Another fantastic novel from John Nicholl. He knows how to keep the reader hooked throughout and when to ramp up the action. Thanks for the opportunity to read

John Nicholl is a fantastic and skilled writer however is content is very very dark. I have read some of his other novels and whilst they were undoubtedly five star reads, I wouldn't describe them as enjoyable as they really push you to your limit. That being said, books like Nicholl's are absolutely necessary when they reflect the world out there.

DI Gravel is on the hunt for another serial killer but this time his daughter Emily is involved.

From the beginning you know who the killer so there’s no mystery there but the reader gets to see the whys and the hows as we delve into another depraved mind.

John Nicholl has worked in the past as a police officer and as a Child Protective Social Service officer, so although this is a work of fiction, he draws on his own professional experiences, and it really shows. The writing of this story was riveting, so compelling that I could not put it down. I couldn’t sleep till I knew how it ended, reading with my eye stinging with tiredness (and then I struggled to sleep).

From the intriguing and compelling opening, through the fast-paced action that twists and turns like the narrowest of dark country lanes, right up until the shocking ending, I had no idea what would come next.

Don’t be fooled by psychopaths. They can come across as your best friend, your most esteemed colleague or your most admired celebrity. Cannot recommend A Cold Cold Heart enough, however, it may not be for everyone due to some of the content.

Intense and dramatic with a fantastic writing style. I was enthralled throughout and read this in one sitting.

A Cold Cold Heart
By John Nicholl

4 stars.

Well Written Crime Triller

Nicholl has written a Welsh Crime triller that engages from the first word.

While the plot is fairly predictable. 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. Gravel is on the hunt for a serial killer, who becomes obsessed with Emily.

Cold, Cold Heart is an easy read, that keeps the reader engaged from the first to the last page.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

#AColdColdHeart #NetGalley

Reviewed by Heath Henwood
www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

An interesting storyline which had me intrigued from the start.

Gravel has his limits tested when someone close becomes the target of a killer. A ruthless killer at that.

Fairly fast paced, very dark and quite a twisted read.

Character wise. I have read a previous Gravel novel and I'm still not sure whether I like him or not. I usually enjoy characters that are quite unlikeable - so I will keep my mind open on this one.

Some parts of the story didn't make sense, but not so much that you can't follow along.

3.5 stars

John Nicholl can't keep a secret, he tells you from the beginning of the book who the killer is. He is happy for his readers to know why this madman does what he does too but most of all he doesn't just put you inside the mind of a killer, he puts the killer in your mind and believe me he stays there way after you close the book!
D.I. Gravel is pushed and pulled in all directions in this story. His health is at it's all time low, his drinking and unhealthy eating is out of control and his emotions torn to shreds. It feels like he is on a suicide mission of self-destruction but with a serial killer playing cat and mouse with him he simply won't cut down on the work load. His daughter Emily has bagged a new job in a solicitor's office so at least he believes he has one thing he doesn't have to worry about!!!!!!!!!!!
The killer is one smooth good-looking bloke but gift of the gab he doesn't have. Oh my does he make me cringe with his superior condescending way that he speaks to women. Now I aren't a violent person but honestly I wanted to slap him and then run like the wind! This killer really is one sick son of terrible mother!
John Nicholl is highly skilled at intensifying the utter desperation of the victims while the self-gratification of the killer remains the only goal. His journey to continually re-enact his revenge on the person that would never allow him to have a normal relationship. Talk about making those goose bumps, bump! A super series but these books can also be read a stand alone reads.

This review is also posted in my blog :
https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/a-cold-cold-heart-di-gravel-3/

Thank you to Bloodhound Books and Net Galley for a free copy of this book in trade for an honest review

This is an intense read from the beginning, because of all the chasing and suspicion between Charles Turner and the police. It’s feels like screaming inside to the police “he’s there right in front of your eyes! Can’t you feel him?”. It’s a smart writing with smart and strong characters are thrown together in a very interesting book. Having the killer with an Oedipus complex is quite rare case, yet it’s possible. Still, it’s an enjoyable read because the story keeps me wonder, what’s going to happen next? Will the police know who Charles Turner actually is?

From the start, the story is quite vague with the point of view from the killer and the police. Somehow, since the beginning the motive of the killer is unclear. The resemblance of each victim is they were all strangled, wearing a weird dress (no specific description) and smell of lavender perfume. As the story goes, things begin to unravel, but still unclear until the end.

The plot is easy to follow. Not too twisty, not too difficult. What makes it an intriguing read is the reason behind the killing. It’s what kept me reading.

This story sure have strong characters, for both male and female. DI Gravel with his antiques of a “healthy” lifestyle has a sharp mind but age is getting the best of him. Laura Kelsey, his partner is pictured as a strong woman with an inquisitive mind and good at solving problems. Emily Gravel is a young woman who’s not afraid to start a new life and saw all the wrong signs on Charles Turner. Her only problem is sometimes she doesn’t really hear her instinct.

The end is quite a happy ending. The only thing disappointing is that it was never revealed what happened to Charles Turner mother. I just wish all loose ends are tied. This is why I give this book a 4 stars. The journey is enjoyable, but the meaning behind it is lost. Too bad.

This happen to be the 2nd book from John Nicholl that I’ve read and reviewed. The 1st book was White is the Coldest Colour [link]. I sure want to read more from this series in the future.

Recommend for those who enjoy a good detective story with a mystery killer who play cat and mouse, as well as some mental illness theme.

Huge fan of John's so as soon as I saw the chance to review I jumped at the chance. Really enjoyed the book from start to end

A cold cold heart by John Nicholl.
Di gravel is back. the killer has killed and raped 5 woman. who is he? gravels daughter is back and may be the 6th victim. Can they find the murderer?
an absolutely fantastic read. loved the story and the characters. Didn't like Turner. 5*.

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.

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

i hesitated a lot before rating the book, it was all along between 2 and 3 stars and at the end i decided it's 2.5 stars.

Last year i read White is the Coldest Color and i loved it, despite how much disturbing it was, so i was excited to read this book. But i did not really enjoy it.
The story was naturally interesting, the serial killer as horrible and evil as one could expect from the creator of Dr Galbraith.
But in this book, the serial killer was predictable, evil but predictable and i did not like this combination. I don't know if i'm making any sense, but there were no surprises in the story to make me look forward to the next chapter.
Besides, i did not really like the other characters aside from DI Gravel who was rather interesting.
And there was way too much swearing, in almost all the dialogs, for my liking.

This was rather a disappointing second experience with this author but maybe i would give another book a chance.

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.

Sometimes Evil Wears a Suit! A perfect description of this chilling thriller. I was unsure as to how the book would progress, as the killer was identified quite early in the book, but progress it certainly did. A terrifying concept , as a charmer in a suit is an evil torturer and murderer.
How and why would someone want to do these despicable deeds, was the reason this was a compelling read.

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.

Very enjoyable, slightly different to books I normally read. I found the writing easy to follow and enough twists, to keep me entertained.

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.

From the moment I laid eyes on the cover of A COLD COLD HEART I couldn't wait to read it. It is one of those covers that has read me written all over it. I have to say the author doesn't disappoint with this cracking page turner. Which grabs you from the start unfortunately for me life got in the way and this book took me two sittings to read. But If it hadn't I know for a fact that I would of devoured it in one sitting. I was stitching to find out what was going to happen next.

Having read the author's previous book's I was familiar with the DI Gravel so for me it was nice to get to know him more.For those of you that haven't read any of John's books before I can assure you this can be read has a standalone.

In this story DI Gravel on the hunt for one sick and twisted serial killer. But then things take a turn for the worse when Emily DI Gravel's daughter ends up his latest victim and we follow a story of cat and mouse.

With the authors vivid and gruesome descriptions that made me squirm. This isn't for the fainthearted, I should add. This is a fast paced easy read that with characters that jump out the pages, where I could clearly hear their voices in my head. I adored Detective Sergeant Laura Kesey and I am looking forward to finding out more about her in the next book.

I loved how the chapters alternate from the investigation to the serial killer each chapter leaves you hanging. This is certainly one nail biting read that will keep you on the edge of your sit. which I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars.

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.

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.