Title: The Body in the Shadows
Author: Nick Louth
Series: DCI Craig Gillard #11
Release Date: January 19, 2023
Length: 287 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
**** My Review ****
One apparently random attack and another random murder lead to a complicated series of events, which hide many truths. The body of a young man sets an investigation that will bring a whole avalanche of hints and evidence pointing to a multi-million dollar theft.
The criminal world never sleeps but is always diligently planning its moves. Craig Gillard learns information about a huge deal yet to happen, which he shares with the Metropolitan Police.
A deal worth around half a billion pounds that will cause huge damage is being set into motion. Time is on their side, but without an exact date and location, will they be able to stop all this? Will the investigators be able to figure out how this apparent attack and this random murder are connected to everything else?
But how to connect the pieces of the puzzle? What is behind all this?
This is the first time I’m reading something by this writer and I liked his writing style. So concise and clear, with enough detail about police procedures and criminal acts. The book opens with an interesting segment with Craig’s wife Sam Gillard being mugged and nearly killed in a mall while Christmas shopping and this thread are woven into the main mystery. A nice sub-plot giving readers a glimpse into the personal life of the main character.
After a bit of a slow build-up, the story suddenly picks up a great pace that keeps you turning the pages, revealing tiny bits of truth that somehow peek out behind the skillfully constructed interactions and descriptions.
Furthermore, the plot is well constructed, offering readers an insight into the world of old-school gangsters, with a modern twist. I found it really refreshing and quite interesting to read.
Plus it was a really fine contrast to the use of more traditional methods of gathering information using informants, undercover officers, and bugs, compared to the books where it is based on modern technology.
The plot of The Body in the Shadows by Nick Louth didn’t play out the way I thought it would. But I enjoyed how readers were kept in the dark just like the police as they tried to figure out exactly where and when the crime was going to be. Excellently delivered with tons of twists and turns and tension that builds with each page turned leading to a dramatic conclusion.
There are so many story threads here along with quite a few characters, so it took me a while at first to get to know them all and wrap my mind around them. Most likely, readers who are familiar with the series and have read the previous books had no problem, but it took me a while to connect who was who and to be able to fit into the whole story. However, there are many outstanding characters in the book, both criminal, incidental, and from the police investigation team.
The Body in the Shadows by Nick Louth will transport you to London and its suburbs with its detailed descriptions. Many of the locations are real, giving the book a sense of geographic significance, which is furthermore enhanced by some interesting fictional places.
Anyone who wants a well-written police procedural thriller that takes you to London for a short while should read The Body in the Shadows by Nick Louth. From an exciting start, with enough intrigue and twists to keep you guessing about the outcome, this book has what it takes to trap you in its world until the very end.