What a really captivating book from the off this was.  A fantastic storyline that developed lots of layers, depth and twists with great characters.  Highly recommended!

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book pre-publication. 

I have not read any of Nick Louth's offerings previously but I must say that I will definitely read more in the future. The slightly odd relatives of the main character, DCI Craig Gillard, are well thought through and completely believable. I am sure a lot of people will recognise the traits of someone they know, friends or family, in this novel. And the twist at the end.....bet you won’t see that coming!

First time I have read a book by this author and I certainly hope to read more books by him in the future. It kept me engaged and I think anyone that likes mystery and thriller will enjoy this book very much.

Another  case for DCI  Craig Gillard, that is the third in a series, but markedly different in tone. As before the storyline and storytelling are very well done, but the author has decided to change the overall  feel by leavening the plot with dashes of humour.

It is a matter of personal taste wether this new approach works, in my case I could have done without it, but nonetheless this is still a very well written and well worth a read.

Sometimes when you read a book, you think to yourself ‘it’s really clever this story’. The Body in the Mist by Nick Louth is absolutely fascinating and totally engrossing, I couldn’t stop reading until the end.
I have read Book2 The Body on the Shore by the author and believe this book is also of the same high standard of writing and plot. The DCI Craig Gillard series is definitely a police series to keep reading with pleasure in the future. DCI Gillard and his wife Sam are happily married but Craig’s aunts and uncle and other relations are a horror story all on their own.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, it was a pleasure to read this book.
Highly recommended.

British crime drama at its best. Regional interest, family drama, murder, fraud, intrigue and courtroom drama. A well written and thought provoking story full of twists and turns. I recommend you read it!

I’ve read some  Nick Louth’s other novels and generally though well of,

This one was the weakest of the series,  the two previous Gillard novels were decent but the ending of this one was not entertaining.

I'd describe this as crime fiction fodder, an ok story, worth the £1,99 that Amazon are flogging its Kindle version for but it isn't going to get a Golden Dagger award ..

really enjoyed this mystery,  with many twists and turns. The author did a great job of bringing atmospheric tension to the page. Not just the detail on the hardships involved in farming but the horrible things family can do to one another, and still expect to call in their dues when needed. Good honest police work, and how difficult it can be to follow the right procedure, and hit dead ends.  it's a great read.

Another fantastic read from Nick Louth. Reading and learning new things about Craig in each book is exciting and as always I am kept guessing till the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters and the background.

I am still wondering why Nick chose that title?

Nevertheless, I would highly recommend his writing.

Family can be terrifying, but rarely literally so.  The newest DCI Gillard takes the term skeleton in the closet and brings it home to roost.  Called out to help his elderly aunts with what appears to be a car theft and a hit and run, DCI Gillard faces multiple challenges in the form of their emotional blackmail, his Alzheimer ridden uncle Philip’s confession to murder, and his need to stay professional in his dealings with the local constabulary.  


At first, it seems there is no hope of establishing the identity of the hit and run victim killed with Aunt Barbara’s car.  DI Tallantire has her work cut out for her. The book’s action picks up as the reader is immersed into the lives of DCI Gillard’s extended family, and layer upon layer is pulled back.  I was alternately astounded and horrified as his family turned against itself, and decades old suffering and corruption was revealed.  

The Body in the Mist may start slowly, but it ends with the a knife sharp twist worthy of any of the greats of mystery fiction.  The implications….wow!


5 / 5


I received a copy of The Body in the Mist from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


--Crittermom

There was rather too much going on in this book, and some of the events just didn't seem real - I do like my crime books to be believable. That said, I did enjoy reading this book and I would certainly give DCI Craig another chance!

Absolutely awesome book! No easy answer to who was guilty and lots of guessing going on, plus the family story elements are also really great. Definitely a must read!

The Body in the Mist had several twists and turns which made it a compelling read. The characters were complex and the author did a good job with atmospheric tension. The crappy weather also sets the mood a bit and I give kudos to the author for dealing with sexual abuse of children.

Excellent. This was a mystery novel with strong characters and a strong family connection. The rural setting was very well described and there were a few different plots which all combine very well. Strongly recommended

A body is found and cannot be recognised. How did this happen and who is to blame? DCI Craig Gillard is called to help family and ends up in the middle of it all. Are his Aunts involved? 
A good read about Craig's past and present and relationships within the problem of 'who did it'. Lots of revaluations  and finally we get a version of the truth, but do we know it all? Read and find out.

This is a fantastic read which had me gripped from start to finish.  Fascinating characters and a fast paced storyline make this a must for thriller fans.

I think this is Louth's best book yet. It had me gripped from the start.
DI Craig Gillard's relationship with his wife Sam is well written, showing Sam's empathy but also frustration with Craig's family tanglements and history.  The story unfolds as Craig receives a plea from his aunt to visit and help deal with an uncle in care and a stolen vehicle.  From this the story unfolds, with an ending that left me suitably satisfied, but understanding the frustration of Aunt Trish!  
Well crafted.

The Body In This Mist sees DCI Craig Gillard and his wife Sam having to confront Craig’s past as a hit and run on a misty country lane in Devon leads to the aunts he hasn’t seen in years reaching out for help.

I really enjoyed The Body In The Mist, for me it was an interesting take on a police procedural novel. While you’d normally expect the central character in the series to be leading the investigation, in this case due to the clear conflict of interest he’s relegated to the sidelines. Instead we’re introduced to Detective Inspector Jan Talantire of the Devon and Cornwall police who takes the lead on the police investigation into the hit and run death. This doesn’t mean that Craig barely features in the book, while he can’t play a substantial role in the current case, staying with his family stirs up secrets of the past. One in particular that has Craig concerned that his uncle, now living with Alzheimer’s may have once committed a crime. With the local force too stretched to even consider investigating the cold crime we follow Craig as he does a little investigating of his own.

The Body In The Mist is superbly paced with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep the reader eager to find out the next bit of information, to discover the next clue and try to solve both the current and cold cases before the characters manage it. It certainly kept me up late at night, once I reached a certain point I just couldn’t put it down!

I really enjoyed catching up with both Craig and Sam again, theirs is a relationship I really enjoy, but for me a real strength of this book were the supporting characters. I enjoyed meeting the Devon and Cornwall police team, and I honestly didn’t mind that Craig wasn’t taking centre stage in the police investigation. I won’t go into detail too much, for fear of wandering into spoiler but Craig’s family were a highlight of this book for me. Now I’m not saying I liked them and I certainly wouldn’t want to be related to either of his aunts or his uncle but they brought so much to this story, the family history and the secrets, the reasons Craig hasn’t visited they all build up and add so much to the plot!

I was also pleasantly surprised by the setting of the story, I must confess I didn’t read the blurb, I just saw it was the next DCI Craig Gillard story and I was on-board so to discover the story was set in my home county of Devon was a bonus. I absolutely adore reading crime novels that are set somewhere I know well, for me it adds an extra layer of realism to the story. I’m lucky that I’m familiar with the big cities like London and Manchester and currently live just outside Edinburgh so there are plenty of crime fiction novels set in places I’m familiar with but very rarely do I read something set in Devon. I’m slightly less familiar with Barnstaple and North Devon, but I was born in the same hospital the body is taken too! My only slight complaint is at one point Exeter town centre is mention, it may be Devon’s county town but Exeter is very much a city, with an absolutely stunning cathedral to boot!

Final Thoughts
Nick Louth has put together another fantastic crime novel – that ending! I can’t wait to see what comes next for Craig, these books are well worth reading!

DI Craig Gillard has two old aunts in Devon who call him to visit and see his uncle who is ill with alzheimer's in an old people's' home.  The local police find a mutilated body with al  ID absent on a quiet country road - accident or murder?  There are murky family secrets that Craig doesn't want to talk about with his wife, and the Beast of Exmoor visits his Aunt's farm at full moon and savages her sheep.  Shades of Cold Comfort Farm and no mistake. The full force of forensic science is brought to bear on the unknown corpse.  As a side dish the uncle may have committed  a murder in the distant past.  Lots to look into!  Very readable and fun