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Henry Christie #26
Wildfire
Henry Christie is drawn out of retirement by a brutal killer and must confront old foes in this breathless thriller.
Henry Christie is enjoying a quiet retirement running the Tawny Owl pub - until a devastating moorland fire tears through the surrounding area and he finds himself at the forefront of coordinating the local response. When the occupants of a remote farm can't be contacted, Henry goes to check on them - and makes a grisly discovery.
Reluctantly agreeing to help the police with their investigation, Henry is reunited with DC Diane Daniels, and is soon confronting an explosive mix of organized crime, violence and drug turf wars which leads him back to his old hunting ground in Blackpool - and old enemies who will stop at nothing to finally have their revenge.
Henry Christie is enjoying a quiet retirement running the Tawny Owl pub - until a devastating moorland fire tears through the surrounding area and he finds himself at the forefront of coordinating the local response. When the occupants of a remote farm can't be contacted, Henry goes to check on them - and makes a grisly discovery.
Reluctantly agreeing to help the police with their investigation, Henry is reunited with DC Diane Daniels, and is soon confronting an explosive mix of organized crime, violence and drug turf wars which leads him back to his old hunting ground in Blackpool - and old enemies who will stop at nothing to finally have their revenge.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2020
10 people want to read
About the author
Nick Oldham
59 books36 followersNick Oldham was born in Belthorn, Lancashire, in 1956. He has been a police officer since the age of nineteen, spending the majority of his service in operational roles, before retiring in 2005. He lives with his partner, Belinda, on the outskirts of Preston.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 22, 2020
All of Nick Oldham's books are good, but this one is as good as they come. Just when you thought Henry Christie was due some well earned rest - in his new life as landlord of The Tawny Owl in secluded North Lancs. - all hell breaks loose. He is brought back to help investigate a series of events, including murder, but this time it's personal. He's on the criminals' hit list too. A well-crafted ripping yarn which keeps you reading and won't let you go. For fans of police procedurals and crime thrillers, you won't do much better than reading Wildfire. I particularly liked the final twist, where his past catches up with the here and now.
January 20, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House for an advance copy of Wildfire, the twenty-sixth novel to feature now retired Detective Superintendent Henry Christie.
Henry is involved in fire fighting co-ordination as wildfires sweep across his rural area of Lancashire and when one couple do not respond to his welfare calls he goes out to their house and discovers a grisly scene. In the meantime an old acquaintance, DC Diane Daniels, is dealing with a major crime spree in Lancaster. With resources limited Henry is brought out of retirement to team up with Diane to combat the spree of crime.
I thoroughly enjoyed Wildfire which is a tense, action packed thriller told at breakneck speed. I’m not quite sure where to start as the opening few chapters proper left me breathless with one daring event after another so probably at the beginning. The prologue, aptly entitled “the past”, covers certain events in one week in 2009 and sets up part of the present day narrative. I loved this introduction for the way it is written and what it says and how it says it. It is very sympathetic. Then it gets straight into what can only be a tsunami of serious, violent crimes. I have my doubts that anyone would undertake such a jaw dropping sequence of acts but, boy is it exciting, high octane and very readable. To be honest the wildfire in the title becomes background noise and slightly redundant in the crime wave that occurs although it is highly topical with the unfolding disaster in Australia.
The novel is told from various points of view, mostly Henry and Diane’s, and while it switches in chapter this is not as distracting as it might suggest. There are so many events that a bit of background from the criminal point of view fills in a few gaps and moves the plot forward.
I haven’t read many of the novels in this series but I’m not 100% on board with Henry Christie. He’s always ready to have a go, obviously enjoys the chase and is smart and strategic in this thinking but I always get the feeling that it’s on his terms and that he’s quite selfish in his outlook. Diane, on the other hand, is my new fictional heroine, smart, selfless and above all resourceful. I want to be her, cool under fire literally.
Wildfire is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Henry is involved in fire fighting co-ordination as wildfires sweep across his rural area of Lancashire and when one couple do not respond to his welfare calls he goes out to their house and discovers a grisly scene. In the meantime an old acquaintance, DC Diane Daniels, is dealing with a major crime spree in Lancaster. With resources limited Henry is brought out of retirement to team up with Diane to combat the spree of crime.
I thoroughly enjoyed Wildfire which is a tense, action packed thriller told at breakneck speed. I’m not quite sure where to start as the opening few chapters proper left me breathless with one daring event after another so probably at the beginning. The prologue, aptly entitled “the past”, covers certain events in one week in 2009 and sets up part of the present day narrative. I loved this introduction for the way it is written and what it says and how it says it. It is very sympathetic. Then it gets straight into what can only be a tsunami of serious, violent crimes. I have my doubts that anyone would undertake such a jaw dropping sequence of acts but, boy is it exciting, high octane and very readable. To be honest the wildfire in the title becomes background noise and slightly redundant in the crime wave that occurs although it is highly topical with the unfolding disaster in Australia.
The novel is told from various points of view, mostly Henry and Diane’s, and while it switches in chapter this is not as distracting as it might suggest. There are so many events that a bit of background from the criminal point of view fills in a few gaps and moves the plot forward.
I haven’t read many of the novels in this series but I’m not 100% on board with Henry Christie. He’s always ready to have a go, obviously enjoys the chase and is smart and strategic in this thinking but I always get the feeling that it’s on his terms and that he’s quite selfish in his outlook. Diane, on the other hand, is my new fictional heroine, smart, selfless and above all resourceful. I want to be her, cool under fire literally.
Wildfire is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
January 16, 2020
5 stars
What a remarkable mystery/police procedural!
Henry Christie is a former Detective Superintendent who has retired and it loving it. He runs the Tawny Owl pub and guest house just outside of Blackpool. There is a raging forest fire threatening the town and the pub and Henry and his friends are doing their best to help out the firefighters.
When some of the residents don't respond to check-ins, Henry decides to go and check on them. The first thing he notices is that the couple's Great Dane is dead in the driveway – shot. He creeps through the house and discovers that the owners have been dismembered. He also discovers a cache of cash that may be as much as 2 million pounds.
Convinced to assist the police in the investigation, he is teamed up with DC Diane Daniels. She is a driven and spunky young woman. Henry likes her very much. Together, and with the other police officers, they tackle a gang of murderous ne'er-do wells.
This is an exciting and engaging read. I compulsively read it far past my bedtime. It is extremely well written and plotted. One event follows another in a perfectly logical progression. I liked Henry and Diane, as well as many of the other police officers. The explosion at the house makes a great subplot – and adds additional tension to the story, although the reader doesn't find out why until near the end of the novel. Very well done, Mr. Oldham!
I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for forwarding to me a copy of this very excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review.
What a remarkable mystery/police procedural!
Henry Christie is a former Detective Superintendent who has retired and it loving it. He runs the Tawny Owl pub and guest house just outside of Blackpool. There is a raging forest fire threatening the town and the pub and Henry and his friends are doing their best to help out the firefighters.
When some of the residents don't respond to check-ins, Henry decides to go and check on them. The first thing he notices is that the couple's Great Dane is dead in the driveway – shot. He creeps through the house and discovers that the owners have been dismembered. He also discovers a cache of cash that may be as much as 2 million pounds.
Convinced to assist the police in the investigation, he is teamed up with DC Diane Daniels. She is a driven and spunky young woman. Henry likes her very much. Together, and with the other police officers, they tackle a gang of murderous ne'er-do wells.
This is an exciting and engaging read. I compulsively read it far past my bedtime. It is extremely well written and plotted. One event follows another in a perfectly logical progression. I liked Henry and Diane, as well as many of the other police officers. The explosion at the house makes a great subplot – and adds additional tension to the story, although the reader doesn't find out why until near the end of the novel. Very well done, Mr. Oldham!
I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for forwarding to me a copy of this very excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review.
January 7, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Wow, this is a great police procedural with two extremely likeable main characters (Henry Christie and Diane Daniels), I loved it!
Henry is retired from the police and gets drawn into the serious case of two beheadings. The gang responsible for those killings and several others that occur is well-known to Henry. They're a seriously nasty and brutal group and it's difficult to get anywhere close to them as they will shoot to kill, whether you're police or not.
The strategic ways Henry, Diane and the other members of the police slowly close the net is amazing, I couldn't stop reading. It's so well written and realistic, kudos to the author! It was also an eye opener to read how lawless Blackpool and the surrounding areas seem to be. This is definitely one of the best British mysteries I've read in a long time. Highly recommended!
Wow, this is a great police procedural with two extremely likeable main characters (Henry Christie and Diane Daniels), I loved it!
Henry is retired from the police and gets drawn into the serious case of two beheadings. The gang responsible for those killings and several others that occur is well-known to Henry. They're a seriously nasty and brutal group and it's difficult to get anywhere close to them as they will shoot to kill, whether you're police or not.
The strategic ways Henry, Diane and the other members of the police slowly close the net is amazing, I couldn't stop reading. It's so well written and realistic, kudos to the author! It was also an eye opener to read how lawless Blackpool and the surrounding areas seem to be. This is definitely one of the best British mysteries I've read in a long time. Highly recommended!
April 24, 2020
A British crime thriller at its best!!
“Wildfire” by Nick Oldham is one of a series featuring Henry Christie, a retired Detective Superintendent. The setting is in Lancashire, where Henry runs a rural pub and guest house - The Tawny Owl.
A series of wildfires had been causing havoc in the local area and Henry was always happy to help any of his neighbours in an emergency. Suffice it to say when Henry dropped by at a nearby couple’s property, he inadvertently made a horrific, grisly discovery!
It transpired that this crime was only the tip of the iceberg, and the Lancashire police were investigating other abhorrent crimes across the County. Even though Henry had retired, he still felt a gut feeling that some of his old adversaries were involved and his hunch paid off.
Due to the sheer volume of the unsolved crimes, Henry found himself grudgingly drafted in to assist the police. However, he was delighted to be working again with DC Diane Daniels, a former colleague.
I particularly enjoyed reading “Wildfire” as from the outset it was a thrilling, fast-paced page turner, with so many twists and turns, and very cleverly written. I’m not surprised that the author was a retired police Inspector, as his experience and imagination shines through! Thank you Mr. Oldham for this British crime thriller at its best!
Galadriel.
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review
“Wildfire” by Nick Oldham is one of a series featuring Henry Christie, a retired Detective Superintendent. The setting is in Lancashire, where Henry runs a rural pub and guest house - The Tawny Owl.
A series of wildfires had been causing havoc in the local area and Henry was always happy to help any of his neighbours in an emergency. Suffice it to say when Henry dropped by at a nearby couple’s property, he inadvertently made a horrific, grisly discovery!
It transpired that this crime was only the tip of the iceberg, and the Lancashire police were investigating other abhorrent crimes across the County. Even though Henry had retired, he still felt a gut feeling that some of his old adversaries were involved and his hunch paid off.
Due to the sheer volume of the unsolved crimes, Henry found himself grudgingly drafted in to assist the police. However, he was delighted to be working again with DC Diane Daniels, a former colleague.
I particularly enjoyed reading “Wildfire” as from the outset it was a thrilling, fast-paced page turner, with so many twists and turns, and very cleverly written. I’m not surprised that the author was a retired police Inspector, as his experience and imagination shines through! Thank you Mr. Oldham for this British crime thriller at its best!
Galadriel.
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review
July 3, 2020
I have read every one of this author's Henry Christie novels and they never cease to enthrall me. My idea of a good book is one that makes you late for lunch or go to the pub a couple of hours later than planned, simply because you can't put it down. Nick Oldham's books are among the few that can do that to me. Others in that list would include Lee Child and Michael Connelly.
Like Connelly with Harry Bosch, Nick Oldham has a ageing cop in Henry Christie who has retired at the time of this book but is drawn out of his happy retirement by echoes from the past and a fire that threatens the village of Kendleton where he now runs the Tawny Owl Public House. He teams up with DC Diane Daniels in the wake of a gas explosion and someone he put away who bears him a grudge.
The result is electrifying fast paced drama and suspense that will hold you right to the final chapter, where there is a very clever misdirection that will keep you guessing to the end.
This is Oldham at his best and he is fast becoming a must for all crime fans and a master of his craft.
Like Connelly with Harry Bosch, Nick Oldham has a ageing cop in Henry Christie who has retired at the time of this book but is drawn out of his happy retirement by echoes from the past and a fire that threatens the village of Kendleton where he now runs the Tawny Owl Public House. He teams up with DC Diane Daniels in the wake of a gas explosion and someone he put away who bears him a grudge.
The result is electrifying fast paced drama and suspense that will hold you right to the final chapter, where there is a very clever misdirection that will keep you guessing to the end.
This is Oldham at his best and he is fast becoming a must for all crime fans and a master of his craft.
April 23, 2020
Don't worry if you haven't read this series- I've only read one of the many Christie books and this is fine as a standalone. Henry Christie is a retired DS; he had a long and complicated career but one person he did work well with was DC Diane Daniels. Now, he's running a pub, more or less contentedly but when he discovers a grisly murder while doing a welfare check after a fire, well, he's back in the game. The back and forth with Diane is great, the bad guys truly evil, and the procedural aspects just right. There's a lot packed into a relatively slim volume but that's ok because the pace never flags. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.
April 28, 2020
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last because I inhaled this one.
The author is talented storyteller and the plot, full of twists and turns, is brilliant and well crafted.
He did a great job with the character and plot development.
The mystery is solid, with no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
i liked the characters and will be happy to read other books by this author.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The author is talented storyteller and the plot, full of twists and turns, is brilliant and well crafted.
He did a great job with the character and plot development.
The mystery is solid, with no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
i liked the characters and will be happy to read other books by this author.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 4, 2020
I decided to read this book because I like mysteries. This book is not able to stand on its own. You need to read the other books in the series. This was of course the first book that I've read of Nick Oldham's and I doubt that I'll read another book written in this series. Henry Christie is a retired detective who becomes involved in investigating a murder because he does a well fair check on a couple. They are obviously dead.
February 4, 2025
A good way of bringing Christie back into the police, albeit on a different footing. Interesting plotline developing with Daniels. Fast paced and exciting, bringing back old enemies and prevailing as always.
July 26, 2025
Henry Christie has appeared in quite a few of these hard crime books. You don't want to get attached to anyone. Christie survives, obviously, but the rest of the cast can be killed off a few books later.
In this case, the now retired Blackpool cop helps feed firefighters at his moorland inn. A couple of decades previously, he checked on a colleague who hadn't shown up for work, and found a bad situation. Now, he drives out to check on a farmhouse as the couple there have not responded to a wildfire alert. Boom, bad things happen. And they keep happening.
Not for the young and tender. The action is skilfully written, gritty and gripping.
I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
In this case, the now retired Blackpool cop helps feed firefighters at his moorland inn. A couple of decades previously, he checked on a colleague who hadn't shown up for work, and found a bad situation. Now, he drives out to check on a farmhouse as the couple there have not responded to a wildfire alert. Boom, bad things happen. And they keep happening.
Not for the young and tender. The action is skilfully written, gritty and gripping.
I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
September 14, 2023
Another great book from Nick Oldham
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews