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DCI John Blizzard #1
THE LONG DEAD a gripping crime thriller full of twists
Meet Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard — burly and blunt. He takes no nonsense from crooks or his superiors.
The bestselling British detective series starts here — in a windswept Northern city where the past is never truly dead. The books have over 7000 five-star reviews.
On the edge of Hafton — a cold, rainy city shadowed by its industrial past — construction workers uncover a burial site beneath an old farm. Fifteen bodies lie beneath the frostbitten German POWs from World War II. But one body doesn’t belong.
Modern clothes. A bullet in the skull. And a very recent death.
DCI John Blizzard is called in to investigate. The dead man was a known thug with dangerous connections — but what was he doing at the site of a disused prisoner-of-war camp, and why has someone gone to such lengths to hide him?
As Blizzard digs deeper, he uncovers a trail of secrets stretching back to the dying days of the war — and a conspiracy that someone is willing to kill for. With pressure from above and the past closing in, Blizzard must race to uncover the truth before more bodies fall.
A gripping and atmospheric police procedural that explores how history never stays buried.
Perfect for fans of Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin, Bill Kitson, and Ann Cleeves.
DCI John Blizzard is gruff, stubborn, and driven by an uncompromising sense of justice. With decades on the force and a sharp eye for what others miss, he’s built a reputation for rooting out lies — whether from criminals or his own superiors. He doesn’t do diplomacy, but he does get results.
THE LOCATION
Set in the fictional Northern city of Hafton, where flat, windswept farmland meets faded industry. The ruins of a World War II prisoner-of-war camp, hidden in the mists beyond the city, become the chilling stage for a murder that echoes across generations.
THE SERIES HAS 1000s OF FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent murder mystery storyline, enjoyed the read.”
— Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book, keeps you on your toes, with an unexpected twist at the end. Well worth picking up to read.”
— Kerry
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great book. The banter between Blizzard and the team is so good. The way he deals with the cases is really good. A must read.”
— Mulli
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another well written and crafted story from John Dean. Lots of action with plenty of twists and turns and an exciting ending.”
— Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A thoroughly entertaining read, with realistic characters who continue to develop as the series of DCI Blizzard books keeps improving. Highly recommended.”
— John O
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this writer and this book did not disappoint.”
— Sue Armstrong
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a different direction of investigation, looking for a shooter with a list of people to kill, including cops.”
— Susan Green
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All of John Dean’s books are good but I love DCI Blizzard! The books are carefully plotted and the characters are well written.
The bestselling British detective series starts here — in a windswept Northern city where the past is never truly dead. The books have over 7000 five-star reviews.
On the edge of Hafton — a cold, rainy city shadowed by its industrial past — construction workers uncover a burial site beneath an old farm. Fifteen bodies lie beneath the frostbitten German POWs from World War II. But one body doesn’t belong.
Modern clothes. A bullet in the skull. And a very recent death.
DCI John Blizzard is called in to investigate. The dead man was a known thug with dangerous connections — but what was he doing at the site of a disused prisoner-of-war camp, and why has someone gone to such lengths to hide him?
As Blizzard digs deeper, he uncovers a trail of secrets stretching back to the dying days of the war — and a conspiracy that someone is willing to kill for. With pressure from above and the past closing in, Blizzard must race to uncover the truth before more bodies fall.
A gripping and atmospheric police procedural that explores how history never stays buried.
Perfect for fans of Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin, Bill Kitson, and Ann Cleeves.
DCI John Blizzard is gruff, stubborn, and driven by an uncompromising sense of justice. With decades on the force and a sharp eye for what others miss, he’s built a reputation for rooting out lies — whether from criminals or his own superiors. He doesn’t do diplomacy, but he does get results.
THE LOCATION
Set in the fictional Northern city of Hafton, where flat, windswept farmland meets faded industry. The ruins of a World War II prisoner-of-war camp, hidden in the mists beyond the city, become the chilling stage for a murder that echoes across generations.
THE SERIES HAS 1000s OF FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent murder mystery storyline, enjoyed the read.”
— Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book, keeps you on your toes, with an unexpected twist at the end. Well worth picking up to read.”
— Kerry
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great book. The banter between Blizzard and the team is so good. The way he deals with the cases is really good. A must read.”
— Mulli
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another well written and crafted story from John Dean. Lots of action with plenty of twists and turns and an exciting ending.”
— Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A thoroughly entertaining read, with realistic characters who continue to develop as the series of DCI Blizzard books keeps improving. Highly recommended.”
— John O
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this writer and this book did not disappoint.”
— Sue Armstrong
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a different direction of investigation, looking for a shooter with a list of people to kill, including cops.”
— Susan Green
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All of John Dean’s books are good but I love DCI Blizzard! The books are carefully plotted and the characters are well written.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2006
1769 people are currently reading
637 people want to read
About the author
John Dean
133 books82 followersJohn Dean is a freelance journalist who has runs his own business and draws heavily on his years as a crime reporter for newspapers and magazines to create his novels.
He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association and cites Sherlock Holmes as his all-time favorite detective. He lives in the South West of Scotland.
(Also writes under the pseudonym John Stanley)
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association and cites Sherlock Holmes as his all-time favorite detective. He lives in the South West of Scotland.
(Also writes under the pseudonym John Stanley)
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
May 20, 2018
This author is from my home town Darlington where teachers creative writing. He goes to Libraries like Anne Cleaves the author of Vera & gives takes about crime as well of free copies of his books .He also goes to the Harrogate Crime Book show.
I think the title of this book is so funny because says The Long Dead John Dean.
It is great crime book,easy to read & has lots of twist. .
I think the title of this book is so funny because says The Long Dead John Dean.
It is great crime book,easy to read & has lots of twist. .
April 11, 2019
This “gripping British murder mystery with detective John Blizzard” is at best a good cure for insomnia. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it simply never did. 30 percent into the book: nothing. 75 percent into the book, a little progress. But in a mystery that is just way too late to use the word “gripping” as a descriptor.
March 28, 2019
Pretty good English whodunit. Readers who enjoy police procedurals should like this. At 200 pages, it's a quick read. First of a series.
Read
March 24, 2017John Dean writes a good tight British police procedural of the old school. No gritty city setting or foul mouthing officers. This is a rural setting and an unusual story.
D.C.I. John Blizzard and his sidekick D.S. David Colley are called out to sign off on a war grave. It's a documented grave for victims of a 'flu epidemic. The victims were German prisoners of war and the grave is now in a farmer's field. Everyone called in is happy to sign off the skeletons except Blizzard who has a 'funny feeling' about it. He insists that each skeleton is named and - oops! - there are 17 not the known 16! Now the fun begins.
it's an engrossing story and well written. A good read for all those who enjoy mysteries and British police procedurals.
D.C.I. John Blizzard and his sidekick D.S. David Colley are called out to sign off on a war grave. It's a documented grave for victims of a 'flu epidemic. The victims were German prisoners of war and the grave is now in a farmer's field. Everyone called in is happy to sign off the skeletons except Blizzard who has a 'funny feeling' about it. He insists that each skeleton is named and - oops! - there are 17 not the known 16! Now the fun begins.
it's an engrossing story and well written. A good read for all those who enjoy mysteries and British police procedurals.
January 16, 2018
This was a difficult book for me to review. "The Long Dead", is the first book in author John Dean's John Blizzard series. (Not the Watergate Dean....completely different author). Dean's style of writing at times made it hard to follow the plot. It's lingo is very much slanted towards United Kingdom slang/ conversational speech. Chief Inspector John Blizzard works out of the Abbey Road Police Station along with his partner D.S. David Colley. Blizzard is called out to Green Meadows Farm which is five miles west of the city. Archaeologists working on a historic part of the land have uncovered a mass grave of 16 WWII soldiers. 15 of which were definitely buried during the 1940's. However one body has been in the grave for about 10 years. The area was known as the Hafton POW camp during WWII. The camp at times held up to 600 German soldiers during the war. Henderson Ramage owns the track of land and has been Blizzard's nemesis for a very long time along with his henchman Garry Horton. Ramage has a long rap sheet and is involved in numerous schemes/ crimes for a very long time. Getting the evidence on him to stick has been all but impossible for Blizzard. Blizzard does manage to get an ID on the newest body deposited in the grave creating an even bigger mystery to unravel. In a plot that fades back to the 1940's with black marketeers, and criminals changing of ID's several times, Blizzard is trapped in a circle of clues that make no sense. Although, "The Long Dead" only ran for 194 pages it was slow reading in several chapters. At times I had to struggle to get through it. His characters, especially his protagonist John Blizzard needed more life developed into him. Not that the story wasn't interesting, I thought the author really missed an easy softball on expanding this plot and juicing it up some. Dean has a few more books in his Blizzard series. I'll have to read at least one more before I decide on author John Dean as a regular in my rotation. Three stars out of a possible five stars for, "The Long Dead". (2.75 stars more accurate). Can't say I'd recommend this book or series as of yet. I will read more into it then decide. This may work out yet. I'll let you know.
March 2, 2020
An archaeological investigation of an old prisoner of war camp in the fictional town of Hafton in Northern England turns up several bodies in unmarked graves, and DCI John Blizzard gets a sense that things are not what they seem. And he’s right – forensics confirms that while most of the victims died during a flu epidemic after the Second World War, one of the deaths was far more recent. As Blizzard and his team investigate, they begin to uncover a cruel crime, and a promise of revenge that goes back generations.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. DCI Blizzard is an intriguing character. He is a brilliant detective, and he does not suffer political fools gladly. That he is so skilled is the only thing that keeps his superiors from successfully going after him. I like how he treated his team, and how he worked just as hard as they did to solve the crimes. I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of the investigation, and learning about the private lives and work lives of the team. The plot kept me guessing, and the ending was a surprise.
I enjoyed meeting Blizzard, and I will read more in this series. The author also writes the detective Jack Harris series, set in the Pennines. I have not read that one yet, but judging by how much I liked this one, I will be searching that one out too. If you like traditional British police procedurals, check this one out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. DCI Blizzard is an intriguing character. He is a brilliant detective, and he does not suffer political fools gladly. That he is so skilled is the only thing that keeps his superiors from successfully going after him. I like how he treated his team, and how he worked just as hard as they did to solve the crimes. I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of the investigation, and learning about the private lives and work lives of the team. The plot kept me guessing, and the ending was a surprise.
I enjoyed meeting Blizzard, and I will read more in this series. The author also writes the detective Jack Harris series, set in the Pennines. I have not read that one yet, but judging by how much I liked this one, I will be searching that one out too. If you like traditional British police procedurals, check this one out.
April 15, 2019
Well plotted and intriguing British murder mystery
A fine example of the British murder mystery/Detective Inspector genre. Blizzard and Colley are interesting characters and as I read I kept picturing any number of police inspectors from BBC or PBS television shows. The murder mystery here in twisty-turny and there are the requisite thug criminal sorts but also the clever red herrings.
Despite this being book one in the series I felt like there was previous knowledge I was missing. References to recent history in a number of areas made me feel like there was background about Blizzard I should know. It made me feel off balance.
A fine example of the British murder mystery/Detective Inspector genre. Blizzard and Colley are interesting characters and as I read I kept picturing any number of police inspectors from BBC or PBS television shows. The murder mystery here in twisty-turny and there are the requisite thug criminal sorts but also the clever red herrings.
Despite this being book one in the series I felt like there was previous knowledge I was missing. References to recent history in a number of areas made me feel like there was background about Blizzard I should know. It made me feel off balance.
March 30, 2019
GREAT
I am a reader of GREAT books , and suffering from MS I have plenty of time to spend reading them. Your Book was brilliant and I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work, and continue to keep me smiling 😃
I am a reader of GREAT books , and suffering from MS I have plenty of time to spend reading them. Your Book was brilliant and I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work, and continue to keep me smiling 😃
October 11, 2019
Nice plot but the story moves in such a slow pace that I found it boring at many points.
September 17, 2021
Good book
September 24, 2023
A slow slow slow story that has no real mystery in it until the 80% mark.
I found the characters one dimensional and the story hard to enjoy. Too much tell us and not enough do it.
I found the characters one dimensional and the story hard to enjoy. Too much tell us and not enough do it.
March 27, 2025
Enjoyable read and read on my Kindle in one day
March 29, 2019
Good first book..very British, but I don’t mind that...some humour (British spelling)....quick read..it got to me because of mem like my dad who served in WWII. It is not a war book however. Quick, good read.....
March 28, 2019
Good
Excellent writing, good story line. The author fleshed out his characters really well. I will read more of his series.
Excellent writing, good story line. The author fleshed out his characters really well. I will read more of his series.
March 28, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable!
Sucked me in, didn't want to out it down. Look forward to reading future books. Very descriptive. Well written. Thanks.
Sucked me in, didn't want to out it down. Look forward to reading future books. Very descriptive. Well written. Thanks.
February 23, 2019
A readable police procedural. The characters and relationships are not very well drawn but the essence of police work where you know who the villains are but are constantly frustrated by their slyness and their overpaid solicitors is well brought out.
October 26, 2017
A captivating murder mystery by novelist, John Dean
A number of bodies are dug out of an unmarked WWII grave. It should be an open and shut case until forensics reveal that one of the bodies suffered a far more recent death.
DCI John Blizzard investigates and begins to uncover a crime that goes back generations and a desire for revenge that has not waned with time.
Thrilling and evocative, this book melds past and present in a tale of deceit that cuts into the heart of the criminal underworld.
A number of bodies are dug out of an unmarked WWII grave. It should be an open and shut case until forensics reveal that one of the bodies suffered a far more recent death.
DCI John Blizzard investigates and begins to uncover a crime that goes back generations and a desire for revenge that has not waned with time.
Thrilling and evocative, this book melds past and present in a tale of deceit that cuts into the heart of the criminal underworld.
October 15, 2018
This was a quick choice before the end of my Kindle Unlimited trial and one I'm quite happy with. The main character is agreeably abrasive if a little prone to wandering into the realms of the meta-physical and he goes about his business with appropriate disregard for the office politics.
The plot was quite convoluted and required a huge intuitive leap and the arrest of two of the players in far flung fields, who were both ready to spill their guts, in order to wrap it all up; not entirely satisfactory.
Would I read another? Yes.
The plot was quite convoluted and required a huge intuitive leap and the arrest of two of the players in far flung fields, who were both ready to spill their guts, in order to wrap it all up; not entirely satisfactory.
Would I read another? Yes.
March 28, 2019
Fans of Tana French should like the John Blizzard books, they are very similar format but without the navel gazing and raptures over how clever the author is....
On the whole the book was a bit slow, but enjoyable. The major characters were well deliniated and interesting, the side characters had personalities as well. The plot was a bit tangled but not so much that the reader threw up their hands. The action was a bit clunky, but it was the first book in the series.
On the whole the book was a bit slow, but enjoyable. The major characters were well deliniated and interesting, the side characters had personalities as well. The plot was a bit tangled but not so much that the reader threw up their hands. The action was a bit clunky, but it was the first book in the series.
October 7, 2017
Brilliant detective mystery which keeps you guessing right until the very end. Great combination of familiar tropes and new ideas, making a read that's both comforting and surprising. I particularly loved the exploration of history, and the way the past motivated each of the characters in very different ways.
September 22, 2019
The scene where the bodies are found in unmarked graves of the former POW camp was so well done. I really enjoyed reading this story. Blizzard is a great character. Can't wait to read more novels with him in them.
November 12, 2017
Awful
Sadly not a very good read. Certainly cannot recommended this book the description of a gripping British murder should read a work of utter childish fiction.
Sadly not a very good read. Certainly cannot recommended this book the description of a gripping British murder should read a work of utter childish fiction.
January 9, 2018
Kept me reading
Great story kept me reading all day till I Finnish the book and loved the one liners between the detectives brings a real séance to the book
Great story kept me reading all day till I Finnish the book and loved the one liners between the detectives brings a real séance to the book
April 11, 2018
Good book
Good book. I am off to read the next book in the series. John Blizzard has an interesting character. Good author.
Good book. I am off to read the next book in the series. John Blizzard has an interesting character. Good author.
August 28, 2023
Don’t know why I persisted. The main character isn’t likeable - he’s a misogynistic ass.
June 27, 2020
209 pages
4 stars
This book is a very good example of a fast moving police procedural. It is the debut novel of a series featuring DCI Blizzard and his partner, DS Colley.
DCI John Blizzard and his partner DS David Colley respond to a mass grave on a farm. There are sixteen skeletons buried there on a former WWII German prisoner of war camp. Fifteen of the bodies were, according to camp records, buried there due to their deaths occurring during an influenza epidemic that hit the camp. Number sixteen is a newer corpse – only fifteen tears old.
Who is this man? What is he doing there?
John Blizzard gets an odd feeling looking into the grave.
As Blizzard's team begins to investigate the murder of the unidentified man, they learn not only his idenity, but that he was indeed a prisoner at the camp and he used aliases quite frequently. What or who was he hiding from?
The story moved right along. The reader gets to experiemce both the highs and lows of an investigation. There are a couple of subplots that provide additional interest in the book. We meet some nefarious, slippery characters and some well meaning folks.
I wished as I was reading the story to know more about John Blizzard and his background. I didn't think that he was near as “maverick” as the book description had it. I hope in future books, we'll find out more about DCI Blizzard and his partner DS Colley. There were a couple of typos in the book, but they were very minor.
I will be reading more of this author's stories.
4 stars
This book is a very good example of a fast moving police procedural. It is the debut novel of a series featuring DCI Blizzard and his partner, DS Colley.
DCI John Blizzard and his partner DS David Colley respond to a mass grave on a farm. There are sixteen skeletons buried there on a former WWII German prisoner of war camp. Fifteen of the bodies were, according to camp records, buried there due to their deaths occurring during an influenza epidemic that hit the camp. Number sixteen is a newer corpse – only fifteen tears old.
Who is this man? What is he doing there?
John Blizzard gets an odd feeling looking into the grave.
As Blizzard's team begins to investigate the murder of the unidentified man, they learn not only his idenity, but that he was indeed a prisoner at the camp and he used aliases quite frequently. What or who was he hiding from?
The story moved right along. The reader gets to experiemce both the highs and lows of an investigation. There are a couple of subplots that provide additional interest in the book. We meet some nefarious, slippery characters and some well meaning folks.
I wished as I was reading the story to know more about John Blizzard and his background. I didn't think that he was near as “maverick” as the book description had it. I hope in future books, we'll find out more about DCI Blizzard and his partner DS Colley. There were a couple of typos in the book, but they were very minor.
I will be reading more of this author's stories.
May 12, 2020
Thanks to Prime reading for some good escapist books during quarantine. This one sounded intriguing so I borrowed it and read it. I am a fan of murder mysteries as long as they are well written, keep me guessing, and have characters that I can relate to. This is a good one.
It's a cold case kind of puzzle with an extra body coming to light when archaeologists are excavating a POW influenza burial site in northern England. It's on the land of a notorious local farmer who has criminal connections and who is planning to sell a portion of his land to a housing development company. DCI Blizzard and his team are handling the investigation and they keep digging to find the truth about who the 14th body is and why he was buried there.
You have to read it for yourself - sorry, no spoilers - but it's well written. The interactions among the team members are humorous as you would expect from a group of people who know each other well from working closely together. They get along well but the politics of the job are handled better by some than by others.
If you have Amazon Prime, you can access this book without charge and while away a quarantine afternoon in Hafton. It would make a good movie, I believe.
It's a cold case kind of puzzle with an extra body coming to light when archaeologists are excavating a POW influenza burial site in northern England. It's on the land of a notorious local farmer who has criminal connections and who is planning to sell a portion of his land to a housing development company. DCI Blizzard and his team are handling the investigation and they keep digging to find the truth about who the 14th body is and why he was buried there.
You have to read it for yourself - sorry, no spoilers - but it's well written. The interactions among the team members are humorous as you would expect from a group of people who know each other well from working closely together. They get along well but the politics of the job are handled better by some than by others.
If you have Amazon Prime, you can access this book without charge and while away a quarantine afternoon in Hafton. It would make a good movie, I believe.
September 9, 2019
First book of the series and I bought the box set of DCI Blizzard so looking forward to reading them all. Blizzard and his sidekick DS Colley get asked to look at an uncovered grave site at a former POW camp. Blizzard’s gut tells him there is something not quite right with the discovery of 15 dead Germans. The tale brings together a number of different strings, Blizzard’s grandfathers death in WWII, a local gang leader, a PTSD Soldier and a German black marketeer. Well written and good to read, the culmination pulls all of the strings together and gives Blizzard the ending he too was looking for.
November 18, 2019
Strange sort of story
Well, I liked Jack Harris stories a bit more than I like John Blizzard #1, but maybe he will improve. Not exactly a straight forward story which is interesting, but I just feels that it lacks something in the telling. It’s like there is too much of some information, that really isn’t pertinent to the story, and too little real story. I’m not sure that having flash backs adds anything to the story, and it is a little detracting from the rest of the book. It is hardly a story that I would describe as “gripping” contrary to what Amazon thinks in its description.
Well, I liked Jack Harris stories a bit more than I like John Blizzard #1, but maybe he will improve. Not exactly a straight forward story which is interesting, but I just feels that it lacks something in the telling. It’s like there is too much of some information, that really isn’t pertinent to the story, and too little real story. I’m not sure that having flash backs adds anything to the story, and it is a little detracting from the rest of the book. It is hardly a story that I would describe as “gripping” contrary to what Amazon thinks in its description.
September 10, 2021
Starts off Slow
But this first John Blizzard novel keeps you wondering what in the world does Blizzard's family history have to do with a dead German businessman, found buried in a communal grave with other of his countrymen who died while POW's during WII? What do illegal immigrants have to do with a German crime lord? There is a paper battle between those seeking profit through the sale of land and those who are protecting the history of the POW camp. John Dean brings all these disparate threads together to knit a story that keeps you reading.
A well executed story and with the time to find the links for all the various subplots.
But this first John Blizzard novel keeps you wondering what in the world does Blizzard's family history have to do with a dead German businessman, found buried in a communal grave with other of his countrymen who died while POW's during WII? What do illegal immigrants have to do with a German crime lord? There is a paper battle between those seeking profit through the sale of land and those who are protecting the history of the POW camp. John Dean brings all these disparate threads together to knit a story that keeps you reading.
A well executed story and with the time to find the links for all the various subplots.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews