Death on Wolf Fell

by Nick Oldham

A tense and utterly addictive police procedural set on the Lancashire moors featuring Sergeant Jessica Raker.

Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Sergeant Jessica Raker is on a mission to bring down a brutal organized crime group operating in the idyllic Ribble Valley.

The OCG's leader, Mags Horsefield, is determined to make one of the members pay for getting caught by the police, using her contacts to make sure he’s released from prison early . . . into her waiting clutches.

Jess knows Mags from their school days, but their lives now couldn’t be more different. A fire at a local mill puts Jess on the tail of Mags’ OCG; is this her opportunity to catch the Ribble Valley’s most wanted criminal? The battle lines have been drawn, but when Jess is called to an incident at Wolf Fell Hall, a series of terrifying events follow . . .

This heart-in-the-mouth read full of dark twists and featuring a fearless female sergeant is ideal for fans of Tana French and Tess Gerittsen.

Genres: Mystery

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Nick Oldham was born in Belthorn, Lancashire, in 1956. He has been a police officer since the age of nineteen, spending the majority of his service in operational roles, before retiring in 2005. He lives with his partner, Belinda, on the outskirts of Preston.

Reviews

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sergeant Jessica Raker has relocated her family from London to rural Lancashire. There is an organized crime ring responsible for drugs and thefts in the area. She is determined to take them down, especially the female head, an enemy of hers from school days. Wolf Fell Hall, a stately home, seems to be the center of their activity and after an incident there, the thrilling chase is on, leaving victims in the wake.

A fan of British police procedurals, I wanted to try a new to me author. This is the second in a series by Nick Oldham. While I did not read the first one, this worked well as a stand alone.

This is a fast paced thriller with a good story line, action, and well developed characters. All this makes for an entertaining read. I liked Jessica, an all too human but dedicated individual struggling with some personal issues while trying to make a way for herself in her new position. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SevernHouseImprint for the DRC.

[Rebecca Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free arc copy of Death on Wolf Fell but this review is my own opinion. Thank you Net galley & Severn for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

**Crime Thriller**

This is the 2nd book in the Jessica Raker series but you don’t have to read the 1st to get into this one. Jessica Raker has returned to her hometown area after the events of book 1. She has a husband who works out of town a lot so her mother helps her with the children. Her daughter’s best friend just happens to be the daughter of her rival, the criminal drug lord of the town. Chasing Mags is a professional choice of doing the right thing and possibly a leftover choice from her childhood. This adventure was riveting and a source of great writing by a former detective.
Nick Oldham brings a bit of his past, as a former detective and that makes you feel immersed into the criminal world of trying to do the right thing, when it’s so much easier to be bad.

Jessica feels real as she grapples with her past and present to right wrongs and live her best life. There’s also the very sexy firefighter that she finds attractive. She struggles with the very adult issues of loyalty vs happiness and choosing between being true to herself. She definitely has a tough discussion and decision to make in her future.

The whole book had a lot of adventure, human feelings/struggles, and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.

I totally recommend this book to readers who love a good thriller. Things aren’t always as they seem and that’s what makes this book a fun read in middle of serious subjects. Immerse yourself and see where this takes you, as well!

My 1st book to read of author Nick Oldham. It definitely won’t be my last!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good crime novel where I can instantly be familiar with the characters and also picture the setting in which they go about their nefarious business. Death on Wolf Fell intrigued me particularly because it’s set in my home county of Lancashire and some of the places mentioned I have visited so can easily put everything into context. The story begins with a dramatic opener which gets this pacy police procedural off to an explosive start with a gangland madam determined to succeed and a feisty police sergeant who is equally ferocious in her determination to stop crime boss Mags Horsefield in her tracks.

Nick Oldham is a new author for me and whilst I haven’t read the first book in this Jessica Raker series, this second book hits the ground running with enough back story included so that I never felt as if I was floundering in a sea of what happened before. It’s gritty and occasionally violent without being gratuitously so which makes everything feel authentic, if rather gung-ho at times. I feel DS Raker is a central character who will grow more into her lead detective role as the series progresses.There was enough bad stuff going on to keep me guessing and I enjoyed the insight into Jess’s personal life, with her kids and mother, and her burgeoning interest in fireman Joe.

I raced through the story pretty quickly as once started I could put the book down eager for the final outcome and hoped that Jess Raker would sort the good guys from the bad. The story ends on a real cliffhanger which gave me hope that there will be another DS Jessica Raker novel following in the not too distant future and in the meantime I can read the first book in the series Death at Dead Men’s Stakes so I’m all caught up.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death on Wolf Fell by Nick Oldham is the second book in the Superb Sergeant Jessica Raker series and I loved this crime novel. This has been a series that has been excellent and another 5 star read from start to finish, especially as it was full of great twists and turns that will have you wanting more. I love the main character Sergeant Jessica Raker and I am enjoying reading and learning more about her.

Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Sergeant Jessica Raker is on a mission to bring down a brutal organized crime group operating in the idyllic Ribble Valley.

The OCG's leader, Mags Horsefield, is determined to make one of the members pay for getting caught by the police, using her contacts to make sure he’s released from prison early . . . into her waiting clutches.

Jess knows Mags from their school days, but their lives now couldn’t be more different. A fire at a local mill puts Jess on the tail of Mags’ OCG; is this her opportunity to catch the Ribble Valley’s most wanted criminal?
The battle lines have been drawn, but when Jess is called to an incident at Wolf Fell Hall, a series of terrifying events follow . . . . . . .

I highly recommend this series - 5 star book. Superb!


Big Thank you to NetGalley and Thanks to the Severn House for my ARC.

[Roger Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having fully enjoyed Death at Dead Man's Stake, I was keen to see where Oldham took PS Jessica Raker next. And the sequel: Dead on Wolf Fell didn't disappoint. She comes up against her old adversary, crime boss Mags Horsefield, and the depths that she is prepared to go to are shocking. She puts Raker and her family under direct threat; something Raker thought she had left behind when she transferred from the Met to Lancashire. But Raker is unaware how her past actions in the Met have now found their way to the rural Ribble Valley, courtesy of the hateful Horsefield.

Throw into the mix a devious and audacious crime which Horsefield and her new partner in evil - who is Raker's nemesis from the past - are planning, and the action is non-stop. This is all exacerbated by high placed aristocracy whose corrupt behaviour really sours the page as your read eagerly to find out where, and if justice will prevail; and against whom.

As always with Oldham's work, it's a roller-coaster of a ride. I lost two days of my holiday ploughing through this excellent yarn. Highly recommended.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the first in the Sergeant Jessica Raker series, I was looking forward to the next instalment and it didn’t disappoint.

Jess used to be an armed response officer in the Met but, after an incident that put her life at risk, she moved back to Lancashire, where she grew up, and took up a sergeant vacancy for a sergeant there. Jess and Samira, a PCSO, become good friends as well as colleagues.

There is an ongoing story from the first book, where an old school classmate of Jess’ – Mags Horsefield – is the leader of an organised crime group (OCG). The police are called to Wolf Fell Hall but, when they turn up, they’re persuaded that there’s nothing wrong and the call was a mistake. Jess isn’t going to be fobbed off as easily as that, and the battle lines are drawn between her and Mags.

Brilliantly gripping and highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the Severn House (a great publisher particularly for captivating procedurals) for this eARC

In Death on Wolf Fell by Nick Oldham, Sergeant Jessica Rake returns as she attempts to defeat Mag's, a clever cruel criminal mastermind.

Another suspenseful read from Oldham, best read if you read the 1st in the series as I found the storyline well developed, however the characters weren't quite as well developed. Personally I need to like the characters and relate to them to wholly enjoy the story. Had I not read earlier offering, I am not sure this told me enough about Jessica to be drawn to her and her motivations in this story.

Regardless, other characters were a bit more developed, for example one of the detectives had a particular hatred for house burglars, and knowing why made me really enjoy his character.

Regardless this is a tense and nail biting police procedural / mystery, and a solid 4 stars from this reviewer. I greatly enjoyed it.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series, where Jess is the main police sergeant based in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Her main adversary, Mags is involved in local crime . They knew each other at school and their daughters are now schoolfriends too. Lots of action and fast paced, it is a good read. My only criticism is that the viewpoints change within chapters, which I found a bit confusing at first, though I quickly got used to it. Jess takes matters into her own hands a few times, but is settling in well with her team . This book is fine as a stand alone, though if you read the first one, you get to know her personal circumstances better. The plots and the police procedures all ring true and I like the interaction between the team.
The plot is well thought out and although there are quite a few characters, they are fairly easy to keep track of. I`m already looking forward to the next one in the series, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Jessica Raker crime mystery, Death on Wolf Fell (2025) by Nick Oldham is another quality police procedural. Jessica Raker is a uniformed police sergeant in Lancashire, whose old school peer, Mags Horsefield runs the local drugs network. After raiding one of Mags’ old warehouses, Jessica gets a clear warning with two burning cars - one outside her home. Attending a firearms incident at the local Wolf Fell manor house, Jessica sees Mags with a London crime family member. As Jessica’s team juggles the various case investigations, she is once again targeted in a hit run accident. With plenty of action and building tension, the inevitable final confrontation between Jessica and Mags makes for a four star read rating. With thanks to Severn House and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Sergeant Jessica Raker is back on the beat in the Ribble Valley, where she has a small team that works with her. The beat is meant to be about solving minor crime. However, all is not how it seems, especially when Mags Horsefield is around and a supposed leader of an OCG. We start with Mags waiting for a remand prisoner to be released so she can get to grips with him. Jess is not a fan of Mags and wants to bring her down. Jess and her team are soon hot on her trail after a fire at a mill. Although, when there is an incident at Wolf Fell Hall, Jess and the team stumble onto something but will it help or hinder them in their cause? What follows is an unstoppable rollercoaster of a ride with plenty of twists and turns that lead to an unexpected conclusion.

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death On Wolf Fell is the second in the Jess Raker series. The former Met firearms sergeant is back in her native Lancashire as a rural patrol officer, coordinating policing across a wide area. The novel sees her on the trail of local drug dealer - and former schoolmate - Mags Horsefield, who is now having an affair with a London crime boss.

The novel is relatively short and fast paced, as Jess and her team investigate. Some of the characters are a little one dimensional, but leads Jess and her PSCO sidekick Samira Patel are well developed and believable. There is a lot of violence and occasional moments of dark humor in the novel - and a thrilling conclusion.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is the 2nd in the Jessica Raker series and just as good as the 1st one. I finished it in a day and can't wait for no. 3.
It's a tense and heart stopping read. Mags, Jess' former school mate, is determined to end Jess and together with Tommy, her lover and a high-up in a dangerous criminal gang, makes life almost impossible for Jess.
I really like Jess, as well as Samira, they work so well together and have each others backs. And I really liked the ending ...can't wait for no. 3!

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the Jess Raker series which is set in Lancashire. Book 2 begins with Jess investigating an organised crime group in a fast paced, edge of your seat ride. With well developed characters, a good plot and plenty of suspense, this is bound to appeal to fans of crime procedurals and thrillers. The ending left me hoping we don't have too long to wait for book 3! I really enjoyed the read, it is an easy 5* from me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the first book in this series but didn't feel like this affect my reading of this one so it could be read as a standalone although for the full back story of the character's it is usually best to read them in order. Jessica Raker is an interesting character and the pace moves along at a good pace to hold your interest and keep you reading till the end. .

[Gary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book in the Jessica Raker series and Oldham did not disappoint. Well worth a read for both Oldham regulars and newcomers.