Member Reviews
Thank you to the publisher for my copy of this one - all opinions are my own.
Holy crap do I love when I get the first book in what is hopefully a new series and then that book turns out to be FAN-FRIGGING-TASTIC! I hadn't heard of Nadine Matheson before this book, but let me tell you, I am a FAN now.
I loved this book - a copycat serial killer, a completely sadistic and horrifying killer behind bars toying with the cops on the case, a kick ass female lead detective who is grappling with her own issues - I couldn't ask for more in a thriller and I just loved this one.
Nadine writes in such an atmospheric and intense way, I felt like I was in South London. Everything about the setting of this book is perfection, including the gritty and often hard background that you find yourself immersed in.
I also completely and 100% love the characters in this book - most specifically DI Henley. Give me a female lead character who is complicated and messy and vulnerable any day. I loved the fact that she is a detective who is strong and smart and capable, but who is also a little broken and grappling with her PTSD in an honest and raw way. I love that she isn't squeaky clean or super human, and honestly, I cannot wait to read more of her stories.
And I was here for the serial killer / copy cat killer plot - I love twisted killers and that this book gave me two, and that I could not for the life of me guess the twists....this is a massive win in my thriller loving world.
This needs to be on all the thriller TBR's in the new year....this is set to be a hit, no question.
This was seriously good. And if this is her first book, lordy we are in for a ride.
This police thriller had a great plot, subplot, and subsubplot. The last few chapters just about killed me.
I loved DI Angelica Henley and her sidekick Ramouter and I sincerely hope I see more of them.
A good solid series debut-with a dynamic leading character and compelling story-line. DI Anjelica Henley returns to the investigative field only to drawn into a case that has disturbing connections to a serial killer she put in prison. Despite her PTSD, Anjelica remains obsessed with bringing justice to the victims. She struggles with balancing her family life with the horrors she's seeing and the fact her husband is not thrilled to have her on an investigation so dangerous. The minor characters are a good mix-a rookie-trainee, a cheeky hacker turned police tech, and her friend the Coroner had some great lines. Lots of great London descriptions that had me google-mapping. It's also refreshing to see a female DI of color in a leading role and the book handles the challenges Anjelica faces in her role well.
I was a little confused by some of the flash-backs in the book since I thought they could have been incorporated into the narrative and I felt the frequent chapter changes broke the pace of the book, but I enjoyed it and look forward to the next installment.
Mysteries and thrillers have been my go-to comfort reads of 2020, so I was excited about the opportunity to read The Jigsaw Man. I have already read far too many detective novels centering on difficult old white men, so the main character DI Anjelica Henley was a welcome start to the book. As much as I was looking forward to this, the story just never really grabbed me. I never got that "OMG, I have to know what comes next" feeling, which is the best part of a mystery/thriller. At times I felt confused or caught off guard by dialog and scene changes, but I'm not sure how much of that was due to writing style and how much was formatting of the ebook. Overall, this book had a great concept but just didn't deliver in the way I hoped.
Amazing story. Well developed characters that are in a twisted engrossing thriller. Highly recommended. Super suspense that comes to a satisfying end! Highly recommended . A true roller coaster thrill ride
Thank you for the ARC of this one. I am a huge fan of serial killer mysteries/ thrillers, but this one did not work for me. It was hard for me to get through it. While I followed the plot and was able to sort through things to figure out 'whodunit', the writing style was scattered and difficult to keep up with. It felt "jumpy" to me like it wasn't sure which way to go and that left me confused at times. An overall solid mystery but not one I couldn't put down.
I may like and read many mysteries, but I hardly ever LOVE them. The Jigsaw Man is an exception.
From the first, our hero, Detective Inspector Angelica Henley, is competent in her work, and a complete wreck at anything personal. She is back from a traumatic and injurious last case, has had a child while on leave, and is tossed headlong into a new case that triggers her newly diagnosed PTSD, which she has told no one about. But she’s energized and focused, and ready to track down a copycat killer who is targeting seemingly random folks to reenact the horror of the Jigsaw Man.
All the great elements of a fast paced and gritty police story, skillfully incorporating every day misogyny, racism, family dynamics, love, sex and power into an absolute stellar story.
While this ended up not being my own cup of tea, I know some of our patrons will really like it. I will definitely purchase this for our branch. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it.
DI Anjelica Henley is still recovering from the Jigsaw Killer investigation when body parts wash up on the banks of the Thames, and it becomes apparent that they are searching for a copycat. The Jigsaw Killer's story is interwoven with the new investigation, giving off some serious Hannibal Lecter vibes. Matheson describes the murders, and the murderers, in chilling detail that unnerves and unsettles. I took a long time reading this book simply because I couldn't read it at night and expect to sleep. My only complaints are that I had to look up a lot of British acronyms, abbreviations, and slang, and that I wish Anjelica's connection with Zoe was explored more. Overall, a great crime read with hints of horror.
Serial killer & Mystery. Anjelica and her coworkers suspect a serial killer is on the loose, and, if Anjelica's suspicions are correct, she may have her hands full. The last time she was on a case like this, she almost died at the killer's hands, and, truth be told, she is still recovering. So when a box is delivered to her front door, and her husband and daughter leave, reality finally hits her. Hopefully, she'll survive this one too! Overall, a good edge-of-your-seat read.
This debut novel is by a British criminal defense lawyer and is set in the area of London where she grew up. This gives a lot of authenticity to the story and the plot is intriguing, but the execution is less than successful. There is just too much for one book. Too much of the main character’s personal life and, at the same time, not enough backstory. Too much use of British police acronyms while not giving the reader help with them. And, perhaps, just a bit too wordy in some spots.
The plot is compelling, dark and gritty. I feel the pace, though, is slowed by having to stop and look up British terms quite often (CPS, some of the ranks, etc.). The main character is a nice change of pace and has a lot going on in her life. She’s overwhelmed and struggles, as a real person would. I wish there is more clarity as to what has happened to her earlier. It often feels like I missed the first book of the series.
My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.
When body parts begin appearing across London, Detective Inspector Angelica Henley is tasked with finding the killer. The cases remind her of another serial murderer she put behind bars a few years ago. Are the cases related? I found the mystery intriguing but felt like I was reading the second book of a series, especially aspects of Angelica's personal life. I felt like I was missing something concerning her relationships at work. More than once, I looked to see if this was a sequel.
This book started out a little rough, but quickly became a page-turner as DI Henley and her team track down a copycat serial killer in Southeast London. It is gory, gritty, and full of police procedural jargon, so if neither of these are appealing, you may want to skip this title. I found myself looking up some of the abbreviations since they were British and I wasn't familiar with all of them.
Two years ago, Anjelica Henley was the cop who put serial killer Peter Olivier in jail. He was known as the Jigsaw Man for his method of dismembering and presenting his victims. But now there are new murders taking place in a similar style. When Olivier hears about the shoddy copycat, he is determined to put an end to it.
This book has a great sense of place, with streets, bridges and geographical locations liberally sprinkled throughout. The main characters are pretty well fleshed-out, but I'm sure the Ms. Matheson will fill us in more if there are future titles with DI Henley.
I am rounding up to 4 stars, because I liked it but didn't love it. I definitely needed to follow this book up with something super light and sweet; the death scenes were pretty horrific.
My thanks to Harlequin/Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was terrifying! I'm glad I finished it in the light of day because it's not my normal kind of read. I will say I enjoyed it and I could not put it down. I am looking forward to any sequel that may be coming. The only issue I have is that sometimes the writing feels a little forced or stilted. Overall, a gripping story and I just want to see more of the relationships between the cops. I still have chills from this one. Creepy! So creepy!
This was grittier than I usually read (like, imagine an episode of Criminal Minds with a more diverse cast), but I found it really compelling. It was a really interesting choice to set this in the middle of a crime spree that happened two years after another, similar crime spree, both of which deeply impact the main character (DI Anjelica Henley). It felt like being dropped into a story that already had momentum (but not in a bad way). Very grim, and moderately graphic about some really disturbing murders, but a really well-paced mystery with an interesting cast of characters.
A detective must revisit a case that haunts her in this intense series opener. The layered plot escalates from the discovery of body parts along the Thames to an interplay between two serial killers. The police procedural and legal aspects have an authentic feel, boosted by a diverse cast of characters, and the setting in south-east London comes alive from the opening scenes on the riverbank.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy, and to the Library Journal Day of Dialog for featuring the author and her book.
What a perfect book to read this time of year. I feel like this book could have had a lot of success as an October release, as I had been searching for the perfect spooky read to fit the fall aesthetic, and I am sure many others are too. I found myself turning the pages almost too quickly to find out what would happen, as I do with many gripping thrillers. I highly recommend this one to someone looking for a fresh novel of suspense to read on a crisp, fall evening!
DI Angelica Henley is still dealing from the fallout of the violent crime she was a victim of. She’s been working a desk job, but now she’s been called back to the street when pieces of bodies begin showing up along the Thames. These crimes are frighteningly similar to those of Peter Olivier, the Jigsaw Killer, a man behind bars for two years, a man Henley knows all too well. Olivier is not pleased to find he has a copycat and vows to reach out from behind bars to get his revenge. Meanwhile, Henley is working feverishly to track the new killer before he strikes again….and before Olivier can get to him. I was hooked on this book from page one, Matheson creates an unapologetically ambitious, brave and conflicted heroine in Henley