I just love John's books, he gets you into the storyline straight away. This is a fast paced twisty story and each chapter leaves you in suspense.

I like his style of writing and overall this book was brilliant and extremely well written I must admit, although the ending was different it was very well thought out.

I look forward to reading John's next masterpiece.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of Portraits of the Dead, the first novel to feature DI Gareth "Grav" Gravel of the West Wales police.

When the goddaughter of West Wales' Chief Constable, Emma Jones, is kidnapped from her Cardiff flat Grav is instructed to find her. He, in turn, delegates the search for Emma to DS Clive Rankin while he deals with the five murdered young women found buried in the local woods until it appears that they might be linked.

I enjoyed Portraits of the Dead in parts as it is a good read with several unexpected twists. The novel is told from two distinct points of view with Emma and her kidnapper alternating with Grav and Clive. Initially the kidnapper's motives seem a bit clichéd, sex and control, but this is only the tip of the iceberg and I felt my eyes popping out of my head as I read one of the twists, re-reading it to make sure I'd understood! I must admit that I did not enjoy his interactions with Emma which seem repetitive and offensively gratuitous. In this case less would have been more. The investigative narrative is more to my taste. I enjoyed the banter between the characters and the sense that they were banging their heads against a brick wall. It makes a change to see an investigation that makes little progress. The novel, however, ends with a bang with some great twists and is well worth the journey. For that alone I have rated it at 4*.

Portraits of the Dead is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This thriller really grabbed and held my attention. I ended up staying up until Midnight to finish the novel I started yesterday. I loved the flaws of the characters and seeing into their lives.

The serial killer was a demented person who was really brought to life. He was someone you wanted to see what he would do next, but didn't. That's a skill a lot of writers struggle with, while Mr. Nicholl didn't.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars was the ending. It left me just a bit dissatisfied. I really wanted the characters to squirm and be shown how wrong they were.

This is the first John Nicholl book i have read. It started off good, then got a bit odd at one point which i think even for me was a step to far. The ending was pretty short and snappy, i think i would have prefered a different one, however, it was a fitting end. I Will read more of his books.

ive read books by this author previously and was lucky enough to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review. it does not disappoint and is a fabulous read which i have told all my friends to download on publication day! the story is dark and twisted with an ending i hadn’t expected. definitely one to read this year.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Initially Emma and her captor didn’t completely enthrall me. I enjoyed the storyline though and it’s not too graphic if that concerns you.

Loved the two main police characters in this book. Reminded me of old fashioned policing.

The ending seemed a little rushed though there were a couple of unexpected twists thrown in too.

Look forward to reading the next book by John Nicholl.

From the very beginning, this book had me at the edge of my seat! Portraits of the Dead is a rollercoaster ride of fear, adrenaline and suspense. I found myself holding my breath while reading, almost afraid of what the next page contained. This is an intense thriller and will leave you breathless.

**Spoilers**

Emma is woken up to find a man in her room and before she can act, she is knocked out. She awakes in a dark room, afraid and disoriented. Suddenly a light flashes on and she sees she's in a windowless room with photographs of 5 other women, who bear a startling resemblance to her. A man's voice comes through the room and he tells her this is her home now. He is demanding and tortuous. He tortures her psychologically for a while...turning off the light and playing horrible recordings of his other victims screaming. Before she completely breaks down, he ends the torture for the time being and commands her to call him "master" from then on. She must obey his every whim, no matter how depraved or demeaning, or else he will kill her. She decides early on that she's going to fight with everything in her, even if that means playing along with his tortuous game.

Emma's mother goes to the police, hell bent on finding her daughter. An investigation ensues aand after 2 weeks of Emma missing, 5 bodies are discovered, horribly mutilated. The 5 women all look like Emma. They know his MO now and realize the same man who kidnapped her also killed these women. They will have to do everything they can to bring this killer to justice. The police are racing against the clock to bring Emma home before it's too late.

We find out the person who is the kidnapper/murderer is also a cannibal and there is quite a bit of talk about torture and rape. These parts of the book will be quite disturbing to some readers. So I'm adding this in as a warning, but it does help to describe the evil and psychopathy of the character.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Bloodhound Books, John Nicholl (the author) for allowing me to have his ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

I think the best thing about this book is Gravel. He's a decent likeable character.... got a good few books in him I'm sure.
Emma,and the situation she finds herself in was a pretty good storyline too.
I found however I couldn't take the killer seriously.. he was never scary in my eyes and get a little simplistic in the way he neatly explains why he's psycho.
The mother didn't help matters.
I'll give Gravel another go,but won't be raving about this much.

This is a very creepy, disturbing book set in the same universe as the author’s Dr. Galbraith books. The culprit is revealed in the middle of the story, so the suspense comes from the coppers trying to find the girl that he has abducted. Emma, the victim, is a very smart cookie and just may be able to manipulate the situation enough as to set herself free. The baddie is also well drawn, as well as his surprising accomplice. The brilliance of the other books that I read by this author is how well he shows psychopathy and how truly scary the situations that they cause are. The view from the victim’s perspective is equally compelling. What I didn’t quite like about this book is that it focuses in the procedural aspect too much in my opinion. The police detectives are efficient and we know them to be good, but I wasn’t as engrossed by their investigation as I was by the ordeal of the rest of the characters. I really liked the ending, surprising and so good it made me gasp.

WOWSERS…. firstly the cover of the book scared the bejesus out of me, thinking of Stephen's King's IT.... but braved it after reading the bio.....This is my first read by John Nicholl but I can say hand on (thumping heart after that read) that it certainly won’t be the last. This is the kinda book I dine on, from the get go you are pulled in, its fast paced and chilling to the core. The story follows 3 parts, that of Emma who has been kidnapped, Master with his sickening mind, cravings, fetishes that will leave you with your mouth hanging open and then there is DI Gravel. Can Gravel save Emma in time, will Emma please the Master enough to stay alive? Its sit on the edge of your seat finger nail biting stuff…. And whoah mamma…. That twist mid way through the book…. Did not foresee that, will say no more for fear of ruining it for anyone but you WILL KNOW what I mean when you come across it…. Those of you who love a psychological crime serial killer book with many twists and turns, THIS IS A MUST MUST READ.

Many thanks to John Nicholl, Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was freaky as hell! I was captured and seriously pulled into Master's world. We flip flop between Master and the cop. I love the view of hunter and hunted... I feel like my pulse pounds heavier and I get caught up more into it. Mr. Nicholl taps into a fear I've always had... heck, fears we all have about someone hiding in our closet. Right?!?! Keep it up Mr. Nicholl! Your books keep getting better and better!

I also listened to the audiobook and goodness, Jake Urray can tell a scary story! His voice is this lovely smooth accent that lulls you in and you're captivated by his words... his enunciation. It's terrifyingly perfect!

Nicholl's has done it again. I was gripped by the first page getting into Emma's story. It is a fast-moving suspenseful book. Nicholl is a great storyteller. He has the ability the show the reader everything so that they can visualize. I cringed at certain moments because it was very gritty and dark. This novel can easily be read in one sitting just like his other novel. Once you start reading you don't want to stop.

John Nicholl has excelled again.. I think John's writing just gets better and better and this book had me riveted all through the night until the very last word. Whether you have read John's previous great books or not, it doesn't matter - you will want this one on your to-read list!

The book is set in Wales, around the beautiful city of Cardiff that I have had the pleasure to visit and without giving too much away the book gives us a thrilling, chilling plot of a serial killer with unhealthy needs and fetishes, twisted and damaged with a fixation on young woman who all have his signature "look". As with all great serial killer books I loved the fact that John lets us get into the mind and life of the killer as well as in the mind and world of his current abductee and "plaything". She is NOT a fortunate young woman.

The pace is great, you are right into the meaty good stuff from page one and it doesn't stop from there. No boring bits here people! The book has the added elements of us viewing the story from the police perspective as their hunt for the killer is well underway in South Wales. There are plenty of characters to both love and hate in this novel, all well developed and not overly-complex to connect with and picture. You might as well be watching a great movie or TV drama, it's clear, dramatic and exciting fiction.

It would be a spoiler but there is one character that I particularly felt was well-written and very cleverly done in this book. I wonder if you can guess who I mean when you get around to reading it. The character is central to the entire plot so I can't share, sorry to tease! I really just loved the plot overall and whilst I guessed a few things reasonably early in the book (the killer's real identity was one of them) I was not expecting THAT ENDING. It was excellent, really exciting and somewhat left me speechless.

The book is not overly graphic for those of you who might be afraid to enjoy it that are squeamish, it's emotionally charged and I have to say there is one particular scene where I felt John really did go to the "dark side" with the imagery and the writing and I cringed and nearly turned my head. I am pretty thick-skinned with dark fiction, gory crime, horror books so that says a lot. I must admit I would like to see something in future from John with more of that extreme end of things, I think that would really float my boat (sick I know!).

The story is compelling and lovers of both crime fiction and psychological thrillers will enjoy this book as it's a mixed blend in my opinion. Five huge stars from me and I predict this book will be very popular, if not THE most popular of all of John's great books. He is an author that just keeps giving the public what they want and I can't wait for the next book.

I felt very blessed to be able to read an advance copy of this book pre-publication thanks to Bloodhound Books.

Emma doesn't know where she is. Emma doesn't know who took her. Emma doesn't know why she was chosen. Emma does know she's scared, she's in pain, and he's never going to let her go ... at least not alive. He calls her Venus 6. He orders her to call him Master. And he wonders .. is she the one?

DI Gareth Gravel and DS Clive Rankin are investigating Emma's disappearance. At first glance, she looks like a 19-year-old college student, most likely traipsing out yonder with a boyfriend. But Emma's mother is absolutely insistent that her daughter would never do that.

Gravel practices due diligence and speaks to Emma's housemates and discovers that she had had a stalker of sorts. An old bearded, gray-haired man had seemed to be following her. Rankin takes on the university and her professors. No one knows anything, no one has seen anything out of the norm.

But then 5 bodies are found in various stages of decomp. All are missing parts of their bodies and when finally identified, they all resemble the missing Emma.

And so begins the hunt for one of the most sadistic, brutal, cold-blooded killers I've had the pleasure of reading. The author's pen has brought this human monster to life... a monster that we hope is only fiction.

This is an extremely well written psychological thriller. After reading this author's first two books, I expected nothing else. The characters are drawn with fine precision. The storyline is such that the reader cannot put the book down until the very end.

About half way through the book is quite a twist ... one I certainly never saw coming. The ending is quite intriguing, a cliff hanger of sorts. Normally I do not care much for cliff hangers, but this one has whetted my appetite for the follow-up book.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced copy of this riveting book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Fair warning – if you worry about things under the bed or inside your closet, this may not be the book for you. Emma had no idea she was being watched in the privacy of her own room, but she was, by someone looking through the wardrobe beside her bed. Now, she’s been taken by the same serial killer who has already killed five young women. Her only hope is DI Gravel, who’s racing against time to save her before it’s to late. Scary and intense

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and John Nicholl for the opportunity to read an ARC of Portraits Of The Dead.
I thought the storyline was well thought out and easy to follow. I was able to work out who the killer was early on in the book, but it certainly didn't take away from the plot. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Not cooking tonight, will have to be a takeaway. I have just received the latest from John Nicholl.
The true Master of The Dark. I have read all of his books and I loved this one as much as the others.
The subject matter is very dark. I have spent the last four hours in this book, only coming up for air when needs must and to replenish my coffee cup.
This book is hard hitting, very gritty and I loved it!!!!
If I could I would award this book six stars. Excellent read.
I would like to thank the author John Nicholl,Bloodhound books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.