With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Body On The Island by Nick Louth was number six in The DCI Craig Gillard series and it was fascinating in a gruesome sort of way. The whole storyline was riveting and ludicrous and this reader couldn’t stop reading such a bizarre tale. The imagination to create such a masterpiece of such absurd deaths is awesome.
I can only recommend other people to read this book and enjoy this police story. I absolutely loved it!! Dark humour and all.
Highly recommended

DCI Craig Gillard is back with some new team members who are all set to develop nicely. I do like our Rainy - I can just hear the Glasgie accent.. Several intersecting plots of course - revenge being the main thrust. Rather gruesome it is too and I did not see the end coming. For once I like the family relationships, they make the characters more real and fit their purpose without detracting form the police work. Mr Louth is getting better all the time. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Body on the Island is the sixth instalment in the DCI Craig Gillard Thriller series, set in Surrey. DCI Gillard is called out to investigate when the body of an Asian man is discovered on an island in the Thames after witnesses reported hearing a splash. There was also a white BMW parked on a bridge over the river and a commotion with three people present, but when the police track them down they're reluctant to talk. The corpse was completely naked and despite being dumped in the river the post-mortem showed that he died from asphyxiation rather than drowning. The police can't identify the man and are baffled by the unusual pattern imprinted on his skin. Who is he and what happened to him? Meanwhile, Neville Rollason, a predator who violently raped and murdered 5 teenage boys, is about to be released on parole having served a 30-year sentence. Naturally, there is uproar in the local community and he has well and truly fooled those who had to decide his fate by pretending to be reformed. However, Rollason only has one thing on his mind. Revenge. And at the top of the list is Gillard, who apprehended him back in 1989. But when his parole officer visits him on his day of release he has disappeared without a trace.

This is a compulsive and riveting read which has some fantastic, surprising twists and turns; just when you think you know where it's heading Louth swiftly changes direction. It is told from multiple perspectives making it a fully rounded experience as you see exactly how each character is feeling. This is a plot-driven series, which I thoroughly enjoy, and I thought I knew where it was heading but soon realised I was way off the mark, and I loved that Louth was able to trick me many times throughout. There's never a dull moment and I was captivated and fully engrossed from start to finish. I found it thoroughly entertaining and the way in which it is written pulls you into the story early on and makes for a highly readable tale. Gillard is an intelligent, astute investigator who admirably tries to get to the bottom of cases and bring closure to those involved. It's gripping and addictive and I had great difficulty putting it down. Louth has created a superbly crafted mystery-thriller that moves at rapid-fire pace with an ending that leaves you gobsmacked. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.

Nick Louth's new thriller is much more than just a police procedural. It raises important questions about today's society, and the way in which offenders are dealt with in prison and the probation services. It also asks how far should a victim, or the relative of a victim, go to seek justice outside the law.
It is dark and disturbing, and absolutely chilling in its authenticity. Nick Louth is fast heading for a position right at the top of the league of contemporary crime agents.

A prison transport left HMP Wakefield, heading for HMP Spring Hill. Steve and Aaron were accompanying Neil Wright who was 67 years old and had served six years for the manslaughter of his wife. Only that wasn't who he was. Sixty-three-years-old Neville Rollaston had served thirty years for the murder of five boys between the ages of ten and seventeen. He was being ghosted out of Wakefield and into a new identity set up in a deal whereby he divulged the whereabouts of the body of one of his victims. The Bogeyman was going to be set free on 2 July 2019. He appeared to be a reformed character but he had a list of people upon whom he wished to exact revenge.

At 2 a.m. on 22 June Michael Jakes was cycling his usual circuit which took in the area around Tagg's Island, Ash Island in the Thames and Hampton Court Road when he heard the splash of something heavy falling into the river. A little later Elvira Hart who lived on a riverboat moored on Ash Island went out for a run and when she returned she found a body in the river near her boat. DCI Craig Gillard had never seen anything like the purple, bloated body, covered in mesh-like indentations. What could have caused such a death?

Neville Rollaston hadn't come from the Crawley area, but he had connections there and there were substantial rumours that this was where he was to be settled. As expected, there's a national outcry about his release - and the fact that he's being provided with a new identity and home at public expense. The police are not responsible for his release but they're getting a lot of flack about it. Gillard doesn't know that Rollaston will be in the area but he has an interest in what happens as he was the officer who arrested Rollaston more than thirty years ago.

It's an ingenious plot: I was certain that I knew how the death had been caused. It was obvious. I was wrong, completely wrong. Most of the clues are pretty clear, but everything neatly ties together and there's a satisfying conclusion. There's a great deal of pleasure in getting there too: the characters come off the page well. I was particularly impressed by DC 'Rainy' Macintosh, who used to be a doctor in Glasgow but joined the police because she wanted more predictable hours. She and her son live in a one-bedroom flat because that's all she can afford. She's a good foil for the other DC on the squad - Carl Hoskins. Most women don't like working with him, but Rainy can match him filthy joke for filthy joke and she keeps him in reasonable order. It's a situation where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

It was a good read and I finished it more quickly than I intended. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a copy of this one.

The Body on the Island starts out as two parallel stories, one of a current-day death/possible homicide with a body floating up in the River Thames and the second story is of a serial killer being released from prison. The connection between the two stories is DCI Craig Gillard, who investigates the former and originally put away the latter some 30 years ago. The killer, Rollanson, is about to be released, having made a deal to reveal the location of two missing bodies.

Louth masterfully lays out this British mystery, introducing characters and scenes that add just enough information to keep the reader wondering and guessing - there is the circumstantial presence of the BMW on the dock with the two black passengers, the significance of the strangulated Taiwanese man in the Thames and the oh-so-peculiar bicycle rider who seems to only ride at night but show up at the most inopportune times! And this is just for starters. I refuse to say more and give it all away - this is just too much fun to read. The ending is such a good surprise.

This is an extraordinarily well-crafted mystery. I have never read Louth before, but you can be sure that I will have to now add his work to my TBR pile. The story reads quickly, it is easy to keep track of scenes, characters, and their interrelationships and I just never would have guessed the ending to this one.

I am always leery of books with blurbs that read “If you are a fan of X Y Z then you will love reading A.” Louth’s work stands on its own and he does not need to be compared to Mark Billingham, Cara Hunter, and Robert Bryndza. Nick Louth may not be as well known, but what he needs are more marketing and more reviews. He is a strong writer who knows his craft and I am anxious to read what comes next.

I would like to thank the author, Canelo Press, and NetGalley for this advanced readers' copy of The Body on the Island. I look forward to more from Louth and to see what else Canelo has in their holdings. I have voluntarily left this review.

Thank you to the author, Canelo Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 4th Nick Louth book I've read, with DCI Gillard at the helm of a murder investigation (6th in the series), but also easily readable as a standalone. Once again, the author delivers a solid police procedural, with all the tedious, frustrating and sometimes exciting things involved in police work. It seems to start off slowly, but it builds up quite a head of steam and suddenly you realize you can't put it down. The author deals with multiple threads that criss-cross and reveal themselves knotted in unexpected ways at the end. As with the other books from this author, there are a few moments where suspension of belief is needed regarding coincidences and liberties taken by DCI Gillard, but overall suspenseful and recommended.

Craig Gillard is a Detective Chief Inspector these days, commanding a serious crime squad very nicely, thank you. When he was just starting out however, his career got the boost every copper dreams of. Standing outside a shopping centre handing out leaflets he happened to see a car which had been mentioned in the latest police flyers.

Chasing down a criminal was a little easier for him back in the day and Craig took off down the street after the fleeing child killer who was one of England's most wanted. Thirty years later his parole has been agreed and he's about to be released back into the community with differing senses of acceptance from all the outside agencies involved.

With the rumour mill saying repeatedly that the killer is to be housed in his area Craig knows he must keep his wits about him but how successfully can they keep him safe when there is no information about where he will be staying or what his new identity is? No-one even knows what he looks like any more!  Added to this is the small matter of an unidentified dead body being dropped into the Thames and Gillard knows he's in for a busy few days!

Once again Nick Louth has written an excellent novel which seems to start off slowly until suddenly you realise just how much has actually happened and you can't put it down until you're done. There are coincidences to get past but what lifts it to a five star novel, without spoilers, is how the author brushes away all the conventional themes of dealing with a grudge laden ex-con and leaves you gasping at his audacity. What's more it works on all levels and is an excellent read.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to fans of this author and genre unreservedly.

Wow, another great suspense by Nick Louth.
A body is found in the Thames, and the detectives are baffled by what they discover is the cause of death. Simultaneously, a serial killer is being released from prison after 30 years, and most of Britain's society are not happy about it. His new identity and residential address are being kept top secret, yet somehow he disappears hours after his release.
This. book was a page turner, captivated me from the start. Great plot with some twists and turns and an unpredictable ending.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another brilliant book in this series. A really good interwoven plot which was an interesting read. There are some fascinating characters. This is definitely a page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This series of books, featuring DCI Craig Gillard, is excellent. Although we are at book 6, it can be read as a stand alone. A body is discovered on an island in the Thames and a serial killer is released from prison. It's an easy read, well written and filled with interesting characters and an original ending. Some great twists as well as plenty surprises. I would recommend this series of books. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A great story that makes the most of the problem caused by coincidences.
The release of a child murderer,
The fact that several groups have sworn revenge on him
Low level criminals in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in a strange way, even though remotely, connected to the murder.
Craig Gillard fans will be disappointed to find he takes a bit-part in the story with his team having more equal page time.

Another fantastic book in the DCI Craig Gillard series - although it is the 6th one, you could quite easily read this one as a standalone book.

A very intriguing book and I enjoyed how this one unravelled itself as the story came out and then came together at the end. I can't say reading it, that I predicted what happened would happen, so the sign of a good book!

The Body on the Island is the sixth book in the DCI Craig Gillard series, set in Surrey, England. I’ve read all of these in order over the last couple of years, but each book is a stand-alone mystery and there are no spoilers for the earlier instalments, so there’d be no problem starting here if you haven’t read the others. I had enjoyed most of the previous books, but been frustrated by the lack of development of Craig’s team, and by the way the female characters were portrayed, especially in the last one (The Body Under the Bridge.) I was delighted to discover that this one has remedied all of my complaints, and Louth has produced a brilliantly twisted mystery with an excellent cast of characters.

On a hot midsummer night, a naked body washes up on a tiny island in the Thames, but the post-mortem reveals that the unknown Asian man did not drown, but was crushed to death with an unusual pattern imprinted on his skin. Craig and his team have no idea what could’ve caused it, but discover suspicious activity going on at a nearby stately home with some very exotic inhabitants. Meanwhile, serial child killer Neville Rollason is preparing for his release into the community after serving thirty years for his crimes. The media and citizens organisations are outraged, and vigilante groups think he deserves to die, but the parole board see a frail old man who has now repented. Unfortunately Neville is itching to get back to his sadistic habits - starting with revenge against everyone who has wronged him - especially the man who arrested him - a young PC Gillard...

Wowee this was clever: you think you know where he’s going with the plot, but there is no way you’ll guess this one, and the eventual reveal is of the most grotesque murder methods I’ve ever come across. I still can’t quite believe he went there, but admire both the ingenuity and the brass neck of it. (I do confess to a tiny twinge of disappointment that it wasn’t Nora!)
I was fascinated by all the details of the parole process, and could sympathise in part with the characters planning to intervene with their own brand of justice, when it seems that the manipulative psychopath is the one with all the rights. The conflict of knowing they’re in the wrong, but half-hoping they succeed - since we know from the chilling sections of Neville’s POV what he has planned - was perfectly orchestrated. I was also introduced to a phenomenon I’d never heard of but am too scared to lookup on YouTube - there are some things you just don’t want in your browser history!

I really liked the way Gillard is portrayed here - he’s evolved from the macho Superman who has to do everything himself, into an effective leader who trusts his team and plays to their strengths - particularly cheeky Glaswegian former doctor & single parent Rainy, and cool, calm and collected DI Claire, who both have crucial roles in the investigation. We learn enough about their personal lives to round them out without in any way distracting from the action. Even the sexist dinosaurs on the force are called out for their behaviour. I’ve had limited sympathy in the previous books for Craig’s wife Sam, and didn’t understand their relationship at all, but this one shows us how she’s fighting to get over the trauma of past events and the tender side of their marriage, and I liked her much more this time. I especially admired the important new characters Felicia and Anton - their experiences of racism from both the police and people in general felt very current in the 2020 climate. The British crime genre remains very white, so I respect any author that features a more diverse array of characters in their series.
Another issue which I won’t name but became important to the plot (no spoilers) was very relevant to us here in NZ, and brought a new perspective to a contentious debate.

My only niggles were some implausible coincidences in terms of connections between characters, and the decisions around where Neville was being placed that didn’t make sense but were necessary for the plot. These were minor and didn’t detract from my enjoyment one bit. 4.5 rounded up for great writing and sheer inventiveness.
My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review.
The Body on the Island is published on October 22nd.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this interesting book with a lot of twists and turns. It’s the sixth in the series, but the first I’ve read. I definitely enjoyed it and will go back to read them from the beginning.
DCI Gillard of the Surrey police is tasked with figuring out the identity and cause of death when a body is found dumped in the Thames. At the same time a notorious serial killer is being released under a new identity. He’s been found to be rehabilitated, and agreed to release the location of two of his victims in exchange for the supervised release. The book is well written in the perspectives of different characters, so we know this killer has a list of people he wants revenge on, including the then street officer who caught him all those years ago, now DCI Gilliard.
I didn’t see the end coming, and had a hard time putting this down at night. Back to book one for me.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of The Body on the Island, the sixth novel to feature DCI Craig Gillard of the Surrey Police.

Midsummer’s Eve on the Thames is busy and several people hear a splash. The next day a naked body is found, asphyxiated with strange markings. It’s baffling with the team having no idea of the victim’s identity, motive or even how he was killed. At the same time the Parole Service is preparing for the release of one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, a man Gillard arrested in 1989.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Body on the Island which is a novel full of twists and turns with some real surprises, not least the direction it takes. The novel is told from various points of view with Gillard being the main one and other voices added as and when necessary. It is done smoothly so there is no sense of disconnect or disjointedness and I was impressed by how much these voices add a level of misdirection. I thought I knew until I discovered I knew nothing and this happened more than once. It kept me absorbed and on my toes throughout. At the conclusion I wasn’t sure how convincing I found it but the puzzle of the journey to get there was well worth it and 10/10 for the M.O. which is incredibly ingenious.

There isn’t a lot of character development in the novel. None of the detectives have any real problems outside of work so the emphasis is all on the plot.

The Body on the Island is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

When a mans body is remived from the River Thames what greets DCI Craig Gillard is not a pretty sight, the body has been badly crushed and a strange pattern is embedded in the skin.

Dealing with what is now a murder and not suicide and also the search for a newly released child murderer who has disappeared makes this book a very fast paced cannot put down read, make sure your settled diwn as you will not want to stop once you start

This is the sixth book in the series featuring DCI Craig Gillar and I have enjoyed them all. In this story, a body is found in the River Thames and the identity of the victim and the method of killing remains a mystery. There are multiple strands to the story that continuously twist as the police try to pull all the details together. The book, like the previous ones in the series, is very easy to read and is well-written. The ending is somewhat unusual and certainly original. A very entertaining read.

DCI Craig Gillard and his team investigate when a body is found on an island in the River Thames. The man was naked and had been asphyxiated, his body covered in strange marks.
As they struggle to even identify the body there is more that Gillard should be worried about.
Thirty years ago when he was a PC he famously caught one of Britain's worst serial killers, Neville Rollason. Now Rollason is getting out on parole and has been given a new identity, rumour has it he will be living on Gillard’s patch. Has 30 years in prison rehabilitated him or will he be out for revenge.
I have enjoyed all of the DCI Gillard books, the characters, the stories but these have to be the strangest deaths!

The Body on the Island is the latest DCI Craig Gillard police procedural novel by Nick Louth and it is another very interesting and readable book.

Gillard takes a bit more of a back seat in this book but the story still moves along at a good pace with a number of twists and turns although the ending felt a little rushed.

Overall though this is an enjoyable series and The Body on the Island is recommended