Open Grave

This is an entertaining and readable start to a new series from Adam Peacock featuring DCI Jack Lambert in the North East of England. As the title implies Jack is tasked with tracking down the killer of a number of pairs of victims who are left to be discovered in open graves. The story is interesting and I am interested to see how the series develops.

This book Open Grave by A.M. Peacock took me by surprise. I was not familiar with this author and was very pleased when I started reading this book and could not put it down. DCI Jack Lambert is working a case. One that involves bodies placed in.... you guessed it, open graves. I felt like I was on a roller coaster. The writer does a superb job at keeping you engrossed to the point that you will forget what time it is and how long you have been reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and the twists that will keep you guessing are a plus.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the publisher/author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I give this one a 5+++ ⭐️ out of 5

Jack Lambert is a great detective and someone who I would love to get a drink with in the pub. Just to listen his stories.

The book itself flowed very naturally and I could not wait to read more!

This is the first book in a new series and by an author I had not heard of.
Its set in and around Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east of england.
The main character around whom the series will be based is DCI Jack Lambert. In this case he is on the trail of a killer who leaves his victims bodies in open graves. If this isn`t enough to keep Jack and his team occupied a known thugs body turms up on the banks of the Tyne and a local celebrity singer is being stalked.
As enquiries proceed Jack`s own criminal past as a youth comes back to haunt him.
The killer is taunting them, can they catch him before one of their own suffers at his hands?
The plot is well written and had me engrossed, plenty of twists to keep me guessing.
An interesting set of characters that I hope we will learn more about in the future.
I really enjoyed this one and look forward to many more. Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for tha opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Open grave - A.M peacock

Published by Bloodhound Books

This book is set in the South Shields area in the present day. There’s plenty of references to the landmarks around, which helps set the atmosphere nicely. It starts with torture and then moves to gang killings, the stalking of a reality TV star and a serial killer. The stories aren’t linked but they really gel to build the atmosphere of a busy police department. The serial killer is the main story though, and he is killing couples and while they don’t know each other, they are then buried together. After a few weeks he uncovers them so they will be found in a slightly intimate pose.

DCI Jack Lambert is a likeable rogue, troubled by his past and had come out as gay, when he left his girlfriend (plus an ex-wife) and is plagued with headaches. He sometimes bypasses the rules too when following the investigations. The tension builds gradually and I just couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened, again and again.. It’s one of those books where you just lose track of time....brilliant.

There are great, rounded characters in DCI Jack Lambert, DS Watkins and DS Christensen....I’m hoping for more in a series....a gripping, arresting read.


I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

This is a great addition to the police procedural genre. I couldn't quite believe I was reading the first book in this series due to the masterful plot and characterization. I really look forward to reading more of DCI Lambert and his team.

This is the first in the DCI Jack Lambert series and my first read by A.M. Peacock. Open Grave had so much going on in it, a brilliant police procedural mystery and the daily pressures that they are under to solve/close cases both from high above and from the press, they really don’t get much leeway.

Lambert is called to the scene of two dead bodies, one male and one female in an open grave, this is just the beginning and soon the bodies are mounting up, as if Jack hasn’t enough on his plate to solve this one quickly, a body of a local thug who is known to work with the local drug lord, McGuinness turns up and to top that off, a local celebrity, Nell is being stalked, are all these linked?

Jack and his team are up against it, this is a great plot story with plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest, I love these types of genre so this was right up my street. I hope to read more of Jack Lambert in the future as he is a complex character with so much history/baggage, I would love to see how his character develops.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved the main characters and the brilliant plot. I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This debut novel by A.M. Peacock was most enjoyable. The main character DCI Jack Lambert was very likeable and the storyline was very interested. I am certainly looking forward to No. 2.

This was a great start to a new detective series, DCI Jack Lambert’s complicated personal life was cleverly woven into the story. I certainly didn’t see the final twist coming! I really enjoyed meeting all the characters and look forward to the next book to see how they develop.

This is the first book in the DCI Jack Lambert series. There is a murderer that is leaving the victims in pairs of two left in ditches. DCI Jack Lambert is on the case. He has some personal problems that keep him depressed a lot of the time. With his staff they investigate the cases and come up with possible suspects.
I enjoy detective stories set in Great Britain and this is a good one. I look forward to other books with this character.

Not my normal type of book but i like a challenge and i found this a great story and i love jack lambert a change from so many other policemen.will recommend this book 5*

Once again Bloodhound Books has introduced me to yet another fabulous author and series! Always a fan of police/detective stories I was sucked right in with great characters and curious circumstances. Jack Lambert is an interesting yet loveable character, tough yet a good guy with a soft side. Having an ex-wife, child and girlfriend, all of whom he lost because he was honest with about his sexuality, yet he tries to maintain a good relationship. Simply the fact that we have a gay tough a$$ detective was enough to draw me in! Highly recommended and can't wait for more books in this series!

Another new author for me and the start of a new series.
It features DCI Jack Lambert who is based in the North East of England. He is given a case The Open Grave Murders. Two dead bodies, one man one woman locked in an embrace and no clues. If this isn't enough he also has a turf war which is getting very violent.
As more bodies are found Jack now knows what he has been dreading. He is now looking for a serial killer.
This is a fast paced thriller full of loads of twists and turns. It is a very entertaining read, I look forward to the next in this series. This is really good writing, it was thoroughly entertaining and so engrossing I just had to keep on turning the pages.
I would like to thank the author A. M. Peacock, Bloodhound books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

'Open Grave' is the first book of the DCI Jack Lambert series set in and around Newcastle, UK and A. M. Peacock's debut novel. The location was one of the aspects that initially drew me in - one mention of the River Tyne and i'm sold. I know the Newcastle area very well having lived in the vicinity for years a while back. It's also pretty rare, even though it shouldn't be, that the investigators in a police procedural are described as wrestling with their sexuality and turn out to be gay. I am an advocate for more diverse books, so this thoroughly appealed to me. Jack Lambert is a fascinating character and I am eager to know more about him in upcoming books. The struggle regarding his sexuality adds a different facet to the whole case, I thought it was believably portrayed and felt authentic. He is the typical tough guy who is loveable and a big softie at heart. That definitely fits with the Geordie profile!

I found the writing style had a great flow to it, and the pace was ideal, with many twisty surprises in store for the reader. The references made to the local area made the book feel much more personal to me as I knew the places that were mentioned. The climax was really well done and satisfied me as a thriller reader. However, there were issues that could've been resolved by tighter editing - frequently people were referred to by different names e.g. PCC Nadine is referred to as Nadine Dorris, Nadine Doris and Nadine Guthrie, which makes no sense at all, and I have no idea how this escaped the eagle eyes of the editor and the author.

All in all, this was a compelling, veritable thrill ride and one that kept me entertained for the duration. There were a few minor issues but that didn't affect my overall appreciation of the book, and being a debut, this is a promising start to the authors career. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Detective Chief Inspector Jack Lambert is struggling not only with a vicious knife attack that seriously wounded him several months ago but also with coming to grips with his coming out as gay and how others are handling this. In particular, his ex-partner, pathologist Rosie Lynnes is hurt and cannot forgive him for his treatment of her. Added to these difficulties, he has an ongoing problem with a local journalist and his immediate superior appears to be going to pieces.

In his team, there is an ambitious detective inspector who is keen to get into Jack's shoes. There is also his earlier relationship, before becoming a policeman, with a local crime boss; his father is dying, and he is scared he is losing contact with his daughter.

The scene is set in South Shields, about 3.7 miles south of Newcastle. Lambert is called to the site where two bodies lie in an open grave. With his team, they discover the names of the victims but can't find a link between them. The problems increase when two more bodies are found in yet another open grave. Retired criminal psychologist Frank Pritchard is called in to help the team solve the murders.

Into all of this comes Nell Stevens a local media personality who is being stalked and a missing person reported by his pregnant partner, who was known to work with the local crime boss. There's also talk of somebody trying to take over the boss's patch.

So there's plenty going on in South Shields.

The book is cleverly written and keeps the reader involved through to the very unexpected end. There are few clues as to who the murderer is, or in fact who the stalker is. The protagonist and his team are believable as are all the characters on the periphery.

I would certainly recommend this book to any mystery readers.

If you like to give your brain a workout, then this is definitely the book for you!

With the discovery of two bodies, DCI Jack Lambert has a new case to work on. When this is followed by another body found in the river, Jack's team has plenty to be getting on with. A local celebrity stalking is added to their workload - is there a link? With the press on his back and more bodies added, it's time for some good old-fashioned police footwork. Add in family issues, office politics, personal problems and Jack has more than enough to keep him busy.

DCI Jack Lambert is the type of detective who works the case and follows the clues. There is a lot of grunt work in this one and at times it's hard to work out where it's heading, but the results make it well worth hanging in there. This is a well thought out scenario; plenty to grab your attention and make sure you guess (wrongly) several times over! It's not an over-glamorous novel, but rather a well written, gritty, warts-and-all police procedural with gruesome details and overworked officers following the clues along with the odd hunch. There is a really good cast of characters in this one, but the personalities don't dominate - the story does. The result is exciting and gripping, and it's certainly a series I would like to follow in future. Fully recommended!

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

DCI Jack Lambert is back working and his first case involves the discovery of two bodies in a open grave. Are these the first for the killer and will there be more. Meanwhile his team also have the case of the stalking of a minor local celebrity.
I found it to be an interesting mystery with a variety of different characters. A good solid start to a series which I look forward to reading more.

who's on a killing spree and displaying the bodies in such a macabre fashion that's what the seasoned D.I. Lambert has to discover. Although used to death and all its indignities sometimes even the most assured detectives can be unsettled, especially as his past is brought into play. Those close to him are not safe either but how does he tackle the problem. By doing what he does best getting in deep in detail and often going rogue but never deterred or wavering in his quest to bring a murderer to justice. So the bodies mount up and time becomes a precious commodity for our reckless D.I. but like the Mounties who always got their man so does Lambert and what an unexpected killer it turned out to be.
so buckle up and enjoy this fast paced thriller.

i do love a good police procedural book and this one delivers.

The main character DCI Jack Lambert is not your stereotypical hero. He is openly gay, much to the dismay of his ex-wife, and he is growing a bit of paunch in his days but he is fascinating.

I will put my hands up I did struggle at times with the writing as there were quite a few characters in the team introduced at once and I lost track of who was who sometimes and had to re-read some passages. *Remember this is my opinion, and it will not be the same for everyone. It might just be my age lol.* Although this is the first book in the series, I felt that it could have been a second book with the backstory of a previous case of the Newcastle Knifer mentioned throughout and I felt that I was missing something, especially as this affects Jack directly.

However, I loved Jack! I loved his team! I love that this is a new series for me to get my teeth into and I look forward to seeing where the author goes with the series. I love the investigation that takes place and the two seemingly separate storylines of the stalker and the murders.

It was a compelling read with lots of twists and turns, and a good debut from the author. It does grab your attention and keep you turning the pages. And did I mention I love police procedural books. I love getting into the thick of the investigation, and ignoring the rules! Seeing if I pick up clues before them, not like I could do anything if I did!

A great start to a brand new series, introduces the team perfectly and DCI Lambert. Well written and easy to read. I did feel that the case just went on and on as there was no leads until the final few chapters but the story was kept interesting for the reader with another case on the go and plenty to keep the reader hooked… Some scenes can be quite dark and brutal.

A brilliant ending and overall case, even if it did that them forever to figure it out! I enjoyed reading this one. I awarded a well deserved four stars. A great start to an upcoming series I am looking forward too… Bring on book two.

Good police procedural with not too many shocks along the way in the hunt for a serial killer. Good descriptions of various nefarious characters with a fair bit of graphic violence thrown in,the victim usually being our hero! The bodies keep piling up with other cases seemingly thrown into the plotline but all is neatly tied up in the end with a teaser right at the end to tempt one for the next episode.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style for this book. It made the story addictive and I thought the flow very excellent. As soon as I had started reading I was completely immersed in the story and I found it very hard to put down.

I thought that the characters worked together very well and I am really looking forward to seeing how their relationships change and strengthen as the series progresses.

I thought that the storyline was great, plenty to keep me fully engaged and entertained and I loved the setting for the book.

Four stars from me for this one, it is a great start to a new series that I am very much looking forward too!!