This book was everything I hoped it would it be.
I was hooked quickly and completely unwilling to put this down. I devoured this book in just one sitting. I have no regrets and can’t wait to read more by this author.

This is the second book of the DI Gravel series. This like his others is fast paced, dark and gory at times, highly recommended

REVIEW


Review for 'The Tywi Estuary Killings' by John Nicholl.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for John Nicholl and Boldwood Books


Publication date 20th June 2022


This is the sixth book I have read by this author and it was previously published as 'Before I Met Him'. It is also the second book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'Killing Evil' and 'The Doctor' (First book in the 'Dr David Galbraith' series) and 'The Wife' (Second book in the Dr Galbrailth series), 'The Father' (Third book in the Dr Galbraith series) and 'The Carmarthen Murders' (First book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series) which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its unique eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am a huge fan of true stories and although this book is fiction it is based on a true story. I loved John's other books called 'Killing Evil' and 'The Doctor' (which is the first book in the Dr Galbraith series), 'The Wife' (which is the second book in the Dr Galbraith series), 'The Father (which is the third book in the Dr Galbraith series) and' The Carmarthen Murders' (the first book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series) and if this is half as good as they are it's bound to be a page turner. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Boldwood Books. I have yet to read a book published by Boldwood Books that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of 35 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Carmarthen, Kidwelly and The Tywi Estuary, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that I live in Wales and only live a few miles from Carmarthen is amazing as I'm hoping to recognise a few local places.


This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Rebecca Smith, Detective Inspector Gareth Gravel and DS Laura Kesey. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

This book was reviously published as Before I Met Him.


'The Tywi Estuary Killings' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book John discusses/includes strong language and child abuse.


OMG!!!! Yet another fantastic success by John!! What a read!! Just Wow!!! This is one of the best psychological thrillers and series I have read in a long time,in fact that I have ever read!!!


The book is written perfectly and with such vivid descriptions it really feels that you are with the protagonists walking the streets of Carmarthen and Kidwelly with your heart pounding in a race against time.


Clear your schedules before picking this up because you won't be able to put it down!!


The storyline is absolutely addictive and gripping. I seriously WOULD NOT even start this book unless you have cleared your schedule because you will not be able to put it down!!! I absolutely blew through it in one sitting and it genuinely was unputdownable!!! A true page turner absolutely rammed with suspense, tension and everything you want when you read a psychological thriller. This would be absolutely amazing if turned into a movie, if done right of course!!! This is an absolutely gripping and addictive storyline. I absolutely loved John's 'Galbraith series' and when I discovered this series was being republished I couldn't wait to get stuck in. I didn't think John would be able to bring out another series as good as the Galbraith one as that was utterly explosive but yet again he managed it! For anyone interested in 'The Galbraith Series' the books in order are 'The Doctor' (previously published as 'White Is The Coldest Colour'), 'The Wife' (previously published as 'When Evil Calls Your Name' ) and 'The Father'.

This book is an absolutely explosive and addictive start to what promises to be an action packed series. I love the fact that this book is based in Carmarthen and The Tywi Estuary which is literally 15 minutes away from me by car and there was even some parts set in Kidwelly where I live. The fact that I recognised so many places really brought the story to life. John really describes Carmarthen, Kidwelly and the estuary perfectly and even when this book is filled with crime and murder he manages to portray the beauty of local areas. The storyline is absolutely ram packed with crime, mystery, murder, suspense, tension, and everything you could ask for in a page turner. It also has just the right amount of humour in to lighten the mood which I always love in crime books. I must say I was absolutely gutted by the ending and was not expecting it at all!!! Will I say more? Nope, sorry for the tease but you'll just have to pick up a copy to find out what I mean. I can't go spoiling it for future readers now can I? I love how John wrote this book giving the readers so many different perspectives from various characters so you get such a good insight into what is happening including from the killer. Not only is this a gripping and addictive storyline but it is immensely thought provoking. It really made me think and question that if I could get away with it would I do the same? Wrong and crime is not always black and white. Without revealing too much of the storyline it is hard to say what I want without exposing the story too much and spoiling it for other readers. Some readers will agree with what she does, some wouldn't. I absolutely agree with the fact that the justice system we have is a joke!! I think I'll have to leave this here as I dont want to risk giving anything away but needless to say this book is an absolute must read with an unexpected ending. I would love to see this turned into a movie!!

Although this is the second book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I previously met the main protagonist Detective Inspector Gareth Gravel in the Galbraith series and again in the first. Book in this series 'The Carmarthen Murders'. I was pleased to "meet" him again. Not quite the hero that some may expect Grav is sarcastic, has an attitude problem, loves to swear and has nicotine stained teeth but at least their his own! All of this made him one of the most realistic characters I have ever met in a book and he had me laughing out loud on several occasions!! I love that he says it how it is and doesn't hold back. I also enjoyed meeting Detective Sergeant Laura Kesey who was another huge part of the team and is very likeable. All the characters are realistic and strong. DS Laura has come into this series after we said goodbye to Grav's previous partner Clive Rankin in 'The Carmarthen Murders'. In this book Grav is called back from his holidays to find he has been partnered with Laura and it was intriguing to see how they would get on especially with Grav's old school attitude. However and surprisingly Grav and Laura actually made a good team in and they worked well together. I am intrigued to see how they will work together after what happened at the end of this book though. It was interesting to see Grav's approach to this case considering who the victims were and who the killer turned out to be. It was nice to see his softer side when they worked out who it was and I would have done the same thing and given the same advise as he did. The so called victims made me feel absolutely sick, ABSOLUTELY perverted sickos and it wasn't just them that shocked and disgusted me. However, sadly they are just as realistic as the other characters. This book really does make you question yourself and the law and is extremely thought provoking. As it states on the back of the book is it revenge or is it justice? I belive they got what they deserved and I would have probably turned a blind eye to what was going on. However, some may not agree but this would definitely make a great book club discussion!! Regardless of whether you love or hate them these characters worked perfectly to make this book absolutely unputdownable and I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book in this explosive series 'The Castle Beach Murders'. Keep your eyes peeled for my review for that.

I really cannot compliment and recommend this book more. It is a heart racing, nail biting, suspense packed psychological thriller that will stay with you for one hell of a long time. If you have read and enjoyed John Nicholl's 'The Victim' then you will love this!!

Congratulations John on yet another absolutely addictive nail biting edge of your seat novel. This is exactly why you are on my favourite author list!!! As always I'm looking forward to reading your next page turner!!!


Overall a unputdownable, heart racing, nail biting and addictive psychological thriller


Genres covered in this novel include Fiction Classics, Contemporary Urban Fiction, Thriller, Hardboiled Mystery, Adventure Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction Classics, Mystery, Urban Fiction, Police Procedural, Death & Grief, Cromer Fiction and Crime Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as Charlie Gallagher, Mark Edwards Lisa Regan, Carol Wyer, DK Hood and anyone looking for a page turning series.


282 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon at the time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


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Another mind blowing hit from John Nicholls. Even though I new how the book might play out from the beginning of the book, I was still in surprise mode. The writer did a wonderful job of engaging me in the lead characters lives. Their story helped me to understand the things that they did. These moments absolutely made the book even better. The descriptive details were so imaginative that the story took me down the rabbit hole and I didn’t care about looking back.

DI Gravel is supposed to be on mandatory leave, but when a severed head washes up on the estuary beach his holiday is cut short. Back on the job, he’s shocked when the case leads him to the victim from an old case

Seventeen years ago, the system failed Rebecca. They let the abuser of a six-year-old girl walk free. But she’s all grown up now and taking the law into her own hands.

Is this one killer DI Gravel doesn’t want to catch?

This is the second book in the dark, edge-of-your-seat Carmarthen Crime thriller series set in the stunning West Wales countryside.
This was definitely an intriguing and absorbing read. I really enjoyed this book and it will appeal fans of thrillers.

I wasn't a big fan of DI Gravel at the beginning of the first book but he grew on me and I liked him in this novel.
This is another dark and disturbing thriller, plenty of twists and some very graphic scenes.
It's a gripping and well written story, well plotted and with a cast of fleshed out characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

We meet DI Gravel again from the first book, now on holiday but called back when body parts are washed up on a local beach. He has been through a lot since the last book and is once again called upon to investigate a horrific case. Will he manage to bring Rebecca to justice this time having failed to get a conviction before? Or will she be able to carry on killing abusers to get her revenge for what happened to her as a child? A thriller of a book!

A good compelling read. Although it was a little too graphic for my taste I still carried on reading as I wanted to know how it finished.

This was the second in the series but it could be read on its own as I did.

The Tywi Estuary Killings by John Nicholl is book two in the DI Gravel series and I loved this series. I read it when it first came out and it was called " Before I Met Him" and It was another great read, This book was was dark, gritty and a very hard subject to tackle - of Paedophilic, Vengeance, and Justice. and it isn't for the faint hearted as there are scenes in the remarkable book that will make you cringe and can be very disturbing but will make you want to read the book more to see what happens.

I was hooked from the very first page and I just want to read more from this author!!!

Rebecca was Sexually abused as a small child by a local paedophile, that left her emotionally and mentally scared. Her assailant walked away "Free" and avoids prosecution, this tore her family apart. They tried to live a normal family life but the family was damaged. This is when Rebecca and her parents meets DI Gravel.

Seventeen years later, Rebecca now twenty three, has made it her mission to punish sexual predators. She does this by posing as children online, chatting to them, setting a trap, then luring them to her house, where she tortures them and slowly killed them.

*COME INTO MY PARLOR SAID THE SPIDER TO THE FLY*
"‘I’m in here. Come on. I’m in here. Come and play with me. I’ve been waiting for you…’

DI Gravel has been advised to take some time off work, as he is suffering from PTSD. Travels to Jamaica to visit his son. Whilst DI Gravel was on his vacation, a man's severed head, two arms are found washed up on a windswept estuary beach, by a dog walker. DI Gravel had to return home and lead the investigation.
I love the character of DI Gravel, he is fit in these book very well. He smokes a lot, heavy drinker and his language can be foul at times.
But, he is someone that gets results and one of the best detectives on the force.

I loved this book and can't wait for more from this incredibly talented author John Nicholl.

Seventeen years ago, the man DI Gareth "Grav" Gravel arrested for molesting 6 year old Rebecca walked free. After all these years, she still blames him, and she has a vendetta against pedophiles (this isn't a spoiler, as her involvement is clear all along). When body parts show up in a local estuary, Grav is called back from vacation to head up the case, getting to know his new DS along the way. The book is dark, and even though I don't consider myself squeamish, I found the "death" scenes almost too much to take, but overall it was a fast-paced thriller, with multidimensional characters.

As a young girl Rebecca was abused, her family are devastated but their world falls further apart when the CPS decide not to prosecute the abuser.
Years later Rebecca is an angry young lady, taking that anger out not only on her own family but far worse on men who enjoy abusing young children.
DS Gravel is on a much needed holiday and trying hard to reunite with his son when he gets called back to Carmarthen body parts are being discovered and it looks like a serial killer is on the loose.
Can Gravel unravel the case before the killer strikes again.
Another well written book with a great story line, unexpected ending and interesting characters.
Well done.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I like books like this and really enjoyed this fast paced who dunnit, would recommend.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review...dark and mysterious...a talented author...he writes a story that is difficult to put down, and at times, difficult to go on...wondering what will happen next. The characters are just not likable as is usually the case in mysteries. This is a story that reads like true crime.

This is an enjoyable detective story with engaging characters, an interesting plot that kept me hooked from the beginning and terrific pacing. I was surprised by the outcome of the book. I read this book in one sitting. It’s that good.
This book can be read a standalone and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling police procedural set in West Wales countryside.

Thank you to John Nicholl, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for the arc of this book.

The second book in Carmarthen Murder series, previously published as Before I Met Him. Okay I have read everything this author has written and I have never been disappointed. Personally I only read a book once but this author is not the norm. I still get goose bumps on my goosebumps when reading his books and this one is no exception.
DI Gravel is on leave and visiting his son when he gets a phone call to come home . A dismembered head has been found washed up on the Tywi Estuary with peodo carved into their forehead. Two dismembered arms have also been washed up. Something happened to Rebecca Smith when she was six years old and there wasn't enough evidence to convict. This event has shaped her adult life and now has only goal. Find and remove these monsters from the face of the earth one at a time. Graphic, brutal and utterly gripping. Be warned not for the squeamish.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Second book in the DI Gravel Series and easily read as a stand-alone. Great story that grabbed me quickly and I couldn’t put it down. The characters are not very likeable, Gravel is a grumpy, heavy drinking and slightly misogynistic character, but he is a good detective who doesn’t give up and I found he grew on me. Love the writing style, the plot moves along at a great pace.

Briefly, an abused woman, Rebecca, is targeting child abusers by posing as a child online and luring them into meeting, when she extracts her revenge on them.
Gravel is called back from his holiday to run the case, which he does in his own inimitable manner. This case is going to mean more than he realises: he has been haunted by a case where the victim didn’t get justice 17 years earlier, a child called Rebecca.

Well written and a good read, but beware if you don’t like gore in your books! The subject matter is also quite disturbing but handled in a sensitive manner. I loved it and give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of The Tywi Estuary Killings, the second novel to feature DI Gareth “Grav” Gravel of the Carmarthenshire Police.

Grav is on an enforced holiday when a severed head is washed up. Brought back from sunnier climes to lead the investigation he is surprised to find that Rebecca Smith is involved, the same Rebecca Smith who was abused as a six year old seventeen years ago and didn’t get justice.

I enjoyed The Tywi Estuary Killings, even if it is a different kind of novel than I normally read. The narrative is split between the investigative side, Grav and his new officer, DS Laura Kesey, and Rebecca Smith, so there is no question about the killer’s identity, motive or modus operandi. It’s all laid out in fairly glorious technicolour, which, coupled with Grav’s fruity language, may not make it the best fit for those with a weak stomach.

To me, the novel works on two levels. There is the investigation which is a fun read due to Grav’s personality, but it is never profound or realistic, serving instead as an illustration of how difficult it is to pursue and successfully prosecute sex offenders. This serves as a comparison to Rebecca’s experience as a survivor. She’s obviously not right and it can obviously be traced to her abuse, but more than that I don’t have the knowledge to comment on. It’s an incredibly sad situation.

The Tywi Estuary Killings held my attention throughout so I can recommend it as a good read.

Dark, Disturbing..
Previously published as ‘Before I Met Him’, this is the second in the Carmarthen Crime series. Detective Inspector Gareth Gravel is called in from leave following the discovery of a severed head on the estuary banks. This disturbing discovery leads him back to a distressing case from many years ago and a concerning realisation. The tale is written in a straightforward manner - almost matter of fact, with little unfolding of characters nor the twists and turns often present in crime fiction- but with a crime to solve and a resolution to reach. In reaching these aims, however, it is often gruesome and sometimes gratuitous. Dark indeed.

I have read all of John’s books, to say I have enjoyed them all is poor choice of words - the subject matter he writes about isn’t enjoyable, it’s downright shocking and sickening, but John writes in a way that absorbs me completely from beginning to end - I feel sympathy, compassion, anger, and disgust along the way.

The characters are well developed, and damaged enough to make them believable and relatable. I loved the description of Grav in his shorts, socks, and sandals - this made me smile and the image stayed with me throughout the tale. I also felt that Becca more than fulfilled the role of victim-turned-killer and I loved the ending - read it with my mouth agape.

A fabulous read - not one for the fainthearted. Next one please Mr Nicholl.

Another great story featuring DI Gareth Gravel, now with a new DS, Laura Kesey, following the death of his former DS Clive Rankin. Grav is diagnosed with PTSD following an assault on a fellow DI and is forced to take a holiday. Off to Barbados he goes to re-start his patchy relationship with his son Dewi. But Grav is Grav and all is not going smoothly before he is recalled back to West Wales to work on an investigation into severed body parts which have turned up on the beach. More intriguing still is the fact that PAEDO has been carved into a head. We know all the way through who the killer is and their motives for the killings, but again the race is on to catch the perpetrator and prevent any more deaths, however well deserved they might be. This is a very gritty and gruesome book, and not for those who have a problem with child sexual abuse and scenes of torture, but it will draw you in and keep you turning the pages. This is what John Nicholl does best!