Your Deepest Fear is the first book I've read by David Jackson, so I was coming in with no idea about DS Cody's background or history. Despite this, I found it easy to get into this novel. There was enough recapped for me to quickly realise some of the past trauma that had affected Cody, without giving away too much of any plots from earlier books if I choose to go back and read them.

The plot of Your Deepest Fear is really quite exciting. There's some really nasty bad guy playing games with DS Cody, having a lot of fun manipulating him, testing him with moral dilemmas, and generally making him jump through hoops for his own amusement. At the same time there's been a really brutal murder he's trying to investigate, and he's also being assessed by a psychologist to see if he is fit for duty. The murder victim's wife has her own story going on, as she tries to investigate possible gangland links to the murder without involving the police. There's a lot going on, but it is all tied together really well, with the different threads crossing and tangling together in some really interesting ways.

It was the two main POV characters I really had a problem with. DS Cody is completely unhinged, coming apart dangerously, lying to his psychologist, his boss and his partner and making some ethical decisions that aren't just questionable, they're just plain illegal. Meanwhile we have Sara delivering her own brand of vigilante justice across Bootle. This isn't so much a police procedural as a police throw the procedure out of the window and go totally rogue! And in this book, at least, there's no consequences to face. Everything works out nicely for our lone wolf cop.

Also, while our main characters are going rogue, the rest of the police seem to be doing absolutely nothing to investigate this brutal murder. I think they interview the guy's boss three times, and one of his co-workers twice, mostly asking about knitwear, but there's no other evidence of any police investigation and instead things get left to our vigilante to solve.

Honestly, I think I've just had enough of seeing rogue police who refuse to follow the rules and get results through illegal methods getting rewarded in crime fiction. There should be a bit more accountability.

An exciting plot, but with deeply flawed characters that left a bad taste.

I have previously read David Jackson books and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Sadly for me this was not the case with this latest book. I couldn't take to the main character which then tainted the story for me.

Looking forward to reading the next instalment by David Jackson though as I am sure this was just a blip.

Nathan Cody is such a tortured character - both literally and figuratively, and in this book he does get a little measure of contentment - although of course, not too much! A great read!

Wow what a thrilling ride. Grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go. Raced through in one sitting.

I am disappointed with this book, I really liked DS Nathan cody previous book Hope to Die

But this book was all about him and his misery , I hate books that talk about the lead detective suffering and going into trouble and cross the line because he had to do it ( or the baddie made him). Come on you are suppose to be the good guy!
I finished the book as the author made book very easy to read , But I think that is for me .
Maybe I am specific but I like detectives to solve crimes.

David Jackson is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, this is the fourth book in the DS Nathan Cody series, Having read the other books I was excited to read this one. I wasn’t disappointed it was as good as the first one, A n excellent crime thriller that had me hooked from the first page. I would recommend reading this series in order.

Thanks to Bonnier books and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the second psychological thriller in the DS Nathan Cody series,. I wanted to read the first book in this series before I read this one to get to know the character a little and I'm glad I did, as definitely helps with the storyline

Nathan Cody and his team have a new case, - the brutal murder of Matthew Prior. They are alerted when Matthew’s wife Sara finds his body in an unusual position after receiving a cryptic voicemail from him that warns her not to contact the police. Cody however, has his mind elsewhere as I believe a character (possibly from a previous book is in contact with him and seems to know what he's up to.

An enjoyable and slightly creepy ride.

So apparently this is the 3rd or 4th in a series so I’m gutted I’ve not read the rest, love the main character DS Nathan Cody and found him brilliantly written. This was a gripping novel full of suspense and twists and turns, I didn’t see half of them coming and that’s always a bonus! I’m off to find the previous books in the series as this one was a brilliant read.

Your Deepest Fear by David Jackson

When Sara Prior returns home from a break in her native Copenhagen with her parents, she finds an enigmatic message on her answer machine from her estranged husband, Matthew: ‘Sara! Remember! Victoria and Albert. All I can say. They’re here. They’re-‘ and then he breaks off with a scream. Sara rushes to his home and finds a terrible sight. Matthew is dead, nailed to the floor. She manages to decipher the strange voice message, setting her off on a trail of clues that she is determined to solve. Because Sara is no ordinary person. She is ex-forces, she’s seen action and she is a trained killer. Warned off from telling the police, she feels she has no choice but to hunt down Matthew’s killer herself. She will avenge him.

This all puts DS Nathan Cody in an impossible situation. How can he solve a murder when his chief witness will tell him nothing? But it’s not uppermost in his mind because the past has come back to haunt Cody and this time it wants to play games with him. It wants to kill him but first it will take him to the edge of collapse. Cody has met his match.

Your Deepest Fear is the fourth novel by David Jackson to feature DS Cody and it follows on from one of the best crime books I’ve read – Don’t Make A Sound. How I loved that book – super scary and with a fantastic premise and story. Just like that book, Your Deepest Fear can be read alone but I think you would get more from it if you knew the series because a storyline that has been following, terrorising Cody for some while now reaches a head and it is terrifying.

Cody is a haunted man, clearly traumatised and stressed by a past experience, His colleagues are worried and so they try and help him but Cody, as is usual, is determined to do it alone, even though it puts everything at risk, including his honour. It’s a frightening story and it’s also at times gruesome and disturbing. Cody is in a very dark place indeed and we’re taken there with him as his nemesis plays games with him.

The way that the two main stories in the novel come together is very clever indeed and, I must admit, that it was Sara’s story that I enjoyed the most. She’s a brilliant character, incredibly brave and single-minded and great in a fight. Her experiences of life well outside her comfort zone as well as her relationship with her quiet and reserved Matthew are especially interesting. What made this curious couple tick? It’s well worth reading this book to find that out.

This is a dark and at times macabre novel as Cody descends into his deepest fears but it is also clever and thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. Cody is an extraordinary figure, much liked and worried about, brave and frightened. We care for him and, like his colleagues, we can only dread where his past is leading him. I wonder if we’ll see Cody again. I hope so.

Other review
Don’t Make a Sound

This is the fourth book in the series, following closely on Don't make a sound. This was another gripping read that kept me glued to the end.
Recommended.

An addictive, page turning read that I literally couldn’t put down. I loved the characters and I invested in them right away. I just need to get my hands on the first one now.

There's a real sense of menace as damaged DS Cody investigates a gruesome murder whilst being haunted from violent events in his past, in the form of arch nemesis Waldo the clown. An intense and chilling psychological thriller, be sure to keep the lights on.

I was really excited to read this book after having read the previous book in the DS Nathan Cody series, "Don't Make a Sound". I read that book in no time at all and so I couldn't wait to get my teeth into this next instalment. I wasn't disappointed.

A man is brutally murdered, and DS Cody arrives at the scene only to be turned away by his boss. She thinks his last case has possibly left him too troubled to see the victim without freaking out, so she makes him see a psychologist to be signed off as fit and mentally healthy. He is still allowed to be involved in the case, though, and builds a rapport with the victim's wife. They are equally determined to find out who is responsible for the murder, and Cody feels like they share a bond based on their experiences.

This story is completely thrilling. The pace is fast and there is action, violence and tension aplenty. Cody's past comes back to haunt him big time. He is trying desperately to solve the murder case while his life is spiralling out of control and everyone around him is doubting his sanity.

This is a very enjoyable detective thriller. DS Cody is a good protagonist. It can be read as a stand alone novel, but it does help with the background of the story to have read the previous books in the series. Either way, I would recommend this to any fans of thrillers and dark detective stories.

I have read every single of of David Jackson’s book and I was so excited to find out that he had written another book in the series for DS Nathan Cody. I loved his last book ‘Don’t make a sound’ so after reading the blurb for this book I was very excited to get started.

The book starts with a woman coming off her holidays and returning to her home in Liverpool. She realises she has some messages on the answer machine and listens to them. The first two are just people selling things but the last one is from her husband who sounds like he’s in trouble. Sara rushes to the aid of her husband living apart at the moment only to discover he has been brutally murdered. Can the team discover what has happened to this poor man? Can DS Nathan Cody defeat his demons once and for all?

End of the book it took a whole different turn that I did not see coming. Then all the points started to click into place and how it all connected together! Which was so cleverly written different to the other books he has written.

Overall I would recommend this book but I felt there wasn’t much drama and trill like the last book which I loved every single part of the story and world I was transported in. After reading the acknowledgements from the author I understood why he wrote the book the way he did as he wanted us to connect with Cody on a different level and understand what Waldo and clowns did to him. But I think it revolved too much about that and not about a case that you want to keep digging into to find out the answers. But overall it was a very good story and I can’t wait to see the next adventure the team goes on!

I didn’t realise before reading this that it wasn’t the first in the Nathan Cody series and think if I had read some of his other ones first I might have enjoyed this book more.

The books starts of great and drew me in quickly - I loved the coded message left for Sara and how she was able to work it out!
Cody is a complex character and had obviously been through a very traumatic experience whilst in the job (this is when I would have been helpful to read previous books) so we see many sides to him. I found it hard to like him and some of the situations he is put in by Waldo didn’t help either.
I found an awful lot of this book was based on the other books so at times I felt it slow and hard going. The beginning of the story was exciting, the middle was ok and then the ending seemed very quick and rushed. It does leave you hanging on for what will happen in future books though which is good!

A mixed review of this book but as previously said, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read David Jackson’s books previously.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Zagreb and Netgalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

'Sara! Remember! Victoria and Albert. All I can say. They're here. They're-' 

These are the last words Sara Prior will ever hear from her husband.

As DS Nathan Cody struggles to make sense of the enigmatic message and solve the brutal murder, it soon becomes clear that Sara is no ordinary bereaved wife. Taking the investigation into her own hands, Sara is drawn into a world of violence that will lead her in a direction she would never have suspected.

For Cody, meanwhile, things are about to get personal in the darkest and most twisted ways imaginable . . .



Well, I didn't like this...........I absolutely LOVED it. I only realised after I'd started reading this that it is a series but it can be read as a stand alone but I will definitely be going back to the start to read DS Cody's journey and how he got to where he is now in this book as it's clear that a lot has happened to him throughout the books. I devoured it in a couple of days, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I felt this was more of a psychological thriller more than a police procedure but enjoyed it no less. I also loved the female character Sara in this, it was great to read such a strong female character within this novel, I'd love her to be my best friend as she's such a kick-ass female who takes no nonsense but it becomes clear from the start that she's no ordinary bereaved wife when she demands to DS Cody that her husbands killer be found and will go to any length to find them which DS Cody is unaware of. We follow DS Cody on a journey of him dealing with his own past as he deals with what happened to him and continuing to happen as he struggles to cope and that twist, I certainly didn't see it coming.

I can't wait to read the first three instalments in the series and I've already ordered them from the library. Go and get this book, you won't regret it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I will kick this one off by noting that this is book four in the DS Nathan Cody series that, if not yet on your radar ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE. While you could read this as a stand alone, why would you want to miss out on three other incredible books?!?!

Which is to say that I am SO STOKED that this book was just as good as it’s predecessors, and I am more fully invested than ever in Nathan’s life. David Jackson has just unreal talent at writing police procedurals that make the genre feel fresh, and quite frankly, I would read anything this man wrote, including and not limited to his grocery list.

As usual, I don’t offer spoilers or recaps or hints in my reviews, because quite frankly, I think that readers should get to experience books fully for themselves without expectation. What I will say is that this book kept me up, quite literally, until almost 3 am because I was so entirely sucked into the plot that it was impossible for me to find a good place to pause my reading. I devoured it. This one is gripping, intense, twisting and ridiculously addictive. Addictive to the point that I have NO IDEA how I will wait for whatever David is working on next.

If you love police procedurals, a little dash of horror, and ALOT of thriller, than for goodness sake, get this series on your TBR ASAP. It will make for the perfect engrossing summer read that you didn’t know you were missing in your life. You can thank me later.

Okay, if you are someone (like me) who is petrified of clowns, this may not be the book for you. Here I am happily reading a delightful police procedural about a mildly stalker-ish woman who finds her husband murdered by way of being nailed to the floor and BAM! In come the clowns. Of course, I would have known this well in advance if I’d read the first book in the DS Nathan Cody series, but yeesh! The first time our friend Waldo made an in-the-flesh appearance I legit screamed, threw my book across the room, my heart-rate monitor indicated that I was at peak cardio activity sat on the couch, and my poor pooch started checking all of the doors in a rare guarding moment.

Seriously not cool.

But also, so damn good.

Once I got over the shock of Waldo’s presence in the story I ending up loving this book. DS Nathan Cody was just the right level of functionally dysfunctional and Sara Prior was seriously bad-ass. Supported by a dynamic cast of secondary characters including underworld scum who surprisingly enjoy watching cat video’s between beat-downs, sweet but socially awkward computer techs who are probably never going to invite a man over ever again, and a psychologist who apparently doesn’t have a clue what her client is genuinely going through there is never a dull moment.

Waldo’s game is one I would certainly never like to play, and it’s easy to see why DS Cody was starting to loose sleep over his interactions with this psychopath. The thought of someone coming into my house on the regular and breathing down the phone a all hours of the night seriously gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that’s just the kid stuff my friends – no spoilers here! The torture Waldo doles out is diabolic and sadistic, so much so that I couldn’t keep track of all the layers of manipulation or where the story going. I got so wrapped up in rooting for Cody’s success that I was utterly dismayed with every setback and twist in the plot. I love a book where I can’t guess the ending, and this one certainly hit that mark.

But it was Sara’s approach to solving her husband’s murder that truly kept me entranced. Her straight forward hit first and ask questions later approach had me in stitches more times than I can remember. I adored how she gave zero shits about which pot she was stirring, and somehow managed to create chaos in the criminal underworld with maximum efficiency. No one puts baby in the corner, but Sara Prior puts little boys playing at being thugs precisely where there belong.

The intertwined plots created a dynamic and gripping read. The mirrored scavenger hunts and mutual refusal to accept or ask for assistance created a sense of camaraderie and an overwhelming sense of vigilante justice at it’s finest. I was constantly on my toes and there were far more ups than down leading to a somewhat frenetic, but ultimately exhilarating pace.

I loved the writing style, with realistic language and human interactions. But with that being said, it’s certainly not simple – in fact there are numerous plays on words, intentional misunderstandings, and double entendres. There’s as much humour as there is thrill, which I really appreciated as these moments were tactfully delivered follow the darker and more heady passages. Ultimately, Your Deepest Fear is dynamic, engaging, and horrifying all at the same time.

A knocks it out of the park, dark thriller that more than delivers. A worthy follow up in the DS Nathan Cody series.

Warning: Contains very creepy clowns!

Every now and again I pick up a book by an author I don’t know and get that frisson of excitement that tells me I have found a new author and series that I just have to read. Why no-one ever told me about David Jackson and his D.S. Nathan Cody series, I have no idea, but from this, the 4th in the series, I know I have to go back to the beginning and read the whole lot.

Though this is the 4th, it reads just fine as a stand-alone, but will leave you wanting to know the whole backstory of how D.S. Cody of the Liverpool Police Major Incident Team arrives in the damaged state that he does; back on duty after an enforced leave of absence but clearly both physically and psychologically more fragile than before.

Your Deepest Fear grabbed me from the first. This is fast paced, exciting writing that gets your attention from the beginning and never lets go. Sara Prior is returning from a trip to her native Copenhagen. Recently separated from her husband Matthew, whom she misses enormously, she isn’t looking forward to going back to an empty house.

When she hears a cryptic message on her answering machine, she is seriously alarmed and heads straight off to Matthew’s new flat. Matthew, a quiet and gentle man, works at the Inland Revenue as an e-learning analyst, but some months ago he started to become even more withdrawn and depressive and that was when he left Sara.

Sara is of a different character to Matthew; she is confident and self-assured. Her military service as a native of Denmark has honed her fighting skills and she can certainly look after herself. Heading into Matthew’s flat, though, she is not prepared for what she will find. Matthew is dead – brutally murdered.

DS Nathan Cody has been clearly instructed by his boss, DCI Stella Blunt, that he is not to go anywhere near a fatal death crime scene until he has been assessed by a psychologist and cleared fit for duty. Cody is sent to interview Sara. He thinks she knows more than she is telling him, but her alibi for the murder is watertight.

Matthew’s laptop is missing and the team are puzzling over what could be on it that this mild tax analyst could have that a killer might want?

Sara, in the meantime, is determined to track down those who killed her husband. No stranger to stealth fighting, she makes her way through Liverpool’s seedier joints to find the man that Matthew’s cryptic message has pointed to.

Jackson gives us a dual trajectory for this story arc. Cody is off on a tangent of his own, brushing aside his team, and fixating on Waldo, his newly re-appeared clown nemesis, who winds him up like a clockwork toy and watched as he revs off in any direction that Waldo sends him. It is obvious that Waldo enjoys a sadistic game of pushing Cody’s buttons and Cody is too damaged and too close to the edge to realise that he’s being played.

Meanwhile Sara is also following a trail of breadcrumbs which she hopes will lead her to Matthew’s killers. It’s when their trajectories meet that all seems lost and we begin to wonder if either will come out alive.

Edgy, viscerally raw and incredibly tense, this really is a book that could easily give you nightmares. Those clowns are truly creepy and utterly malevolent and Waldo has to go down as one of the most evil protagonists out there.

I loved this introduction to DS Cody. Now excuse me while I pop out more of David Jackson’s books…

Verdict: Dark, creepy, intense, yet with a leavening humour, this is a terrific, fast-paced read for anyone who does not suffer from coulrophobia.