A great addition to the series, DCI Craig Gillard realises it must be something important when all stops are pulled out to find the whereabouts of a young concert violinist when she goes missing on a journey to London. She has been missing for less than 24 hours and the last contact was a text message to one of her friends that she was meeting in London. Gillard is called in by the top brass who explains that the girls farther is a German diplomat and that they must act without delay to find her, This is easier said than done because CCTV would suggest that she has vanished into thin air. There is so much to this book with lots of twists and turns, I can highly recommend to fans of fast-paced police procedural books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of The Body under The Bridge, the fifth novel to feature DCI Craig Gillard of the Surrey Police.

When musician Beatrice Ulbricht disappears from a crowded train Gillard fumes about time and resources until he learns that Beatrice is the daughter of the German Justice Minister and that there are a lot of eyes on his investigation. With no time and all the resources he could want it soon becomes apparent that the perpetrator is making the case personal to Gillard.

I enjoyed The Body under The Bridge which is an intricately plotted police procedural with a nasty perpetrator and a few good twists. The novel is told mostly from the investigative point of view and mostly Gillard’s so there are scant hints of the perpetrator’s identity or motivation, allowing the reader plenty of scope for guesswork and speculation. Don’t get me wrong, I was glued to the pages throughout as it is a good read with enough going on to hold the interest but I can’t help feeling that it was a bit writing by numbers and contrived, the way so many characters were linked to the perpetrator, his Machiavellian planning and the happenstance that revealed his plans. I think it lacked a little emotion despite the personal nature of many of the events. I’m not sure that it really matters as this is a plot driven novel, it’s just something I noticed.

As I said it’s a plot driven novel so the characters don’t get much development. They are marginally more vivid when events turn personal but still tend to be overshadowed by events.

The Body under The Bridge is a good read that I can recommend.

Excellent. This was another very good novel by Nick Louth, it was fast moving and had multiple plots going on. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone who likes thrillers. To say any more would give the plot away.

The Body Under the Bridge is the 5th instalment in the DCI Craig Gillard series. Whilst you can read it as a standalone I would highly recommend reading all four previous books as there are a lot or reoccurring characters and I believe it helps to connect with the story more. 

We begin with Craig investigating a missing musician which soon turns into a multiple murder case intertwined with a cold case, car theft and kidnapping! It's safe to say that he has his hands full. He has his usual team with him and as always they provide much needed support throughout. I enjoyed the addition of John Perry and his family, especially Mel. Whilst I may not of agreed with her initial actions I thought she was very gutsy at the end and found myself cheering for her. 

With every addition to the series I start to feel like part of the team; I'm in the cars when they are chasing down the killers, I fell their pain when they lose a member of their team. For five books now I have watched Craig and Sam's relationship evolve and obviously I felt for both of them this time round but in particular I felt for Sam. I think this woman needs a bit of a break and maybe something good to happen in the next instalment.

Yes that's right there will be a sixth book! Nick Louth has treated us with a little excerpt at the end of this book and I can not wait. The Body on the Island is out later this year so keep your eyes peeled, I know I will be. 

What I love about Nick Louth's books is the attention to detail. I never seem to have any questions when I've reached the end and I'm never confused about the technical jargon. He manages to explain everything clearly and thoroughly without being patronising or taking away from the flow of the read. I say this every time but this hands down is my favourite book in the series so far. I was glued from the beginning and kept finding ways to squeeze in one more chapter until I'd reached the end. To make things even better this book is being released on my birthday and I couldn't think of a better book to share my day with!

Thank you to Canelo and Nick Louth for another great read. I look forward to the next one!

A musician disappears, seemingly from a train. How?

It doesn't help that her father is a senior German minister, and the Home Secretary is now on the case too.

But while trying to solve the case, DCI Gillard becomes a target

When a young woman gets on a train to London and disappears without trace Detective Chief Inspector Craig Gillard has no idea how traumatic an investigation it is going to become. How could someone, tracked on CCTV and spotted sitting quietly with a violin on her lap, not arrive at her destination? When a massive clue is revealed by the girl's father Gillard begins to believe this could be more than a missing person's case and starts to fear for the safety of the gifted musician.

I am a huge fan of Nick Louth's Craig Gillard series and this is definitely the best so far. The way the case begins with a missing person but quickly becomes far more than that, involving other police departments immediately grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go. There were quite a few 'oh!' moments where I was totally surprised by unexpected happenings. Without giving any spoilers the way some of the main characters refused right to the end to believe what and who they had become involved with was a startling, scary, and, I expect, very realistic occurrence.

Craig Gillard isn't a super detective, he works through the clues to get to what he hopes will be a satisfactory outcome, he is sympathetically written and carries the reader with him throughout never blinding them with science or making hard to believe discoveries with very little effort.

There is a familiarity now with the main characters in and out of the police force, all of them are well rounded, realistically drawn and the cases ever more detailed and complex. A sneak peak at the next book is included at the end and although none of the police officers are mentioned I am hopeful of at least one more book in this outstanding series.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the previous books or anyone who wants an excellent police procedural.

I am loving this series by Nick, I had to read this book in one sitting back I always wanted to know what happened next. A great read with believable characters. I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.

Another amazing book from Nick
Again our hero Is Gillard and this time he is facing a face from the past.
Fast paced and riveting a good old fashioned page turner.
Best book I’ve read in a good while!

I did not realise that this was not a 'stand alone' book but part of a series. It did not matter. Although the story starts off relatively slowly with the disappearance of a talented musician it becomes more involved. It is well written and the plot moves along at a pace. An excellent crime novel.

Anyone who likes crime won't be disappointed. I had the pleasure of reading this for an unbiased review through Netgalley & I loved it.
Excellently written. I was in a bit of a slump with my current book and picked this one. Fast paced and gripping. I hadn't realised it was part of a series, I'm definitely going to go check out the rest.
If you're a fan of crime, you need to check this series out. Great reAnyone who likes crime won't be disappointed. I had the pleasure of reading this for an unbiased review through Netgalley & I loved it.
Excellently written. I was in a bit of a slump with my current book and picked this one. Fast paced and gripping. I hadn't realised it was part of a series until coming to give the review, I'm definitely going to go check out the rest.
If you're a fan of crime, you need to check this series out. Great read.ad.

This book is part of a series but you can jump in without having read the others.

The story begins with a missing musician, which wouldn't be particularly newsworthy if it wasn't for the fact she's the daughter of a highly ranked German official, meaning the police - and DCI Craig Gillard in particular - need to be seen to be pulling out all the stops.

And soon they discover there's more to her disappearance than anticipated. She's on CCTV getting on a train... then all of a sudden she isn't anywhere to be seen at all.

But the more they investigate, the more a chilling question comes to the fore of Gillard's mind - what if the perpetrator is really after him?

This is a well-told police investigation, written with lots of detail. There are a lot of characters involved in the investigation, which grounds it and makes it feel authentic - but it's also hard to be invested in all of them. I did feel for Gillard but some of his colleagues are right idiots!

An enjoyable read.

I loved this crime novel. I loved the setting and main characters and felt it was an exceptionally good read. I will read more by this author

What a riveting read! Started off a bit slowly but once the scene was set it took off at a rollicking pace. Real page turner as you want to see what happens next. Thanks for the ARC - I am really enjoying Louth's books

Senior Detective Craig Gillard is called in when a talented musician disappears. Our story starts but gets more complicated and gripping. Heavy stormy rain causes devastation and leads to the discovery of bodies in the water. How are they linked and how are all these incidents linked to Craig personally?
Gripping novel with twists, turns and I did not want to stop reading, enjoy.

Another complex tale of murder in the Craig Gillard series of Surrey based crime. A missing German girl with lofty parents sets things running with evidence that is never quite what it seems! Lot’s of red herrings and plot twists keep it racing along until the final shock denouement. Good stuff!

When DCI Craig Gillard is called away from a colleague's funeral by Chief Constable Alison Rigby he is annoyed and hoping that it is for a good reason.
The reason turns out to be a missing person case. But the young woman who is missing is the daughter of Germany’s Minister of Justice and it is totally out of character.
As Gillard and his team investigate they seem to be running into dead ends everywhere. The discovery of the body of a woman who has been missing for over 30 years causes more confusion. As Gillard tries to work out if the two cases are linked the killer is getting ever closer to his main target. Gillard must work flat out to catch the killer before he strikes right at Gillards heart

A missing person case that turns out to have international political implications and then becomes a murder. A great story line with lots of twists and turns with one of DCI Craig Gillards teams family involved. As the story unfolds it appears the whole case began with a murder many years in the past.

Di Gillard is back. When a talented violinist goes missing, Gillard and the team are called in. But after a week without a clue or a lead the team are at a loss. Until a storm hits and the bodies start to pile up.
This is Louth at his finest, with unexpected twists and a big plot. His best yet.

I have read several of the books in the series. The Body under the Bridge is about DCI Craig Gillard who is pulled away from the funeral of a friend to investigate a missing person: A musician who is the daughter of a prominent German official has gone missing.

As Craig investigates the case, there are twist and turns which lead back to someone close to home. There are layers of the story that are slowly revealed. The killer has woven a giant and intricate web.

The writing was very good, and the plot well thought out Each character is fleshed out with there own point of view. I felt for Craig, he is always in the thick of it with personal danger I am looking forward to the next in the series. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy for an honest review
It was a good read. I recommend it.

The Body Under the Bridge is the 5th book involving DCI Craig Gillard, although you do not have to have read the previous stories I would encourage you to do so as they are all extremely good. This is yet another fast paced page turner full of twists and turns.
The investigation begins when a German music student is reported missing, her father is the German Minister for Justice so the home office wants immediate action. As the investigation gathers pace more and more is discovered and a link to past unsolved cases are brought to light. As the body count rises so does the pace of the suspense. Gillard is a wonderful character whose goodness and professionalism is admired by his colleagues, he pulls out all the stops particularly when the case takes a shocking turn and becomes very close to home. As usual a great cast of characters, well described with punchy dialogue, a story with some extremely harrowing aspects but also some uplifting ones.
I hope this author is a fast writer as I can’t wait for his next book!
My thanks to net galley and publisher Canelo for the opportunity to review this book honestly.