I can easily see how Joy Ellis has sold over two million books. Fear on The Fens is another winner.

I love stories where the central mystery is tied to events in the past and this book delivers. Nikki is a strong female lead character who the reader can root for.

It’s fast-paced and scary in parts. One section describing the discovery of a body is particularly vivid!

I read this book as a standalone but can see it would be fantastic addition to the Nikki Galena series and probably even more enjoyable for readers that have read the whole series. It’s a gripping read, and Joy’s prose is smooth and compelling. Her characters talk like real people. I feel as though I know Nikki. An absolute rollercoaster of a book and a pleasure to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy.

This is Book #13 in the Nikki Galena series and I've read and enjoyed them all. Set in the Lincolnshire Fens, always well-written with believable dialogue which flows through Nikki's team in this latest police procedural. This is a murder investigation from quite a unique perspective with lots of twists and intrigue.

Julian Hopwood-Byrd was a British scientist who became involved in a CIA special project exploring the scope to which the human mind could be exploited as useful intelligence against an enemy. Returning to the UK with his two sons Harry and Lucas and their mother, Julian's state of mind had, and continued to, deteriorate until he inexplicably murdered their gardener and was confined to a secure facility; apparently he was himself killed there by another inmate.

Lucas was always "different" - a very troubled child, and ran away from home when he was 13yrs old. Nothing was heard from him until Harry received a letter - he wanted to meet. Harry explains to Nikki that he fears Lucas has the propensity for killing; Lucas also lives in his own magical world - a kingdom of plants and fairies.

Of course, Nikki is having none of this "fairy nonsense" it's simply a fact that Lucas is a potential killer where anyone who deliberately harmed plants could become a victim.
Then she's called to a crime scene at Shelley House where Sean the head gardener had discovered a burned body in a wheelbarrow in the Arboretum. This could be Lucas's first victim, but if it is then where's he been for the last 20 years - who looked after him - who mentored him?
Nikki and her team are in a race against time as they try to get to grips with Harry and Lucas's fantasy kingdoms as the body-count rises.

There are moments of humour within the dialogue, but the murders are gruesome - beware, next time you cut down a tree there just might be a deranged avenging goblin on your trail!

Excellent read.

The 13th in the Nikki Galena series and in my opinion the best one yet. A real crime thriller, fast paced with plenty of twists and turns!

Book 13 in DI Nikki Galena series, and this is the first I read, and I am wondering why I never read the other 12!
Great solid detective work, I love how the team works together, each having their own strength.
An arboretum and smell of BBQ is not the best combo, especially as the smell turns out to be human remains found in a wheelbarrow. The teams research takes them back 20 years, and their hands are being tied by a Special Service Officer watching their every move.
Excellent reading! Looking forward to reading the previous 12 and new ones to come!
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for a change to read this book early!

I enjoyed the murder mystery element of this book. The police team were believable and likeable and the police procedural storyline was engaging. There were plenty of twists and hints and leads and the pace of the book was good.
I was less engaged with the faery theme of the book although the outlook from the perspective of the murderer was interesting.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book to read!
I can’t believe we are so far along, book 13 of our lovely Nikki Galena! We have been with her so long now and seen her develop so much as a detective and a person! I love the pairing of Nikki and Joseph and have enjoyed reading all of these great books from Joy Ellis.

This story contained mystery and a lot of unknown territory, from mystical creatures to involvement from the higher powers ! Really enjoyed the book as always. I love the real detail to the characters personal lives and development. I also enjoy so so much the way Joy links other characters from her police series. Really great writing and if you have read them all you know exactly who she’s talking about !

Highly recommend complete series. Can’t wait for more !

Again another Fens story from Joy Ellis in the series which just gets better and better as her characters fill out into whole rounded though troubled police officers. This story has twists galore and who could have thought the reader would end up feeling story for a brutal serial killer!

This is the 13th in the Nikki Galena crime thriller series. In this story, Nikki and Joseph find their hands tied by a government security agent who limits their ability to look into the past whilst trying to locate a serial killer whose family history is a major clue into his motivation and whereabouts. In the process they learn a lot about fairy folklore and nature worship. The story is pacey and the characters vividly described. It is enjoyable for the reader to witness the life stories of Nikki and her team continue to develop through the series. That Joy Ellis is an experienced an accomplished author is very evident as the quality of her writing is way above many of her competitors. This novel has me looking forward to number 14 in the series.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #Joffe Books for an advance copy of #FearOnTheFens by #JoyEllis
Another brilliant read in the Nikki Galena Series.
A surreal and soooky tale centred around a little known illness with the culprit Lucas known to the police almost from the first page, but he seems to be able to disappear into his surroundings.
This book is so different to the earlier books and it took me a while to get into it. I can’t say it was my favourite and I found it hard going in parts.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DI Nikki Galena and team are tasked with a gruesome murder or three in this, the 13th, of the series. Harking back a couple of decades we have a man involved with secret programme working on psychic abilities; something pushes him over the edge, he murders a gardener and is then himself murdered. Much later his eldest son is interviewed by Nikki and relates the story of his younger brother, Lucas, running away after the death of their father. The kids had developed a very Tolkien-esque world in which Lucas, who might be dead, or not, lived/s. Nikki's investigations of the murders are severely hampered by MI5 and, at times, one wonders who the bad guys really are. The murders are gruesome and somewhat over the top but then the whole story is that too. The writing is as good as ever, descriptions of the Lincolnshire Fens and life there excellent and I love the way Nikki's team work together and interact with the rather quirky forensic scientists. This gave it the 4* for me. The story definitely a 3* and not as good as usual though. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

DI Nikki Galena is based in the Lincolnshire Fens and covers a huge area with her team including partner and ex-soldier DS Joseph Easter. They live together but have to keep this low key as, if exposed, one of them would have to move stations. It's great to meet again the loyal team of DCs Cat Cullen and Ben Radley, and highly experienced veteran PC Yvonne Collins still helps out when Supt Cam Walker can borrow her from uniform. As Nikki and Joseph are briefed by Cam on a rather strange request to interview Harry Byrd, the brother of Lucas who has been missing for years, in the beautiful gardens of Shelley Hall a burnt and battered body is discovered on the very spot where a tree was destroyed recently. Surely not a coincidence, especially when one of their most dedicated gardeners is missing?
Julian Hopwood-Byrd had been recruited by the CIA in America to work on classified and rather questionable programmes involving psychic abilities which may have left behind many damaged minds. After returning to England he killed their gardener, and Harry is sure Lucas was instrumental in giving his father motive to do it. Then Julian was murdered by another patient in the secure psychiatric unit he was incarcerated in and Lucas ran away from home. There are so many questions that need answers. How did a 13 year old boy suddenly disappear with only a few belongings? Did someone help him and take him in? Where did he gain all his woodland knowledge and expertise and where has he been hiding for 20 years?
Then a man prepares to take an axe to a tree, little knowing he is sealing his fate in doing so in a most horrible way. Another man is on a mission to find and destroy the Elf King. He might be away with the faeries but a part of him is a brutal killer as he avenges the damage done to nature. The case is made even more difficult for Nikki and her team when a security blanket is thrown over the identity of their suspect. They are fortunate to receive civilian help in the form of ex DC Aiden Gardner and Nikki and Niall have their eye on a more permanent replacement if they can persuade Cam. But can the detectives catch a killer with a very unusual mindset who is unravelling faster than a puff of faery dust with one hand tied behind their backs before anyone else gets hurt?
I dearly love pathologist Professor Rory Wilkinson, with his camp black humour and assistants Spike and “Cardiff” Erin. There is a great feeling of genuine care and loyalty within the team of detectives, and this makes the story all the more enjoyable. The plot is wonderfully clever and superbly delivered, the characters beautifully described, and the scenery and setting of these books is perfect, as always. This series just gets better and better! I guessed part of the plot early on but the twists and red herrings left by this exceptionally talented author left me doubting myself at every turn and oh! what an ending lies in store for the reader in the latest and most impossible case to ever hit the Fens! And now I am off to research the rather intriguing idea of using cats as spies! 5*

The 13th entry in the Nikki Galena series has some gruesome murders and a connection to Stargate, the recruitment of psychics for studies by the CIA. As usual, seeing Nikki's team in action and the connection to the CIA's attempts at remote viewing kept me interested, but this was not my favorite in the series.
Stargate and Remote Viewing and Stargate: Controlled Remote Viewing

NetGalley/Joffe Books

Mystery/Thriller. Oct. 14, 2021. Print length: 400 pages

Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter are called to the Gardens of Shelley House to investigate. A burned man is in a wheel barrow. Some teens had broken in and set fire to a tree. Now, one of those boys is found burning (he probably was still alive when the fire started) right where the tree had been burned the previous week. Meanwhile, Nikki and Joe are at the hotel reception to meet Harry Byrd. Harry is in town to try to find his younger brother Lucas who disappeared when he was 13, twenty years before. Lucas recently sent Harry a letter to meet in in Shrimptown (Greenboro). Lucas was probably the person who burned the teen in retribution for killing the special tree.

This a a very troublesome case. The father of the two boys was a brilliant scientist who worked on a secret project for the Americans and returned a broken man who murdered his gardener and then was murdered himself. The two boys were both a little odd, with Lucas very tuned into nature and fairies. After Lucas has probably been the killer of two more men who chopped down a tree and drove a motorcycle over a field, Nikki and Joe have still not been able to find him. They were hampered in their investigation because they are not allowed to find any information about the father and the family.

Although I found the story a little farfetched, it was exciting and suspenseful as no one knew what would happen next. The ending is very exciting with a surprise.

Detective Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter are called in to investigate when a body is found burned to a crisp.

More bodies follow as Nikki and Joseph start searching for a man who has been missing 20+ years. This man's father killed his gardener before being killed himself. It is his son who is now killing.

with talk of wood fairies, elves, trees with souls, Nikki and Joseph are going to have to dog deep to find a killer who maybe killing in the name of Mother Nature.

A unique plot and intriguing story line make this a compelling read. There's plenty of action and a huge twist that changes everything. Although 13th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. I would recommend starting at the beginning and watching how the character development has created some unforgettable characters.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Protions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

If you haven't read any of this series previously then for the best enjoyment I'd read them all in order.

THE NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
Book 12: SECRETS ON THE FENS
Book 13: FEAR ON THE FENS

From the 1st book, Crime on The Fens I have been well and truly hooked on this series. I've loved each and every book and have a strong liking for the main characters. Nikki and Joseph.
A fantastic working relationship between the characters in these books really adds to enjoyment of the stories.

Another nail biting case. Some great twists. The story felt quite unusual buy really interesting. another thrilling read.

🌳Unhinged killer, interesting twists but too long🤔

3.5🌟 stars
I am divided about how I feel about this DI Nikki Galena police procedural. The twists start appearing in the middle of the book and then keep coming. We know who the crazed killer is from the beginning and the murderer's motives, mindset and modus operandi are unusual. I also liked the principal detectives and the way the investigative team gets along without friction.

But the repeated return to the story about the killer's father and newly-civilian Aiden's compulsion to keep digging into a side of the case that is patently off limits: this side of the plot I found less appealing and I felt just went on too long. I also found the book's length in general a bit of a turn-off.

This was my first read of this series and maybe it's just the psi/scientific bent of the case that I wasn't wild about and had problems keeping me interested. So I would probably try another book by the author.

Thanks to Joffe and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Very strange and surreal read and not as thrilling, gripping or page turning as previous in the fens series

This is book #13 for DI Nikki Galena and her team set in the Lincolnshire Fens. In this outing they are contacted by a man whose schizophrenic father once worked for a clandestine faceless organization. The work the man did helped fuel his fantasies and sadly he passed those on to one of his two sons. It appears this troubled son has succumbed to his fantasy life, a life where the smallest slight could lead to murder. His brother is worried he's back in the area, highly unstable and may be a threat. Before they can investigate this threat, the team are called out to Shelly House to a burned body. Has the brother already claimed his first victim?
This is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a good police procedural. I've been a fan of Nikki Galena from her first appearance and have enjoyed watching her progress from loner to team player. Highly recommend this book and series.

Great book by a great author! I read this in 1 day! Was hooked from the get go! Thanks for the opportunity to read and give a review

A first-time reader of a new author would never start with the thirteenth book in a series, but Fear of The Fens by Joy Ellis proved unusually so. Despite her being such a prolific author with over twenty-five books and three detective series, this was the first encounter of DI Nikki Galena and her team. Whilst numerous references to presumably earlier books are made, the story was an enjoyable first time read. When a burnt blackened hand is found, the team is called in to investigate but get caught up in a remarkable case involving a dead scientist, his missing son, fairy folklore and oversight, and limitations by MI5. The story was somewhat convoluted, yet with conventual police investigation, climaxing in an unforeseen finale. For fans of DI Nikki Galena, a comparison to previous stories is impossible. However, as a crime novel and police procedural, this read has an average three-star rating. With thanks to Joffe Books and the author, for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.