This is a quick satisfying read.
This is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone
There are a few twists and turns. Plus the ending is surprising

“At First Glance” by Paul Gitsham the 7th instalment in the DCI Warren series. I really enjoyed this novella, and will probably go back and read book one in the series. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I would probably read another. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I never did guess who it was and it was quite a surprise who the killer was.

I recommend this series to all my british crime mystery loving friends.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from HQ Digital and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

This was a quick read just to remind readers of why we all love Paul's hero, DCI Warren Jones. The shorter nature of the book provides a quick and fast investigation, and keeps the reader gripped from the very beginning. Brilliant writing, and recommended.

A short novella for those of us who have been waiting for the next DCI Warren book. Paul Gitsham gives us a quick view of what one of our favorite cops has been up to. Yes, it's a quick read but it is most definitely not short on mystery and action. A murder victim manages to leave a trail straight to his murderer but could it be a setup? While this is not necessarily an original concept, AT FIRST GLANCE gives us a veteran investigator who keeps the pressure on until we find an unexpected solution. Great reading experience you'll be able to finish in an afternoon.

Review for 'At First Glance ' by Paul Gitsham

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for HQ Digital Publishing

This is the first book that I have read by this author and even though I wouldn't actively go looking for others by him I would read more if I happened upon them.

This novella is the 7th book in the DCI Warren series but I read it as a standalone with no problem. There were no references to previous cases.

THE plot was OK and there were quite a few twists and turns which kept me guessing who the perp was. I never did guess who it was and it was quite a surprise which is always good in a crime novel. There is nothing worse than guessing the killer before you're even half way through a book.

THE characters were OK and realistic and the descriptions and writing were very well done. However at no point I felt I was 'in' the storyline.

Overall I think it was quite a basic crime novel and if I was to recommend it then it would be to fans of crime, murder, mystery and short stories.

Rated 3/5 ( It was OK) on Goodreads and Amazon (UK and. Com) and over 30 Facebook pages

113 pages

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I discovered this series last year, read all the instalment and became addicted.
This is an excellent novella with a fast pace plot full of read herrings and twists.
I was happy to meet again the cast of characters and appreciated the solid mystery that kept guessing.
The solution came as a surprise and it was interesting.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A great story which has you gripped from start to finish. This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last.

This is a dry, police procedural, without any character building. I hate being this critical, but, I am honest, my reviews are sincere, and I read half of the book before giving up. Sometimes you don't like the deceased, I can live with that, what I can't live with, is no empathy with the police detective, I want to know this person, his wife, or private life, so I can hope he finds the killer, how important it is that as Agatha Christie says, Murder is Murder, it should be punished, no one has the right to murder, unless in self - defense. It is interesting without any soul, I cannot think of any other way of describing this story.
Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

Despite there being six full instalments and three previous novellas in the DCI Warren Jones series it isn't necessary to have read any of them to enjoy At First Glance. The story centres around drug dealer Kyle Hicks who has his eyes very much on being a local crime kingpin but his ambitions have been curbed as he has been found in his vehicle having had his throat slashed from ear to ear. Warren and his team are called in to investigate and for all intents and purposes it seems to be an open and shut case. But is the criminal fraternity of Middlesbury, Hertfordshire, responsible as it initially appears or is this a more convoluted case than anyone could ever have imagined?

This is an exciting, twisty and rapid-fire novella and showcases Mr Gitsham’s aptitude for creating a captivating yarn. As always, this is well-plotted and enthralling from start to finish and miraculously some of the characters are more engaging and better developed than those in some full-length novels. The number of suspects becomes larger the more Warren and his colleagues probe the murder and they discover Kyle had many enemies of both criminal and the non-criminal kind. This leads to a riveting, logically progressing case that ends with quite the surprise. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HQ Digital for an ARC.

DCI Warren Jones is investigating the death of a minor drug dealer. His throat was but and following blood splatter, he was led to the door of another man .. .found on the verge of death. They also found the murder weapon and bloody clothes.

Because of the dead man's chosen profession, there are plenty of suspects. But who wanted him dead the most? Most people being questioned won't admit to knowing the victim, although this was his area and he was visible on a regular basis.

There are a few twists and turns along the way that ends in a very surprising way. This is about the 5th in this series featuring DCI Jones. Although 6th in the series, this one is easily read as a stand alone. As always, I recommend starting at the beginning in order to treasure those little nuggets that make up a really good series.

Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Netgalley for this crime fiction novella. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5 STARS

I'd not read any of the books in this series until this novella (thanks Netgalley) so this was a nice introduction to a character who clearly has a following. It's a fast paced (must be given the length) procedural where DCI Warren Jones and his team solve the murder of a drug dealer. There aren't many surprises or there isn't much time to sink into the characters but it's a good read- perfect for an afternoon- and rewarding in its way.

‘A must read… Gripping.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

When a small-time drug dealer is found with his throat cut, a trail of blood leading to the weapon and killer, DCI Warren Jones looks forward to a fast resolution. But what seemed like an open-and-shut case quickly becomes a twisted trap: an innocent man set up to take the fall.
 
Everybody knew the victim, but witnesses are sparse – no one wants to get involved in a turf war. The one detail Warren has to go on is a mystery accomplice seen with the victim before his death: a man called Madman. A man who doesn’t seem to exist…

My thoughts about this one was brilliant loved it amazing thirller ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My first ever novella and I felt slightly 'short changed'. A classic murder mystery and DCI Warren is an excellent character. On the plus side there were few sub plots,, but credit to the author Paul Gitsham for packing so much in.

Still felt as though I would prefer a longer story. I see he has written the sort of book I could really enjoy and I will try one or two of these.

Thanks to Net galley and HQ Digital for the chance to read and review.

I have read most of Paul’s books apart from the last couple, and unfortunately I can’t remember all the characters that well. I need to go back and re-read them, time permitting.

This was a good story, with a few red herrings and an excellent ending, but I have to say I had the miscreant in mind! It kept me well entertained and I flew through it as it was a novella.

I shall go back now and re-read the earlier ones and carry on with the series.

My thanks to the author, the publishers and net galley for the ARC.

At First Glance, by Paul Gitsham, is a novella set in his DCI Warren Jones series.

I find it always interesting when authors try themselves at the art of the novella, between installments of their respective series. Lee Child does it with Jack Reacher. Jonathan Maberry also does it with Joe Ledger.

In the afterword to Different Seasons, published in 1982, Stephen King described the difficulty in getting publishers to accept novellas. They were atypical and uncommon. Not short stories, and not novels either. He likened the world of novellas as an anarchy-ridden literary banana republic, and was grateful for having been able to publish a book of them. He has another such book coming out soon, If It Bleeds.

This situation obviously changed with the advent of e-books, and Stephen King himself wrote the excellent Ur, a Dark Tower linked novella, to celebrate Amazon’s Kindle launch.

HQ digital, a division of Harper & Collins, is one of those publishers cultivating the art of the novella. And, Paul Gitsham excels at it. At First Glance is the fourth one in his DCI Warren Jones series. It takes place between the fifth and sixth full length novels featuring the character.

It begins with the rather routine murder of a drug dealer in his car, stationed at his usual corner. The perp is quickly found at his house, not far from the crime scene, almost overdosed on pills and alcohol. But, of course, this not being a short story, the case is more complex than it appears.

The shorter length of the story is not detrimental to the characters. Warren Jones is depicted as a no-nonsense DCI, keeping a watchful eye on his team, having recently welcomed new detectives, keeping them at high standards, and adamant in doing everything by the book.

As such, and however surprising it might be, this novella can serve as a good jumping on point for new readers, allowing us to get acquainted with DCI Jones and his team, while delivering a fast paced and solid police procedural.

Each chapter narrates a day in the investigation, and Paul Gitsham even manages to cram a few unexpected twists in the ninth and final one.

At First Glance is a quick and satisfying read, and certainly made me want to delve further in the DCI Warren Jones series. An except of the next novel is provided in the backpages.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this short story. It was gritty, filled with excellent characters and had plenty action and suspense. perfect for reading whilst travelling. Another good read by Paul Gitsham. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A novella can be a strange read with it not being a nice short story nor a longer full feast one. They can also be hit or miss.

At First Glance from Paul Gitsham is definitely a hit as he allows time for the story to breathe without having to include sub plots to create a longer book.

The story is part of the DCI Warren Jones series and with already established characters that helps with the storytelling.

The plot focuses on the death of a local drug dealer but is everything what it seems at first glance?

Like I said I definitely enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one

Recommended

This is the first book by Paul Gitsham I have read. “At First Glance” is a short story written in between his main novels. It was an easy and intriguing read. It gave you a unique perspective of police procedures. The “who done it” looked to be a quick and easy crime to solve, but as in all good crime novels there are twists in the plot that make it more challenging.

I am not the biggest fan of short stories as they very rarely completely satisfy me. That said, I am a fan of inbetweenie shorts of series that I enjoy, such as this one featuring DCI Warren Jones.
Local drug dealer Kyle Hicks is found dead in his car. The police follow a trail back to a nearby house and find what they think to be evidence that both solves and closes the case. But are things as they appear...? Jones definitely doesn't think so and is not about to sign it off just yet. He just needs more to go on...
I do love these inbetweenies and feel that they are better read by people who enjoy the main series rather than just diving straight in cold. That said, they can also be a way to judge whether you as a reader will get on with the author's style, albeit probably leave the book wanting to know more about the characters as the assumption is made that you are already familiar with some of them. The author is also quite clever as he also introduces some fresh blood to the team in this book.
The plot herein is interesting and, although I guessed some of the main things there was still something that surprised even me towards the end. Apart from the prologue, the story is told by Jones himself which means that the reader only really knows what he does which I find to be a very effective way of telling a short. We get to see his methodical approach and see what makes him tick.
All in all a good addition to an already great series. This will keep me going until the next full length novel is out which I believe will not be too long in coming. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy of At First Glance, a novella featuring DCI Warren Jones of the Middlebury, Herts Police.

When local drug dealer, Kyle Hicks, is found in his car with his throat slashed DCI Jones and the team follow the blood trail to what they think will be a quick solution. Things, however, are never as easy as they seem.

I thoroughly enjoyed At First Glance, which is a quick but detailed police procedural with a twist. It is told entirely, apart from the prologue, from Jones’s point of view so the reader can get stuck in and concentrate on solving the crime along with him. I like a good procedural with its constraints and protocols as it always gives a novel a solid framework. In this case suspects are arrested and released and the solution comes from the hard slog of routine procedure.

I think the solution is supposed to be a twist but it was fairly obvious from about half way through where it was going, although the author does manage a surprise just before the reveal. This did not spoil my enjoyment of the read as I like the slow inevitability of the genre, where the investigation starts with a wide net and inexorably draws closer to a solution as more facts and evidence come to light.

At First Glance is a short, easy read that I have no hesitation in recommending.