Marcus Grove works in hospital for the criminally insane, but facing disciplinary action. He is there harbouring knowledge from the patients about the skills on killing before performing his own executions.
Years later, Marcus is on a killing spree for his own perverse satisfaction. He wants to pass on his skills and seeks a protégé in artist, Lucy Williams. Lucy now needs to survive the ordeal and escape from Marcus’s clutches.
I was anticipating more of a juicy read from the description and previous books by John Nicholl that I devoured. Something just didn’t gel with this book.

This is a psychological thriller. The story is told from multiple perspectives. The writing style is very gritty. The characters are well developed and are a bit dark

Once again John Nicholl out did himself. The tension from the beginning only increased the more I read. OMG! It kept getting better and more challenging as the storyline rolled out. Readers familiar with John's writing are prepared for some of the more disturbing aspects of a deep dive into the psyche of the murderer.

I've read several other books by Mr. Nicholl and undoubtedly the murderer in this book is more heinous and frightening than the others. He was a true monster. Heartless, undeniably cruel, with a warped worldview. Someone with the money and means to act out his horrific fantasies. Mentally unstable enough not to realize how out of touch with reality he was. Unfortunately he had criminal cunning and tips from an actual serial killer so that he wouldn't make rage related mistakes that could easily cause him to get caught.

A loving family is torn apart by the egotistical psychopath that had his own family issues that made him hate his mother. A hatred that generalized to other women. This killer took all his anger and used it as a weapon against his victims. Unfortunately one of his victims was completely oblivious of the threat he posed. For the reader it was chilling as one continued towards a potentially horrifying conclusion.

The West Wales Police once again play an important role in the investigation of the terrible crime at the center of this book. Detective Sergeant Lewis is given a chance to show his investigative chops. DI Kesey domestic issues once again surface. There is a absolutely astounding twist at the end of the book. Mr. John Nicholl you sir are to be commended for your talented rendition of an amazing written dark psychological thriller / police procedural.

Very tense and gripping. albeit dark and twisted. It's rather graphic and often disturbing but highly compelling.

Love me a bit if John Nicholl…. An unputdownable thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its relentless pacing and mind-bending surprises, making it a must-read.

4⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Publication date ~ November 7, 2022
Page Count ~ 272
Audio length ~ 8 hours 26 minutes
Narrator ~ Jake Urry
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ serial killer, dark, violence, se*ual abuse, torture

Lucy wants to leave her abusive husband when she learns she's pregnant. She has a job opportunity from a man who wants her to paint a mural in his basement. Perfect, this will help her get some loot to leave him.

Nothing great goes on in Marcus Gove's basement though, since the reader already knows he's serial killer. It's as dark and disturbing as the blurb states.

We get other POV's from: Myra ~ Lucy's mom, Cerys ~ Lucy's sister & the detectives Laura Kesey & Raymond Lewis, which helped the story flow along at a fast pace. I could feel Myra and Cerys' pain when they didn't know where Lucy was.

This author is an ex-police officer and social worker, and worked for child protection services. I could tell this experience helped give a realistic portrayal to this book as we know these sick things really do happen in our world. Breaks my heart. I'll for sure read more of John's work.

I was able to listen to an audio copy as well.
Narration notes ~ he did a fine job. He didn't try too hard to alter his voice to a female and that was probably a good thing.

*Thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

An absolute perfection for lovers of psychological thrillers. Strong narrative, fast-paced plot, and intriguing characters – the book is a masterpiece. The book had me hooked, and is an absolute page turner. However, the blurb rightly calls out that it is not for the faint hearted. Some of the characters are dark, and as we explore deeper into the motive of crime. it gets sinister. The book will leave you at the edge of your seat, gripping the armrest harder than you may notice.

A strong recommendation for readers who love dark stories, and even darker characters. Don’t read the book with your lights off!!

I have read all of John Nicholls books and they are definitely not for the easily offended or the faint hearted.
The book had me gripped from the first page.
It definitely was dark and disturbing but I couldn't put it down.
It is very graphic, so be warned!!
Now I cant wait for the next one
I have to say, this was one of my favourites of his.
Shocking, graphic, disturbing but I loved it

This is a fast paced, action packed read which really isn’t for the faint hearted! I have loved it!

This is a book that kept me awake far too late! But it was worth it! I have loved this book and it’s a brilliant introduction to this author.

This is brilliantly written, has a mixture of fab characters and has kept me guessing throughout. This is a book that delivered on every level.

This book has converted me as a fan of this author. This is dark and intriguing. I was instantly pulled into the pages of this one.

I can’t wait to read more by this author.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I appear to be in a huge minority here as I really didn't enjoy this book. It has all the ingredients for the perfect thriller for me but they just didn't turn out well in the end. I had 3 major issues.
1. I understand thriller will have gory horror parts but on this occasion it was just too much. I found it vulgar and quite sick, I often had to just skim read as it made me quite uncomfortable at time.
2. The style of the writing. When not narrating from the kidnappers side, I found it overly descriptive. I realise you need to set the scene but I felt like the story was wrote and the author was told, we need double the amount of words for example (this is not actually quoted text but similar).......... She took a delicate China teacup from the top shelf from the cupboard to the left of the crome tapped sink. Whilst waiting for the top of the range kettle to boil she carefully added the newly opened carten of milk making sure not to spill a drop on the granite kitchen counter top....... It was just so wordy in places, I was just like, OK, she made a cup of tea, move on already!!!
3. My final issue was despite how drawn out some scenes were the ending was over and done in a blink of an eye! So confusing and could've been made alot more exciting.
It's such a shame as the actual plot was good, it just didn't gel with me unfortunately.
Thank you for the advance cope #NetGalley #TheCellar

I highly recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! The storyline was very interesting, it sucked me in and had me glued to my Kindle!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Dark and twisty thriller that was a great read. I wasn’t too sure what to expect between the name and the description but this one was good.

This was a gripping psychological thriller, it was full of suspense and twists and turns. It’s very dark but that didn’t put me off, I couldn’t put it down, I devoured it in a day. I was intrigued to see that it was based so close to home, as welsh is my first language it was nice to see it being used alone with many parts of Carmarthenshire south wales near me. The characters were great and story was very gripping and the style of writing was perfect. I have read many books by John Nicholl and all are very good, can’t wait for the next one to come out. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

REVIEW



Review for 'The Cellar' by John Nicholl.



Read and reviewed via NetGalley for John Nicholl and Boldwood Books



Publication date 7th November 2022



This is the seventh book I have read by this author. 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), 'The Carmarthen Murders' (First book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series) and 'The Tywi Estuary Killings' (Second 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 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), The Carmarthen Murders' (the first book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series) and 'The Tywi Estuary Killings' (the second 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 40 chapters and an epilogue. 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 and Brechfa, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧 and Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain 🇪🇸. 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 Marcus Grove, Lucy Williams, DS Laura Kesey and Detective Ray Lewis. 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.



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 Wales 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.


Yet another absolutely gripping and addictive page turner from John Nicholl. I have yet to come across one of his books that I don't absolutely love!! This dark psychological thriller has the perfect amount of suspense, gore and tension to keep you absolutely hooked throughout!! I love the fact that this book is based in Carmarthen which is literally 15 minutes away from me by car. . The fact that I recognised so many places really brought the story to life. John really describes Carmarthen perfectly and even when this book is filled with crime and murder he manages to portray the beauty of local areas. I love that John mentions the vegetarian cafe on Merlins Lane in Carmarthen (Waverley Stores & Vegetarian Cafe in anybody is interested to know what it is called and wants to visit themselves). The storyline is absolutely ram packed with crime, mystery, murder, suspense, tension, and everything you could ask for in an addictive psychological page turner!! It also has just the right amount of humour in to lighten the mood which I always love in crime books. Will I say more? Nope, sorry for the tease but you'll just have to pick up a copy to find out more. 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. I found the storyline to be unique which always a bonus with so many crime novels around it can get frustrating reading similar story lines constantly. I absolutely loved the ending and I wanted to congratulate John on his focus of Domestic abuse victims which is such an important topic that needs to be talked about more. 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!!


Enjoyed 'meeting' DS Laura Kesey again who I first 'met' in John Nicholl's 'The Tywi Estuary Killings' which is book 2 in his 'Carmarthen Murders' series and a book I would highly recommend.


I previously met one of the main protagonists DS Laura Kesey in the second Book in the 'Carmarthen Crime' series 'The Tywi Estuary Killings'. I was pleased to "meet" her again. Detective Sergeant Laura Kesey who was another huge part of the team and is very likeable and hard working although I do worry what is going to come of her relationship with Janet after bringing her holiday to a quick end. My heart went out to Lucy who was just trying to earn some extra money and show off her art work. I also loved Ray who I don't think I have met previously and who made me laugh a few times. He reminded me of Detective Inspector Gareth Gravel from the 'Dr Galbraith' and 'Carmarthen Crime' series by John although not quite as big an attitude problem!! I would love to meet Ray again as he is one of those characters that will stay with you well after finishing the book. All the characters are realistic and strong and John's vivid descriptions make them leap out of the pages. 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 John's next book which is guaranteed to be another explosive page turner!!


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.


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 and success 🥂 !!!



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, Action & Adventure, 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.



272 pages.



This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited, £22.38 in paperback and £23 in hardcover via Amazon at the time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!



Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.



Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews



#TheCellar #JohnNicholl #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #BookReview #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #KindleUnlimited



@TheCellar @John Nicholl @BoldwoodBooks @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Netgalley @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited



https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86



https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks



https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R



https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/



https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86



https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

A cracking, & very dark, psychological thriller which had me reading until the early hours (not recommended).

Marcus Gove is a vile, despicable & warped individual who, due to circumstance, is able to act out his fantasies in a secluded house with his own purposefully designed cellar. I did think of another Gove when I first read his name, that was the only snippet of lightheartedness I had.
Young women are disappearing but they are a dry run for Gove; he is targeting the lovely Lucy to enact his ultimate goal.
I’m not going to say anymore. A brilliant, fast paced read but not for the faint-hearted or those with a vivid imagination. There is some gore. You’ve been warned.

I don’t know how I’ve not read this author before & I will read more, but after I’ve had a chance to recover first.

This one wasn't for me and I DNF. I didn't like the style of writing or the content. Not at all what I was expecting.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Boldwood books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Nurse. Protégé. Murderer.
Marcus Gove has been all these things. He’s reached the pinnacle of his art and now it’s time for him to take a protege. Lovely Lucy is perfect for the role, or she will be . . .
Artist. Teacher. Daughter.
Lucy Williams is just like everyone else. She’s had some success as an artist, not so much success in love, but she’s getting by. But soon she’s going to have to become something else if she wants to be a survivor.
Detective. Ex-husband. Underdog.
Ray Lewis’s career isn’t heading anywhere. But he’s a solid detective and he’s determined to find Lucy no matter what the upper brass throw at him.
Three people. Ten days. Who will live and who will die?

This is a gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

found this one to be very fast paced. No hanging about, action started happening soon after starting.
I did get a but excited to see that Tenby was mentioned, myself, other half and children go on holiday in Tenby every year....this was soon forgotten as I continued reading on.
John Nicholl doesn't hold back on graphic details in this one. All though I did feel a bit sick with certain parts 😅 I was very eager to carry on and hope justice was to be served.
This is the first John Nicholl book I have read, although I do have a couple waiting on my kindle. Wasn't disappointed at all. Also the fact that prior to writing books he was a police officer and social worker, this gives it a more personal feel I think.

I found this book to be very disturbing and made for uncomfortable reading.. For this reason I wouldnt feel able to recommend it .
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC

I really wasnt comfortable reading the awful things done to those poor women, however that aside it was an amazing book, I couldnt put it down, i was willing the woman to survive, what an ending, so just! What a writer!