Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have read another book by this author, but not one in this series (although there are elements of interlinking / crossover throughout her series). I didn't feel that I'd missed out as information about previous events and cases was provided to ensure understanding of their impact. I did find it a bit difficult to get a handle on the large number of characters but clearly this would not have applied if I'd read earlier books and 'met' some people previously. That said, I really liked the team and enjoyed the personal and working relationships. The author created good imagery of the local scenes, and reactions of characters to events were realistic. I thought this was an excellent book with an interesting, twisted tale and I intend to read more of this and associated series.

Book 14 in the DI Nikki Galena series . A fantastic read with yet again a great storyline. I really don’t know how Joy Ellis does it , she has several different series that she writes and each book in each series is so original and gripping and there’s never 2 books that have similar storylines!! Highly recommend!!

Beautifully and atmospherically threaded with multiple storylines. Strong sense of place. Believable characters even in the context of the mysterious and mad Fenland.

3.5 stars

DI Nikki Galena, DS Joseph Easter and the team are stretched to the limits with three cases stretching their resources.

First Nikki is being targetted by the mysterious 'Detective Oliver' who says she's failed to find justice for four missing women, now cold cases. The trouble is none of these cases were hers. Meanwhile Vonnie and Cat are dealing with a mysterious figure stalking young women and also a teacher concerned with a family violence situation concerning two of her pupils.

This book is the fourteenth installment of Joy Ellis's DI Nikki Galena series, but the first for me. However I am a big fan of the audiobooks for Ellis's DI Jackman and DS Evans series narrated by Richard Armitage.

I'm impressed by the way Joy Ellis can seamlessly move the action from one plot to another and combine them seamlessly. It was also lovely to see a bit of a crossover with characters from other series by Ellis, such as Matt Ballard. Refreshingly the teams all seem to be like a found family, getting along well. Though at times I do find the dialogue and overall vibe a bit too earnest at times. There's a lot of 'love this' 'darling that' between characters who are partnered up that come off as a stilted I guess. I can't quite put my finger on it.

This book is a good solid, dependable crime thriller. I was really unsure how it would end. Ellis captures the mood of the Lincolnshire Fens that makes me really curious to travel there and see it for myself! I am now looking forward to reading all the previous books in this series.

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Apologies for the massive delay to publish this.

This series is one of my favourites, I love the main characters, Nikki and Joseph and love how they work together to solve crimes! An interesting fast paced book, had me guessing right to the end! Well worth a read⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Joy Ellis is one of my favourite authors in this genre. I usually listen to her work on audiobook, so it made a change to read one of her books myself.
Once again the author weaves an intriguing story that captivates & holds her reader’s attention from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, definitely another brilliant storyline written in such a way it enthrals the reader. I also appreciate the way Joy writes strong female characters without caricature or stereotype.
A brilliant book from beginning to end,

I have been a fan of Joy’s work for quite a while now. I have read and loved every single book that she has written and released to date. I love all the characters in her books but I must admit that I have a special fondness for the character of Detective Inspector Nikki Galena. When I heard that Joy was due to release another book in the series, I knew that I had to read it as soon as I could get my hands on a copy. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the fourteenth book in the series is called ‘Graves On The Fens’ and it was released on 8th December 2022. It’s another cracker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading but more about that in a bit.

As soon as I started reading, I knew that I was reading something special and that I would struggle to put the book down. I was right on both counts. I had initially picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I was still sat there reading several chapters and an hour or so later. From then on it’s safe to say that the book never left my side. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because is travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. The more of the book that I read, the more that I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Graves On The Fens’ and I had to say goodbye to Nikki and her team. I found ‘Graves On The Fens’ to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

‘Graves On The Fens’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Joy Ellis. Joy certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a read and then some. Joy clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. Reading ‘Graves On The Fens’ felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride of a read with several twists and turns along the way. Joy has the knack of making the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Graves On The Fens’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Joy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Another winner from Joy Ellis. I look forward to her books and thoroughly enjoyed this one. I would recommend !
Thank you Netgalley and Joffre Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

DI Nikki Galena receives a letter accusing her of not doing a good job on the death of four young women. She doesn't know who the letter if from. So now she has to look into the old cases as well as the letter writer.
This was a great mystery. Joy Ellis certainly writes mysteries that keep you reading and not putting the book down.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Joffe Books.

Detective Nikki Galena and her partner Joseph Easter are back investigating the unsolved disappearances of four young women. Taunted in letters addressed to Nikki, the writer gives clues which lead to the bodies and also their killers. However the writer who calls himself detective Oliver doesn't stop at solving the cases the police failed to solve...he acts as judge and executioner! Then he decides to up the ante by kidnapping a young teacher and sets Nikki and her team a challenge to find her with 36 hours. Nikki believes this is personal and throws herself into catching this fiendishly clever killer before he kills again. Joy Ellis is such a clever, intelligent author who carries the reader with her every step of the way. So well researched, such authenticity, such involved plotlines and a relatable and very likeable cast of characters all add up to a brilliant book . More please!

So much going on….can several different mysterious situations going on actually be connected in some way? Definitely a complex murder investigation as more murders occur.
Plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged throughout the book.
The ending left me wondering where the author would be taking Nikki next.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Big thanks to both Joffe Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy of Graves on the Fens!

It all begins with an old-fashioned envelope addressed to DI Nikki Galena. Inside is a note that reads: "You failed me." The envelopes keep arriving, with details, time limits, and "hints" in order for Nikki to solve four cold cases. No pressure.

I was enthralled from the very beginning! I loved all the characters, including Rory, the quirky medical examiner. There is a side story starring Nikki's bio-mom, Eve, and her best friend Wendy, that kept me captivated as well. And we mustn't forget the side story about the stalker. (I usually dislike books with multiple storylines, but I found them all simple to follow and all of them were interesting!)

The pace was nice and quick, and I absolutely loved reading the slang used by people in the UK. (There was a list of them in the back of the book with definitions, but they were easy to understand based on how they were used.) Although this is book #14, I feel it can be read as a stand-alone.

I found Graves on the Fens to be brilliant, and I recommend it!!

DI Nikki Galena is based in the Lincolnshire Fens and covers a huge area with her team including partner and ex-soldier DS Joseph Easter. They live together but have to keep this low key as, if exposed, one of them would have to move stations. It's great to meet them again, together with the loyal team of DCs Cat Cullen and Ben Radley. There’s been a spike in both domestic violence and also reports of girls and women being stalked which highly experienced ex-PC Vonnie, now back as a civilian interviewer, and Cat are investigating when in a short space of time Nikki receives three rather strange air mail envelopes. Alarmingly the second one shows the sender knows her home address and seems to be blaming Nikki personally for letting them down in some way. The letter lists the names of four women, all still missing persons but the third contains something far more sinister – a mock-up of a police file, containing crime scene photos and evidence that this “Detective Oliver” has located the body of one of the women. It’s not long before they discover the actual scene and now have a murder investigation on their hands. So did Oliver just find the body or was he responsible for it being there in the first place and why does he have such a personal grudge against Nikki when she was never involved with the four original cases? Meanwhile Eve and Wendy have a new hobby which throws up an interesting mystery of their own to solve. With the discovery of more files and another body, the detectives must ask themselves if they have a very clever killer or a clever detective playing judge and executioner as the pressure on Nikki and her team increases to breaking point.
I adore pathologist Professor Rory Wilkinson, with his camp black humour and assistants Spike and “Cardiff” Erin, and also Wendy and Eve who make a devilishly clever duo. There is a great feeling of genuine care and loyalty within the team of detectives, and this makes the story all the more enjoyable. The plot is wonderfully clever and superbly delivered, the characters beautifully described, and the scenery and setting of these books is perfect, as always. It was great to see an appearance from Matt Ballard and the Squirrel Wars gave me a big chuckle. With both thrilling and shocking conclusions to each of the cases involved, this series, from a master storyteller, just gets better and better! 5*

This is my first book by Joy Ellis which is shocking as she is so prolific and I enjoy a good police procedural regardless of which side of the Pond the crime is committed. Detective Inspector Nikki Galena wasn’t going to be one of my favorite characters - that was true until she found her humanity and cratered my dislike. Understanding that she is going to be totally frustrated by the crimes and her inability to get on top of the situation I really had trouble with her general attitude while really enjoying her “legendary temper”. Maybe it’s that her significant other DS Joseph Easter is such a steady hand and great balancing factor. There are many interesting and multi dimensional characters who all play a part in solving the ultimate mystery and finding the perpetrator and Ellis provides solid descriptions and history so I never felt as if I was dangling.

The ultimate crescendo was just a little too something - I am not sure if it was the retribution that bordered on insanity or the need to best an equal while self-imploding. Not a big enough deal to put me off from looking for other installments of this series as well as Joy Ellis’ other books. Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for a copy.

DI Nikki Galena and her partner D.S. Joseph Easter find themselves playing catch up with a series of cold cases involving 4 missing girls who were never found .
An old fashioned air mail letter arrives for Nikki saying " You Failed Me ". Is this a general threat against the force or one directed at Nikki herself.
As more arrive naming four women, Nikki and the team start their investigation.
Before they get very far a letter detailing the whereabouts of the first girl together with a full investigation arrives signed off by an Inspector Oliver.
Who is this Inspector Oliver ?
How does he know the whereabouts of these four women`s bodies.
How did he gain access to all this information? Could he be police or is he the killer?
There is also a stalker on their patch following local women, sometimes giving a sinister laugh , making them scared to go out alone.
With so much going on and Oliver starting to give Nikki ultimatums, police from other districts are drafted in to help.
Then the unthinkable happens and a young teacher disappears on her way to school.
The race is on to not only find Oliver but to locate and rescue the teacher before its too late.
This is a really exciting read with numerous plot lines, even Nikki`s mother Eve and her friend Wendy unearth a family`s secrets when they take up metal detecting.
Hard to believe this is the fourteenth book in the series, all I can say is I hope its not too long to wait for number fifteen!

Many thanks to Joffe books and Netgalley for sending me this as an ARC.

Absolutely love this series of books. Joy Ellis is a first class writer and from start to finish this book was gripping, thrilling and exciting.
I love the characters the interaction between them. DI Nikki Galena and DS Joseph Easter are a superb team, they make for fascinating reading.
Its always a pleasure to read books by this author and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I can't wait for more of this series.

What a disappointment - I've finished it and now have months to wait before I can immerse myself in the next DI Nikki Galena story. Graves on the Fens is well-written, twisty in a well-directed way, there's a lovely team of police personnel and it's set in a fabulous part of the country, even if rather flat. The team are forced, in effect, to open four cold cases of missing girls when Nikki is sent a report on one and how the so-called Inspector Oliver solved it because of police failure at the time. It turns vicious and personal and she and her team apparently chase around a few step behind the oh so clever Oliver. There are a couple of side stories that I thought might be brought into the main one at the end and they added interest. I do like the indomitable Eve and side-kick Wendy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series and this was no exception. Joy Ellis gets better all the time. She is a prolific writer whose books are great page turners and great entertainment. It would make a great tv series.

Several items of mail sent to DI Nikki Galena indicates she has failed. It concerns the cases of four missing girls, never to have been found. But who, how and why has someone else solved these cases. Her team also have to contend with a stalker and a domestic abuse situation on their patch. Plus Nikki's mother also has some interesting finds.
An entertaining and interesting modern mystery with its cast of likable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series which can easily be read as a standalone story.

GRAVES ON THE FENS by Joy Ellis.
It arrives in the morning. An old-fashioned airmail envelope addressed to Detective Nikki Galena. Inside, on a single sheet of blue airmail paper, are three words:
You failed me.
The second airmail envelope arrives at Nikki’s home address. The same message. Only this time, it’s followed by four names: Alexandra Cornfield, Ruth Baker, Bethany Lyons, Leanne Delaney. Four missing women. Four local women whose bodies were never found. The contents of the third letter, delivered by motorcycle courier, are even more disturbing. The letter leads directly to the discovery of a body buried in a shallow grave out on the Fens. And Nikki and her partner Detective Joseph Easter are plunged into a baffling murder investigation. Someone appears to be pursuing a personal vendetta against Nikki— and she has no idea who, or why. But one thing she does know: whoever it is is playing a very twisted game — and if Nikki and her team don’t stop them, more deaths will follow.
I really enjoyed this book. Gripping from start to finish . 5*.