All Things Nice

DI Ellen Kelly #3

by Sheila Bugler

Charlotte Gleeson is living the life she always dreamed of, but it's nothing like she imagined. Her daughter hates her, her husband is having an affair, her drinking is out of control. And now she’s the prime suspect in a murder investigation …

For DI Ellen Kelly, this is her first big investigation in eight months – since she let a serial killer get away. There’s an awful lot riding on a good result, which means keeping up the pressure on Charlotte Gleeson and her messed-up family.

As Ellen investigates, it becomes clear the Gleesons are harbouring some dangerous secrets. The more she digs, the more she uncovers … and the closer she comes to a deadly confrontation.


All Things Nice is the third in the Ellen Kelly series of crime novels.

Genres: Audiobook

544 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2016

About the author

I'm the author of the Ellen Kelly and Dee Doran crime novels. My first stand alone novel, The Lucky Eight, is published in July 2021.

I grew up in a small town in the west of Ireland. After studying Psychology at University College Galway, I left Ireland and worked in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Argentina and London before finally settling in Eastbourne, where I now live with my husband, Sean, and our two children.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL THING NICE by Sheila Bugler is the third book in the crime series featuring D I Ellen Kelly. Described by Ken Bruen as ‘Truly a tour de force and great writing’, it certainly doesn’t disappoint. All Things Nice has an array of characters, many of which have any number of flaws. In some ways the title could be turned on its head, as the story depicts a lot of not so nice people and things. One of my favourite passions when it comes to good crime writing, apart from high quality prose and great storytelling, is a novel having a page turning quality. The desire to delve into a fictional world with such curiosity that you abandon reality. All Things Nice grabs you from the opening page and continues with quick fire intrigue until you have no choice but to live out the fictional world until the end. What I particularly liked about this story was how I was drawn to some of the ‘not so nice’ individuals, and felt a huge empathy for a couple of them, especially one of the principle characters Charlotte Gleeson. Charlotte is supposedly living the perfect life, the one she dreamed of living, only it’s nothing like she imagined it to be. Her daughter hates her, her husband is having an affair, and her drinking is out of control. She does things that deep down she knows she shouldn’t do, but in what becomes increasingly a self-fulfilling prophecy, she marches further down a path of destruction. Like all good crime stories, All Things Nice, has many unanswered questions, opening with the vicious killing of Kieran Burton, the boyfriend of Charlotte’s daughter, Freya, and then layer by layer, it unravels the sins of the past, interlinked with the sins of the present, including murder, blackmail, manipulation and the lengths to which people are prepared to go to protect themselves and others close to them. I enjoyed D I Kelly from Sheila Bugler’s first novel, Hunting Shadows, and she is a great protagonist who is growing with the series. Abby Roberts, D.I. Kelly’s associate, is another strong female character who has her own human frailties, as do many others in this novel, all of which adds to a rich tapestry of a cast. Paul Perry, co-author of the Boy That Never Came Home, has described ‘All Things Nice’ as classic crime fiction which draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the final pages. It certainly has a number of twists throughout and this helter-skelter of revealing secrets kept momentum until the final pages. “Sugar and spice and all things nice,Kisses sweeter than wine. Sugar and spice and all things nice, You know that little girl is mine.”

[Chris Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third outing for D I Ellen Kelly and what a complex and absorbing story it is. It may be called All Things Nice, but there are some very nasty goings on here.
Charlotte Gleeson and her husband, well-known restaurateur Nick, seem to have it made. But the book begins on Charlotte’s birthday and when Nick doesn’t come home for her party she isn’t surprised. Their apparently stable marriage is a sham and Charlotte is an alcoholic wounded by the corrosive relationship she had with her own dead mother. Nick too can’t escape the feeling that he was never be able to satisfy his father’s expectations.
At least the couple’s adult daughter, Freya, loves Nick, but she has never been close to Charlotte. This bleak relationship, as Charlotte begins to realise how much she loves her daughter and clumsily attempts to repair a lifetime’s damage, is beautifully portrayed and I alternated between wanting to weep for the two woman and longing to shake them.
D I Kelly herself is an appealing character, but there is less focus here than in the previous two books on her relationships and home life and more on the investigation. So a reader coming new to the series shouldn’t have any problems. What is particularly effective is the contrast between the way Kelly is able to manage her own difficult situation – as a highly motivated detective but also a widow with two children one of whom is going through his own emotional trauma – and the dysfunctional families she’s investigating.
Kelly’s sidekick, keen as mustard young detective Abby Rogers, is determined to show her mettle, but struggles to prevent a burgeoning romance from distracting her. Kelly and Abby’s relationship is ultimately one of mutual respect, but I loved the hints of rivalry that crept in.
The story is told not only from the perspective of the two police officers, but also through the eyes of the prime suspects. Drink sodden Charlotte has only hazy memories of the night of the party and fears she may have done more than fight with her daughter when Freya’s boyfriend, Kieran Burton, is found knifed to death near her home. One thing Charlotte does recall is that she has very personal reasons to hate Kieran. But Nick has his own secrets and he also detested and feared the murdered young man.
Kieran was attractive, but Kelly discovers that nobody except his frumpy girlfriend, Freya, seems to have liked him. And the haters include Nick’s business partner, Pete Cooper, whose wife died in suspicious circumstances, and his stunning but secretive daughter, Cosima.
The story is enthralling throughout and Sheila Bugler keeps the reader guessing as Kelly and Abby try to unravel the loves and hatreds that bind these characters together. And Kieran’s murder is only the beginning. As the heat turns up we plummet headlong into a series of climactic scenes that, for sustained and nerve shredding excitement, would be hard to beat.

[Paul Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series with DI Ellen Kelly and I really enjoyed it.

The story is set around where I live and the descriptions of the area are accurate and bring it to life. The story moved quickly for quite a lo g book and as it got towards the end I couldn't put it down.

[Wide Eyes, Big Ears! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freya Gleeson is distraught when she hears about her boyfriend’s death. While she welcomes her philandering father’s support, she expects no support from her alcoholic mother whom she loathes. There are deep secrets in this dysfunctional family and DI Ellen Kelly and her team will pull their hair out trying to unearth them. I enjoyed this traditional police procedural: no twisted serial killers committing horrifically violent acts of torture. There were enough hints among the red herrings to guess the murderer and enough interesting subplots and characters to keep me engrossed. Refreshingly, I didn’t feel like the police acted unethically or made any weird decisions. UK actor Zara Ramm did any outstanding job on the audio. I could tell which character was speaking by her tone alone.

[Emese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page-turner by Sheila Bugler. Loved it!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic characters and great story - hope there'll be more

[Michele Brooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spent another week in Sheila Bugler's criminal world. Set in London, with a tense ending at Beachy Head in East Sussex. Sheila tells a good story- fast paced and gripping.

[cheryl foreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic plot.

As always, Sheila Butler writes a twisting, turning plot that leaves you unable to stop reading and keeps you guessing right until the end. Great book.

[Luisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did know who it was before the second murder but still a good, gripping read

[Simon Velde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing about Sheila Bugler is she does it every time - Wicked tension. Couldn't put the damn thing down

[Sophie Houston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, but woeful editing. There's a character called Ben - except when he's called Alan 😂

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number three in a series. I didn’t realize. I would definitely recommend reading the other 2books first. Still enjoyable enough, but you have to fill in a bit as you go along.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Things Nice is the third book in the DI Ellen Kelly series of crime novels. This one sees DI Kelly in her first big case for months and those who have followed the series will know why this is, and for those new to the series I won't say more as all will be revealed when the author explains the back story and the personal issues which DI Kelly needs work through.

In this story, Charlotte Gleeson and her husband Nick seem to have everything, a nice home, a successful business and a life that is the envy of most people, but bubbling away under the surface is a hotchpotch of lies and deceit, which threaten, not just Charlotte and Nick but also the lives of those around them, with disastrous consequences. When a body is found in the aftermath of Charlotte's birthday party, the finger of suspicion wavers between those who were present at the party and those who could have had an agenda all of their own.

The story takes a little while to get going, and some of the beginning scenes are rather slow and even though I have read the previous book in the series, it took me a while to get back into the psyche of the main characters, which sort of spoiled some of the effect of the current plot. I do find that some of the characters lack depth, and try as I might to like DI Kelly, I'm afraid that I don't, and therein lies the problem for me, as I don't really empathise with her problems and that makes me lose focus on the rest of the story.

So, overall, this story is a fairly standard crime thriller with some interesting moments of police investigation which help to move the plot along but which, I'm afraid failed to inspire me much.

As always, this is just my personal opinion and I'm sure that there are many readers who find this series fascinating, sadly, on this occasion, I'm not able to enthuse.

Mt thanks to Real Readers for my review copy of this one.

[Bookmuseuk]

Delighted to get back into the DI Ellen Kelly series and see her face another murder investigation with the usual grit and tenacity that makes her stand out from the crowd. As always, Ellen finds herself juggling her personal and professional lives, struggling with the balance she has declared she will stick too following the traumas faced by her son in the previous book. And in terms of love life - that seems to have evaporated which did raise a few questions as I read.

Here a body is found outside a raucous birthday party venue. There are dozens of potential killers, but apparently no witnesses. When the investigation into the dead man's girlfriend and her celebrity family hit the headlines, it appears everyone has their own secrets and lies to hide. But does that make any of them a killer?

The author has a refreshingly clear and concise writing style, her word choice and language are unique I think. But she also handles each story and narrative so adeptly that you can't help but be carried along by the investigation. Each character is handled to perfection, whether carrying over baggage from previous novels, or introducing new people for the first time, each character becomes real and believable throughout.

There's a true art to writing strong crime fiction that this author appears to ooze in bucketfuls, giving enough clues to satisfy the reader when you come to the big reveal, and yet holding enough back so there's that element of surprise too. I admit I correctly guessed the murderer quiet early on, but was still entertained by the numerous twists and turns added along the way that kept me gripped until the final pages.

Highly recommended and entertaining read and I'm very much looking forward to the next in the series!

[Lynn Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Gleeson, an alcoholic, had a tragic childhood but married Nick, who owns a string of restaurants; their daughter Freya, lazy and overweight, lives with Kieran who neither of them like. Nick's business partner, Pete Cooper, has a beautiful daughter, Cosima on whom he dotes, his wife died a few years ago, under suspicious circumstances. Charlotte's best friend Ginny is like a sister to her, Charlotte couldn't manage without her. Kieran is stabbed on the evening of Charlotte's birthday party, Charlotte was so drunk, the evening is a haze. Then Ginny is killed in a hit and run. Who committed these murders? Any of a number of characters could have a motive for doing so. DI Ellen Kelly let a serial killer escape her and this case is one she must get right, her assistant Abby, is young, pretty and ambitious but Ellen is determined to be the one to solve it and get the glory. Dysfunctional families, love, hate, jealousy and proof that money does not make one happy. This book has it all. There are twists and turns all the way through and one tends to suspect every character at some point, but it all comes together at the end. It is a long book which lurches from one disaster to another but it held my interest throughout. The characters are well drawn out, not many of them likeable but certainly credible. I would certainly recommend this book and will look out for Bugler's other novels. Sent to me by newbooks/real readers to review.

[Kathryn Cope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is the third of Sheila Bugler’s books featuring DI Ellen Kelly, this was my first introduction to the series. Sadly, I was disappointed by it.

On paper, All Things Nice has all the ingredients of a classic crime novel. The investigating Detective Inspector is a likeable character battling personal demons. While trying to solve the case, Ellen Kelly struggles with grief over her husband’s death, guilt over childcare arrangements and envy of an up-and-coming female colleague. The author also quickly establishes that Kieran, the victim of the murder Ellen is investigating, was a loathsome character, intensely disliked by almost everyone he came into contact with. This means that there is a whole range of possible suspects, many of whom are hiding secrets of their own.

So far, so good, but for some reason the story just didn’t come alive for me. At over 500 pages, this is a lengthy read for a thriller. If the author had devoted those extra pages to creating real depth to her novel it may have been worth it. Instead, she spends a lot of time flitting from one character’s perspective to another, which slows the pace of the story without adding much in the way of characterisation. Reading this novel felt like more of a chore than a pleasure and by the end, I’m sorry to say I really didn’t care whodunit.

I was sent this book by RealReaders in return for a review.

[What Lynsey Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know the kind of thriller that you just can't put down because you're clamouring over yourself to get to the end and find out who & why? This isn't that book. I could have happily shut the book at any point & not picked it up again. For me there was no suspense, no intrigue and the characters were so one dimensional I didn't care a hoot about any of them. Almost every single one had had a tragic, dysfunctional childhood and yet none of the characters grew or developed or sprung from the page. The professor who had a bit part was my favourite!
The title and the song it takes its name from were mentioned twice but there was no explanation as to the meaning of the reference.
I also think that there needed to be more description about Charlotte & Pete's childhood so that the reader can get a better understanding of why they ended up the way they did. As it is this is barely touched upon.
The writing style was ok and very readable, so it gets two stars for that, but generally it's a two-a-penny crime novel which has nothing to make it stand out from the scores of similar books.
This book was sent to me by Real Readers in exchange for a review.

[Dorothy Flaxman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Gleeson is living the perfect life she always dreamed of - but it's nothing like she imagined. Her daughter hates her, her husband is having an affair, her drinking is out of control. Now she's the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
It is DI Ellen Kelly's first big case in months. There's a lot riding on a good result, including her reputation.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is fast-paced and full of twists and turns.
Nicely structured with short chapters. Just when you think the crime has been solved, there is a nice twist at the end. Would recommend this book and will be reading the author's previous books.

[Heelqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this as part of the good reads giveaways.
When Kieran is found dead the morning after a part it's up to detective Ellen to put the missing pieces together. And the Gleeson family seem to be high on the list of suspects. Charlotte the alcoholic mother who has admitted to having a fling with her daughters boyfriend, Freya the daughter of Charlotte and Nick and girlfriend of Kieran and Nick who's stuck in an unhappy dead marriage and never was a fan of Kieran's.
Now everyone seems to be a suspect.
A good read keeps you guessing until the end

[Sandra]

DNF. Slow and plodding and not interesting enough to hold my attention. I read 150 pages and at that point abandoned it because I realised I didn't care who did it or what happened to any of the characters. The characters lacked depth, the locations could have done with more detailed description. There was no suspense to the story at all and it was disappointing to say the least after the blurb promised so much. I have read better crime fiction than this. Needless to say this is not an author I will be reading again.

[Isiris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and very entertaining. The only problem I had with it is the numerous characters' back-stories. There's Ellen and her struggle to be both a detective and a good mother, while also coping with grief and trying to connect with her biological mother. There's also Charlotte's story, her alcoholism and her bad parenting that she has inherited form her mother. There's also Nick and Cooper and Cosima, and so on...It gets tiring after a while. *I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Alison Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the third in a series I received to review and not having read the previous two it didn't flow very well. There is obviously a story to the DCI Ellen but darned if I could make it all out except to know her house had been on fire.
Other than that there were some interesting characters in the murder story but the perpetrator was not difficult to fathom out.

[Brian Lawlor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheila Bugler's writing gets better and better with each book, though maybe it's because now we have the third outing for Ellen Kelly, I am hooked into her character.

A story of dysfunctional families has some excellent plot twists, and the final few chapters were a surprise to me - although they fit well into the interweaving story.

A real talent and a gripping thriller!

[Killaloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but too long