What do you think?
Rate this book
DI Nick Dixon #8
Dead Lock
Early on a cold Somerset morning, ten year old Alesha Daniels is reported missing by her father, a violent alcoholic. Her mother, a known drug addict, is found unconscious, but it’s her mother’s boyfriend the police are keen to trace.
As the hunt for Alesha gathers pace, a second local girl is taken, plunging another family into the depths of despair.
Cutting short his holiday, DI Nick Dixon races home to join the Major Investigation Team, but no sooner has he identified a network of local suspects than they begin to show up dead.
At odds with his superiors, Dixon is convinced the child abductions are anything but random, but nobody is prepared for the investigation to lead quite so close to home.
Can Dixon and his team crack the case before all the suspects are silenced? And will he find the missing girls before it’s too late?
As the hunt for Alesha gathers pace, a second local girl is taken, plunging another family into the depths of despair.
Cutting short his holiday, DI Nick Dixon races home to join the Major Investigation Team, but no sooner has he identified a network of local suspects than they begin to show up dead.
At odds with his superiors, Dixon is convinced the child abductions are anything but random, but nobody is prepared for the investigation to lead quite so close to home.
Can Dixon and his team crack the case before all the suspects are silenced? And will he find the missing girls before it’s too late?
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2018
1707 people are currently reading
1329 people want to read
About the author
Damien Boyd
19 books957 followersDamien Boyd is a former solicitor turned crime fiction writer.
Drawing on extensive experience of criminal law as well as a spell in the Crown Prosecution Service, Damien writes fast paced crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Nick Dixon.
Damien is published by Thomas & Mercer.
Drawing on extensive experience of criminal law as well as a spell in the Crown Prosecution Service, Damien writes fast paced crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Nick Dixon.
Damien is published by Thomas & Mercer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
June 14, 2018
This is my first read of this popular series featuring DI Nick Dixon set in Somerset, but I found it fine as a standalone. Nick is on holiday with DS Jane Winters in the Lake District when 10 year Alesha Daniels is taken. Jane works for the Safeguarding Unit, is familiar with Alesha, a girl well known to Social Services, closely monitored, and returns to help the police team under the leadership of Detective Chief Superintendent Deborah Potter. Alesha's father, Ryan, is violent and alcoholic, her mother, Tanya, is in a relationship with Kevin Sailes, on the sex offender's register, she is found unconscious with a syringe sticking out of her. Not surprisingly, this is a case that is the focus of intense media scrutiny.
Then another 10 year old girl, Harriet 'Hatty' Renner, from a middle class family is taken, and her anguished grandfather is closely connected to Nick, insisting that Dixon helps find her. Nick returns from the Lakes, as the team desperately try to find a connection between the missing girls. The team focus on a white van with fake number plates and the possible involvement of a paedophile. In a twisted story with red herrings, the suspects keep turning up dead, and the Renners bring in an offbeat clairvoyant. Jane's young troubled sister absconds from her foster parents home, hitching a ride to turn up at Jane and Nick's home, with Jane determined to help her turn her life around. Will Nick and Jane be able to find and save the missing girls?
This is a well written and well plotted police procedural, a great addition to what is a well established series and characters. I loved the way the police team worked, the relationships between them, and how Nick and Jane work out the small niggles in their obvious journey towards marriage. Nick is forensic in his approach to evidence whilst deploying his strong intuitive sense to make the leaps in progress that the investigation needs to make the breaks required to get closer to the truth. All in all, this is a great series with great characters, I really enjoyed reading this novel and found it compelling and entertaining. Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC.
Then another 10 year old girl, Harriet 'Hatty' Renner, from a middle class family is taken, and her anguished grandfather is closely connected to Nick, insisting that Dixon helps find her. Nick returns from the Lakes, as the team desperately try to find a connection between the missing girls. The team focus on a white van with fake number plates and the possible involvement of a paedophile. In a twisted story with red herrings, the suspects keep turning up dead, and the Renners bring in an offbeat clairvoyant. Jane's young troubled sister absconds from her foster parents home, hitching a ride to turn up at Jane and Nick's home, with Jane determined to help her turn her life around. Will Nick and Jane be able to find and save the missing girls?
This is a well written and well plotted police procedural, a great addition to what is a well established series and characters. I loved the way the police team worked, the relationships between them, and how Nick and Jane work out the small niggles in their obvious journey towards marriage. Nick is forensic in his approach to evidence whilst deploying his strong intuitive sense to make the leaps in progress that the investigation needs to make the breaks required to get closer to the truth. All in all, this is a great series with great characters, I really enjoyed reading this novel and found it compelling and entertaining. Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC.
April 9, 2025
There are several books around children going missing; often they seem to be young girls and the reason mainly appears to be around sex offences.
So, this isn’t an original idea for a detective novel but the approach is fresh and the plot unique in my reading of this genre.
The motive for abduction of the young girl is not immediately obvious but it is more distressing because the family are known to social services and warning signs were present.
The book is clever for many reasons. Firstly, the stars of this series are away on holiday and the initial investigation begins without DI Nick Dixon which gives the rest of the team, the more behind the scenes detectives a chance to shine.
Jane Winters used to work on Dixon’s team; she is now his girlfriend and away with him on holiday. Furthermore, she has switched roles and now works in the safeguarding unit. She was working with the girl who has been snatched and so she is brought back from vacationing in the Lakes, leaving Dixon alone to walk the fells.
This is genius. That the leading light of these books continues to take a back seat while Jane is propelled into the centre of the investigation.
When a second girl goes missing, for reasons that the book makes clear, Nick is called back to join the team.
The pace of the investigation then moves up a gear as Dixon although not leading the team quickly becomes the most important player and we know that if the girls are still alive it will be because of him the case will be cracked.
There then follows a serious of devious stages of misdirection to slow the police down, spending hours chasing up dead ends and focusing elsewhere.
This is another great idea to bring into a crime thriller and I welcome such a refreshing approach to this type of story. You are left wondering what is happening, but happily, DI Dixon is equally imaginative in his thought processes and it is just possible he can make up for the wasted time. Trouble is, time is running out, and time is something that the girls do not have an unlimited amount of as the clock is ticking.
So, for an original, captivating story this is a detective novel that sets new standards of how authors can take ideas and create new, innovative scenarios to keep reading this genre fresh and exciting.
In addition, the book has Monty the dog, a non-speaking participant who steals most scenes. Jane finding her birth family having been adopted as a child. Nick, will he won’t he propose. Plus, a delightful journey into the world of canals that will leave you wondering just how safe it is to operate a lock gate.
Damien Boyd grows before the reader’s eyes, as an author, which this latest book demonstrates, his wide skill set and creative writer. An author to follow who never disappoints and in Nick Dixon has a clever dick, who is brilliant and so much fun to read about.
So, this isn’t an original idea for a detective novel but the approach is fresh and the plot unique in my reading of this genre.
The motive for abduction of the young girl is not immediately obvious but it is more distressing because the family are known to social services and warning signs were present.
The book is clever for many reasons. Firstly, the stars of this series are away on holiday and the initial investigation begins without DI Nick Dixon which gives the rest of the team, the more behind the scenes detectives a chance to shine.
Jane Winters used to work on Dixon’s team; she is now his girlfriend and away with him on holiday. Furthermore, she has switched roles and now works in the safeguarding unit. She was working with the girl who has been snatched and so she is brought back from vacationing in the Lakes, leaving Dixon alone to walk the fells.
This is genius. That the leading light of these books continues to take a back seat while Jane is propelled into the centre of the investigation.
When a second girl goes missing, for reasons that the book makes clear, Nick is called back to join the team.
The pace of the investigation then moves up a gear as Dixon although not leading the team quickly becomes the most important player and we know that if the girls are still alive it will be because of him the case will be cracked.
There then follows a serious of devious stages of misdirection to slow the police down, spending hours chasing up dead ends and focusing elsewhere.
This is another great idea to bring into a crime thriller and I welcome such a refreshing approach to this type of story. You are left wondering what is happening, but happily, DI Dixon is equally imaginative in his thought processes and it is just possible he can make up for the wasted time. Trouble is, time is running out, and time is something that the girls do not have an unlimited amount of as the clock is ticking.
So, for an original, captivating story this is a detective novel that sets new standards of how authors can take ideas and create new, innovative scenarios to keep reading this genre fresh and exciting.
In addition, the book has Monty the dog, a non-speaking participant who steals most scenes. Jane finding her birth family having been adopted as a child. Nick, will he won’t he propose. Plus, a delightful journey into the world of canals that will leave you wondering just how safe it is to operate a lock gate.
Damien Boyd grows before the reader’s eyes, as an author, which this latest book demonstrates, his wide skill set and creative writer. An author to follow who never disappoints and in Nick Dixon has a clever dick, who is brilliant and so much fun to read about.
December 20, 2020
Dead Lock is the eighth book in the riveting DI Nick Dixon series set in Somerset, although each book is a separate mystery so these would all work well as stand-alones. I had read all the previous instalments quite close together a few years ago, and bought this not long after it came out, three years ago, but have been so tied up reading ARCs and Book Club books that I never quite got round to it until now. This was another taut police procedural featuring a down to earth and refreshingly undamaged hero with just the right amount of snark - and have come to the conclusion that should I ever be kidnapped, Dixon is the fictional detective I would most want on my case!
An eleven year old girl is reported missing by her father, an alcoholic with a criminal history and bad reputation. Her junkie mother has barely noticed and her grandmother seems strangely unconcerned. DS Jane Winter is called back from her holiday because she was involved with the family from her role in family violence prevention. Then a second girl is taken, who has a much more personal connection to Jane and Nick. What links these disappearances to an ancient canal network, and can Dixon and his team find them both before it’s too late?
This story was unusual in that the hero doesn’t appear until at least 25% in to the book - his hopefully-soon-to-be-fiancée Jane does get involved earlier - and it was good to see the team in action independent of Dixon for a change, although when he does finally get dragged back from the mountains, he and his faithful dog Monty steal the show of course.
I generally avoid missing children plotlines, as they’ve been totally overdone in recent years, but this was a refreshing take on the trope, with twists I did not foresee.
A few minor niggles stopped me from giving this five stars - the recurrent tendency to throw in a new insight or discovery, and only explain it pages later - I kept feeling like I’d missed key plot points. Certain phrases are also completely overused - if I had a drink for every time a character smirked or sneered I would be very drunk indeed.
On the plus side, I’m not a romance fan by any stretch, but like the sweet relationship between Nick and Jane, and more recently her feisty teenage half-sister Lucy, and I’m enjoying the development of some of the other characters. I do not intend to leave it so long to read the next two!
An eleven year old girl is reported missing by her father, an alcoholic with a criminal history and bad reputation. Her junkie mother has barely noticed and her grandmother seems strangely unconcerned. DS Jane Winter is called back from her holiday because she was involved with the family from her role in family violence prevention. Then a second girl is taken, who has a much more personal connection to Jane and Nick. What links these disappearances to an ancient canal network, and can Dixon and his team find them both before it’s too late?
This story was unusual in that the hero doesn’t appear until at least 25% in to the book - his hopefully-soon-to-be-fiancée Jane does get involved earlier - and it was good to see the team in action independent of Dixon for a change, although when he does finally get dragged back from the mountains, he and his faithful dog Monty steal the show of course.
I generally avoid missing children plotlines, as they’ve been totally overdone in recent years, but this was a refreshing take on the trope, with twists I did not foresee.
A few minor niggles stopped me from giving this five stars - the recurrent tendency to throw in a new insight or discovery, and only explain it pages later - I kept feeling like I’d missed key plot points. Certain phrases are also completely overused - if I had a drink for every time a character smirked or sneered I would be very drunk indeed.
On the plus side, I’m not a romance fan by any stretch, but like the sweet relationship between Nick and Jane, and more recently her feisty teenage half-sister Lucy, and I’m enjoying the development of some of the other characters. I do not intend to leave it so long to read the next two!
June 3, 2018
I have to admit that this is my first Damien Boyd novel which I am absolutely sold on. My only regret, which is all down to me, was not knowing more of the back ground of this tight team of core characters.
The hardest stories to read are the ones that involve crimes which revolve round missing children, it makes my mind run wild with every possible outcome that normal doesn’t end well. Having two children disappear in a short time period just sent my mind into overdrive frenzy.
There was something very sinister about Alesha Daniels disappearance especially with the young girl already under the watchful eye of the authorities. It was also enough to request the return of Jane Winters from her holiday. Jane was part of a safeguarding unit that worked with children at risk. Alesha was one of her cases. The second girl who goes missing causes concern for Jane’s boyfriend and former boss DI Nick Dixon, as he knows the girl’s grandfather. What unfolds is complex and riveting story that is layered like a prize onion.
Dixon is very much the rooster among his team, where they seem to have a collective way of thinking while he definitely has his own unique train of thought. It works a dream really, I do like a stand out hero in a book. I was absorbed into scenes where it was more like I was a bystander than a reader. I felt that I could look round the places I was in getting a real feel of the atmosphere that it created. Add the characters and sheer tension and it made for an intense Olympic type finale. What an ending! Pure Gold!
The hardest stories to read are the ones that involve crimes which revolve round missing children, it makes my mind run wild with every possible outcome that normal doesn’t end well. Having two children disappear in a short time period just sent my mind into overdrive frenzy.
There was something very sinister about Alesha Daniels disappearance especially with the young girl already under the watchful eye of the authorities. It was also enough to request the return of Jane Winters from her holiday. Jane was part of a safeguarding unit that worked with children at risk. Alesha was one of her cases. The second girl who goes missing causes concern for Jane’s boyfriend and former boss DI Nick Dixon, as he knows the girl’s grandfather. What unfolds is complex and riveting story that is layered like a prize onion.
Dixon is very much the rooster among his team, where they seem to have a collective way of thinking while he definitely has his own unique train of thought. It works a dream really, I do like a stand out hero in a book. I was absorbed into scenes where it was more like I was a bystander than a reader. I felt that I could look round the places I was in getting a real feel of the atmosphere that it created. Add the characters and sheer tension and it made for an intense Olympic type finale. What an ending! Pure Gold!
May 13, 2018
5 Stars
PC’s Cole and MacIntyre receive a call to respond to an angry man whose ten-year old daughter has gone missing. When they arrive, the father is drunk and very angry. He has a long history with the police of being drunk and violent. The little girl’s name is Alesha Daniels. She lives with her mother during the week, and often visits her father on the weekend.
The mother’s name is Tanya Stevens and she lives with a man named Kevin Sailes who has a history. When PC’s Cole and MacIntyre arrive at Tanya’s house, they find her passed out with a needle still stuck in her arm. She is alive.
The police start a search of the local woods, the nearby lake and so on. Alesha’s bike is found submerged in the water. They are still looking for Kevin Sailes. Later, MacIntyre reports that they’ve located Mr. Sailes. It’s now been over forty-eight hours since Alesha disappeared. Sailes has disappeared again; this time in a stolen car.
Another ten-year old girl has gone missing. Her name is Harriet “Hatty” Renner. When the second child goes missing, the team calls Nick Dixon in from his vacation.
Dixon wastes no time in finding the missing Saliles. He is dead in his stolen car, having gone off the road.
In a shocking turn of events, DI Nick Dixon and DS Jane Winter, who is his long-time girlfriend, search a caravan site. Damien Boyd was brilliant in putting in this twist in the story. I was totally surprised. Meanwhile, the search goes on for Hatty. While the search goes on, bodies start dropping. It seems as though everyone the police want to question about the case is getting murdered.
The Renners, Hatty’s parents (actually the grandmother Geraldine, who is a trip herself), ask for the assistance of a medium. He uncannily predicts the location of Alesha. But, on the surface, it offers no assistance. He also sees a vision of a dead boy and water. Will this also prove to be prophetic?
In a race against time to find Hatty, Dixon gets another idea. He and Jane race to the locks and attempt to find her. The ending of this book is a whirlwind of action.
I really like Damien Boyd’s Nick Dixon novels. They are interesting and usually packed full of action. They give a good picture of the workings of a police investigation, with a small bit of office politics thrown in. I like Nick and Jane’s relationship and the fact that the book contains a bit about their off-work activities. They’re both very good characters and work very well together as a team. Nick’s relationship with his team is very nice too, with the exception of Chard who has an obvious grudge against Nick. (There always seems to be one in the group.) This novel is very well written and plotted, and easy to read. It flows along beautifully.
I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
PC’s Cole and MacIntyre receive a call to respond to an angry man whose ten-year old daughter has gone missing. When they arrive, the father is drunk and very angry. He has a long history with the police of being drunk and violent. The little girl’s name is Alesha Daniels. She lives with her mother during the week, and often visits her father on the weekend.
The mother’s name is Tanya Stevens and she lives with a man named Kevin Sailes who has a history. When PC’s Cole and MacIntyre arrive at Tanya’s house, they find her passed out with a needle still stuck in her arm. She is alive.
The police start a search of the local woods, the nearby lake and so on. Alesha’s bike is found submerged in the water. They are still looking for Kevin Sailes. Later, MacIntyre reports that they’ve located Mr. Sailes. It’s now been over forty-eight hours since Alesha disappeared. Sailes has disappeared again; this time in a stolen car.
Another ten-year old girl has gone missing. Her name is Harriet “Hatty” Renner. When the second child goes missing, the team calls Nick Dixon in from his vacation.
Dixon wastes no time in finding the missing Saliles. He is dead in his stolen car, having gone off the road.
In a shocking turn of events, DI Nick Dixon and DS Jane Winter, who is his long-time girlfriend, search a caravan site. Damien Boyd was brilliant in putting in this twist in the story. I was totally surprised. Meanwhile, the search goes on for Hatty. While the search goes on, bodies start dropping. It seems as though everyone the police want to question about the case is getting murdered.
The Renners, Hatty’s parents (actually the grandmother Geraldine, who is a trip herself), ask for the assistance of a medium. He uncannily predicts the location of Alesha. But, on the surface, it offers no assistance. He also sees a vision of a dead boy and water. Will this also prove to be prophetic?
In a race against time to find Hatty, Dixon gets another idea. He and Jane race to the locks and attempt to find her. The ending of this book is a whirlwind of action.
I really like Damien Boyd’s Nick Dixon novels. They are interesting and usually packed full of action. They give a good picture of the workings of a police investigation, with a small bit of office politics thrown in. I like Nick and Jane’s relationship and the fact that the book contains a bit about their off-work activities. They’re both very good characters and work very well together as a team. Nick’s relationship with his team is very nice too, with the exception of Chard who has an obvious grudge against Nick. (There always seems to be one in the group.) This novel is very well written and plotted, and easy to read. It flows along beautifully.
I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
Setting: West Country (Somerset/Avon/Wiltshire), UK.
In yet another thrilling instalment in this series, D.I. Nick Dixon is forced to return from his holiday in the Lake District when two 10-year-old girls from totally different backgrounds are kidnapped within a short space of time - and the second girl is the granddaughter of the Home Office pathologist, Roger Holland - who is also good friends with Dixon.
The story demonstrates several stunning twists, which keeps the action rattling along and makes this a highly enjoyable and hard to put down read. Canals feature strongly, several of which are familiar to me, particularly the long series of locks at Caen Hill near Devizes. Dixon's police force should really get their civilian staffing levels right though as the canteen always seemed to be closed when our characters wanted to use it! Great back-stories and on going character development maintain this series as a 'go-to' read for me - 9/10.
In yet another thrilling instalment in this series, D.I. Nick Dixon is forced to return from his holiday in the Lake District when two 10-year-old girls from totally different backgrounds are kidnapped within a short space of time - and the second girl is the granddaughter of the Home Office pathologist, Roger Holland - who is also good friends with Dixon.
The story demonstrates several stunning twists, which keeps the action rattling along and makes this a highly enjoyable and hard to put down read. Canals feature strongly, several of which are familiar to me, particularly the long series of locks at Caen Hill near Devizes. Dixon's police force should really get their civilian staffing levels right though as the canteen always seemed to be closed when our characters wanted to use it! Great back-stories and on going character development maintain this series as a 'go-to' read for me - 9/10.
June 17, 2018
Well paced police procedural featuring Nick Dixon and Jane as each bring their own unique talents toward rescuing two young kidnapped girls.
This is one of the better series available through Kindle Unlimited. I have read all the books and find the characters engaging and worth following for the eight books so far.
If you read as a stand alone you will miss the back story on Nick's climbing background, but otherwise it will be clear that this DI is granted independent thinking/action because he gets results.
This is one of the better series available through Kindle Unlimited. I have read all the books and find the characters engaging and worth following for the eight books so far.
If you read as a stand alone you will miss the back story on Nick's climbing background, but otherwise it will be clear that this DI is granted independent thinking/action because he gets results.
June 18, 2018
2.5 stars.
Enjoyable police procedural, I liked that this was interesting without any truly sordid details. I do wish that the rest of the police department (excluding Dixon) had brilliant ideas, but that's a minor quibble. The slow progression between the MCs is quite nice and I'm looking forward to what Damien Boyd has in store for them in coming installments of this series.
Enjoyable police procedural, I liked that this was interesting without any truly sordid details. I do wish that the rest of the police department (excluding Dixon) had brilliant ideas, but that's a minor quibble. The slow progression between the MCs is quite nice and I'm looking forward to what Damien Boyd has in store for them in coming installments of this series.
July 17, 2018
Another good police procedural featuring DI Nick Dixon, and his fiancee DS Jane Winter. Unlike many leading characters in police procedurals, Dixon does not have obvious character flaws, bad temper, addictions or any other features used to build character development. His USP is simply that he is an all-round good guy with very good insight and solves the crimes quicker than anyone else.
May 6, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of Dead Lock, the eighth novel to feature DI Nick Dixon of the Somerset police.
Nick and his partner Jane are on holiday in the Lake District when 10 year old Alesha Daniels goes missing. As Jane is Alesha's protection officer she returns to Somerset immediately but it's only when a second child goes missing that Nick returns because he knows her grandfather.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Lock which is tense read with some amazing twists. Mr Boyd does an excellent job of conveying the stress and tension involved in looking for a missing child and then takes the plot in directions the reader could not anticipate. I was absorbed from start to finish, wondering what the outcome would be. I found it interesting that I was so hooked despite there being no murders until much later in the novel as, normally, it's the whodunit aspect of a novel that attracts me and that even when the bodies turn up they seem almost incidental in comparison to what happened to the missing girls. I'm impressed at Mr Boyd's ability to draw the reader in and hold them captivated.
The early days of the hunt for Alesha take place without the protagonist, Nick Dixon. I thought I would miss him but it works really well, conveying the urgency of the officers and the well oiled procedure they implement. I found it fascinating. When Nick returns the novel takes a different turn. The urgency is still there but the focus changes from the physical search to the who and why. It takes Nick's lateral thinking and ability to see the essentials to make the necessary breakthroughs. He more or less solves the case singlehandedly. Is this a fault? It depends on your point of view. It's probably not very realistic but it makes for a satisfying read.
Dead Lock is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Nick and his partner Jane are on holiday in the Lake District when 10 year old Alesha Daniels goes missing. As Jane is Alesha's protection officer she returns to Somerset immediately but it's only when a second child goes missing that Nick returns because he knows her grandfather.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Lock which is tense read with some amazing twists. Mr Boyd does an excellent job of conveying the stress and tension involved in looking for a missing child and then takes the plot in directions the reader could not anticipate. I was absorbed from start to finish, wondering what the outcome would be. I found it interesting that I was so hooked despite there being no murders until much later in the novel as, normally, it's the whodunit aspect of a novel that attracts me and that even when the bodies turn up they seem almost incidental in comparison to what happened to the missing girls. I'm impressed at Mr Boyd's ability to draw the reader in and hold them captivated.
The early days of the hunt for Alesha take place without the protagonist, Nick Dixon. I thought I would miss him but it works really well, conveying the urgency of the officers and the well oiled procedure they implement. I found it fascinating. When Nick returns the novel takes a different turn. The urgency is still there but the focus changes from the physical search to the who and why. It takes Nick's lateral thinking and ability to see the essentials to make the necessary breakthroughs. He more or less solves the case singlehandedly. Is this a fault? It depends on your point of view. It's probably not very realistic but it makes for a satisfying read.
Dead Lock is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
April 6, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it makes me want to read more of them. The characters are very likeable and I just really love a well written crime/mystery.
First off, I haven't read the other seven (7) books prior to this one. However, reading this one has me very interested in going back and picking those up. I really loved Nick Dixon and his girlfriend Jane, who is also in law enforcement. I don't know the history of them or those around them, but you definitely get that there is history while reading this. It definitely has me intrigued and wanting to know more about them and others in this book.
It doesn't start off slow by just jumping right into the crime. I love that as it gets the book going right away. A group of them are investigating the crime and its going, but they don't really seem to make much headway. Then Jane is called in and things start moving a bit more. Then the same crime happens again, but this time close to home; someone in law enforcement. They call in Dixon from vacation and then things really start moving a bit more. He comes in and sees things that others miss or don't put together and he hears things maybe differently than others. There is also things that are left unsaid that he picks up on. He is very intelligent and is able to take the clues he finds and is able to pull something out of it that is exciting. He is a keeper; I love his character!
The story has plenty of twists and turns to keep me intrigued. There are times that I feel like the story or a character was a bit obvious, but I didn't know how. That kept things interesting and kept me reading to figure out they why and how.
All in all I think this was a fantastic read and a series that I am interested in reading more of. I love finding a great book and better yet, a great series!
First off, I haven't read the other seven (7) books prior to this one. However, reading this one has me very interested in going back and picking those up. I really loved Nick Dixon and his girlfriend Jane, who is also in law enforcement. I don't know the history of them or those around them, but you definitely get that there is history while reading this. It definitely has me intrigued and wanting to know more about them and others in this book.
It doesn't start off slow by just jumping right into the crime. I love that as it gets the book going right away. A group of them are investigating the crime and its going, but they don't really seem to make much headway. Then Jane is called in and things start moving a bit more. Then the same crime happens again, but this time close to home; someone in law enforcement. They call in Dixon from vacation and then things really start moving a bit more. He comes in and sees things that others miss or don't put together and he hears things maybe differently than others. There is also things that are left unsaid that he picks up on. He is very intelligent and is able to take the clues he finds and is able to pull something out of it that is exciting. He is a keeper; I love his character!
The story has plenty of twists and turns to keep me intrigued. There are times that I feel like the story or a character was a bit obvious, but I didn't know how. That kept things interesting and kept me reading to figure out they why and how.
All in all I think this was a fantastic read and a series that I am interested in reading more of. I love finding a great book and better yet, a great series!
June 3, 2018
I absolutely love the DI Nick Dixon books. This one involved the kidnappings of two 10 year old girls but they had nothing to do with each other, and thankfully neither girl was hurt.
Nick and Jane were on holiday when the first girl was taken and Jane, Nick's girlfriend, was called back home but Nick stayed behind so he wasn’t really even in the book until chapter 5 or 6, I forget which one. It was worth the wait though. You can always depend on Nick and Jane to solve the crimes so cleverly.
This was a really good book. Plus one of the bad guys got away so there will be another book. Yay!
No sex and the F-bomb was used 42 times.
As to the narration: *Sigh* I just love Napoleon Ryan. His voices are awesome, whether it’s a man’s voice or a woman’s, he great at either one. And his emotions when he reads are off-the-wall.
Nick and Jane were on holiday when the first girl was taken and Jane, Nick's girlfriend, was called back home but Nick stayed behind so he wasn’t really even in the book until chapter 5 or 6, I forget which one. It was worth the wait though. You can always depend on Nick and Jane to solve the crimes so cleverly.
This was a really good book. Plus one of the bad guys got away so there will be another book. Yay!
No sex and the F-bomb was used 42 times.
As to the narration: *Sigh* I just love Napoleon Ryan. His voices are awesome, whether it’s a man’s voice or a woman’s, he great at either one. And his emotions when he reads are off-the-wall.
April 20, 2025
Another great who done it.
June 6, 2018
I'm usually a big fan of Damien Boyd's creation, DI Nick Dixon, and he demonstrates his usual flair and 'outside the box' thinking in Dead Lock. But, for me, there was a big problem with some of the details in the book. Maybe I'm very stupid, but all the nuances of Adele's business just dragged me down. I didn't understand what actually happened, it was too technical for me. I ended up skim reading those passages, enough to get an idea of who the goodies and baddies were, everything else just washed over me. In addition there were so many people. It was a relief that I was reading on a Kindle, so I could go back to discover who was who and what their part in the whole sorry saga was. I suppose the intricate business details coupled with such an enormous cast was too much for this bear with very little brain. For me, not the best in an usually top class series. Sorry!
May 22, 2018
Wow! Are we really at book 8 in this series? Obviously usual series rules apply with regard to character development and backstory. Although you can read as a stand alone as the story is self contained, to get the best from the series as a whole it's always better to read from the beginning, in order.
So, we start the book with a well earned and deserved holiday for Nick and his partner Jane. Until that is Jane is asked to cut it short and return home to assist with the search for missing child, Alesha, who is one of Jane's charges in her role of protection officer. Obviously she does and returns but then another child goes missing and this time, the connection is with Nick and so he returns to join in the investigation.
This is one of the series that I keep my beady eye close to with regard to the next release. It is not one that I fell in love with completely right from book one though. I did however see something in it and, putting any niggles I had aside, I carried on reading. This turned out to be a most excellent decision as I with every book I have fallen more and more for the series and now consider it to be one of my favourites, and Nick himself one of my favourite leads. Indeed, every early niggle has all but disappeared with each subsequent release. I was a little miffed with the lack of Nick in the early stages of this book but when he did make an appearance, he definitely hits the ground running and more than makes up for his absence as he reads between the lines and notices the little things that all add up together to expose the truth. In this book especially, his diplomacy skills are required and also, with his personal connection to one of the families, he has to go a bit against the grain at work. But neither of these things faze him at all and he just gets on with his job in the only way he knows how. And that's the way that gets results.
One thing that I do love about this author is his use of the setting as nearly a character. The way he describes the area where the action is happening is not at all distracting and actually really complements the scene being played out. There is also a good balance between work and personal lives for his main characters, something that is important to have in a series.
All in all, another cracking addition to an already great series, roll on book nine.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
So, we start the book with a well earned and deserved holiday for Nick and his partner Jane. Until that is Jane is asked to cut it short and return home to assist with the search for missing child, Alesha, who is one of Jane's charges in her role of protection officer. Obviously she does and returns but then another child goes missing and this time, the connection is with Nick and so he returns to join in the investigation.
This is one of the series that I keep my beady eye close to with regard to the next release. It is not one that I fell in love with completely right from book one though. I did however see something in it and, putting any niggles I had aside, I carried on reading. This turned out to be a most excellent decision as I with every book I have fallen more and more for the series and now consider it to be one of my favourites, and Nick himself one of my favourite leads. Indeed, every early niggle has all but disappeared with each subsequent release. I was a little miffed with the lack of Nick in the early stages of this book but when he did make an appearance, he definitely hits the ground running and more than makes up for his absence as he reads between the lines and notices the little things that all add up together to expose the truth. In this book especially, his diplomacy skills are required and also, with his personal connection to one of the families, he has to go a bit against the grain at work. But neither of these things faze him at all and he just gets on with his job in the only way he knows how. And that's the way that gets results.
One thing that I do love about this author is his use of the setting as nearly a character. The way he describes the area where the action is happening is not at all distracting and actually really complements the scene being played out. There is also a good balance between work and personal lives for his main characters, something that is important to have in a series.
All in all, another cracking addition to an already great series, roll on book nine.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
May 30, 2018
The eighth in the Nick Dixon series, and still getting better!
The scene is set in the Prologue with Nat, a young boy working on the Somersetshire Coal Canal, the venue for this latest DI Nick Dixon adventure.
A young girl, Alesha Daniels, goes missing and triggers a police search. With an alcoholic and violent father and a drug addict for a mother, the scene appears to be very bleak. This, in turn, leads to DS Jane Winter’s recall from holiday with DI Nick Dixon, as she had been dealing with Alesha’s case as part of her duties in the Safeguarding Unit.
However, the matter escalates when a second young girl is reported as missing. This is enough to bring Nick running back from holiday, as this time it is closer to home. The young girl is the granddaughter of Home Office Pathologist and friend, Roger Poland.
And so the scene is set. Dixon works on the periphery of the investigation but has beliefs and opinions which differ from the normal lines of enquiry. And so nothing has changed! Nick is still slightly maverick and continues to get under the skins of some of his colleagues whilst ploughing his own determined furrow.
He eventually ends up running his own ‘independent’ investigation with some of his old team and despite doubt and scorn from above and around, he continues on his set path.
In parallel with the main plot, we have the continuation of Jane’s new relationship with her long-estranged sister Lucy, and the long-running romance between Jane and Nick. Damien Boyd cleverly keeps his main character at arm’s length from actually ‘popping the question’. Maybe in the next book? Monty the dog is still with us but an old friend, the Range Rover, has been replaced by a newer model.
This is a cleverly-written book, full of twists and turns and packed with police procedure. Damien Boyd has again brought us the best and worst of human nature. Thank you, Damien and we again look forward to the next book in this great series.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
The scene is set in the Prologue with Nat, a young boy working on the Somersetshire Coal Canal, the venue for this latest DI Nick Dixon adventure.
A young girl, Alesha Daniels, goes missing and triggers a police search. With an alcoholic and violent father and a drug addict for a mother, the scene appears to be very bleak. This, in turn, leads to DS Jane Winter’s recall from holiday with DI Nick Dixon, as she had been dealing with Alesha’s case as part of her duties in the Safeguarding Unit.
However, the matter escalates when a second young girl is reported as missing. This is enough to bring Nick running back from holiday, as this time it is closer to home. The young girl is the granddaughter of Home Office Pathologist and friend, Roger Poland.
And so the scene is set. Dixon works on the periphery of the investigation but has beliefs and opinions which differ from the normal lines of enquiry. And so nothing has changed! Nick is still slightly maverick and continues to get under the skins of some of his colleagues whilst ploughing his own determined furrow.
He eventually ends up running his own ‘independent’ investigation with some of his old team and despite doubt and scorn from above and around, he continues on his set path.
In parallel with the main plot, we have the continuation of Jane’s new relationship with her long-estranged sister Lucy, and the long-running romance between Jane and Nick. Damien Boyd cleverly keeps his main character at arm’s length from actually ‘popping the question’. Maybe in the next book? Monty the dog is still with us but an old friend, the Range Rover, has been replaced by a newer model.
This is a cleverly-written book, full of twists and turns and packed with police procedure. Damien Boyd has again brought us the best and worst of human nature. Thank you, Damien and we again look forward to the next book in this great series.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2021
My love of reading started as a child but the first book to make a lasting impression was Campbell's Kingdom by Hammond Innes. Until then I hadn't realised how clearly words could create a picture. Well, I'd just started secondary school then. Reading Dead Lock reminded me of that experience. Damien Boyd transports his readers to the canals and you can see every boat, every lock, the police hiding in the surrounding fields. Im sure I'd even recognise Monty if I met him. Another gripping story.
Nick is recalled from holiday after two young girls disappear a few days apart. The reason Nick is called is because of one of the girl's family connection. There seems nothing to connect the girls, one with a violent father and drug addicted mother, the other from an extremely well off home. Then it seems there could be a link to one of Roger Poland's old cases. The ensuing enquiries are full of the usual twists and turns but seem to lead nowhere until Nick realises that someone has made contact with the family of one of the girls.
Nick is recalled from holiday after two young girls disappear a few days apart. The reason Nick is called is because of one of the girl's family connection. There seems nothing to connect the girls, one with a violent father and drug addicted mother, the other from an extremely well off home. Then it seems there could be a link to one of Roger Poland's old cases. The ensuing enquiries are full of the usual twists and turns but seem to lead nowhere until Nick realises that someone has made contact with the family of one of the girls.
January 22, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable with a decent plot that kept me reading to the end. I like all the characters and the writing flows.
I'd have given this five stars but for two niggles:
First, the minor one -the details about the earlier business that was sold were way too complicated for me.
Second, the one that kept drawing my attention from the story. Boyd uses 'sir' (in dialogue a great deal in the book. Absolutely fine. No problems at all except that its always with a capital S.
Nope. A capital S is used when it's before someone's name - as in Sir Lancelot. "Welcome to Camelot, Sir." If the person is a Detective Inspector etc, they are simply 'sir'. "Welcome to the briefing room, sir."(or madam, as the case may be)
Four stars. I'd like to have given it five though.
I'd have given this five stars but for two niggles:
First, the minor one -the details about the earlier business that was sold were way too complicated for me.
Second, the one that kept drawing my attention from the story. Boyd uses 'sir' (in dialogue a great deal in the book. Absolutely fine. No problems at all except that its always with a capital S.
Nope. A capital S is used when it's before someone's name - as in Sir Lancelot. "Welcome to Camelot, Sir." If the person is a Detective Inspector etc, they are simply 'sir'. "Welcome to the briefing room, sir."(or madam, as the case may be)
Four stars. I'd like to have given it five though.
May 7, 2019
I have read all of the Nick Dixon novels , and Dead Lock (number 8) is one of the best. It could be read on its own but you would gain so much more by starting at the beginning of the series. The Somerset setting is a big part of the appeal. At the beginning Dixon is on holiday in the Lakes, but when he is called back the whole investigation seems to step up a gear, racing towards a dramatic finale. There are red herrings galore, but when they finally work out the reason for the kidnappings it all gets very complicated, and time is running out. Although Dead Lock was published in 2018, I have only just read it and so have the next one, Beyond the Point, to look forward to later this month.
May 17, 2019
DI Dixon is a good lead character but are we now getting too much of a good thing? It's all Nick Dixon, all the time and regardless of age, gender, name, rank, serial number, if your name's not Nick Dixon then any of your suggestions are going to be irrelevant to the solving of the crime. I seem to remember that the earlier books, whilst they had Dixon front and centre, the resolutions were more of a collective effort? Now that Jane has, at least professionally, been largely sidetracked, the rest of the 'team' which he 'trusts with his life' are reduced to competent grunt work; checking CCTV, bank statements, phone data and working over Google etc.
As with previous offerings in the series, the plot and procedural element was good and the sense of urgency was well conveyed.
All this being said, I'm still looking forward to the next in the series which is due out later in the month.
As with previous offerings in the series, the plot and procedural element was good and the sense of urgency was well conveyed.
All this being said, I'm still looking forward to the next in the series which is due out later in the month.
August 16, 2019
Very good stories but this one also has the overuse of the words snapped and winced. Editing really should curtail this. Despite being a Type 1 diabetic Dixon seems to survive quite happily on virtually no sleep, chocolate bars and fruit pastilles and injecting insulin through his clothes (bad move in case anyone is wondering) He doesn't go too much into super hero improbable mode this book which is good. The ending is a bit "rabbit out the hat", Dixon being privy to things we only get to know right at the very end. The stories are well written albeit a bit convoluted in the way they evolve as if the author has thought- oh yes- I need to say this or why don't we add this in too. I only have one more to read in the series and I have enjoyed them
February 3, 2025
Nick Dixon and Jane Winter have just started a holiday in the Lake District when a 10-year-old girl goes missing and they find themselves back on duty. Soon there is another missing girl, the granddaughter of Dr Roger Poland their friend and home office pathologist. An intriguing set of false leads before Nick fastens onto the clues and comes up with the goods. I do wonder at the mass of Chief Superintendents,su[perintendents, Chief Inspectors seem to have few original ideas and Inspector Nick Dixon comes riding in to solve the case. It makes good reading and the series has become much slicker in its presentation to this very readable 8th edition. 4 stars.
June 7, 2018
Yet another great outing for DI Nick Dixon, DS Jane Winter and, of course, Monty, who gets more walks than ever this time around and even gets in on the action at a crucial moment. The story is full of twists and turns, and Nixon is as clever as ever - in fact, I'm almost beginning to have sympathy for some of his colleagues. Nick and Jane's personal story continues to develop too, and Jane's sister Lucy is a welcome addition to the family.
Possibly my favourite in the series; a great page-turner, and highly recommended.
Possibly my favourite in the series; a great page-turner, and highly recommended.
May 5, 2025
Harmless !
September 5, 2018
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway and this is my honest review.
Not sure what to make of this book. It started out with mainly dialog and somewhat confusing, not a lot of description, and not very interesting. I almost gave up on it a third of the way through, but decided to go on. It got better towards the end, so overall I'd give it a rating of just OK.
Not sure what to make of this book. It started out with mainly dialog and somewhat confusing, not a lot of description, and not very interesting. I almost gave up on it a third of the way through, but decided to go on. It got better towards the end, so overall I'd give it a rating of just OK.
July 19, 2018
There areas of the plot that I felt were not logical and motives not fully explained.
I did not fully believe the motive for the diversion kidnapping of Alesha? How did the grandmother think it would end, .... The police would certainly get involved.
It seemed the logic of the plot was contorted to suit the events.
I did not fully believe the motive for the diversion kidnapping of Alesha? How did the grandmother think it would end, .... The police would certainly get involved.
It seemed the logic of the plot was contorted to suit the events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2019
We finally find out what PC Cole’s first name is after seven books: it’s Nigel! Nigel has been ‘resting’ through some of his night shift when he gets the call of a disturbance. A man previously known to the police for drink, drugs and domestic violence is shouting about his daughter being missing. Cole manages to get him to calm down whilst his partner talks to neighbours: she had previously talked to him about the domestic violence so she was only going to wind him up further. Cole eventually hears that his daughter, Alesha, should have been there the previous night only he was too drugged to realise she had never turned up. He’s already checked and she wasn’t at her Mum’s either. That means Alesha was already missing for twelve hours! When her bicycle and phone turn up in a lake, the situation seems even more desperate. When a second child, Hatty, is taken a couple of days later, things go into overdrive. The MIT has got nowhere on the first missing child and now another one has gone. Where are Nick and Jane through all of this? Having a well earned holiday in a cottage in the Lake District. First Jane gets a call as she’s connected to Alesha through her child protection work. With no progress on the disappearances, Hatty’s grandfather insists that Nick must be called in. How does he know about Nick? Because Hatty’s grandfather is Roger Poland, Nick’s favourite pathologist and friend.
Nick makes progress very quickly. He realises that Alesha’s grandmother, Sonia, is less devastated than Roger which is strange when they are in the same position. More digging makes him certain that Sonia is connected to Alesha’s disappearance and that she is not concerned for her welfare. Following Sonia leads to Nick finding Alesha, alive and well, hiding out on a remote storage facility for caravans and narrow boats. Sonia admits that she bribed Alesha to go along with a plan to fabricate her disappearance. Sonia was being paid but both she and Alesha hoped it would shock Alesha’s Mum into giving up drink and drugs.
One down and one to go. It’s now obvious to Nick that Alesha’s disappearance was arranged to cover the real motive for taking Hatty. Everyone else is assuming that it must be linked to Roger’s work and Nick follows through with the likeliest of candidates before realising it’s not about revenge but about money. Uncovering all of the links is slow and painstaking work, especially when Hatty’s parents are being less than forthcoming. But if someone told you, ‘tell the police and your daughter’s dead,’ would you tell?
The clues lead Nick and Jane to a canal lock and a sinking boat. This time it’s Jane who acts first and thinks later but Hatty is saved. Hatty’s captor, the killer responsible for several more deaths now is on the loose. The local police deemed it was too dangerous to pursue him in a built up area. You can guess how Nick feels about that! As he’s not been caught by the end, I think we might be seeing him again, maybe in book 9. However, Nick still has one more arrest to make. I thought she was involved but I didn’t know how until Nick joined the dots for me. Thank you, Nick. Or should I say thank you Damien for another highly entertaining read.
Nick makes progress very quickly. He realises that Alesha’s grandmother, Sonia, is less devastated than Roger which is strange when they are in the same position. More digging makes him certain that Sonia is connected to Alesha’s disappearance and that she is not concerned for her welfare. Following Sonia leads to Nick finding Alesha, alive and well, hiding out on a remote storage facility for caravans and narrow boats. Sonia admits that she bribed Alesha to go along with a plan to fabricate her disappearance. Sonia was being paid but both she and Alesha hoped it would shock Alesha’s Mum into giving up drink and drugs.
One down and one to go. It’s now obvious to Nick that Alesha’s disappearance was arranged to cover the real motive for taking Hatty. Everyone else is assuming that it must be linked to Roger’s work and Nick follows through with the likeliest of candidates before realising it’s not about revenge but about money. Uncovering all of the links is slow and painstaking work, especially when Hatty’s parents are being less than forthcoming. But if someone told you, ‘tell the police and your daughter’s dead,’ would you tell?
The clues lead Nick and Jane to a canal lock and a sinking boat. This time it’s Jane who acts first and thinks later but Hatty is saved. Hatty’s captor, the killer responsible for several more deaths now is on the loose. The local police deemed it was too dangerous to pursue him in a built up area. You can guess how Nick feels about that! As he’s not been caught by the end, I think we might be seeing him again, maybe in book 9. However, Nick still has one more arrest to make. I thought she was involved but I didn’t know how until Nick joined the dots for me. Thank you, Nick. Or should I say thank you Damien for another highly entertaining read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2023
This started with an OK enough idea, but barely kept it going to the middle, never mind the end. Found it a grind to finish. Not a book I enjoyed for all sorts of reasons, so a bit of a dud for me.
It starts with DI Nick Dixon and his partner Jane off on a walking holiday in the Lake District. Jane is soon called back to the South West to help investigate a series of child abductions. This at least keeps DI Dixon mostly out of the first third of the book, as from other books in the series, he’s not a very likeable lead character.
However, as all the other cops are clearly incompetent, Nick’s eventually called back to save the day, because he’s one of those cops that never gets things wrong, and always works out the convoluted plot points the author’s put together.
By the time it gets to the end, there’s some sort of weird back story involving venture capitalists and the internet bubble, and some new characters appear about 80% of the way through to make it even more complicated, but by that point I’d lost interest.
That’s mainly down to some flat and uninspired overwriting. It feels padded out, with too much detail about locations, roads and how people do every day actions. Could happily have lived without knowing every motorway junction they go on and off the M5, for example.
There’s so much unneeded detail. No one just “gets in the car”, they “open the door with the remote and get in on the driver’s side”. There’s drawn out passages about how people search online, use their phones to text and other activities which could have been cut or edited down. Very tiring to read and gets in the way of the story.
It would help if the dialogue were better, but it’s mostly wooden and robotic. There’s no real rhythm or reason to how people speak, just lots of back and forth questions between police and suspects / witnesses. Didn’t feel at all natural or engaging.
So overall, didn’t enjoy this and glad when it ended.
It starts with DI Nick Dixon and his partner Jane off on a walking holiday in the Lake District. Jane is soon called back to the South West to help investigate a series of child abductions. This at least keeps DI Dixon mostly out of the first third of the book, as from other books in the series, he’s not a very likeable lead character.
However, as all the other cops are clearly incompetent, Nick’s eventually called back to save the day, because he’s one of those cops that never gets things wrong, and always works out the convoluted plot points the author’s put together.
By the time it gets to the end, there’s some sort of weird back story involving venture capitalists and the internet bubble, and some new characters appear about 80% of the way through to make it even more complicated, but by that point I’d lost interest.
That’s mainly down to some flat and uninspired overwriting. It feels padded out, with too much detail about locations, roads and how people do every day actions. Could happily have lived without knowing every motorway junction they go on and off the M5, for example.
There’s so much unneeded detail. No one just “gets in the car”, they “open the door with the remote and get in on the driver’s side”. There’s drawn out passages about how people search online, use their phones to text and other activities which could have been cut or edited down. Very tiring to read and gets in the way of the story.
It would help if the dialogue were better, but it’s mostly wooden and robotic. There’s no real rhythm or reason to how people speak, just lots of back and forth questions between police and suspects / witnesses. Didn’t feel at all natural or engaging.
So overall, didn’t enjoy this and glad when it ended.
January 29, 2023
When a ten-year-old girl goes missing Jane is called back from her weeklong holiday to help assist with the investigation. DI Nick Dixon understands completely, but he’s happy to remain away and get some climbing done. Only then another ten-year-old girl is kidnapped – and this one is the grand-daughter of a dear friend and colleague – so Nick rushes back to help with the investigation.
I found this to be a really interesting British police procedural style of mystery. I’ve been enjoying this series but was really pleased the story pretty much stands very well on its own. While the friendships and working relationships between Nick, Jane and a number of the close team members all has the weight of their shared history – the plot and story itself stands very well on its own merits and I strongly feel no prior knowledge of any of the books is needed to thoroughly enjoy this story.
While it’s clear from the outset that the two disappearances of the young girls are linked, I felt it an excellent bit of writing the few twists and turns that unfolded as the cases were more thoroughly investigated. I was well past the halfway mark of the book itself before I started to grasp exactly what was going on and even though I was wrong on a few points I felt the author did a good job giving enough insight that the reader could clue in on much of it as Nick and the other detectives pieced everything together. Then watching it all properly unfold was a real pleasure.
Readers of traditional mysteries should find this a well written and solidly plotted story. I have been greatly enjoying these books and am eagerly looking forward to more. Recommended.
I found this to be a really interesting British police procedural style of mystery. I’ve been enjoying this series but was really pleased the story pretty much stands very well on its own. While the friendships and working relationships between Nick, Jane and a number of the close team members all has the weight of their shared history – the plot and story itself stands very well on its own merits and I strongly feel no prior knowledge of any of the books is needed to thoroughly enjoy this story.
While it’s clear from the outset that the two disappearances of the young girls are linked, I felt it an excellent bit of writing the few twists and turns that unfolded as the cases were more thoroughly investigated. I was well past the halfway mark of the book itself before I started to grasp exactly what was going on and even though I was wrong on a few points I felt the author did a good job giving enough insight that the reader could clue in on much of it as Nick and the other detectives pieced everything together. Then watching it all properly unfold was a real pleasure.
Readers of traditional mysteries should find this a well written and solidly plotted story. I have been greatly enjoying these books and am eagerly looking forward to more. Recommended.
May 15, 2018
Dead Lock is book 8 in the DI Nick Dixon series. I have been a huge fan of this series right from the start so was very excited to read this. It didn’t disappoint. It was tense, full of drama and thrilling.
This book was excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I read it in super quick time because I couldn’t put it down. I had a couple of very early nights this week just so that I could go to bed and read it. I just love the characters Nick, Jane and Monty and their relationship with each other. I have a staffy like Monty so I love it when Staffords are in the books I read and are portrayed as they really are, kind, loyal and loving dogs and not some snarling, ferocious mad thing!
And oh man that ending!
I would definitely recommend Dead Lock it was a very entertaining read. I recommend the whole series actually, it is an awesome series of books to read. It would help if you read them in order as it helps with background and the relationship between Jane and Nick etc but saying that you could absolutely read this as a stand-alone and get the gist of the background story and enjoy it.
I have no hesitation in giving Dead Lock a very well deserved 5 stars, it was a bloody good read!
This book was excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I read it in super quick time because I couldn’t put it down. I had a couple of very early nights this week just so that I could go to bed and read it. I just love the characters Nick, Jane and Monty and their relationship with each other. I have a staffy like Monty so I love it when Staffords are in the books I read and are portrayed as they really are, kind, loyal and loving dogs and not some snarling, ferocious mad thing!
And oh man that ending!
I would definitely recommend Dead Lock it was a very entertaining read. I recommend the whole series actually, it is an awesome series of books to read. It would help if you read them in order as it helps with background and the relationship between Jane and Nick etc but saying that you could absolutely read this as a stand-alone and get the gist of the background story and enjoy it.
I have no hesitation in giving Dead Lock a very well deserved 5 stars, it was a bloody good read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews