This novel certainly starts with a bang, is adrenaline filled and sets you up nicely for what comes ahead.
We soon learn of the particularly gruesome murder of a head teacher, a junior barrister juggling a heavy work load with money difficulties and a homeless young teenage girl.
The story moves between the murder investigation, the barrister’s complex life and the young teen.
As the story progresses and pieces fall into place, the various events are shocking right up until the very last paragraph.
A lot of the characters are rather unpleasant and yet I found that quite refreshing for a change. The plot is slightly implausible, but this is fiction and is forgivable as it is such a cracking read. The young girl Destiny is a fascinating character and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to get inside her head.
I may have chosen a different book title, but this is an absolute page turner that had me reading at times with my mouth open in shock.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Crime for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Body on the Moor is book number 8 in the Craig Gillard series by Nick Louth however Gillard only features for part of the book with another character being the main focus.

Without giving too much away parts of the book worked really well with others stretching credibility a bit too far.

The main storyline was a decent one however some of the actions carried out seemed strange and “out of character”

Overall an ok read

I had enjoyed the two previous novels in this series so was eager to read this one but unfortunately it failed to live up to the previous ones. I enjoy the authors writing and the characters in this series but this time the story just didn’t grip me. I will not give up on either the author or the series as I am sure it is just a blip for me.

There are plenty of other positive reviews for this book so obviously just a personal feeling. I have other novels by this author that I plan to read very soon.

After the National Crime Agency cracks a major drug gang, junior barrister Julia McGann finds herself defending the violent enforcer Terrence Bonner. This high-profile case is a coup for her, but almost immediately things start to go wrong. Intruders break into her house and then a young girl turns up at her door with a horrifying story to tell.

Three months later, DCI Craig Gillard and his team struggle with the shocking murder of a much respected local headmaster, found dead in his own car. The baffling crime fills the newspapers but yields few clues. As Gillard sifts the evidence, a pair of blood-spattered gloves seems important.

Why were they used for both the murder, and for the burglary at Julia’s house? What secrets is the barrister hiding… and what happened on the Derbyshire Moors two decades ago that could be the key to these shocking events?

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and loved all of this series.

As much as I enjoyed this one, I felt that there wasn’t enough Gillard in it, and as he didn’t get his man, or woman as the case was, it had an unfinished feel to it. Of course this may resolve itself in the next book, but as all the rest of the series are self contained stories

Still given it 5* as it was a good read, bar the above

Once again I was delighted to receive this book from Canelo and Netgalley. I love Nick’s books and his eloquent use of the English language.

I really like Gillard and his team, but this time the book isn’t really about the police side of the crimes, it’s more about the lives where crime has affected innocent people. I can’t say too much, because it will spoil it for other readers, but it about karma and revenge, and as they say “revenge is a dish best eaten cold”. I was well made up, I love it when miscreants get their comeuppance.

However, read the synopsis and then read the book, you will not be disappointed. I’d live to say more, but I might give the game away. I’d give it 10 stars ⭐️ if I could!

My thanks to Nick, canelo and Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one!

Another episode in the DI Gilliard series delivers another exciting if implausible yarn. It concentrates more on other characters than usual but loses nothing in interest by this. A horrific murder of a school headmaster, an arrest of a brutal gangster, the barrister appointed to represent him and a teenage runaway are all eventually linked in a well paced whodunnit! Never less than entertaining I look forward to more of these characters.

Really good plotting here, totally enjoyed the characters too. Unusually, not too much of Craig Gillard in this book.

I have read all the books in this series and have really enjoyed them. This was quite different but no less enjoyable with Gillard not taking such a big part. Lots of twists and a surprising end . Can be read as a stand-alone but the rest of the series is well worth reading.

I never repeat the blurb. This was an interesting read, a bit different to the others in the series but it's only very tangentially linked to the title and therefore rather baffling in that sense. A good if somewhat unlikely scenario and some of the newer characters weren't as credible as they might have been.

A different book in this series with very little of the police team featured. A very clever, absorbing plot and a case that I doubt will ever be solved.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Having read some of the previous books in this series I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one. This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It was well written, but I found that it didn't really engage me or grab and hold my attention like the previous books did. I found myself skimming pages and losing interest quite frequently. The main character Gillard takes a back seat here, although he and his team do investigate a murder. The story centres more around other characters, most of whom I didn’t particularly like, their past and their actions which I felt in parts were unbelievable. I would have liked to see Gillard and his team have a bigger presence here, as in previous books. This was an ok read, just not a great one for me although I would still read the next book in this series.

This is book 8 of the DCI Craig Gillard series and I have read them all, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone. Nick Louth continues to impress with his story arcs, he tries really hard (and succeeds) to mix it up.

What I liked about this book was that it was different to the usual police procedural/murder mystery stories where one or more people are killed, police follow the clues, some twists later and maybe a bit of suspense and voilá - the perpetrator is caught and banged up. It didn’t work like that in this book which is why I don’t want to say much about the plot.

This one is more about karma, impossible choices and how far you would go to protect your future and how blackmail doesn’t always pay.

Junior barrister Julia McGann finds herself dumped with an important but difficult to win case defending a brutal client who is almost certainly guilty of some brutal crimes. He is portrayed so well as a very frightening, intimidating man. But Julia will do her job. Until her life starts to spiral out of control. How did it come to this? The story jumps between the present and the recent past and you learn the shocking truth. This particular story has a lesser focus on the police detectives but rather puts the spotlight on the poor young barrister who was put through the wringer!

What I didn’t like about the book was …. well, nothing really it was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. I don’t want to say any more but I will be interested to see what the author comes up with next. Many thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for providing a free copy of the book which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

4.5 stars rounded up.

The Body On the Moor is another absolutely page turner read in the DCI Craig Gillard series, although it can be read as a stand alone you’ll be rushing to read the others in this series.
Here we have Julia a put upon junior barrister finding herself in all kinds of trouble and danger when she is given the brief to defend a vicious major criminal. A head teacher who is murdered in a most terrible manner and a young homeless girl who links all this together in a very macabre way.
This time our wonderful DCI tends to take a back seat so the much of the story develops with out much input from Craig and his team, but when they do enter the fray the pages light up!
The story takes us from past to present but only in months not years and plays an integral part to its development. I did at times find myself shaking my head at Julia’s role but oh boy it left me open mouthed towards the end.
Gillard and team have their work cut out for them and as usual Craig’s intuition is spot on.
An ending I just didn’t see coming, a story that kept me up reading late into the night, and a rollercoaster I didn’t want to get off. Brilliant as usual with this very clever story teller.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Another excellent book in this great series. A clever story line with a moral dilemma at its centre, who is in the wrong? Thought provoking and entertaining.

A Baffling Case..
A high profile crime, a very gruesome murder, a baffling case. The eighth in the Craig Gillard series finds Gillard grappling with the evidence. Well written suspense with a credible cast of characters and an engaging, high tension storyline. A worthy addition to this, now, long running series which shows no signs of flagging.

The eighth book in the Craig Gillard series. This series just gets better and better. In this book, a junior barrister finds herself becoming deeply embroiled in a terrifying situation, whilst DCI Gillard is busy investigating the death of a local headmaster.
As with the previous books in the series, once I started reading I couldn't put the book down. This book, I found different from the earlier books in that Gillard and his staff were not the main focus of the book. It was less of a police procedural and more of a psychological thriller. With plenty of twists and turns, the ending was quite a surprise. Highly recommended.

DCI Gillard has seen and heard some shocking things in his career but recently things have definitely gone up a notch. He's had to face a thug giving vent to what he plans to do to Craig's wife, Sam, when he's released from custody but even that paled into insignificance when he viewed the crime scene of a recently deceased headmaster murdered on his own driveway.

The career making case Julia McGann has been allocated is almost a no-win situation given the evidence discovered against her thuggish client. Almost immediately her life begins to spiral even more out of control than usual. When she finds herself on the receiving end of a personal crime and the ever escalating fear for her own safety Julia doesn't think things can get worse; how wrong she is.

Wow! This is the best DCI Craig Gillard book yet and they've all been excellent. I was gripped from the very beginning and even though, for the most part, the police had a supporting role the storyline revolved around what they could and couldn't do. Once again Gillard was a first class protagonist who dominated his parts of the book but wasn't as central to the outcome as usual. Without spoilers, I am sure this change will be absolutely essential to future outings and I can't wait to see what Nick Louth does next.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this excellent book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This can be read as a standalone and is brilliant as such but adds an extra level to the series which I loved.

Revenge. Deceit. Blackmail.

Barrister Julia McCann. Violent offender Terry Bonner.

And a horrifically shocking death.

What do any of these have to do with each other? DCI Craig Gillard has to try and get to the bottom of an awful lot of terrible events.

A brilliant addition to this excellent series