I do have a soft spot for a police procedural and really enjoyed reading this when on holiday. I've not read any Nick Louth books before but will definitely read more. I really enjoyed how things fell into place in this book and it really did expand my knowledge of Albani. I like the character of Craig Gillard and enjoyed the realistic way the characters were developed. This was a mix of psychological thriller and police investigation and well worth reading.

Great, if you don't mind a little Hollywood-style unlikeliness!

It's a clever story, taking our hero British police officer across Europe and into gang territory, where his life hangs in the balance and there is nobody to truly trust. It's just a little more Taken, you know, the Liam Neeson move franchise, than you might imagine a crime story involving the Met actually could be!

The unlikely elements of the story - and there are many, along with a few handy coincidences - don't really matter though, as it does what you ask of any novel, whatever genre, it provides an entertaining escape into another world, populated by heroes and villains clearly labelled with white hats and black, where sure, eventually, good will always conquer evil. Enjoyable, to the final page.

An engaging introduction that leads straight into the crime.
You assume DCI Craig Gillard and Detective Inspector Claire Mulholland will successfully solve the first murder they encounter and you are also led to wonder about the possibility of a developing relationship, when things become more complicated and this turns out to be a really good read.
Although the identity of the perpetrator could be a bit unbelievable Louth includes enough background to substantiate this and you experience quite a turmoil of emotions at the end.

A definite recommend for fans of mystery detective thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A successful architect, Peter Young, is assassinated - shot with two bullets through his office window. A body is found on a remote Lincolnshire shore. Two Albanian children, adopted by a wealthy couple, Sophie and Dag Lund, suddenly disappear. Abducted? Are these seemingly unrelated events connected in any way? DCI Craig Gillard was the on-call detective in Surrey when Young was killed. How was Young shot through his 2nd storey office window? From a high vantage point?

Strange symbols are found at the various locations. Geoff Meadows, a former detective chief superintendent at the National Crime Agency is one of the few experts on Albanian crime outside academia. He recognises the symbol as the triple-headed eagle of the Dragusha clan, a notorious Albanian mafia family.

The police investigation will find connections that take Gillard to Albania and become embroiled in the blood feud between the Dragusha and Kreshniki crime families. Assisted by Sergeant Tokaj:

'This is the empire of blood,' Tokaj said, spreading his hands. 'Built on violence, extended through marriage, cemented by corruption and bulwarked by fear.'

Why is Gillard in Albania? Why has he put himself in harm's way? No more spoilers. Read it and find out. The Body on the Shore is different - full of menace and dark moments and a totally unexpected twist that is breathtaking in its audacity.

Cracking start, with an immmediate assassin hit. Draws the reader in from the first page. The police can’t explain it, and are immediately suspicious of the new South African secretary, who just happens to have a murdered husband. This turns out to be fruitless, and I’m not sure of its place in the story, it doesn’t seem to be needed.
The police are stuck, until events happen that tie in with their murder and they look to the gangs in Albania. Fast forward to Albania and its bleak snow covered landscape. I don’t know much about Albania, so enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery.
The plot then takes on the story of who our original victim was and where he came from. It follows the long feud of two families which eventually comes to a surprising head, in the last few pages.
I would read more of DCI Gillard’s adventures, if I got the chance.

I thought this was so well written, the research must have taken ages but it was all worth it as the information in this story made it so much better. The characters were great with all blending really well together. What a shock towards the end when you discover who did the killing but what was worse was that he did it like it was all so natural. I am really looking forward to the next book as I am sure it will be even better.

The assassination of a budding young architect posses an enigma of why and how seemingly without any clues. When this is followed by the abduction of two young children and the discovery of a body left by the sea in a remote area, a lead is established when they were all revealed to be immigrants from Albania. The detective in finding evidence that the abducted children are being taken to Albania travels there to find them. With the help of the local police the mystery is slowly unravelled. A most interesting and fascinating insight is given of the people and culture of Albania with its clans and blood relationships that leads to never ending feuds helps to solve the mystery.

Police procedural leading to action-packed finale - very good novel

DCI Craig Gillard investigates a murder in Surrey then a kidnapping of two children. He becomes mixed up in gang warfare, more murders (including the body on the shore of the title), finally finding resolution in Albania. There’s a permanent sense of menace throughout and it’s certainly not the most optimistic of books.
With a wide range of developed characters and detailed research, the novel works well, moves along at a steady pace and engages the reader successfully. Lovers of crime fiction should enjoy it. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Even though I haven't read the first book it wasn't necessary as this works on its own. A good story with three seemingly unconnected crimes, a good twist and enough detail and intrigue to keep you guessing. Highly recommended.

An intricate, well-paced police procedural with an engaging detective and an absorbing plot.

Intrigue and mystery beckon from the start of this story and intensify as it progresses, with three seemingly unrelated serious crimes. DCI Craig Gillard has to try and solve them, keep his bosses happy and avoid an international incident with the help of his dedicated team of detectives, colleagues from the past and his keen intuition.

The crimes are shocking but not overly graphic in description, the conspiracy that surrounds them gives the story a menacing ethos and the final twist is thought-provoking and somewhat poignant. I liked the authenticity of the story and the all the characters are believable. The settings are vividly described and add to the story's suspense.

A worthwhile read for anyone who likes police crime fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Gripping from the start. I've not read Nick Louth before but will certainly be looking for him now.
The novel opens with the discovery of the body of a young architect, a seemingly happy, well liked family man. The story then moves on to the disappearance of two young children following strange sitings on a country estate and another murder 200 miles away. What is the connection?
Despite many characters in the story, the plot remains easily followed. In Book 2 Gillard travels to Albania. I haven't read any novels with an Albanian back story, so this was an interesting new twist. And the conclusion was suitably shocking.
Gripping.

Peter Young is found shot dead in an upstairs office. An unidentified male body is found on a Lincolnshire beach. And the adopted children of a lady of the manor disappear.

Craig Gillard must find out what happened in each of these cases. Is there a connection?

A real page-turner, with a wholly unexpected conclusion

A gripping novel set in London and the Eastern bloc country of Albania. DCI Craig Gillard and team struggle to solve the murder of an architect shot in his office. When it was discovered the dead man was originally from Albania, many other crimes involving Albanians are starting to link in. I enjoyed the London part of the story. Good police procedural and it is when the story switches to Albania that I struggled, with the names and places. But a good thriller nonetheless. Recommended and as this is the second in series, I intend to read the first.

#TheBodyOnTheShore #NetGalley

This is book 2 in DCI Craig Gillard series. It is slow paced and set in the UK and Albania. The book is well written, a mix of thriller and police procedural and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this book to lovers of thrillers. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. Reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not my usual genre but will be on the lookout for more of the same.

Will recommend the author to friends and family, and eagerly await more material

This is the second book in the Craig Gillard series but it if you haven’t read the first it really doesn’t matter. It is a pacey and fast moving novel, and it becomes clear that seemingly unconnected events are related.
The book opens with the senseless murder of an up and coming architect, there is another murder some miles away followed by the kidnapping of two young children which the police lead by Craig Gillard think all may be linked to organised crime.
I found the beginning much more engaging than the latter part which was rather long. Overall though I’d recommend this if you are afa; of detective novels.

An excellent novel. Well drawn characters.. Pacey, a real page tuner. A standalone novel, and I didn’t feel it detracted that I hadn’t read the first of the Craig Gillard novels, but I intend to do so now. A really good plot. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope Nick writes some more for Craig Gillard. Highy recommended.

I love books where the title has very little to do with the story. Okay the body found is an important link, but, the story is so much more than that. It is a story about Albanian blood feuds. It starts in London and the South East and then moves to Albania. It's interesting, as a police procedural mystery and also about Albania itself - or at least some of the superstions held by people.

I enjoyed it immensly.

This is the second DCI Craig Gillard novel by the author, and regrettably, I did not read the first. I am a big fan of the Roy Grace novels by Peter James and for the first quarter of this book I found there to be many similarities.
Unfortunately, it did not continue down this route, with the last half of the book being set in Albania, and the body on the shore itself, being a fairly loose connection to the main plot.
I did enjoy this novel, and the writing was generally good. A bit drawn out in places, a lot of Albanian descriptions, but a good read.
I defy many to work out the ending, the “whodunnit”, which was not a twist for me, just a surprise, that in truth is a bit too far fetched.
All in all, I would now like to go back and read the first book in the series, and I will certainly look out for the next.

Epilogue very interesting end. It was much better than the first book, it was fast paced, written very well and it was gripping. I think my problem is I still didn't connect to the characters, especially the main MC. Good plot. Sometimes unnecessary amount of description.