart made for a gripping and nail biting read. Highly recommended if you like your crime thrillers on the dark and disturbing side.
Review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve read all the author’s books and this one didn’t disappoint.

The writing style hooks you in quickly, there’s no overly drawn out descriptive paragraphs or chapters, just a good old fashioned crime thriller book.

Even though you know early on who the serial killer is, it’s written so well that it doesn’t spoil anything.

Can’t wait for the next book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for a review copy of A Cold, Cold Heart, a police procedural set in Wales featuring DI Gareth "Grav" Gravel.

When the team is called out to a dead body it becomes apparent that it is another in a series. Someone is dressing young women in 50s clothing, raping, strangling and leaving them in local beauty spots.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Cold, Cold Heart which is an absorbing read with a clever plot. It grabbed my attention from the start when solicitor Charles Turner gives his client some unorthodox information and I could feel my jaw dropping as I read it! Turner, of course, is the killer, a fact the author establishes early in the novel. I'm not always a fan of this early reveal approach but it works really well here as Turner fastens his attention on his new trainee, Grav's daughter Emily. The cat and mouse game he plays with the uneasy but unwitting Emily is tense and compelling. I read the novel in one sitting, unable to put it down.

I was a bit disappointed in the characterisation which is rather by the numbers but it's maybe not so important in a plot driven novel. Grav eats unhealthily, drinks too much and is massively overweight but smart and dedicated. He has a good relationship with his number 2 DS Laura Kesey who is also smart and dedicated but, as a kick boxer, much healthier. I didn't get a good feel for Emily and feel she is only a plot device but I feel the author missed a trick with Charles Turner who is a stereotypical callous psychopath.

It should be noted that there is a lot of bad language and some graphic descriptions of the young women's ordeals in the novel so it may not be for the faint hearted. I think it adds realism.

A Cold, Cold Heart is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I’ve read all the books by this author and yet again he’s shocked me with his fantastic writing abilities.

DI Gravel is on the hunt for a serial killer. DS Laura Kesey is on the investigation with him. Young girls are being abducted, tortured and killed.

Gravel is delighted when his daughter Emily moves back in with him. The serial killer has set his sights on Emily as his next victim. Can Gravel and Kesey find the killer before it’s too late?

I sat down to read a few chapters of this book this afternoon and read it all. I could not put it down. I highly recommend you read this book. In fact go back and read his previous books as well because this is definitely one of my auto click authors.

Absolutely amazing storyline that chills you to the bone . Twisting so much you won't know which way to turn . I can only hope there is more to come from this detective

This is a brilliant spine chilling crime thriller. I was hooked from the very first page. Having read this authors previous books and loved them all, this one was no exception and I literally devoured it in one day. It is a creepy tense read and John Nicholl has yet again excelled himself with this fantastic book. I look forward to reading more about DCI Gravel and his team .

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the advanced ecopy and my review is entirely my own honest opinion.

This is a gripping read and I will definitely be reading more of John Nicholl’s books.
The description of the book really intrigued me:
“DI Gravel and his daughter Emily are oblivious to the terrible danger she is in when she accepts a job working for the solicitor Charles Turner.

Meanwhile, Gravel is on the hunt for a serial killer. And when Emily becomes the killer’s latest obsession, the murderer will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality.

But as further bodies are discovered, the killer seeks to befriend DI Gravel and misdirect his investigation.

How can you catch a killer who is hiding in plain sight? Can DI Gravel and Emily come away from this case with both their lives intact?”

In this book we get to see the murders from both the killer’s perspective and also that of the Police.
The murders are pretty gruesome and it soon becomes apparent that the killer puts on a front in his day to day life.
DI Gravel is happy that his daughter has decided to move home and start a new job but soon her life is in danger and we first get to know about it from the killer’s evil thoughts.
This book had me on the edge of my seat and I loved it!
Thanks to Bloodhound books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

An amazing gripping read. I'm so glad I've discovered this author

I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to reading more from John Nicholl.

The book starts with DI Gravel investigating a number of murders of young women. His daughter, Emily, moves in with him and gets a job with a very dangerous man, Charles Turner.

This is a very disturbing book and really makes you think, do we really know anyone ? The serial killer doesn’t just kill his victims !!

This is a book that you won’t want to put down, there really isn’t a point in the book where it is safe to take a break, you just want to know what is going to happen next.

Would highly recommend to anyone that loves their psychological thrillers, definitely a 5* from me.

I've read previous books by John Nicholl and this certainly didn't disappoint. A brilliant spine chilling thriller where the reader finds out who the killer is early on, however this doesn't spoil the storyline. An absorbing read that had me hooked from the start. A very well deserved five stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is my second book from this author, and he does not disappoint!! John Nichols is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This is an edge of your seat thriller! I was hooked from the first page to the last! So many twists and turns! I couldn't read it quick enough!
I would definitely recommend this book.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley to review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book of John's I have read and I really enjoyed his writing style.

To start with I would be remiss to not mention that there are some gory and graphic parts, which are to be expected considering the subject matter.

You find out quite early on in the book who the killer is, but as he is a sadistic psychopath you never know what he is going to do next.

I think one of the things that makes this book so intriguing is that the main character's daughter gets unwittingly dragged into the story line by being the murderer's next potential victim.

The story flows really well and I loved how the killer can hide in plain site and how the police create a character profile of him, even though the reader knows who he is.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for other books by the author in the future.

Absolutely got lost in the book ,at times wanted to yell and scream at the characters ,DI Gravel is hunting a very evil man ,meanwhile his daughter Emily is mending her broken heart and is caught in the cross hairs. A must read.!

What’s to say other than bravo! This book has everything you want in a mystery thriller. Great plot, interesting characters who you end up really caring for; especially Emma and her dad DCI Gravel. The very handsome and suave attorney Charles Turner whom Emma ends up working for and having sex with is something else. The thrills just keep coming and again this is one of those books you have to pace yourself or you will be done before you want to. You are not going to be seriously surprised at the ending but there’s a lot of action before you get there. I will happily recommend this book for every British murder mystery. I received this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Great book and great author.

John Nicholl has captured my attention with this thrilling detective novel wish I had started with the first in the series but will certainly backtrack.
DI Gravel is the SIO on the trail of a sadistic serial killer, his daughter, a newly qualified lawyer, returns home and begins working with a young professional established lawyer in her hometown. How do these facts entwine ?
Thrilling, gruesome, sadistic well worth reading

In this thriller, we know who the killer is right from the beginning. The story is about how he selects and then reels in his next victim. The tension mounts as he gets closer to his goal.
His next victim is going to be Emily. Emily is the daughter of DI Gravel. DI Gravel has been investigating the murder of a string of young women and the detective has no clues to the identity of the killer.
The police are sure the same person raped and murdered all of the women, and it seems he dyed their hair and dressed them in old-fashioned clothes, before dumping them in the countryside.
DI Gravel is pleased when his daughter, Emily, tells him she has decided to move back to his area. She has been taken on at a respectable, local solicitors - not knowing that the killer is the main partner of the practice.
We watch as Grav’s daughter steps closer and closer to tragedy. The solicitor is charming and seductive and she almost falls for his charms, even though her instincts are telling her to keep her distance. They work together, they date, and he manipulates her into situations she can’t avoid.
There are some graphic, violent scenes. The author is an expert at crawling inside the mind of the killer and this was the part of the book that I found the strongest (in fact, it made the police procedural aspects fade into the distance.)
A fast-paced thriller and a compelling read.