Captive on the Fens

DI Nikki Galena #6

by Joy Ellis

A young woman’s body is found in a remote barn on the Fens. Before she was killed, one of her fingers was cut off.

The case has disturbing similarities to an unsolved murder in Derbyshire the year before. When another woman is found alive with similar injuries, the investigation grows even more complicated.

Nikki must rally her team of detectives to find the killer while facing a traitor on the inside. She doesn’t know which of her colleagues she can trust as she races against time to save more than one victim — including someone she cares deeply about.

The Setting
The Lincolnshire great open skies brood over marshes, farmland, and nature reserves. It is not easy terrain for the Fenland Constabulary to with remote Fen villages, dangerous and often misty lanes, and poor telephone coverage. There are still villages where the oldest residents have never set foot outside their own farmland. A visit to the nearest town is a major event. But it has a strange airy beauty to it, and above it all are the biggest skies you’ve ever seen.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Procedural, Thriller, Detective

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

Joy Ellis grew up in Kent but moved to London when she won an apprenticeship with the prestigious Mayfair florist, Constance Spry Ltd. Having run her own flower shop in Weybridge for many years, Ellis then worked as a bookseller until a trip to the Greek island of Skyros, where she took part in a writer's workshop with Sue Townsend, encouraged her to write her own books. Joy soon after moved to the Lincolnshire Fens, where she has spent many of years living among the countryside accompanied by her partner, Jacqueline, and her variety of springer spaniels. After many years of writing, Jasper Joffe, from Joffe Books, discovered Joy's work and approached her with the offer of becoming her new publisher. This new relationship introduced Joy's work to the fascinating world of ebooks and audible listening. Since their partnership, Joy's success has grown further than she could have ever imagined. She has recently celebrated her 10th UK No.1 book on the Amazon 'Best Sellers' chart, with her 9th instalment in the Jackman & Evans series, Solace House. Joy boasts a staggering estimated total over 3.4 million copies sold worldwide, and became a short-listed nominee at the British Book Awards, 2021.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki and her crew are becoming like dear friends. I just always enjoy a return visit with them.
This time around, a young woman’s body is found in a barn. It’s apparent she was held captive for months. Then a second body with similar traits is found one town over. The one thing they have in common is the perpetrator removed one of their fingers. Luckily, another young woman escapes from captivity. Then another fights off the attacker. I did get a kick that this gal, true to my heart, was mostly concerned about her lab who went missing during the attack. And we, the readers, are privy to a woman being held hostage.
Meanwhile, Freddie Carver has returned to the fens and no one can figure out what he’s up to.
There are lots of moving parts to this story, but it was not difficult to keep track of the different storylines.
As always, Henrietta Meire is the perfect narrator and totally captures not just the emotion of the book but all the different characters’ voices.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 6 in the DI Nikki Galena series and it was certainly a busy one. I think there were at least four story lines on the work front, plus most of the main characters had some kind of personal development, and the whole time the author kept me stressed about some poor young girl who was tied up somewhere and starving to death.

Out of all this my favourite character is now Eve, Nikki's mother, who has obviously enjoyed a very interesting past. When she stepped up into a major role in one chapter, she reminded me very much of Richard Osman's character, Elizabeth. I hope she features more in future books.

This altogether a very good series and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good police procedural.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discovery of the body of a mutilated young woman in an old barn was the beginning of a case like no other for DI Nikki Galena, her sergeant Joseph Easter and their dedicated team of detectives. The young woman had obviously been held for a long while, and hadn't died there in the barn. Finding the answers was frustrating the team and when another victim with similar injuries turned up, they knew there was a connection. Nikki also had the new knowledge that crime boss, Freddie Carver, had returned to the country and planned to make Nikki's area his base. His vicious and depraved plans meant they had to find him quickly; they weren't sure if he was connected to the kidnapped girls, but wouldn't be surprised to hear he was. The race was on...

Captive on the Fens is the 6th in the DI Nikki Galena series by Joy Ellis and it was exceptional! There was a lot going on, but it wasn't hard to keep up. Eve is a relatively new character, and she had a pivotal role in this book. She was a star! I hope she continues to appear. Also DC Ben Radley, from Derbyshire, helped out Nikki's team - I hope he continues in the next book. All in all, another brilliant episode in this addictive series! Highly recommended.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 star read.

I really struggled with this novel, the 6th in the Nikki Galena series, which was quite perplexing as I normally hang on every word the author writes and I'm totally mesmerised with her characters Nikki and her partner Joseph.
Maybe it was because I was coming out of a reading slump and I see it took me nearly a month to read this, so I'm thinking it was more than likely that I was having a hard time connecting and feeling invested in the main characters this time. However, by halfway through the novel Nikki and her team became far more animated, the story flew by and I was riveted to the action both criminal and personal.
Fluid and well written as always, the story had a few subplots that were woven seamlessly into the main plot ensuring an exciting revelatory conclusion . I feel the author has set in process a big upheaval in the future of the series with Tamsin and Niall's engagement and the possibility of a marked change in Nikki's and Joseph's friend based relationship, with the arrival of his ex-wife on the scene. It should make for a very exciting start to the next book in the series! (which you know I have already downloaded. 😜)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ears just can't get enough of this excellent crime series, with each instalment so far reliably complex, well-paced and dramatic. This one, #6, is no exception.

This time we end up with 4 cases going on at the same time, with some connections, and crossing over into another county. The widened scope made it possible for Ellis to introduce another great character in DC Ben Radley, a single-minded Derbyshire detective, who seems to gel very well with DC Cat Cullen when they are brought together to pool information on murdered young women who have had a finger removed (the first investigation). At the same time Nikki's team is trying to locate crime boss, Freddie Carver, who is believed to have returned from the continent and may be looking to shift his base of operations to the local area. Then there's the perplexing case of the missing woman, Dina Jarvis, who had simply gone missing two years earlier. Dominic Jarvis (her twin) has been on a mission to get the police to take her disappearance seriously, convinced that she didn't just up and leave him. The fourth case was a bit of a surprise, but one that was foreshadowed in the previous book - one that directly affects the police force of Greenborough.

With so much going on, this book is a little longer than many of the earlier ones, and I was glad for it. There is a lot of policework to follow but also plenty of character development and focus on personal plotlines. I was happy to have more involvement from Eve this time, and getting to know a bit more of her mysterious history.

These books get better and better, so while they do I will continue to read them. This one is currently free on Audible.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Joy Ellis books are usually predictable too - predictably good, excellent even. This was no exception, one of the better ones, very dramatic, tense and gripping.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Captive On The Fens, the sixth police procedural to feature DI Nikki Galena and her team at Greenhaugh on the Fens.

A young woman's body is found in a disused shed on a remote fenland farm. The unidentified victim has been very badly treated before and after death and is missing her ring finger. This puzzles the team as the missing finger hints at kidnap but what kidnapper would hold his victim captive for 6 months? The case gets more complicated when they discover a similar death a year previously in Derbyshire. To add to their workload Freddie Carver, a big time villain, has been spotted out and about on their patch. The reader is presented with another problem, unknown to the police, as the novel is interspersed with the story of an unnamed woman imprisoned at a remote location. Who is she and what is her relevance?

This synopsis gives a flavour of another great read from Ms Ellis. The plotting excellent with plenty of detail and ramifications. It is very cleverly done and yet it is not difficult to follow or keep up with. Some of the results may come a little easily but that hardly matters as the team tick the box and move on to the next part of their investigation. It is all go with new developments in every chapter. The novel sets a fast pace and is extremely compulsive. I found it difficult to put it down.

The team, led by DI Nikki Galena, are hardworking and dedicated but Ms Ellis does not neglect their private lives so they appear well rounded and, by this stage in the series, almost like old friends. I like the camaraderie between the team members which adds a warmth the subject matter certainly doesn't.

I thoroughly enjoyed Captive On The Fens and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good, exhilarating read.

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might have been me expecting too much from this after the excellent book 5, but I really struggled with this novel. Had a great start but seemed to slowdown far too much for me very quickly. But then around halfway through the pace picked up and the team became a lot more animated. As the action and pace picked up and once again I was thoroughly enthralled.
Overall this was well written with various sub plots, that all weave together in the end.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy Ellis is one of those writers that just draws you in and keeps your attention throughout. Her stories are really well conceived, well plotted and delivered with great skill.
Captive On The Fens is book six in DI Nikki Galena series and it's a great addition to the series. It's so good seeing Galena and Joseph Easter working together. Their relationship just goes from strength to strength. There's this mutual respect and chemistry between them that really drives this series. But there are so many more great characters in those books. Ellis created in Galena and her team characters that I really care for and feel like I can really get behind.
The story itself weaves beautifully between different characters and settings and brings solutions to more than just one case.
So so good and I can't wait to read book seven.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Nikki Galena is back for the sixth book set in the Lincolnshire Fens, a place of beauty but also danger – at least in Joy Ellis’ world, where roads lead nowhere but the back of beyond and at night, even headlights aren’t enough to stop you getting completely lost or falling in a ditch.

Here, she and her team are on the hunt for a serial kidnapper, a man who takes young women, traps and tortures them; a kidnapper who seems linked to a local gangster (Carver) no police officer has ever been able to pin anything on – even though they know he is guilty of murder and worse. Nikki is convinced if they can catch the kidnapper, they can catch Carver, and sets her team on the trail of both. It’s a trail that leads them into the Fens and into neighbouring Derbyshire where more young women are turning up dead.

By heading into Derbyshire, Ellis was able to introduce a new character, Ben, who I hope we’ll be seeing more of, and give space to Cat, a member of Nikki’s team. I really liked that she did this, having Nikki not be centre stage the whole time and letting other characters come to the fore. Because there were different voices in Cat and Ben, it also changed the tone and the pacing of the book as it alternated between their investigation and Nikki’s. Neither of these were bad things and made the book feel different than previous reads and kept it fresh (something not always easy in series). Woven through is the voice of a kidnapped girl, one in pain, scared and possibly with not long to live – adding to the tension.

This is the third Nikki Galena novel I’ve read and one of the things that keep bringing me back is the tension Ellis brings to her stories, making you turn the pages. Another is that each has had a twist that turns the story on it’s head and makes you look at it afresh. They lull you into a false sense of security, making you think you are reading one story then realising you’ve been reading another. It’s taken me a while to catch on each time and, even though I should be prepared for it now, I still got caught out here.

I won’t say more than that for fear of spoilers, other than this is a well written, well plotted and well paced book with a strong and interesting female lead surrounded by characters I like in their own right. I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend it.

[Vicki - I Love Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so it is no secret that I absolutely love this series. I can't believe we are at book 6 all ready. Back with DI Nikki Galena and her team, I couldn't wait to start this book when I was approved to read an early copy via Netgalley.

By god it's a good one. I know we tend to say it a lot, but each book is just getting better and better, and I'm really hoping this will be a long running series.
​I love the characters, especially Nikki and Joseph, I think their working relationship is first class. I keep wanting it to become more than just friends, but then I think it would completely spoil the stories going forward.

This time around a woman's body is found in an old barn, the woman has a finger missing.
It's not long before another case is linked to this, and the team can start to move forward.

The team also learn that Criminal Freddy Carver has been seen back on the fens, and that can only mean trouble. Trouble Nikki does not want or need. And she's determined to track him down and put a stop to whatever it is he is up to.

​The banter between the team is first class, the feelings they have for one another is first class, they are certainly a team that stick together.
I really can't wait for more of this series. I would not hesitate at all to recommend this series to anyone who likes a good crime thriller with lots of twists and turns.

​Having read the previous books I do feel it gives me a better understanding of the characters back stories, and for me that helps make each book that little bit better. So if you are going to start them, and believe me I think you should, then please do start from book 1.

​Joy Ellis has written a blinder of story here. I NEED the next book NOW.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Nikki Galena book, number 6 in the series. A young women's body discovered, another missing with no trace for two years and the reappearance of someone thought lost. Really like this detective series set in the Fens

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Captivity*

This is book 6 of 15 in the DI Nikki Galena mysteries, and I must say, I’m thoroughly enjoying them.

In this instalment, Nikki and her team find themselves juggling a multitude of challenges. A gruesome signature accompanies the kidnapping of young women, while Nikki also has to deal with a ruthless criminal who is back on the scene. There is also a twin brother who believes the police are not taking the disappearance of his sister seriously enough. To add to the complexity, there’s a mole within the station.

Despite the mounting pressure, Nikki’s nerves of steel allow her to coordinate everything effectively.

As Nikki and her team race against time to unravel the mystery, they rush to save someone very dear to Nikki. They leave a text with the agreed-upon safe word, but Nikki and her team were out of cell phone range at the time. They must reach them in time to prevent further harm.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grisly discovery: the body of a young woman is found with a finger cut off, which matches the MO of an earlier unsolved case. Nikki, Joseph, and the team are also investigating the return of their old nemesis, Freddie Carver. Could Freddie be connected to the other cases? When they get a warrant to search a suspicious house, they find an unexpected person on the property. The case builds to an exciting finale.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixth in the series of novels centred on the fictitious Lincolnshire town of Greenborough deep in the Fenlands around the Wash. The usual team of the feisty DI Nikki Galena and Sgt. Jo Easter set out to discover the fate of a brutally tortured and murdered young woman found in an old outbuilding on a remote farm. Old adversaries return from Spain and are they on the trail of missing PC Hildred.

The plot was good if somewhat predictable. The whole team had an air of togetherness that was too "lovvie duvvie" to be realistic. I like the wild fen area that is brought to light in descriptive text that brought back memories of a period spent living in the area of Conningsby as a youngman. I remember how easy it is to find yourself on the wrong side of a drainage dyke!

All round a reasonable read. 3 stars

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gripping addition to a brilliant series

The return of an evil villain plus the discovery of a girl's body with horrendous injuries and Nikki and her team are back on the hunt to keep the Fens safe.

The girl had been kept captive for some time and was abused and tortured over the course of her captivity. Once again the team are reeling at the evilness that resides among the beauty and peacefulness of the Fens.

They have no clues just an anklet with a name that may or may not be hers, no motive and no clues. Jessie joins the team. Her fiancé Graham, disappeared on his way to work. Despite him being a Policeman no trace was ever found. The general feeling is that he was killed and his body disposed of but Jessie thinks he is still alive.

The story is told from several perspectives. We hear from a girl who has been in captivity for some time and from a man who is obviously a captor and from the team. The twists and turns we expect from Joy Ellis are in abundance in this story as we follow the team as they unravel a tangled web of secrets and lies that reach back in time.

An absolutely stunning read and a great addition to a very addictive series.

5 stars from me

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captive on the Fens by Joy Ellis is the 6th book in the D.I. Nikki Galena series. Detective Inspector Nikki Galena is called out when a young woman's body is found in a remote barn showing signs of torture and abuse for some time prior to her death, and we also see the return of a cold blooded criminal to the area. Fast paced action as more girls are linked to the killer. I like the way the team works well together and support each other in their relentless pursuits despite learning that there are traitors on the force. It is also nice to see another side of Nikki's mother as she helps out, and we also see Niall and Tamsin celebrate their engagement. A lot going on in this excellent, gripping police procedural.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading Joy Ellis's Nikki Galena series in chronological order this year, and Captive on the Fens was another thrilling instalment. I'm "reading" the series via the audiobook editions narrated by Henrietta Meire, who's perfectly cast and gives the wide cast of characters distinctive voices. The only part I don't like is the voice of D.C. Cat Cullin, who's annoyingly nasal and high-pitched at 1.75x speed, which is what I tend to listen at.

The book opens with the discovery of the remains of an emaciated young woman in a Lincolnshire farm shed. Galena's team begin the process of checking through missing persons records, but are then drawn into a parallel investigation in Derbyshire, where a homicide bearing the same signature has occurred and another woman has escaped from her captors. A fourth woman successfully fights off an attempted abduction and is able to provide valuable witness testimony. The reader is aware of yet another young woman, whose perspective we occasionally hear, who's held captive at a remote location by a man with whom she seems familiar and compliant.

Meanwhile, notorious gangster Freddy Carver has returned to Greenborough, but what are his plans, who are his shady associates and what connection may they have to the missing women cases?

Captive on the Fens was a satisfyingly twisty and suspenseful mystery, pushing Nikki Galena and her team to their limits as they race against time to save a life and restore peace to Greenborough.

[Jill Ur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was definitely on the darker end for the series, but still an excellent read.

[Mainer207 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy Ellis knows how to write a book! A series of books, in fact. This is another great story with Nikki and Joseph and the cast of characters on their team. While not my favorite in the series it's still a tense and villain-filled adventure.

I see trouble ahead for Joseph though.

Fabulous narration! I love these audiobooks but I wish we didn't have to wait so long for them.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story in the DI Nikki Galena series. A young girls body is found in a remote barn in the fens, and one of her fingers has been cut off, and it is clear she has been held captive for some time. Nikki and her team are investigating the link to another similar case in Darbyshire. They have also had news that Freddy Carver is back in the area, and they believe the girls are linked to him somehow. What is he doing back in Greenborough? Great narration by Henrietta Meier.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy Ellis never fail to deliver a complex webs of cases weaved expertly into an exhilarating investigation. Always a plus is that while the main plot was intense, the personal side story was as entertaining too. I love Nikki and her team.
This is one unputdownable read.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there was more than the usual amount of hero worship in this novel (occasional distracting comments by other characters or in the authorial voice about how remarkably lovely, brave, small, or successful Nikki is and how strong, loyal, large, handsome, or dependable her partner is), it’s my only real complaint about this entertaining series.

[Judy Decaigny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Book #6 of this British Police Procedural and the best yet.

[Michael Sanderson-green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another can't put it down read, conjures up the fen land country. a number of story lines all come together but enough questions for me to want to read the next in the series.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent instalment of the series. None of the regulars in jeopardy and yet there was real tension right to the end.

[Victoria Taveras · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like the case at all. This is the first book where I just wanted it to end

[H Svinos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great listen in this Joy Ellis Series. Seriously dark crime and keeps you gripped to the end.

[Nancy L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Nikki Galena, Joseph Easter, and team.