3.5 stars rounded up

Maddie Ives #8

Saturday morning. A rare day off for Detective Maddie Ives. She's about to have a relaxing shower with her boyfriend Vince when she gets the call: there's been another one. Ron and Sandy Blackman's brutalised bodies are found in the hallway of their isolated rural home. They've been stabbed multiple times; Ron's hands are tied tightly behind his back; Sandy has several fingernails ripped out. The safe has been forced open. This is the second house of horrors that Maddie and her team have been called out to in a matter of days.

It took me a little longer to get into this story than any of the other of the authors books that I've read. There's quite a lot going on in this book. The story is descriptively written with some complex but well-developed characters. Maddie needs to work out the connection between the two cases before she can solve them. This story is filled with twist and turns. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #CharlieGallagher for my ARC of #TheGirlUnderTheFloor in exchange for an honest review.

Another five star read from one of my favourite authors. An edgy, heart stopping action packed crime thriller which I devoured in one sitting. The title says it all but this is only the beginning. Impossible to put down hence turning the last page at 1.30am Yes this book is that good. Another MUST READ from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Girl Under The Floor
This is a police procedural novel and is part of a series
The problem with a book like this is you don’t have the back story but this was not difficult to follow.
This is a long and complicated mystery. Fans will like it I think and will enjoy the lead detective work toward solving a crime
3 sto

A real page turner, with all the twists and turns you would want from a crime mystery thriller.

Did on occasion find it hard to understand where it was going and who was who at some points however that didn’t take away from it being a great read

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic, fast-paced well-written book, with lashings of suspense, twists and turns, Recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Girl under the Floor, the eighth novel to feature DI Maddie Ives of Kent Police.

A couple is found in their home, tortured and killed, with their safe open. It’s not the first murder because a single mother was found days earlier in the same way and her eleven year old daughter, Jade, nailed below the floorboards, unharmed but traumatised. Maddie isn’t so sure that the motive is robbery, but is struggling to find a link between the two families. Jade is the key, but she has no memory, so Maddie will have to build a case with no help outside her team and her partner Vince, the man who found Jade.

I enjoyed The Girl under the Floor, which is a twisted tale of violence and revenge. It is not the best novel in the series, but it still packs a punch, being strong on procedure and the criminal mind. It starts and ends with a flurry of activity, but it sags a bit in the rather long middle, which is spent pursuing false leads, expressing frustration and exploring some personal issues for Vince. This latter I thought was sympathetic and well done, having experienced something similar myself recently. I found it quite emotional.

This is a relatively long, complicated novel and I don’t think that the multiple point of view approach helps matters. It is difficult to work out what is going on and why and each time I thought I was making progress the point of view changed. Simply put, I didn’t find it compulsive as it had too much going on and too many voices. It was easy to put down. I found this most unusual as I normally can’t get enough of the author’s work.

The Girl under the Floor is a solid read. 3.5*

thriller, law-enforcement, series, serial-murder, due-diligence, torture, child, home-invasion, real-horror, family-drama, angst, procedural, relationships, relationship-issues, friendship, drugs-issues, psychological, psychopath, siblings, intense, England, teamwork,*****

Too real.
Policing has never been easy and the ones with traumatized children are the hardest. Then there's the personal home life and the other problems that can't be controlled. The publisher's blurb covers the basics of the story well. The writing invades the reader's mind and brings out all the bogey men. An excellent read, but I found it necessary to read it in increments for the sake of what passes for sanity in my case.
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I’ve not read any of these books and whilst this was a little slow to start with the pace soon picked up and I loved it! Lots of twists and turns and it left you guessing with a big finale ending! I definitely want to read more in this series!

The title of this book completely drew me in, it’s eerie and I hoped the book would be to.

It was a slow starter for me, it’s actually part of a series, however you don’t have to have read the previous ones before this. Although it would help to understand the back story to all the main reoccurring characters.

Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced, clever and thrilling. Although i don’t think it was quite as eerie as the title suggests it was still an enjoyable read and kept me hooked throughout.

I liked the twist at the end! I didn’t actually see it coming.

This book had me hooked from the beginning but then it slowed way down in the middle.This book is so long and it seemed to drag too much for me that I found myself losing interest. I just say it was ok. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published January 2023.

Whilst No 8 in the series it is not necessary to read the earlier ones other than to add depth to the characters and their backgrounds. Double murders, rather gory, twisty story that certainly keeps the reader on their toes. At times heavy on police procedural but the characters are now well-developed and believable human without too much of the angst that so many police detectives are often given. Emotional as well. Good read but you have to take time over the reading or you will miss some small but crucial hint! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy.

I struggled to get into this one, it took a while to become invested in the story. I’m not sure if because this is number eight in a series and I haven’t read any of the previous ones. Although I don’t feel like you need to have read the previous ones to read this.

I did eventually get into it and once I had I enjoyed it, but it took a long time to get to that point. There is a lot going on so I had to reread some bits to make sure I understood the story.

I was glad that I continued with the book because I did enjoy the explosive ending!

Once again, I picked up a book without realizing it was part of a series, but this reads some as a standalone. The story follows Maddie and her partner Vince, both cops who are trying to solve a string of brutal murders. One child is left alive and can help them break the case apart, though I felt that she isn’t really featured all that prominently in the overall story.

There is a lot going on here and the book felt really long to me- it was 420 pages so it is long, but I kept thinking about all of that dialogue and details that just didn’t need to be there. The book slowed at times and I think the pacing would’ve been much faster if it had been edited down further.

I liked all the characters and felt like they were people with whom I could empathize, though I didn’t think some of the stuff they got away with doing as police officers was realistic. There were some good twists and it took time to figure out what was really going on.

All in all, the book was ok for me but felt a bit slow and convoluted. It’s deep into the police procedural aspect if that is what you are looking for. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A read is fast paced book. The story was gripping I couldn't put it down at all but I did find some bit slow
It was well written, great description we strong character you like them I did not read the other books as this can be read alone I did enjoy it it got a few twists I did enjoy it

DNF the book but I tried very hard to.
Everything in this book seems thrown together, and very confusing.
There was no separation between scenes and characters.
I found it very boring and extremely slow paced. No offense to the Author it just wasn’t for me.

Charlie delivers yet another tense and enthralling read!

Wow what a read! This book took me far too long to finish as a small thing called Christmas got in the way. But the moments I could snatch to read just a little bit more were totally worth it.

Heavy on police procedural (which I love) Charlie’s brilliant at delivering complex and compelling stories that are as engaging as they are fast paced. His main characters are well considered and totally believable. I can’t help developing such a strong fondness for the quirky and sometimes bothersome Eileen. I love how she is nothing like how she outwardly portrays herself and takes a decade to get to the point lol

In this particular book we see a softer/human side to Vince, we see him battle his own demons and deal with an awful lot of emotions and stress. There are a few tear jerking scenes. If anything I was surprised that Maddie was there for him when he needed her most. It seemed strange that nobody contacted her either to notify her that Vince had walked out and might need her by his side.

The twists in this tale come thick and fast but even once revealed are so messy that I wouldn’t even know where to begin if this review was to give away spoilers (sorry no spoilers!)

This is my second Vince and Maggie novel and I’m loving them. I would like to read the books prior to this but equally I have found that both books I’ve read so far can be read as standalone novels. There’s just enough backstory as to help you connect with the characters but none of that awful repetitive blurb some authors use to fill pages.

Absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to see where they go from this!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fast-paced, solid mystery with several unexpected turns. The book has romance, family drama and angst, murder, crime and some really sharp detectives. I started this book not realizing it was part of a series. It reads easily as a standalone so possibly would be even better with the series companions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this ARC..

A brilliant fast paced book. The story was gripping I couldn't put it down at all.
It was well written,great characters. Already waiting for the next installment

Fast paced, interesting, funny, heart rending. What more can you ask for in a book. Not all is as it seems. People are being killed, supposedly, in a burglary gone wrong. But it's definitely overkill. Why go to so much trouble - torture and murder - for the contents of ordinary peoples safes.

Brilliant book. Loved it

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joffe Books and Charlie Gallagher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE GIRL UNDER THE FLOOR, to be published 26 January 2023. This UK Police Procedural is number 8 in the series and was completely readable as a stand alone. It was unequaled in its storyline, believable characters and suspense. This is another great read from Charlie Gallagher. #NetGalley #JoffeBooks. #TheGirlUndertheFloor. #CharlieGallagher