The Body in the Snow

DCI Craig Gillard, Book 4

By: Nick Louth

Narrated by: Marston York

Money, success, family? All deadly....

The gripping new DCI Gillard thriller. Perfect for readers of D. K. Hood, Patricia Gibney and Mark Billingham, The Body in the Snow is a remarkable and gripping crime thriller.

A young detective is out for a jog on a snowy winter morning. Then she sees something terrible: a murder in the park, sudden and inexplicable. A woman has been killed by a passing hooded cyclist. It’s just DCI Craig Gillard’s luck that he’s on duty. The body is that of Tanvi Roy, one of the richest women in Britain and matriarch of a food empire.

With a tangled web of family and business contacts and jealousies, Gillard’s job just got even more complex. As he delves deeper into the Roy family, it’s clear that everything is not as it seems. As the investigation threatens to unravel, Gillard realises it's only the beginning of his problems. Trouble of a different sort is brewing close to home.

©2019 Nick Louth (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd

Such a shame. we are back to book one .

When the end of your plot requires so much explanation
There is something wrong. Again, three hours too long. Book two was so much better.

Series Gets Even Better

Loved the plot and range of characters. Hope that our hero learns to spend more time with his spouse. He's really risking his marriage. How is the series getting better? Wicked humor cuts through some very tragic happenings. Writing shows sophisticated understanding of power dynamics in family businesses. The plot was precariously balanced between action, suspense, false leads, and good detective work. The book was not longer than it needed to be. The author quickly and neatly summed up the solutions, court outcomes, and relationship consequences. There are loose ends: suspicious characters lurk on the edges of the ending, and at least one plot line left this reader wondering if there is a false narrator in the police unit, plotting to mess up Craig. we shall see. Great narration as usual.

Interesting story, lots of twists

Poor recording. Although the narrator was good as usual something was very wrong with the recording equipment. When playing in my car one speaker would go off, also in ear phones. This was not a problem with my devices, but with the recording. The problem began in the last book and continued through this one. Poor editing by Audible. This should have been fixed before releasing the recording.

edge of your seat

this is the best of the series. twists and turns, 'til the end. a wonderful exposition of what happens when you mix out of date mindsets with modern business and entrepreneurial individuals.

Great listen

Well done mystery/police procedural that kept me guessing almost to the end. It dragged occasionally, hence the 4 star rating for the story but overall an enjoyable listen. Also enjoyed the narration.

A good series

Book 4 in the Craig Gillard series is another good one. I must admit that I get the police colleagues confused. I had to take notes. (This may be because I listened to the audiobook and it’s hard to go back and see the names.) So when one of them runs into a bad situation I couldn’t really place him.

The story itself is interesting. The murder of the matriarch of a spice company and the family dynamics that produces provide much work for Gillard and crew. His family life takes a hit and I dislike the fact that he tends to forget about his wife too often. And he has to deal with his aunt who has returned from an earlier book.

The narration, again, is wonderful.

A good who dunit

I’ve enjoyed this series, it keeps you guessing. With that being said…… good lord I am so sick of the aunt she is an annoying character and adds little to the story. Also, the stalker scenario and the coercion of the forensic newbie were decent de versions but not very fulfilling. The sneaking around by the detectives did reveal a very nice twist.

Good writing

Really excellent writing and research. I’ve read the whole series. More than just a police procedural. Characters are deep and full. Writing gets better as series goes on.

Really liked the story

Altogether very satisfying, and definitely worth a credit and the time. I just wish the narrator’s voice didn’t become so unpleasant when he was reading the dialogue of the main characters. It seems very nasal and whining. Perhaps that’s an authentic accent for the characters in that location. Also, I hesitate to say it, but the story did seem to drag on a bit, although it’s not actually longer than some previous entries in the series.

Needs a turn around for our protagonist

Loved the first two books. However, in the last two the author is trying hard to humanize Craig and Sam and it isn’t working. They have taken a turn from relatable to unlikeable. If their development continues down hill I’ll be moving on to another series. Having said all that; the writing is very good. Just give these two characters a break.