Cover Image: The Jigsaw Man

The Jigsaw Man

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Member Reviews

London is the perfect setting for this stylish crime novel. Reminiscent of classic horror thrillers such as Silence of the Lambs and a hint of Seven, this had me hooked early on and didn't let up until the conclusion. The dialogue between characters held up well for a crime novel and it was well paced. Creepy killer, strong female lead and twists galore! Highly recommend if a fan of the genre.

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I don't know... I know that's not a great way to start a review but really I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book or even whether I enjoyed it or not. It's a very dark and disturbing book, like one of the most disturbing books I've ever read, that being said I couldn't put it down, I was compelled to read it to the very end.

When body parts are discovered early one morning, DI Henley is tasked to find the killer. However upon investigating Henley is reminded of the crimes of The Jigsaw Killer, only it couldn't possibly be him - he's currently serving a life sentence for a series of horrific murders. Then a severed head is delivered to Henley's home and she realises that this killer is taking a personal interest in her and the victims haven't been chosen at random. To make matters worse The Jigsaw Killer escapes from prison and she finds herself trying to capture two killers not just one.

I will say that this is in many ways a brilliant psychological thriller, it kept me guessing, it had a lot of twists and turns and was full of nail-biting suspense and scenes, however some of the descriptions and details were horrific and quite frankly stomach turning. At times I felt rather squeamish while reading and was glad I wasn't eating anything. I'm kind of in the middle with this one, I didn't hate it and nor did I live it thinking it was an ok read but not my idea of a brilliant thriller.

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This a very disturbing book with a graphic intent. If you are inclined for this type of story and can get past that, the book is well articulated and written with a intelligent plot. As far as Myself, I couldn’t tolerate the body parts and rushed quickly through it not giving it a fair judgement.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC for my review and I will know next time not to step too far out of my comfort zone.

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This book is not for the faint hearted.

It is incredibly gruesome and definitely feels like a horror at points in the story. It is a fantastic debut, with lots of anticipation building chapters. At points when I was reading this I was physically jumping at a sound around me. It is very thrilling and in some chapters terrifying so I would not recommend reading this one at night if you are easily scared (like me!).

Alongside the gruesome killings unfolds a very good police drama plotline (think of a good ITV police drama) and I really enjoyed reading about the investigation and the police team. This book doesn’t have a big twist at the end, instead it feels more like the pieces of the story finally coming together. I absolutely raced through this one as I was desperate to know how it finished and I would definitely be reading more of Nadine Matheson’s books in the future!

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Was really looking forward to this one. Interesting storyline that has the original perpetrator embroiled in the mix. Gory and descriptive at times if not a little disturbing. Some likeable and not so likeable characters but think they needed more explanation as at times I felt I was missing something. The pace of the book was good but slow at times and I felt it was a little over complicated and drawn out in places. I did enjoy it but I found it took me awhile to get through it and just when I thought it was getting somewhere it just didn’t get there. Worth a read if you are into psychological thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 18th of Feb.

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Brilliant book, loved Henley and Ramouter and would love to see their professional relationship as it develops .
Very tense and exciting.

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I absolutely loved this book from the first page until the end. The subject matter was a bit gruesome at times but the storyline was engrossing. The idea that a copycat killer was on the loose and that the original murderer wanted revenge because of it is very clever. I felt that the personal relationships of the characters added to the drama which was non-stop throughout the book.
This was an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to read the next one in the DI Henley series. Hopes it’s soon.

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This is a fantastic debut read from Nadine.

Totally gruesome and gripping, keeps you page turning.

There is plenty of tension and a cliffhanger of an ending. I'm looking forward to reading more by Nadine and seriously hope that there is a sequel.

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This book had me gripped from page 1. I love a good thriller and police procedural book and this did not disappoint! Slightly gory... but it added to it! The life story descriptions of the characters really helped to flesh out the book and make the characters seem more real!

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DI Henley is just returning to active duty with Serial Crimes Unit just on her way in to the office when she is told to go to a crime scene where body parts have just been found. Dismembered body parts from two different victims have been found near the river. The MO is very similar to that of Peter Oliver, known as The Jigsaw Killer. Who has been behind bars for the last two years, he is not happy when he hears someone is using his signature and decides to take matters into his own hands,

Whilst the body count is rising, it seems the Jigsaw Killer is chasing the copycat killer. This is definitely not a story for the faint hearted with some gruesome scenes described, violence. There is a fair bit of back story. But this is a great debut novel.

Peter Oliver is the reason that Henley has been working a desk job until now, he is a psychotic killer who went on a rampage, he killed seven people before he stabbed Henley. He is enraged that someone would dare to copy him in any way, using his name and his method.

Henley has a back story which is gradually told, along with other main characters as we learn more about them, helping the reader connect and see them as three dimensional people, feeling the emotions they feel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story despite it being pretty gruesome at times, I enjoyed the back story of the characters, seeing the relationship between Henley and Oliver is a little creepy, if you think Silence of the Lambs.

This is a great police procedural, serial killer thriller, as the ending is left open does this mean there will be a follow up to this one, I really hope so.

Thank you to #netgalley and #HQ for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

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This is a fabulously tense, dark and convincing police procedural thriller that had me totally immersed from beginning to end. It begins with the gruesome discovery of various body parts and the pace just picks up with more and more gruesome and macabre findings. The lead officer of the investigative team finds herself playing out a deadly game of cat and mouse with an incarcerated offender with whom she has a horrifying history. The characters and the storyline (as vivid and graphic the narrative is) are convincing and I like the way the work/life balance is described. This is a debut crime thriller by this author and I for one cannot wait for the next.

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A very well-plotted and well-written book, with great characters. My only criticism is that it is a very gruesome book, which put me off quite a lot. I would definitely recommend it, if you like a gory thriller.

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Buckle up police procedural lovers there's a new author on the block!

This is an amazing debut novel! It is a well written, fast paced, dark and compelling read. The characters are very well drawn, the plot is gruesome to say the least and I am really hoping that this is book one in a new series.

Highly recommended to all Slaughter/ Arlidge/ Bryndza fans.

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If you are a real fan of crime fiction there is so much to enjoy in The Jigsaw Man, the gritty debut from Nadine Matheson. Apart from having a uniquely different central police protagonist in the shape of DI Anjelica Henley, a successful female black officer in a predominantly white male institution, there is a wonderful feeling of familiarity with recognisable crime writing tropes aplenty. Set in and around dark and deadly Deptford, this is a really solid police procedural with characters that will form a good solid base for further books in the series I hope, and garnered with enough shocking moments to make this a real read-in-one-sitting thriller. What I absolutely loved was the way that you get a sense of Matheson as a real fan of the crime genre herself, with some lovely allusions to other crime films and books. You will notice them as you read and adds to the feeling of comfort around this book when you just want to immerse yourself in some murder and mayhem for a while. Darkly funny, some good gory moments, a twisted and entertaining serial killer and a very likeable and multi-faceted police protagonist makes this a deliciously dark debut. Recommended.

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This has hit to be the best detective book I’ve read this year. Or maybe ever. What an amazing book. It kept me awake trying to find out what was going to happen next. Beautifully written. And the ‘relationship’ between Henley and Olivier is scary. And I can’t wait to find out more about
Henley’s relationship with her husband and Pellacia. Because there has to be more. I need another book. And Ramouter has great things ahead of him I’m sure. They’re going to make a wonderful partnership!

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DO NOT READ THIS ON A LATE SHIFT! It had me jumping out of my skin at the slightest noise. I couldn't put this down and finished it within the day. At first I felt like I was missing out about not knowing much about the original set of murders but you soon catch up as the story pass out. I enjoyed Anjelica Henley's character and really connected with her being torn between being a mother and being other than a mother. I liked her connection with Pellacia and her daughter and her colleagues/friends. Brilliant, action packed thriller.

Many thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review. The Jigsaw Man is out now!

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Body parts are turning up all over the place and reminiscent of a previous serial killer.

This book seemed to never end! It was VERY gruesome and VERY descriptive in injuries/killings dismemberment etc. I read a lot of thrillers but this was more gruesome than I have ever read!

It's long and took me a long time to get into it but was well written and had good characters, I think I just struggled with the violence and bloodshed!

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The Jigsaw Man is a debut crime thriller by Nadine Matheson. This is one of my most anticipated reads for this year, and it didn't let me down, fast paced, gruesome and with a serial killer no-one wants to meet, apart from the coppers that are on the trail.
Bodies start washing up on the banks of the Thames. D.I Henley fears they are the work of Peter Olivier, but how? He is behind bars. D.I Henley never wanted to see Olivier again after she got him banged up. Now she realises she needs she needs him. He is her best chance of catching a copycat killer. The only problem is Peter Olivier has a totally different agenda.
A book that has a cast of well- developed characters with back stories which create a depth to them all. This makes the story all the more real even with the gory murders, I got goosebumps quite a few times while reading the book. It was clear that Nadine Matheson has researched so much and it reflects in the book making me feel like I was walking the same streets as D.I Henley.
This was definitely a book I was engrossed in, flipping the pages of my kindle as much as I could before real life pulled me away. This was one book that was worth the wait I hope it won't be too long before we get another Nadine Matheson book to read. Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for my place on the tour and the copy of this engrossing crime thriller.

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I really enjoyed this book and was shocked to read it was a debut in crime fiction for this author. Until about 40% in I thought I was reading book 2 of a series. DI Henley newly returned to work to join the race to solve a case that is linked to her past. Past and present draw together nicely to give a action packed crime thriller. My only gripe with this book was the ending but that’s just a personal opinion, I like everything drawn up and complete. I will be reading the next in this series and look forward in doing so.

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Wow this is an amazing, dark, adrenaline filled thriller that sets your heart racing with the non stop action. I am pretty sure I held my breath whilst reading the last quarter.

I would definitely give more stars if they were available.

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