Grips you and holds on - a fantastic spin into a psychotic fantasy world and the team of investigators submerging into it to find a brutal killer. Great series with strong female lead that has history but isn't broken - reminds me of Angela Marson's Kim Stone series, so those fans will thrive on this one. Great as stand-alone if you haven't read them all - but the series is definitely worth the time

A serial killer is loose in Greenborough. His victims are also killers but their victims are trees, shrubs and grass. This odd case becomes stranger when DI Nikki Galena and her team learn that the murderer vanished from his home twenty years ago, shortly after his father killed the family gardener. There’s more. He’s Lucas Hopwood-Byrd and suffers from Fantasy Prone Personality Disorder. He lives in a world of make believe, of fairies and auras and is on a search for the Elf King. Nikki learns all this from Lucas’ brother Harry who is desperate to find him before he kills again. Oh, and one other thing. Their father, Julien Hopwood-Byrd was a famous scientist who studied clairvoyance and was recruited by top secret government powers in both the US and England. So top secret, in fact, that a secret agent sort of officer is assigned to supervise the case. Joy Ellis mixes all these elements with great, well described characters and an atmospheric setting to create a captivating, if unusual, mystery. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for this ARC.

Another excellent installment of the DI Nikki Galena and DS Joseh Easter series of murder investigations. This time they are called in before the first murder - just. Two brothers - one sane - and one off with the faeries - quite literally. The old adage of an eye for an eye is brought to bear in how people are dying.

Loved it. As is usual with Joy Ellis books I read it in one sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Book thirteen Nikki Galena Greenborough CID along with DS Joseph Easter, are called into Cameron Walker's office he has worried lines with a tricky problem, the late Julien Hopwood-Byrd his son Harry wants a word that could leave them with a massive issue all concerning Lucas who has a propensity for killing, this is all they need. also a male burnt body has been found not far from where they are on Arthur Morton private estate. Luca Hopwood-Byrd was in complete control when he left the family home all those years ago never been seen since. This is the most gripping book in the series for me and I could not put it down never get tired of reading this authors work every book is always full of massive twists and surprises, may she continue to thrill all her readers with many more.

Fear on the Fens reads like an adult fairy tale with sinister consequences. We know who the perpetrator is - Luke, a fascinating character and we get an insight into his reasoning/thinking for his actions.
Joy Ellis is so imaginative and inventive. I thought it made a nice change to have this book [13 in the series!] mostly set in a wooded oasis in the flatlands, with an epic and unexpected ending on the marshes.
A very enoyable read and the author has done her homework. I loved her references to nature, specifically to the Bowthorpe Oak, near Bourne.

Julian Hopwood-Byrd. his project was called Stargate, defunct CIA project
Lucas a son,gone 20 years, a killer, or see spirts and beauty in nature
Harry gets message from brother Lucas, who is Elf King he refers to.
Two decades, a broken dysfunctional family, now a grisly murder.
Spooky a friend of Nikki, excited having information about UFO’s for them
A job offer for Nikki, great story with the family we like to hear more about.
Given ARC for Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
posted Goodread Bookbub…. Releases October 14, 2021..then Amazon

399 pages

4 stars

DCI Nikki Galena and DS Joseph Easter have a very odd mystery on their hands in this latest entry into the series.

A badly burned body is found in a wheelbarrow. It is located in an arboretum-like setting at Shelley House. Nearby, a brother is very concerned about his missing brother. He has been missing for nearly twenty years. Nikki and Joseph go to interview the brother while other team members respond to the burned body.

A tragic circumstance happened just before the brother disappeared at age thirteen. Lucas is an odd person. He has a personality disorder and sees the world in a very different way. Nikke has little time for Lucas’ point of view, but Joseph is more tolerant. The crux of the matter is that Lucas’ way of seeing the world causes him to strike out violently at those who do not respect nature as he does.

Could it have been Lucas who burned the man in the wheelbarrow? Was the burned man one of the people who trashed the rare tree at the arboretum?

The boys’ father was involved in a secretive experimental program in the US that has to do with his apparent high-level psychic abilities. A thorn in Nikki’s side arrives in the form of an agent who is more concerned with keeping the father’s involvement in the program a secret than any police investigation.

The writing and plotting of this book is excellent as is usual with Ms. Ellis’ novels. The transitions are smoother. I like Nikki and Joseph. Their relationship is wonderful. They work well together and compliment one another. The team gets along well and Nikki treats them all equally and notices their particular talents. Joy Ellis’ books are a treat to read. I will continue to read them for a long time to come.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Another jam-packed book in this Fens series by Joy Ellis! In this latest entry, DI Nikki Galena and her team have been contacted by a man who fears his brother is on a killing spree. The strange part is that he seems to be killing out of revenge for nature and the fairy beings in his woodland fantasy world. As in, when some trespassing teenagers start a bonfire that leads to the destruction of a beautiful tree, he hunts the main culprit down and sets him on fire. When the officers track down where the killer was working, they find that everyone believes him quite eccentric, yet harmless. No one can believe such a gentle soul would be capable of this torture.

Of course, as soon as the team begins their investigation, they are told that the name and appearance of the suspect cannot be dispersed in the media. His family has a sordid history with the CIA in the United States and top officials want everything kept secret. So, you know, find the killer but don't let anyone know who it is they're looking for. Easy, right? Nikki can't believe the case will ever be solved while they're under such scrutiny. But if anyone can do it, it's her team and they won't give up until this delusional killer is stopped.

I loved this book just like every other in this series. The story is lengthy and well-detailed, with so much backstory and different characters brought in throughout. There's a fun twist towards the end that most won't see coming. And because of the magical, otherworldly themes, this is definitely one book that you won't forget.

The language used by this author always makes me laugh; there's a deranged serial killer on the loose but "never fear deer heart!" Only Ellis can write a complex plot involving the security services, gruesome murders and a faery kingdom.
Ridiculous, amusing and engaging

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC..
Detectives Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter are trying to catch a very dangerous killer who kills people who harm the environment. He's been missing for twenty years and his brother is helping look for him. Their father worked for the American government, looking into psychic phenomena.
For some reason I couldn't get into the book, I got a bit bored. Sorry!

Yet another book I have loved. I can just get lost in the detectives story. Makes me want so many more written by the absolutely wonderful author

I'm just not sure about this one?! This book had suspense, action, intrigue and a great mystery, but it just didn't grab me?! Its definitely worth reading and I will recommend it but it just wasn't one of MY top favorites?! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Another fantastic Nikki Galena book from Joy Ellis. I am always astonished by the quality if writing from this author. I cannot understand why she is not better known. For me this series is a must read. The characters are alive on the pages, the plots are fiendish and the descriptions of the fells bring a real sense of place. If you haven’t met Nikki and Joseph yet, I highly recommend that you do. Start at the beginning and watch how Joy Ellis extends her characters. A true mistress of this genre.

Fear on the fens by Joy Ellis.
Detective Nikki Galena Book 13.
Detective Nikki Galena and Joseph Easter are called in to find a man who’s been missing for two decades and unravel the painful past of a broken family before anyone else dies. Can they do it? Brilliant read. I loved Nikki and her team
Niall Aiden Ben Kyle Yvonne and Cat are great. Also superintended cam. I love how they work together. I didn't trust Lucas or Harry at all. I wasn't sure about Julian or Anita either who were Lucas and Harrys parents. Dawson I wasn't sure about. C I do hope there is more to come. 5*.