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DI Nikki Galena #4
Killer on the Fens
Detective Nikki Galena’s dying father has one final request: “Find Eve.”
DI Nikki Galena faces a personal challenge which will stretch her to the limit. She must fulfill her father’s dying wish and discover who the mysterious Eve is. Meanwhile a dead drug dealer is found on an abandoned airfield that the locals say is haunted. The trail of both mysteries will lead to the most shocking discovery of Nikki’s career and put her whole team in mortal danger.
DI Nikki Galena faces a personal challenge which will stretch her to the limit. She must fulfill her father’s dying wish and discover who the mysterious Eve is. Meanwhile a dead drug dealer is found on an abandoned airfield that the locals say is haunted. The trail of both mysteries will lead to the most shocking discovery of Nikki’s career and put her whole team in mortal danger.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2016
3339 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Joy Ellis
60 books2,429 followersJoy Ellis grew up in Kent but moved to London when she won an apprenticeship with the prestigious Mayfair florist, Constance Spry Ltd. Having run her own flower shop in Weybridge for many years, Ellis then worked as a bookseller until a trip to the Greek island of Skyros, where she took part in a writer's workshop with Sue Townsend, encouraged her to write her own books. Joy soon after moved to the Lincolnshire Fens, where she has spent many of years living among the countryside accompanied by her partner, Jacqueline, and her variety of springer spaniels. After many years of writing, Jasper Joffe, from Joffe Books, discovered Joy's work and approached her with the offer of becoming her new publisher. This new relationship introduced Joy's work to the fascinating world of ebooks and audible listening. Since their partnership, Joy's success has grown further than she could have ever imagined. She has recently celebrated her 10th UK No.1 book on the Amazon 'Best Sellers' chart, with her 9th instalment in the Jackman & Evans series, Solace House. Joy boasts a staggering estimated total over 3.4 million copies sold worldwide, and became a short-listed nominee at the British Book Awards, 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
August 18, 2016
This is an intense, atmospheric and thrilling police procedural set in the rural and isolated parts of the Lincolnshire Fens. It is the fourth in the series but the first for me, and it works as a standalone. There is a strong sense of location and history of the Fens. There are people who have never been outside the area. The Fenland Constabulary find it difficult to police thanks to the poor communications and the sheer isolation of the place. DI Nikki Galena has a troubled past and has seen the worst a person can see. Her partner is DS 'Holy Joe' Joseph Easter, an ex-soldier with an estranged daughter, Tamsin, who comes to visit. The police team find themselves in a complex, twisted and dangerous case.
Nikki's dying father, who suffered from Alzheimer's, asks her to find 'Eve'. Nikki has no idea who this woman is and starts to dig into his past. Down a ventilation shaft, a seriously injured and drug addled man is discovered. His grandmother and best friend have gone missing and all roads leads to the disused former Fenland RAF base, Flaxton Mere. The trail takes in catacombs, a crypt, dishonest business people, buried secrets and a serial killer. It all comes incredibly close to home as Tamsin is abducted and the police team find themselves in danger. Several threads are drawn together expertly by the author.
This is a well crafted story, that is beautifully plotted. It has a fast paced narrative that ensures the reader is engaged and committed to completing the book. The characters are well drawn and developed, I liked Rory, the medical examiner's pithy wit. Cannot recommend this novel enough. Brilliant read. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.
Nikki's dying father, who suffered from Alzheimer's, asks her to find 'Eve'. Nikki has no idea who this woman is and starts to dig into his past. Down a ventilation shaft, a seriously injured and drug addled man is discovered. His grandmother and best friend have gone missing and all roads leads to the disused former Fenland RAF base, Flaxton Mere. The trail takes in catacombs, a crypt, dishonest business people, buried secrets and a serial killer. It all comes incredibly close to home as Tamsin is abducted and the police team find themselves in danger. Several threads are drawn together expertly by the author.
This is a well crafted story, that is beautifully plotted. It has a fast paced narrative that ensures the reader is engaged and committed to completing the book. The characters are well drawn and developed, I liked Rory, the medical examiner's pithy wit. Cannot recommend this novel enough. Brilliant read. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.
September 22, 2016
One missing drug dealer, a half-dead junkie found in a ventilation shaft, a granny who has disappeared, is just the start of a hectic week that DI Nikki Galena’s faces with more puzzles about to arrive on her doorstep. Set in the Lincolnshire Fens with dangerous marshes and farmland, there is something very strange going on that Nikki is determined to discover once the junkie regains consciousness. She desperately wants details of the strange lights and sounds taking place at an abandoned airfield near the marshes but soon discovers more than anticipated. With a good cast of characters along with an exciting and thrilling plot, Joy Ellis has written an excellent crime thriller by creating an eerie ghostly atmosphere as Nikki and her team comb the marshes and underground tunnels. Killer on the Fens #4 in a series is a standalone novel, which will keep readers well entertained with every chapter. Recommended to all readers.
** Thank you to Publisher Joffe Books Mystery and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. **
** Thank you to Publisher Joffe Books Mystery and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. **
March 10, 2020
This enjoyable police procedural starts with the death of Nikki’s father and his instruction to her to find Eve. Meanwhile, a drug dealer ends up dead on an abandoned WWII airfield which leads to an even more gruesome discovery. As always, we are given the treat of both an in-depth murder investigation and growing character developments. I especially enjoyed Tamsin’s changing relationship with Joseph.
As always, Ellis makes the locale a major character. She paints such dynamic settings, it’s not at all hard to envision them.
The book moves quickly and there are numerous suspects as to who could be behind the killings.
This has quickly become my favorite series to listen to and the narrator, Henrietta Meike, always adds to my enjoyment.
As always, Ellis makes the locale a major character. She paints such dynamic settings, it’s not at all hard to envision them.
The book moves quickly and there are numerous suspects as to who could be behind the killings.
This has quickly become my favorite series to listen to and the narrator, Henrietta Meike, always adds to my enjoyment.
April 15, 2024
As DI Nikki Galena raced to the care home, she had a feeling this was it. Her father had been lingering for awhile; the Alzheimers had taken its hold on him and in occasional lucid moments, he was desperate for Nikki to find Eve. But she had no clue who Eve was, and not much to go on. But it was the call out to a pit where a young man had been found, crumpled at the bottom and in a lot of pain that took her mind off Eve for a time. The old abandoned airfield had many believing it was haunted with the night lights, eerie wailing and ghostly figures, but it was when Nikki, DS Joseph Easter and her team discovered the Fenlands secrets that the horror set in and danger followed...
Killer on the Fens is the 4th in the DI Nikki Galena series by Joy Ellis and it was another excellent episode that I couldn't put down! With Nikki's personal issues, plus the biggest and worst case of her career keeping her awake at night, and Joseph's daughter Tamsin with him, giving him a second chance with her, we worked with more of Nikki's team, and it was great to get to know them better. I loved this one, and look forward to #5 next month. Highly recommended.
Killer on the Fens is the 4th in the DI Nikki Galena series by Joy Ellis and it was another excellent episode that I couldn't put down! With Nikki's personal issues, plus the biggest and worst case of her career keeping her awake at night, and Joseph's daughter Tamsin with him, giving him a second chance with her, we worked with more of Nikki's team, and it was great to get to know them better. I loved this one, and look forward to #5 next month. Highly recommended.
March 14, 2024
The fourth book in this excellent series and it was actually the best one so far.
D.I.Nikki Galena loses her father after a long period of Alzheimer's and, as he is dying, he asks her to find Eve. Not much to go on, but she realises how important it must be to him and decides to try. Meanwhile her partner, Joseph, has his daughter Tamsin visiting after a long separation, and to keep her busy he suggests she help with the task of finding Eve. No one realises how important the discovery of this person will be to Nikki.
Nikki is tied up with the murder of a drug dealer on an abandoned WW2 airfield. The body leads to a macabre discovery and a frantic effort to find the guilty person. I guessed who it must be but that still did not spoil my enjoyment of the story at all.
The pace was full steam ahead and at times it was quite creepy. Those Fens at night with strange lights and noises would scare the best of us! The ending was surprising, and there is much to look forward to in the next book.
D.I.Nikki Galena loses her father after a long period of Alzheimer's and, as he is dying, he asks her to find Eve. Not much to go on, but she realises how important it must be to him and decides to try. Meanwhile her partner, Joseph, has his daughter Tamsin visiting after a long separation, and to keep her busy he suggests she help with the task of finding Eve. No one realises how important the discovery of this person will be to Nikki.
Nikki is tied up with the murder of a drug dealer on an abandoned WW2 airfield. The body leads to a macabre discovery and a frantic effort to find the guilty person. I guessed who it must be but that still did not spoil my enjoyment of the story at all.
The pace was full steam ahead and at times it was quite creepy. Those Fens at night with strange lights and noises would scare the best of us! The ending was surprising, and there is much to look forward to in the next book.
February 11, 2024
This series continues to deliver, and I think this instalment (#4) is my favourite so far. Not only was the plot complicated and thrilling, but the ending was *perfect*. It was the kind of catnip cliffhanger that will no doubt have me downloading #5 before too long to see what happens next.
The story begins with an expected but no less emotional personal loss for DI Nikki Galena, while her DS, Joseph Easter, is on leave to spend time with his formerly estranged daughter. Nikki's instinct is to immerse herself in work to take her mind off her grief, but she's also mindful of her father's dying wish to 'find Eve', so she enlists Joseph and Tamsin to go through some old family documents and photographs to get the search underway. But when a number of incidents, all connected with an abandoned airfield in the Fens, start to pile up, Joseph volunteers to return to work and Nikki is frankly grateful for the extra assistance.
Joy Ellis has certainly come up with a winning formula for this series. Each book has had a kind of personal/direct mystery running in tandem with the broader community policing plotline, combined with good character development and exposition of backstories. I'm glad to think I still have a long way to go to catch up (series currently sitting at 14 books) if this continues.
Free on Audible.
The story begins with an expected but no less emotional personal loss for DI Nikki Galena, while her DS, Joseph Easter, is on leave to spend time with his formerly estranged daughter. Nikki's instinct is to immerse herself in work to take her mind off her grief, but she's also mindful of her father's dying wish to 'find Eve', so she enlists Joseph and Tamsin to go through some old family documents and photographs to get the search underway. But when a number of incidents, all connected with an abandoned airfield in the Fens, start to pile up, Joseph volunteers to return to work and Nikki is frankly grateful for the extra assistance.
Joy Ellis has certainly come up with a winning formula for this series. Each book has had a kind of personal/direct mystery running in tandem with the broader community policing plotline, combined with good character development and exposition of backstories. I'm glad to think I still have a long way to go to catch up (series currently sitting at 14 books) if this continues.
Free on Audible.
October 29, 2019
Another great book in the series, more and more character development and back story. Loved the ending. Moving!
August 21, 2016
I have read most of the DI Nikki Galena stories and each one has it's own direction and is just as good a story by itself. In the story DI Galena's father has just passed away and he has asked her to find "Eve". Nikki has never heard of this mysterious Eve but knows she will search for her as it was his dying wish. A young man is discovered injured down a shaft on the Lincolnshire Fen and it is soon discovered that he reason for being there may have been a drug deal gone wrong. Most think it is haunted but as more details come to light and more bodies are discovered it soon becomes apparent that there is more going on at the Lincolnshire Fen than a haunting. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
July 18, 2025
*Challenges*
Following the success of their previous case, Nikki and Joseph are offered promotions, but they decline to prioritise their team dynamics and success.
In this instalment, DI Nikki Galena faces a challenging case while grappling with her dying father’s final words, which request that she find Eve. Nikki is perplexed as she doesn’t know anyone named Eve.
On top of this, a drug dealer is discovered on a long-abandoned airfield, but the airfield becomes the scene of a shocking revelation. With its numerous dangerous tunnels and exits, some of which fascinate the killer, Nikki and her team must unravel the perplexing and gruesome case of many long years of a killing spree. They stumble upon a collection of embalmed bodies, and the killer continues to add to the pile.
While on annual leave, DS Joseph Easter helps Nikki along with his daughter. He investigate who exactly is Eve, he decides to cancel his leave when the case at the airfield escalates. However, his daughter gets into danger, and he realises he needs his special set of special forces skills to save her.
What makes this case interesting is that DS Easter has been estranged from his daughter. This is partly due to her pacifist beliefs and his chosen career as a soldier. Ironically, his skills are the only way to save her. Will she survive to appreciate it?
Following the success of their previous case, Nikki and Joseph are offered promotions, but they decline to prioritise their team dynamics and success.
In this instalment, DI Nikki Galena faces a challenging case while grappling with her dying father’s final words, which request that she find Eve. Nikki is perplexed as she doesn’t know anyone named Eve.
On top of this, a drug dealer is discovered on a long-abandoned airfield, but the airfield becomes the scene of a shocking revelation. With its numerous dangerous tunnels and exits, some of which fascinate the killer, Nikki and her team must unravel the perplexing and gruesome case of many long years of a killing spree. They stumble upon a collection of embalmed bodies, and the killer continues to add to the pile.
While on annual leave, DS Joseph Easter helps Nikki along with his daughter. He investigate who exactly is Eve, he decides to cancel his leave when the case at the airfield escalates. However, his daughter gets into danger, and he realises he needs his special set of special forces skills to save her.
What makes this case interesting is that DS Easter has been estranged from his daughter. This is partly due to her pacifist beliefs and his chosen career as a soldier. Ironically, his skills are the only way to save her. Will she survive to appreciate it?
June 1, 2025
I can't remember how I came across DI Galena series but I'm so glad I did. The series is simply phenomenal. Joy Ellis writes superbly. She delivers great complex plots with fully fledged characters. There are twists and turns and the tension in the stories doesn't let up.
Killer On The Fens confirms Ellis' brilliance. The case facing Galena and her team is going to fully test them professionally but it's also a personal challenge. For Galena things will never be the same.
What a story, what great characters, highly recommended.
Killer On The Fens confirms Ellis' brilliance. The case facing Galena and her team is going to fully test them professionally but it's also a personal challenge. For Galena things will never be the same.
What a story, what great characters, highly recommended.
May 15, 2025
I think this might be the best instalment in this series yet!
Investigations lead Lincolnshire D.I. Nikki Galena, her D.S. Joseph Easter and their team to a nearby historical WW2 airfield, RAF Flaxton Mere. A small-time drug dealer is left to die at the base of a disused airshaft in the base's underground complex of tunnels and caverns. Galena draws on the knowledge of the local historical society to investigate further, leading to the discovery of a macabre hidden room that appears to be the lair of a serial killer.
The police investigation dovetails nicely with a personal mystery that preoccupies Galena. Her father, suffering from advancing dementia, pleads with her to find a woman named Eve as his dying wish. Galena delves into his wartime service with the RAF, discovering links to RAF Flaxton Mere.
Killer on the Fens is an intricately-plotted mystery, drawing together intriguing leads from the past with the modern police investigation. Both Galena and Easter are dealing with developments in their personal lives - the recent death of Galena's daughter following a long period in a coma, and Easter's efforts to rebuild his relationship with his own estranged daughter, Tamsin.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which I read via a combination of the Joffe books paperback edition and the Audible audiobook narrated by Henrietta Meire. I'd recommend this series to readers who enjoy solid police procedurals with added character interest, especially those who, like myself, have reached the end of Elly Griffths' beloved Ruth Galloway series and are looking for a replacement in their lives!
Investigations lead Lincolnshire D.I. Nikki Galena, her D.S. Joseph Easter and their team to a nearby historical WW2 airfield, RAF Flaxton Mere. A small-time drug dealer is left to die at the base of a disused airshaft in the base's underground complex of tunnels and caverns. Galena draws on the knowledge of the local historical society to investigate further, leading to the discovery of a macabre hidden room that appears to be the lair of a serial killer.
The police investigation dovetails nicely with a personal mystery that preoccupies Galena. Her father, suffering from advancing dementia, pleads with her to find a woman named Eve as his dying wish. Galena delves into his wartime service with the RAF, discovering links to RAF Flaxton Mere.
Killer on the Fens is an intricately-plotted mystery, drawing together intriguing leads from the past with the modern police investigation. Both Galena and Easter are dealing with developments in their personal lives - the recent death of Galena's daughter following a long period in a coma, and Easter's efforts to rebuild his relationship with his own estranged daughter, Tamsin.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which I read via a combination of the Joffe books paperback edition and the Audible audiobook narrated by Henrietta Meire. I'd recommend this series to readers who enjoy solid police procedurals with added character interest, especially those who, like myself, have reached the end of Elly Griffths' beloved Ruth Galloway series and are looking for a replacement in their lives!
October 11, 2017
Phew these books just get better and better. I think I said that after the last one. A body is found at the bottom of a shaft or well on an old abandoned airbase on the fens. Nothing suspicious, a simple accident. But the victim's friend and drug supplier is missing as is his grandmother. DI Nikki Galena finds it all very intriguing.
She speaks to the current owner of the base, a developer, who seems a little 'off' but before she can follow up he, too, dies. This time its clearly murder. Nikki thinks there is something really fishy about the airbase and determines to have the whole place searched. Naturally it is built on the site of an old monastery, there are tunnels and so on.
Sergeant Joe Easter is on leave. His daughter, Tamsin, has come to stay and Joe is determined to get to know her better. Nikki's father, who has been ill for some time, finally dies after imploring her to "find Eve". With nothing else to go on Nikki enlists Joe and Tamsin to go through her father's old papers to try and find reference to the elusive Eve. It turns out she worked at the base years ago. This base, thinks Nikki, seems to be the epicentre of a massive mystery. Little does she know how true this is.
Soon the base is swarming with officers and CSIs as a crypt full of bodies is discovered underground. But the killer is still on the loose and very, very dangerous. Oh, this was a joy to read. It was very gripping. I am wondering how Ms Ellis could top this, I guess I'll find out soon.
She speaks to the current owner of the base, a developer, who seems a little 'off' but before she can follow up he, too, dies. This time its clearly murder. Nikki thinks there is something really fishy about the airbase and determines to have the whole place searched. Naturally it is built on the site of an old monastery, there are tunnels and so on.
Sergeant Joe Easter is on leave. His daughter, Tamsin, has come to stay and Joe is determined to get to know her better. Nikki's father, who has been ill for some time, finally dies after imploring her to "find Eve". With nothing else to go on Nikki enlists Joe and Tamsin to go through her father's old papers to try and find reference to the elusive Eve. It turns out she worked at the base years ago. This base, thinks Nikki, seems to be the epicentre of a massive mystery. Little does she know how true this is.
Soon the base is swarming with officers and CSIs as a crypt full of bodies is discovered underground. But the killer is still on the loose and very, very dangerous. Oh, this was a joy to read. It was very gripping. I am wondering how Ms Ellis could top this, I guess I'll find out soon.
July 24, 2020
Still enjoying this series, another case for Nikki Gallena, set in the Fens. Particularly liked the slight shock at the end, which had vaguely crossed my mind!
March 25, 2018
Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter are concerned with a young man in a ventilation shaft on the perimeter of a ww2 airfield in the fen-land. This at the time when her father, Frank Reed dies at the care home with a dying wish that Nikki looks for the mysterious Eve.
Well written and has a fast pace with a main plot a sub plot and the additional conundrum of who is Eve? There are enough twists and turns to keep interest high and you not wanting to put it down in case some innuendo is missed. It does well portrait the closeness of the families in these sometimes bleak fens.
I additionally had an personal interest as having served in the RAF and been stationed in a control tower in the fens. Recommended.
Well written and has a fast pace with a main plot a sub plot and the additional conundrum of who is Eve? There are enough twists and turns to keep interest high and you not wanting to put it down in case some innuendo is missed. It does well portrait the closeness of the families in these sometimes bleak fens.
I additionally had an personal interest as having served in the RAF and been stationed in a control tower in the fens. Recommended.
May 19, 2023
The 4th book in the series centers around a disused WW2 airfield, a pretty common sight around all of East Anglia and the Fens. There are couple of 'pillboxes' very close to my parents house and as a boy I spent many hours playing in them. Hence I know exactly what is being described in this book.
A pretty good story with a bit of a twist at the end. Some character development outside of the actual police work worked pretty well and the author obviously has things planned but is in no rush to get there (unlike many of other mystery authors where private lives processed at breakneck speed).
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the previous books but certainly good enough to continue.
A pretty good story with a bit of a twist at the end. Some character development outside of the actual police work worked pretty well and the author obviously has things planned but is in no rush to get there (unlike many of other mystery authors where private lives processed at breakneck speed).
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the previous books but certainly good enough to continue.
August 30, 2018
Killer on the Fens is the fourth book in Joy Ellis’s hugely popular police procedural series set in the Lincolnshire Fens and in truth I found it amateur and unconvincing. The plot is a patchwork of ludicrously unlikely happenings - a missing drug dealer, his high as a kite friend found at the bottom of a ventilation shaft on a deserted WWII airfield (RAF Flaxton Mere), a missing granny and lead detective DI Nicki Galena’s Alzheimer’s suffering father asking her to find someone called ‘Eve’ in the throes of death. As the plot moves from one thread to the next there is little continuity and the majority of the first half reads more like a history lesson and less like a police procedural. The detail surrounding the former airfield is far too dense in a novel of 250 pages and means the reader is left no further forward in the investigation forty percent of the way through the story. Very little is done to introduce any tension into proceedings and even the locals fear of the supposedly haunted marshland airbase isn’t enough to generate a menacing atmosphere.
The granny strand leads straight up a blind alley that serves no function in the story and the ball is dropped on the Eve issue, only to be pulled out of the bag and revived in the final pages. Ellis paints a picture of a location steeped in folklore where many locals have never left their villages and this only serves to make the final far-fetched ultimate scenario feel all the more laughable.
Although each novel effectively works as a standalone there is a very well-established backstory and the detectives all feel a little too comfortable and relaxed as they go about their jobs together. The bland cast struggle to emerge from the page, play far too nicely together and even enjoy coming to work and I felt rather depressingly ambivalent towards them. Given a cast that failed to make a memorable impression, the disjointed plot threads and a wacky finale I doubt I will read more in the series. Thankfully short at just 250 print pages!
The granny strand leads straight up a blind alley that serves no function in the story and the ball is dropped on the Eve issue, only to be pulled out of the bag and revived in the final pages. Ellis paints a picture of a location steeped in folklore where many locals have never left their villages and this only serves to make the final far-fetched ultimate scenario feel all the more laughable.
Although each novel effectively works as a standalone there is a very well-established backstory and the detectives all feel a little too comfortable and relaxed as they go about their jobs together. The bland cast struggle to emerge from the page, play far too nicely together and even enjoy coming to work and I felt rather depressingly ambivalent towards them. Given a cast that failed to make a memorable impression, the disjointed plot threads and a wacky finale I doubt I will read more in the series. Thankfully short at just 250 print pages!
January 4, 2019
Book 4
I am very pleased I finally found time to catch up with back lists from some of my favourite authors. I first found the Fens series with Buried on the Fens so I can confirm that the books do work perfectly as stand alone. However, there are back stories to the characters and it is these that I was eager to learn about.
Nikki Galena has more tragedy in her life as her Dad passes away. His last request was to find Eve. Who is Eve and why was her Dad so determined that she should find him is only one question of many that Nikki has to find the answers to.
Joseph is her partner and he is trying to rebuild a relationship with his daughter Tamsin. He has been making little progress but in this book she comes to stay and Joseph has taken leave to spend time with her. But is it Joseph she wants to spend time with or is she more interested in the handsome Niall?
Now to the story. Now I really have no idea where Joy gets the ideas for these stories. Each one is totally unique and this one is no different. It revolves around an area of the Fens that is a disused military base on an area that is dangerously marshy and affected by tides. Lights and noises have been seen and heard by several people and rumour is that these are ghosts of the fens but the realistic Nikki thinks differently.
When a small time crook falls down a shaft and another youth goes missing the team are on the case to try to find out what is going on. What they find is a lot of secrets that link back to Nikki's father's past. Having to rely on a self formed group of Historical people who have secrets of their own and the team are looking through an entangled mesh of lies and secrets but what they find is so unbelievably unexpected that they are all left reeling.
This is a fast paced journey through a tangled web of lies and secrets with a liberal helping of twists, turns and dead ends that had me turning page after page. Another fantastic addition to the bestselling Nikki Galena series.
5 golden stars from me
I am very pleased I finally found time to catch up with back lists from some of my favourite authors. I first found the Fens series with Buried on the Fens so I can confirm that the books do work perfectly as stand alone. However, there are back stories to the characters and it is these that I was eager to learn about.
Nikki Galena has more tragedy in her life as her Dad passes away. His last request was to find Eve. Who is Eve and why was her Dad so determined that she should find him is only one question of many that Nikki has to find the answers to.
Joseph is her partner and he is trying to rebuild a relationship with his daughter Tamsin. He has been making little progress but in this book she comes to stay and Joseph has taken leave to spend time with her. But is it Joseph she wants to spend time with or is she more interested in the handsome Niall?
Now to the story. Now I really have no idea where Joy gets the ideas for these stories. Each one is totally unique and this one is no different. It revolves around an area of the Fens that is a disused military base on an area that is dangerously marshy and affected by tides. Lights and noises have been seen and heard by several people and rumour is that these are ghosts of the fens but the realistic Nikki thinks differently.
When a small time crook falls down a shaft and another youth goes missing the team are on the case to try to find out what is going on. What they find is a lot of secrets that link back to Nikki's father's past. Having to rely on a self formed group of Historical people who have secrets of their own and the team are looking through an entangled mesh of lies and secrets but what they find is so unbelievably unexpected that they are all left reeling.
This is a fast paced journey through a tangled web of lies and secrets with a liberal helping of twists, turns and dead ends that had me turning page after page. Another fantastic addition to the bestselling Nikki Galena series.
5 golden stars from me
April 30, 2024
Killer on the Fens by Joy Ellis is the 4th book in the D.I. Nikki Galena Mystery series. Following the death of her father, D.I. Nikki Galena is called out to an abandoned airfield where a young man is found down a well shaft near death and carrying a large quantity of drugs. An excellent and particularly creepy mystery especially as more details emerge regarding the airfield. The best part is spending more time with the detectives and finding out more about them, especially since Nikki has been given a dying quest from her father. We also meet Superintendent Greg Woodhall who has taken over from Superintendent Rick Bainbridge. A superb and captivting mystery.
October 13, 2021
Another enjoyable read. I like the way the author mixes the personal and professional lives of the main characters; it makes it somehow easier to stomach the gruesome bits.
July 15, 2023
Enjoyable crime thriller
October 1, 2016
Wow! Another amazing author to add to my list of new discoveries.
This novel drew me in immediately with its haunting atmosphere & characters that you could relate to & invest in. I found the banter & interrelationships between them to be quite realistic and there was honestly no members of DI Nikki Galena's team that I didn't like. Each had their own interesting story to tell.
The setting is centred around the Lincolnshire Fens & an abandoned WW2 airfield which is fraught with eerily spooky atmosphere.
DI Galena is given her first mystery when her father, who has Alzheimer's, whispers "find Eve" on his deathbed. Nikki is determined to find this "Eve" and why she was so important to him.
The main plotline begins with a young male found seriously injured at the bottom of a shaft on the Fen ...... & an extremely large stash of varied drugs. While investigating this, as well as the murder of criminal Karl Shine , the owner of the land the Fens is situated on, and three missing people, her team stumble upon something far more serious ...... a serial killer that has been operating under their noses for over a decade.
The two plotlines become entangled and Nikki and her DS, Joseph Easter, along with his estranged daughter Tamsin, rush to find the killer & solve the mystery of "Eve".
A tightly paced police thriller that is hard to put down. I can't wait to read more in the series.
This novel drew me in immediately with its haunting atmosphere & characters that you could relate to & invest in. I found the banter & interrelationships between them to be quite realistic and there was honestly no members of DI Nikki Galena's team that I didn't like. Each had their own interesting story to tell.
The setting is centred around the Lincolnshire Fens & an abandoned WW2 airfield which is fraught with eerily spooky atmosphere.
DI Galena is given her first mystery when her father, who has Alzheimer's, whispers "find Eve" on his deathbed. Nikki is determined to find this "Eve" and why she was so important to him.
The main plotline begins with a young male found seriously injured at the bottom of a shaft on the Fen ...... & an extremely large stash of varied drugs. While investigating this, as well as the murder of criminal Karl Shine , the owner of the land the Fens is situated on, and three missing people, her team stumble upon something far more serious ...... a serial killer that has been operating under their noses for over a decade.
The two plotlines become entangled and Nikki and her DS, Joseph Easter, along with his estranged daughter Tamsin, rush to find the killer & solve the mystery of "Eve".
A tightly paced police thriller that is hard to put down. I can't wait to read more in the series.
August 14, 2016
Killer on the Fens by Joy Ellis. I've been speeding through this series as fast as NetGalley has offered them.
A WWII abandoned air field with plenty of superstition attached, a dying father's request, the hope of reconciliation between another father and daughter, and the discovery of a crypt that will keep the medical examiner busy.
Another entertaining installment from Joy Ellis!
NetGalley/Joffe Books
Police Procedural. Aug. 5, 2016. print length: 264 pages.
A WWII abandoned air field with plenty of superstition attached, a dying father's request, the hope of reconciliation between another father and daughter, and the discovery of a crypt that will keep the medical examiner busy.
Another entertaining installment from Joy Ellis!
NetGalley/Joffe Books
Police Procedural. Aug. 5, 2016. print length: 264 pages.
October 23, 2019
Another absolutely brilliant novel by Joy Ellis, DI Nikki Galenas team are people you'd want to have as friends and the plot was intriguing, fast and clever.
October 16, 2016
Where to start with this review given the summary gives nothing much away. Yes, a drug dealer turns up dead, yes there is the mysterious Eve to search for. But there are also dodgy land deals, criminal gangs and the little matter of a serial killer for Nikki and her team to deal with.
The serial killer was definitely not expected when I started this book and, once I realised that was where it was heading, I had a moment where I wasn’t sure if I should have picked up a copy – mainly because serial killer novels often involve more blood, guts and gore than I like in my books nowadays. Thankfully this wasn’t the case and my fears were put to rest.
What I got instead was a really well written book that kept me guessing throughout. It started going down one path only to double-back and leaving me somewhere else completely. I loved this about it and I really couldn’t guess where it was heading (well, apart from one storyline which kind of seemed inevitable but I will leave you to guess which).
I loved the setting too. I don’t think I’ve read any books in the Lincolnshire Fens before and it comes across as a beautiful but somewhat spooky place – the landscape sounds remote and mysterious. It definitely added to the oppressive atmosphere as the story developed.
I really liked Nikki and the rest of her team, including her partner Joe, too. They felt very real and didn’t do what detectives in some novels do which is go off with no regard for their or anyone else’s safety. Dare I say they acted the way I would expect police to act? That doesn’t mean they were boring – they just worked together and helped each other out.
As characters they were well developed, which may not be surprising as this is the fourth book in a series. That said, this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book as can be the case when you come to a series late because there is too much to catch up on. They had back stories (ones I’m very interested in finding out about) but they didn’t overshadow this storyline. It could – and did – work as a standalone book. So something else I liked.
In fact, I can’t say there was anything I disliked about this book – the story was compelling, the characters interesting and the pace just right for it to be a page turner. It’s the first Joy Ellis I’ve read but won’t be my last. I loved this book – highly recommended.
Note: I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. All thoughts, feelings and opinions are my own.
The serial killer was definitely not expected when I started this book and, once I realised that was where it was heading, I had a moment where I wasn’t sure if I should have picked up a copy – mainly because serial killer novels often involve more blood, guts and gore than I like in my books nowadays. Thankfully this wasn’t the case and my fears were put to rest.
What I got instead was a really well written book that kept me guessing throughout. It started going down one path only to double-back and leaving me somewhere else completely. I loved this about it and I really couldn’t guess where it was heading (well, apart from one storyline which kind of seemed inevitable but I will leave you to guess which).
I loved the setting too. I don’t think I’ve read any books in the Lincolnshire Fens before and it comes across as a beautiful but somewhat spooky place – the landscape sounds remote and mysterious. It definitely added to the oppressive atmosphere as the story developed.
I really liked Nikki and the rest of her team, including her partner Joe, too. They felt very real and didn’t do what detectives in some novels do which is go off with no regard for their or anyone else’s safety. Dare I say they acted the way I would expect police to act? That doesn’t mean they were boring – they just worked together and helped each other out.
As characters they were well developed, which may not be surprising as this is the fourth book in a series. That said, this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book as can be the case when you come to a series late because there is too much to catch up on. They had back stories (ones I’m very interested in finding out about) but they didn’t overshadow this storyline. It could – and did – work as a standalone book. So something else I liked.
In fact, I can’t say there was anything I disliked about this book – the story was compelling, the characters interesting and the pace just right for it to be a page turner. It’s the first Joy Ellis I’ve read but won’t be my last. I loved this book – highly recommended.
Note: I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. All thoughts, feelings and opinions are my own.
July 25, 2019
3.75 out of 5 stars
What do you mean am I now binging these books? Of course, I am; I have a certification exam I should be sitting at right now....
So this book has a completely different feel from the previous three, as we are treated to more points of view, including those of the victims and bad guys. And somehow the rabbit warren of tunnels under the fens and what is found there and Rory Wilkinson's commitment to not leave what is found there was screaming to me that we had been there before in book from the author's Jackman & Evans series. Or the Jackman & Evans series copied this. I don't know which she actually wrote first and don't really care to figure out. Just say it's a basically identical situation that had me qiestioning the deja-vu and giving the book some serious side-eye.
That identical feel of things and the rushed pacing of this book and the lack of kick-ass Nikki made this all a bit weaker than the prior installment. I feel like we got draft 2.0 of the book project, rather than a fully fleshed and polished novel. There were even points where she mixed up character names in some of the "telling" (not showing, which drives me batty since it really comes across as a crutch to skip over a whole lot of writing), though when you give a baddie a name so close to that of one of your detective team, that is bound to happen. But it still can give the reader pause and a whole new view on what actually happened....LOL!
Still, I'm going to make myself take a break from this series, even if this one did end on the most annoying and, again, completely obvious bit on the revelation of the Eve piece of the mystery, as I suspect the author will shy away from the work of giving us the scene we want (I know, I know, it's supposed to be a police procedural and stick to the crimes, but puh-lease, you know we all read these for the characters and relationships!), and open the next book 3 years down the road and with a bunch of telling (again) of what happened. Grrrrr. You've sucked me into these characters, give me the thick, solid books they deserve, and not the drafts! (yes, yes, I know, the pace at which she writes and gets new books out it amazing so I need to hush already. ::grump::)
What do you mean am I now binging these books? Of course, I am; I have a certification exam I should be sitting at right now....
So this book has a completely different feel from the previous three, as we are treated to more points of view, including those of the victims and bad guys. And somehow the rabbit warren of tunnels under the fens and what is found there and Rory Wilkinson's commitment to not leave what is found there was screaming to me that we had been there before in book from the author's Jackman & Evans series. Or the Jackman & Evans series copied this. I don't know which she actually wrote first and don't really care to figure out. Just say it's a basically identical situation that had me qiestioning the deja-vu and giving the book some serious side-eye.
That identical feel of things and the rushed pacing of this book and the lack of kick-ass Nikki made this all a bit weaker than the prior installment. I feel like we got draft 2.0 of the book project, rather than a fully fleshed and polished novel. There were even points where she mixed up character names in some of the "telling" (not showing, which drives me batty since it really comes across as a crutch to skip over a whole lot of writing), though when you give a baddie a name so close to that of one of your detective team, that is bound to happen. But it still can give the reader pause and a whole new view on what actually happened....LOL!
Still, I'm going to make myself take a break from this series, even if this one did end on the most annoying and, again, completely obvious bit on the revelation of the Eve piece of the mystery, as I suspect the author will shy away from the work of giving us the scene we want (I know, I know, it's supposed to be a police procedural and stick to the crimes, but puh-lease, you know we all read these for the characters and relationships!), and open the next book 3 years down the road and with a bunch of telling (again) of what happened. Grrrrr. You've sucked me into these characters, give me the thick, solid books they deserve, and not the drafts! (yes, yes, I know, the pace at which she writes and gets new books out it amazing so I need to hush already. ::grump::)
August 14, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Killer On The Fens, the fourth instalment in Ms Ellis's DI Nikki Galena and DS Joe Easter series.
Nikki's father who has Alzheimer's disease dies muttering the word "Eve". In one of his more lucid moments he previously told her to do some detecting and find Eve. She has no idea where to start but is derailed from any thought of it by the discovery of a seriously injured, unidentified young man with a large stash of drugs at the former RAF base, Flaxton Mere. When the man is identified and it is discovered that both his granny and his best friend are missing all roads lead to Flaxton Mere and some strange goings-on.
I have loved this series but Ms Ellis outdoes herself with Killer On The Fens which is the best so far. I am blown away by the audacity and breadth of Ms Ellis's imagination - she develops a mighty oak of a plot from some small acorns. The plot is linear, so easy to follow and logical but the twists are unexpected and very surprising. I couldn't put it down and sat up very late to finish it.
The excellent plot is complemented by great characterisation. Nikki and Joe are now fully developed. They are best friends and very supportive of each other. The hint of something more is always there but never acted on. They are nice, normal people who are smart, resourceful and dedicated to doing a good job. The arrival of Joe's daughter, Tamsin, adds a new dimension to their dynamic, keeping it fresh and interesting. I can hardly wait to see how another twist pans out in the next book.
Killer On The Fens is a complete story with a hook at the end and can be read without reading the previous novels but, as with all series you get a better understanding of the characters' evolution if you read them in order. Either way this is a great read and I heartily recommend it.
Nikki's father who has Alzheimer's disease dies muttering the word "Eve". In one of his more lucid moments he previously told her to do some detecting and find Eve. She has no idea where to start but is derailed from any thought of it by the discovery of a seriously injured, unidentified young man with a large stash of drugs at the former RAF base, Flaxton Mere. When the man is identified and it is discovered that both his granny and his best friend are missing all roads lead to Flaxton Mere and some strange goings-on.
I have loved this series but Ms Ellis outdoes herself with Killer On The Fens which is the best so far. I am blown away by the audacity and breadth of Ms Ellis's imagination - she develops a mighty oak of a plot from some small acorns. The plot is linear, so easy to follow and logical but the twists are unexpected and very surprising. I couldn't put it down and sat up very late to finish it.
The excellent plot is complemented by great characterisation. Nikki and Joe are now fully developed. They are best friends and very supportive of each other. The hint of something more is always there but never acted on. They are nice, normal people who are smart, resourceful and dedicated to doing a good job. The arrival of Joe's daughter, Tamsin, adds a new dimension to their dynamic, keeping it fresh and interesting. I can hardly wait to see how another twist pans out in the next book.
Killer On The Fens is a complete story with a hook at the end and can be read without reading the previous novels but, as with all series you get a better understanding of the characters' evolution if you read them in order. Either way this is a great read and I heartily recommend it.
October 4, 2021
3 stars.
It's a gruesome case but I'm seeing a trend of the author glossing over the hard scenes and conversations. The ones that came directly to mind so far:
I think that's a bit of a cop out, especially in a series with ongoing characters. As a reader, what makes a series interesting and more satisfying to me is not just the cases but the relationship dynamics of the characters and that requires some deep conversations. I want to read/listen to those conversations and get a sense of how the characters feel and not just be told in a clinical way about what has happened or been decided. Let's hope the writing does get more personal in the coming books.
It's a gruesome case but I'm seeing a trend of the author glossing over the hard scenes and conversations. The ones that came directly to mind so far:
I think that's a bit of a cop out, especially in a series with ongoing characters. As a reader, what makes a series interesting and more satisfying to me is not just the cases but the relationship dynamics of the characters and that requires some deep conversations. I want to read/listen to those conversations and get a sense of how the characters feel and not just be told in a clinical way about what has happened or been decided. Let's hope the writing does get more personal in the coming books.
April 18, 2020
This is the 4th book in the series but probably could be stand alone. DI Nikki Galena has to cope with the not unexpected death of her aging father and is given a death bed quest to "Find Eve". Luckily her DS Joseph Easter and his daughter Tamsin have some free time to assist her because there is a larger mystery on the Fens.
A injured drug dealer on an abandoned WW2 airfield will lead Nikki and her team into a mystery so bizarre it is almost unimaginable. As the bodies pile up can they solve this case?
A injured drug dealer on an abandoned WW2 airfield will lead Nikki and her team into a mystery so bizarre it is almost unimaginable. As the bodies pile up can they solve this case?
December 16, 2017
Very interesting story
Another great Nikki Galena book. I enjoy the characters on the book, descriptions of fen country and, in this book in the series, the description of an old WW2 airfield and the mysteries contained therein.
Another great Nikki Galena book. I enjoy the characters on the book, descriptions of fen country and, in this book in the series, the description of an old WW2 airfield and the mysteries contained therein.
January 18, 2019
Easy read
I still enjoy the easy reading of this series and i like the characters as well. I just wish they didn't skip over things time wise, that make you feel like you might have missed a book.
I still enjoy the easy reading of this series and i like the characters as well. I just wish they didn't skip over things time wise, that make you feel like you might have missed a book.
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