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The Custodian: A gripping coastal crime thriller about secrets, family tensions, and a detective starting over
Not yet published
Expected 26 Jan 27When severed fingers are delivered in the post, DI Bolam is forced to reopen the dark back pages of the city where his dead wife grew up.
‘A tightly woven plot line that really delivers that page-turning crucial punch. A great start to a new series’ Michelle Kidd
Severed fingers delivered in the post, old and tragic memories stirred… someone is stage-managing the reopening of long-forgotten cases, manipulating the victims’ families’ grief decades after their loved ones went missing. And DI Bolam, newly appointed to the town’s Serious Crimes team, finds himself in the thick of it, in a job he had never wanted, in a town that holds only sadness for him and reminders of all he has lost.
A police procedural mystery, full of twists and turns, following DI Bolam as he attempts to unravel the dark history of the town where his late wife grew up, even if it means tearing apart what remains of his own family.
‘A tightly woven plot line that really delivers that page-turning crucial punch. A great start to a new series’ Michelle Kidd
Severed fingers delivered in the post, old and tragic memories stirred… someone is stage-managing the reopening of long-forgotten cases, manipulating the victims’ families’ grief decades after their loved ones went missing. And DI Bolam, newly appointed to the town’s Serious Crimes team, finds himself in the thick of it, in a job he had never wanted, in a town that holds only sadness for him and reminders of all he has lost.
A police procedural mystery, full of twists and turns, following DI Bolam as he attempts to unravel the dark history of the town where his late wife grew up, even if it means tearing apart what remains of his own family.
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 26, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love a good mystery. Sometimes, I enjoy fast, frenetic paced books where the action never lets up, even if you have to suspend disbelief to enjoy it. Most of the time, I want a slow procedural where the detective doesn’t just luck into every key clue and they have to wrestle with the mystery themselves.
Nick Guthrie’s “The Custodian” is a slow, drawn-out procedural. Our protagonist, DI Bolam, isn’t perfect. He reacts too many times. He is consumed with his case. He rarely considers how his actions impact those around him, especially those that care about him. Bolam also doesn’t take time to heal. Whether it is an injury to his hand or the loss of his wife.
So this gives us a lot of character issues to wrestle with, along with a really good mystery. The problem with “The Custodian”, to me, is that it isn’t just a slow procedural. It crawls. Many times, at a pace where you want to check the novels pulse to see if it is still alive.
But there are words during those down times. Many, many words, often repeated.
I’m not sure if the publisher and Mr. Guthrie are planning a series with DI Bolam. There is so much good material to build one with. And it is quite obvious that the author can come up with a really good concept. The issue is, will they tighten the novel. If so, oh, I am all on board. If not…I will pass. I can’t remember fighting so hard to get through a 300 page book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Nick Guthrie’s “The Custodian” is a slow, drawn-out procedural. Our protagonist, DI Bolam, isn’t perfect. He reacts too many times. He is consumed with his case. He rarely considers how his actions impact those around him, especially those that care about him. Bolam also doesn’t take time to heal. Whether it is an injury to his hand or the loss of his wife.
So this gives us a lot of character issues to wrestle with, along with a really good mystery. The problem with “The Custodian”, to me, is that it isn’t just a slow procedural. It crawls. Many times, at a pace where you want to check the novels pulse to see if it is still alive.
But there are words during those down times. Many, many words, often repeated.
I’m not sure if the publisher and Mr. Guthrie are planning a series with DI Bolam. There is so much good material to build one with. And it is quite obvious that the author can come up with a really good concept. The issue is, will they tighten the novel. If so, oh, I am all on board. If not…I will pass. I can’t remember fighting so hard to get through a 300 page book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An absolutely brilliant crime mystery that kept me hooked from beginning to end! ❤️📚
What an absolutely brilliant read! Nick Guthrie's storytelling captivated me from the prologue, and I was so completely immersed in the story that I struggled to put my Kindle down, even when I knew I should be going to bed!
The Custodian is a fascinating, intricately woven crime mystery filled with unexpected connections, believable characters and emotional depth. For much of the book, I genuinely had no idea who was behind everything, and I loved being just as puzzled as the investigating team.
DI Bolam was particularly memorable. His personal story unfolded so naturally throughout the novel that I found myself becoming increasingly invested in him as a character.
By the final pages, I was thoroughly satisfied with how everything came together, although I wasn't quite ready to leave the story behind.
An absolutely fantastic novel, and I'm already looking forward to reading more from Nick Guthrie!
👩🏻💻 MoMoBookDiary (2026)
What an absolutely brilliant read! Nick Guthrie's storytelling captivated me from the prologue, and I was so completely immersed in the story that I struggled to put my Kindle down, even when I knew I should be going to bed!
The Custodian is a fascinating, intricately woven crime mystery filled with unexpected connections, believable characters and emotional depth. For much of the book, I genuinely had no idea who was behind everything, and I loved being just as puzzled as the investigating team.
DI Bolam was particularly memorable. His personal story unfolded so naturally throughout the novel that I found myself becoming increasingly invested in him as a character.
By the final pages, I was thoroughly satisfied with how everything came together, although I wasn't quite ready to leave the story behind.
An absolutely fantastic novel, and I'm already looking forward to reading more from Nick Guthrie!
👩🏻💻 MoMoBookDiary (2026)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews