I haven't read anything by this author previously but will certainly be reading more. I was hooked from the start, well plotted and wonderful characters. This was a real page turner with so many twists and turns and kept me guessing all the way.
It's a really good book,.it draws you in and is difficult to put down. I had been threatening to read the books but I finally picked up the last book and started as they can be read individually. But rest assured I'll be reading the rest of the books soon!!

The book opens with Nikki receiving a threatening phone call from someone claiming that they were about to kill someone. If that wasn’t enough to deal with, Nikki and her team are trying to solve a bunch of home invasions where the thieves only take certain expensive items. Nikki’s mother Eve, a former ministry of defence agent, is dealing with her own loss of her best friend but is it a heart attack like everyone suspects? It quickly becomes apparent that this is not the first suspicious death.

The first body is found and Nikki is drawn into a game with a sick killer who will only give clues in an archaic language known as thieves latin. To make matter worse her mother goes missing and she has no idea if she is alive or dead. With the help of her team she must try and stop any more deaths.

So this may be the third Joy Ellis book I’ve read but this is actually the first of the Nikki Galena series I’ve read. It’s been on my tbr list since October last year and what with me getting the next book, Fire On The Fens, I thought I had best read this one first.

Having read I’d say it works perfectly well as a stand-alone but I think it might be beneficial to read a few of the previous books, just because I had this feeling while I was reading felt that I was playing a bit of catch up.

Wow, this book really packs a punch! The action in this book does not let up at all with plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep any crime fan entertained. The two storyline rub along nicely together, one didn’t over shadow the other at all.

Eve is a real feisty character who I’d like on my side if there was ever any problems, even with the fact that she’s retired and in her sixties (note to some authors that this is the way older female characters should be written!). I’ve still not quite made my mind up about Nikki yet, but there a nice will they won’t between her and her partner Joseph Easter.

If I had one complaint, it was just that it was such a large cast of characters, I’m just talking about the police, that I kind of lost track of the more minor characters.

Overall a wonderful read that has made me understand why this series is so popular. I can’t wait to start Fire In The Fens!

One of my favorite things about Joy Ellis’ work is how complex, yet non-confusing, her stories are. You’re completely absorbed, trying to work it all out, and it’s just enough to keep your mind moving and working.

“Thieves on the Fens” is no exception, with plenty of subplots to keep readers not only intrigued, but anxiously waiting for the next installment.

This book is part of a series but can indeed be read as a stand-alone.

The main plot involves a series of mysterious phone calls heroine Nikki Galena starts receiving which point her to violent deaths in a cryptic way. Meanwhile, the team is anxious to find a gang of thieves who are hitting up rich families in the area, and Nikki’s mom and her friends find themselves in a murderer’s sights.

I love the characters in this series. They make me want to drop what I’m doing and head for the police academy. I want them to be my co-workers!

I also love that Ellis spares no one and nothing. Anyone could be the next victim, no one is safe. It really keeps readers on their toes. And this book is no exception, trust me.

There’s also enough teasers to make me anxious for the next book. Don’t take too long!

Highly recommended!

I've fallen in love with Joy Ellis. She tells a tight story with very likable characters. This book, like all her others, moves quickly and keeps readers on their toes. Her descriptions of crimes and the police involvement are very believable. If you're a fan of British crime novels, this author is a must-read.

This book is part of a series but its easy to understand on its own. DI Nikki Galena gets a series of anonymous calls providing a clue to a murder, can they save the victim and catch the murderer? At the same time the area is hit by a series of burglaries, are the cases connected?

its a really good read.

An excellent read! I thoroughly enjoy this series of books and the characters therein

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoy these books by this author based in the Fens and eagerly await the next instalment.

Wow! This is my favourite of Fen’s series so far. I first came across Joy Ellis about 18 months ago and love her stuff, she just keeps getting better and better. I have so enjoyed DCI Nikki Galena’s journey and this latest story adds yet another layer. The thought of losing her mother after finding out about her recently really adds to the tension in the book. Who would have through her mum and her friends would be so central to a case. Joy Ellis at her best.

I love female detectives. This one is about Nikki Galena and her team. It is the 8th book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. There a set of thieves stealing prized items, there is a psychotic killer killing thieves and on top of all that Nikki's mother Eve is grieving her best friend Jenny's death. Eve suspects that Jenny didn't die of natural causes

Who killed Jenny?
Why is the killer targetting thieves?
Will Nikki catch the house burglars?

It was a fast paced suspense novel. I enjoyed the nail biting suspense. I would definitely like to read more stories of Nikki. Of late I noticed most of my suspense novels kind of drag out, but this one was perfect.I love how the events played out.

Recommend for suspense thriller readers

Another great read in the Nikki Galena series of book set in the Fens. The plots are always exciting and I would recommend starting with book one in the series. From the first page, the action sucks you in. An intricate plot with all your favourite characters. Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

I just loved this book Joy Ellis and is now one of my favourites authors , Joy Ellis has a lovely flare of writing all her books. If you want a good detective series of books that has lots twist and turners that keeps you wanting to turn the pages, her books are for you. Her books just get better and better.
Big fab 5* review from me

Reviews let on good reads and and Amazon UK.

This book was oddly pretty damn good! Why oddly? Well, I'll tell ya', but I'm not even sure I understand it myself. Everybody was likable. Cop's. Villains. Secondary characters, and.........eck. There wasn't even a boss cop who was an asshole. Weird. Yet, it was a nice change. Also, no clue was given to who the bad person was. I hate that! I spend the whole book trying to piece together clues, then pftt., like a handful of smoke, it's just gone! Damn it!!!! But I'll hand it to the author, this was one really decent read. The people. Their character. The various mysteries. I loved it. I'll be reading more from this author.

I love Joy Ellis. I have read all the books in this series and am blown away by how the characters grow and the story never disappoints.

I have another confession to make. (At this rate I should have my own confessional box), I have never read any of Joy’s books before. I know that’s shocking right? Well rest assured that I am now one of her biggest fans as I enjoyed ‘Thieves On The Fens’ so much. I love discovering new series’ and I particularly love discovering that there are 7 books prior to the one I am reviewing here. Anyway more of the fan girling in a bit.

I took to DI Nikki Galena from the start. She is feisty, she is determined, she is strong but she also has her vulnerable side. Her vulnerability particularly comes through when she is talking about her late daughter and when Nikki is feeling threatened. This is especially apparent in this book when it becomes clear that she is being watched and that somebody has been in her property to move things around. Nikki is also determined to protect her mother after it becomes apparent that someone is killing off her mother’s friends. (Her mother had a tight knit group of friends with whom she worked in the MOD, although the exact nature of their work led me to suspect that they were involved in something far more secret i.e: espionage). One by one this tight knit group is being picked off by persons unknown. I get the impression that Nikki finds it hard to trust people and I did wonder if this is because she has been badly let down in the past. One person, with whom she is very close is her Detective Sergeant, Joseph, who seems to adore her and he wants to be her knight in shining armour, or at least that’s how it seemed to me. Nikki is one hard working woman and she isn’t afraid to muck in to do her fair share of work when lives are at stake. This is especially apparent with the current case that she & her team are working on. An unknown person keeps ringing Nikki to tell them about a murder, yet to be detected, and gives the location of where the body can be found. However, there is a snag because the caller uses an archaic language, which was used centuries ago amongst the criminal fraternity. So Nikki swiftly has to get up to speed with the translation of said language, apprehend the killer before it is too late and protect her mother & her mother’s colleagues. It’s safe to say that Nikki and her team have their work cut out for them.

In my opinion, ‘Thieves On The Fens’ is superbly written. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. At no point did I feel left behind or confused about who did what. I have to say that I was hooked on this book from the very first word on the very first page and reading ‘Thieves On The Fens’ became something of an addiction to me. I found it to be a real ‘CPID’ (can’t put it down) book, which came everywhere with me. I was so hooked on the story that I didn’t notice how quickly the pages were turning and before I knew it I had finished the book, which I was so disappointed about. Don’t get me wrong, I was pleased to see how this episode ended but I was enjoying the writing style and story so much that I just wanted the book to continue on and on. There were lots of twists and turns to the story, as well as the occasional red herring. I smugly thought that I had fathomed out who did what and why but then I was sent down another path entirely. You could definitely say that this book certainly kept me guessing. On more than one occasion, I almost had to read through my fingers and hold my breath because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. If I get into a really good book, I start to live the story, I feel like an invisible member of the team and I tend to start arguing with the different characters, which is weird to watch because I know it is a work of fiction and I am arguing with a book!! The only bad part about this book is that it had to end.

In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘Thieves On The Fens’ and I can’t wait to read more in the series featuring DI Nikki Galena. Whilst I wait I can content myself with working through the earlier books in the series. Happiness is discovering a series part way through and realising that there are several books to catch up on. It means I can buy more books, which is always a good thing (not so according to Mrs. Ginger Book Geek). I would have no hesitation in recommending this series to anybody. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board for ‘Thieves On The Fens’ is a mahoosive and well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Thank you Net Galley. I enjoyed this book very much. Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter make for an interesting pair. The book was a quick and easy read. I am looking forward to reading more in the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Thieves on the Fens, the eighth novel to feature DI Nikki Galena and DS Joseph Easter of the Licolnshire Police.

Nikki is getting threatening phone calls, not unusual in her line of work but the tone and unusual vocabulary used are unsettling and she feels she has no option but to take them seriously when the team decode one as threatening murder. In the meantime Nikki's mother, Eve, is distressed and suspicious about the death of her former colleague and close friend, Jenny who died of a heart attack shortly after passing some very strict medicals. Nikki starts to investigate both incidents while trying to deal with a professional housebreaking ring operating in the area.

I thoroughly enjoyed Thieves on the Fens which starts off at a breakneck speed and doesn't let up. It is a highly addictive read which kept me turning the pages from start to finish, impatient to know what was coming next. The plot probably doesn't bear much resemblance to reality but it's exciting, action packed and well executed so who cares when it's so entertaining? The two main plot strands intertwine effectively with some surprises taking centre stage in the middle of the novel which I think is one of the pleasures in this series - the reader never knows what is going to happen next.

The main characters are much as they always are. Nikki, the smart, strong, dedicated detective being watched over and supported by the ever faithful Joseph. I think this is the first novel where I have seen Nikki unsettled and worried. The real protagonists in this novel are Eve and her gang of girlfriends who are all ex RAF and MOD employees with specialist skills they can't talk about. Talk about the Golden Girls! It is refreshing to see accomplished female pensioners being given a role as resourceful contributors rather than the infirm, helpless ones usually assigned to them in fiction. They are a fun addition to the cast and I hope to see more of them in future novels.

Thieves on the Fens is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is only the second book of Joy's I have read, after reading Buried in the Fens earlier this year, and I have to say that her books seem to keep getting better each time.
I loved this one from the start as we jump straight into the action, which doesn't let off until the stunning conclusion.
Even though this is book 8 of the series, and you really should read all of them, Joy's writing style is such that you could pick this one up and know what has happened in the past, along with the main character's back stories.
I really liked the new characters, and old ones who are given more of the limelight with this book, including Niiki's mum who is involved in one of the mysteries in this book and is investigating missing people herself.
The other mystery in the story involves an even more personal thing for Nikki as someone has decided that she needs to play their game and if not they start killing people in more extreme ways each time.
The way the two intricate storylines come together and intertwine throughout makes this book a brilliant read and I couldn't stop reading it throughout.
Overall I would have to give this 5 stars as the twists and turns make it a great read

This was a page turner from the getgo to the last word. It was a thrilling read , a great page turner. I would thoroughly recommend this book. I have never read this author but I will definitely look out for her books now. I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Joy Ellis – Thieves on the fens.
What a book, I love this series; I mean I really love this series. Here we are at book 8, and I have to say personally I think these books should be read in order. I’m not saying you couldn’t read as standalone, but to get the full background story which I feel really does make a difference here, then they really are best read in order.
Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter, a first class crime solving partnership. I find these two characters just amazing, the way they interact, the way they know each other and of course they work so so well together.

We are on the lookout in this book for a killer who seems to be taunting the police. Mainly Nikki and Joseph, Leaving clues as to what he is going to do. The clues that Nikki and Joseph need to figure out.
We also see a little more of Eve in this book. (Nikki’s mother) and I think she’s also a great character. Finding one of her long time friends dead, Eve is determined to figure out if this was just a natural death or something a little more sinister, but the more she searches the more she puts herself in danger. 

I can't recommend this series highly enough from the very beginning I have thoroughly enjoyed it

I am a massive fan of this series and I think the books just keep getting better and better!

The book is fast-paced and gripped me right from the start - plenty of suspense, thrills and lots of twists and turns, the 'on the fens' series is definitely one of my favourites at the moment and this book is a great addition to that series!

The books draws you in and I didn't want to put t down until I'd finished - the characterisation was great as normal and it had a well planned plot - five stars from me for this one and looking forward to book 9!!