Death at Dead Man’s Stake sounds like something from the Wild West, but it is, in this new novel by former copper Nick Oldham, an incident at an isolated farm in Lancashire. With his veteran Henry Christie perhaps taking a well-deserved break at his (hopefully) rebuilt moorland pub, Oldham introduces Detective Sergeant Jessica Raker. After fatally shooting a London gangster following a botched raid on a jewellers’ in Greenwich, Raker has been moved to the North West – where she grew up – in an attempt to distance her from the dead man’s vengeful relatives.

Her first day is nothing if not eventful. She has barely unloaded her kit into the Sergeant’s office from her car, when she is called out to a crisis at Dead Man’s Stake. When the local fire brigade attends an unexplained fire in the derelict farmyard, one of the firefighters is grabbed and held hostage by the farmer, a drunken, mildly crazed man called Bill Ramsden. Jessica rescues the fireman after tazering Ramsden. Her day is not over, however. A cantankerous old man, resident of a local cafe home, is found dead, his corpse floating in a nearby reservoir. Raker, viewing the scene, suspects that a physical struggle lead to the old man ending up in the water.

Jessica Raker is a good copper, but she has been dealt a poor hand. At the Greenwich heist, who was one of the customers eying up an expensive item at the moment the robbers burst in? None other than her husband Josh, a high flying player in a City firm. And the piece of jewellery was intended not for Jessica, but for his secretary. Improbably, the marriage has survived, and Josh is now working in Manchester, but resentful at the move.

Meanwhile, we learn a little more about the man Jessica shot dead in Greenwich. He was the most ungovernable of the sons of Billy Moss, a millionaire crook grown rich on the proceeds of all manner of criminaity, ranging from the inevitable drug trade to trafficking people. Goss wants revenge. He wants the hapless amateurs who lured Terry Moss into the doomed jewellery raid, but most of all, he wants Jessica. The problem is that the Met Police have done a very good job in smuggling her away to the Ribble Valley, and she has gone completely off the Moss radar. Nonetheless, a professional killer is hired to hunt her down and end her life. While on the school run, Jessica bumps into an old adversary. Years ago, when she was growing up in Clitheroe Jessica and Maggie Goss fell out over a mutually desired boyfriend, and Maggie, now boss of huge scrapyard empire, hasn’t forgotten the teenage slights. What is more important is that the scrapyard business is a million miles away from being strictly legit, and one of Maggie’s LinkedIn buddies is none other than Billy Moss.

It is not just Nick Oldham’s years of experience as a working copper that makes his books so good. Nor is it the loving and detailed sense of place, where he describes a beautiful and windswept rural Lancashire, blissful yet only an hour’s drive from pockets of deprivation and criminality like Blackpool. For me, what puts his novels up there on a pinnacle is his sense of dialogue – nothing flashy or pretentiously poetic – but an unerring version of how real people actually speak to each other.

As the Moss organisation moves against Jessica Raker, there is a satisfying symmetry to the main plot, as it ends where it began, out at Dead Man’s Stake. This is a firecracker of a police thriller, and Nick Oldham has established a cast of coppers, with Jess Raker at its heart, who will keep us entertained for many years to come. The novel is published by Severn House, and is available now.

This book I thought was outstanding, I just could not put it down until its conclusion and I was so gripped by its exciting story which had me spellbound until it's very dramatic conclusion.
A split-second decision has life-changing consequences for Metropolitan Police firearms officer Jessica Raker when she fatally wounds the son of a notorious organized crime chief during a robbery in Greenwich - and discovers her husband has been having an affair.

With her career, her marriage and her life in danger, Jess is sent back to her home town of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley to take up a sergeant role in Lancashire police. But as she throws herself into dealing with a hostage situation up on Dead Man's Stake Farm and a body discovered in a reservoir on her first day, her enemies are plotting their revenge - and they're closer than she thinks . . .
The author has thoroughly researched his story and this gives an authenticity to it which is very helpful for the reader. The descriptions of places and other characters in the storyline are dealt with in a very careful manner

This is the first book that I have read by the former detective author and I hope it won't be the last as I have bought all his previous titles. It is such an exciting book that I strongly recommend it.

A new police procedural series with a strong female main police sergeant. Jessica is part of the firearms squad in London when she kills a gangster after a robbery. After a short time in admin, she is moved to the Ribble valley in Lancashire to run a police station. The area where she grew up. Her first week is eventful and she is not welcomed by all her co-workers. Meanwhile, the gangster family have put a price on her head, at least once they find out who she is.
This book has an interesting plot, moves quickly and has shortish chapters which make for easy reading on the whole. The characters are well portrayed and believable and the limitations of rural policing are described well. There are a few twists and there are coincidences which perhaps stretch reality a little? Saying that, I thought this was a solid book based on different investigations.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

When I first learned that Nick Oldham had embarked on a new series of crime thrillers I was pleased to find they are set in the Ribble Valley, a vast area of great natural beauty, which I was lucky enough to call home many years ago. The author has drawn the location with obvious affection and afforded it the dignity it deserves.
As a curtain raiser to a new series this novel is an absolute belter. The plot is full of intricate twists and turns and is clever and compelling.
Jess Raker is an interesting and intriguing lead character. Just the right sort of person to meet the demands of policing rural Lancashire and brings an authentic back story with her. All the characters - good and bad - are drawn with pitch perfect realism.
Can't wait to read the next installment in this series.

A new series by Nick Oldham, a kick-ass and intriguing heroing, humour, and a great cast of characters
Give me more soon as I thoroughly enjoyed it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Action packed, take no prisoners, read!

Wow! A new series from Nick Oldman. Sergeant Jessica Raker, a member of the armed response team shoots dead a jewel thief a split second before he opens up on her. There’s an immediate grilling and inquiry from the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Her identity is protected during the court case. Jessica is cleared.
However word on the street is Jessica has had a hit taken out on her. Costigan, the Detective Chief Inspector who gives her the news is gunned down as they’re both returning from coffee. Was he the target or was Jessica?
Jessica refuses witness protection but takes a position at Clitheroe Police station, Lancashire, where she came from. It’s a promotion.
The constable who’s temporarily filled the position nose is out of joint. Jessica hopes he won’t be awkward but she’s not going to take any grief from him. Her misogynist governor is not pleased and despite calling in favors still can’t find out how Jessica obtained the position.
The patch she’s assigned to starts with a bang. An older man from the Pendleton Care Home has drowned. Jessica is suspicious!
Then there’s Maggie Horsefield. They’d been together all school. Maggie now runs the family scrapyard business and it seems it might be linked to the drug trade.
Then everything breaks lose and Jessica finds herself fighting for her life.
Must admit to staying up reading this to the wee small hours of the morning.
Can’t wait to read the next Jessica Raker novel

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A strong start to a new procedural series that features Sergeant Jessica Raker and her new team in Clitheroe where she's been moved due to a shooting in London. Her life has been turned upside down, not only thanks to threats from the Moss gang but also due to her husbands infidelity, but she's still a cop and a good one. This has an interesting set up, a twisty plot, and nice atmospherics, Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A very good read and now I'm looking forward to the next one.

My thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Death At Dead Man’s Stake’, a Jessica Raker thriller book 1 written by Nick Oldham, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Following the fatal shooting of Terry Moss, the son of the Moss gang leader, Jessica Raker is moved from the Metropolitan Police’s firearms unit to fill the position of sergeant in her home town of Clitheroe. On her first day she becomes involved in a hostage situation and the death of an elderly man found in a reservoir, but she needs to keep her background a secret as she knows that eventually the Moss gang will seek her out for retribution.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Death At Dead Man’s Stake’, an exciting thriller with a well-written plot that begins as Jess arrives in Clitheroe. The alternate chapters telling of events in Greenwich and the circumstances surrounding Jess’ removal have been handled perfectly, clearly and succinctly. I don’t know why I’ve not read any of this author’s previous novels as I’ve been swept away by the fast-moving plot and brilliant characterisations, especially the way Jess has when dealing with people and the friendly working relationship she forms with PCSO Samira Patel. I don’t want to rush the author but I’m really looking forward to reading book 2 and watching how the characters develop.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Sergeant Jessica Raker has returned to the Ribble Valley after starting her working life within the MET Police rising to be a Firearms Officer. Jess, along with her husband, Josh and their two kids - Lily and Jason are currently living in a small village as someone from Jess's past is wanting to catch up with Jess over something that happened in her past approx 12 months ago. In the present - Bart Morrison goes on a walk about to the Audley Reservoir from his apartment at the Pendle View Care Home in Clitheroe, and something happens to him whilst he is there. Jess along with PCSO Samira Patel and Detective Doogie Doolan have their suspicions that something happened here. Who? Why? How? What? All of these questions are answered via a few twist and turns within this fast paced and page turning book. Bring on book #2!!

Death at Dead Man’s Stake by Nick Oldham is the first book in the Jessica Raker series, and it's off to a good start.

A split-second decision has life-changing consequences for Metropolitan Police firearms officer Jessica Raker when she fatally wounds the son of a notorious organized crime chief during a robbery and discovers her husband has been having an affair.

With her career, her marriage, and her life in danger, Jess is sent back to her hometown of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley to take up a sergeant role in Lancashire police. But as she throws herself into dealing with a hostage situation up on Dead Man's Stake Farm and a body discovered in a reservoir on her first day, her enemies are plotting their revenge.

I really like Jess as a character, as she is a strong female protagonist. I also really love Samira.

It took a bit of getting used to the back-and-forth of how Jess came to be back at Clitheroe in the first part of the book, but then the story took off and didn't let up until the surprising ending. I cannot wait for more in this series with these great characters.

I would recommend this book, and I am looking forward to more in this new series.

#DeathatDeadMansStake #NetGalley @severnhouse

This new series by Nick Oldham definitely looks promising! An interesting lead character and a fascinating story line. The characters in the author's books always come alive and you feel that you know them. I am looking for to following Jessica's adventures and hope that she is here to stay.

This is a great start to a very promising new series featuring Sergeant Jess Raker, recently relocated from the Met police to Lancashire. Jess is a strong character, with empathy for her colleagues and the storyline is strong and well thought out. I really liked the read, it is very enjoyable and I would recommend to lovers of police procedurals. I look forward to the next chapter! Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 3rd Sept. This plot was chilling and breathtaking I liked the character Jessica as it moved between past and present when she was a former Met firearms officer and now she has relocated to her native Lancashire as a patrol sergeant.

It was a great plot and this promises to be an excellent series this is the first in the series. I can’t wait for the next instalment! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars! 😊

Death at Dead Man's Stake is the first in a new series featuring Sergeant Jessica Raker. Formerly a Met firearms officer, she is relocated to her native Lancashire as a patrol sergeant. The opening section of the novel alternates between the incident in London and her new life. Day one on the job sees Jess take on a murder investigation.

As Jess and her team investigate, links to some well known local criminals come to light. But Jess doesn't know that her past is about to catch up with her.

This is a good read, and sets up the series well with several loose ends left at the end of the novel. WIth a strong lead character and an interesting supporting cast there is great potential for an engaging and exciting series to develop.

Life for Metropolitan Police firearms officer Jessica Raker has been satisfying professionally, perhaps not personally. Her son is still young but her daughter has become a recalcitrant teenager and she and her husband not longer share the closeness they once had. Life becomes more complicated when Jessica kills one of the robbers of a jewelry store (and why was her husband there?) and the robber turns out to be the favorite son of gang leader. Jessica and her family are is relocated to Clitheroe, the small town where she grew up. She brings her problems with her: her angry husband, their troubled marriage, unhappy children, and the worry that she is being stalked by a hired killer. She finds new problems waiting in Clitheroe: jealousy on the possibly corrupt police force, a rare murder in the district, and Clitheroe’s version of organized crime. Who will give up her location? How long will it take for her to be found?

Death at Dead Man's Stake is the first in a new series and I can’t wait to read what comes next. Jessica Raker is a competent police officer with serious problems. You feel her insecurities and worry with her about the assassin following her. The plot is well organized and the country location ( I had to look up cattle grid) is well described. This is an excellent police procedural! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House and Nick Oldham for this ARC.

DEATH AT DEAD MAN'S STAKE - I found this book interesting, well written and immersing. I like the alternating chapters of and present, both intriguing. Good characters. Multiple story lines, one of which continues, although I do not consider that a cliffhanger. I look forward to the next book. Source: Netgalley. 4*

When firearms officer Sergeant Jessica Raker fatally wounds a man in the course of her duties she unwittingly puts a target on her back. Deciding the best thing is to move from the Met to her hometown, Clitheroe, she is hoping to put the past behind her and have a slower pace of life.
But, on her first day, she deals with an armed hostage situation and the discovery of an elderly man’s body in a local reservoir.
Jess soon discovers that not all of her new colleagues are welcoming, and the past can’t be left behind as easily as she had hoped. Who can Jess trust as she tries to build a new life for herself and her family?
This is a great start to a new series. Fast moving, at times tense. Jessica Raker is a brilliant character, full of warmth and humour and a down to earth attitude that is refreshing.

I choose this Netgalley book to review because I like police procedurals and this one sounded interesting even though I had never heard of the author. But I could not finish it because of the way the narrative is structured. Chapters alternate between different timelines/places and different cases. Consequently, just when I become interested in following one line of inquiry, it switches to another inquiry. Consequently, nothing makes sense. I dnf’d at the 40% mark. I have never before come across such an odd way of writing a fiction book.

I've enjoyed the author's brilliant Henry Christie series. Although he's promised we will hear from Henry again, this book introduces a new character Police Sergeant Jessica Raker. We learn why Jess had to leave the Met. She joins the Clitheroe team in Lancashire, but very few know what happened.
Jess is into action straight away on her first day, with a cantankerous and very drunk farmer holding a Fire Brigade officer hostage. Jess and PCSO Samira Patel drive up to the dilapidated farm at Dead Man's Stake.
Jess's marriage to Josh is under strain. He had a fling whilst they were still in London and he hates the move north. They have two teenage children Lily and Jason. Lily hates the move north also.
Jess gets on the wrong side of her line manager Inspector Price who is based in Blackburn, a good distance from Clitheroe. She also finds that PC Dave Simpson unfriendly as he was acting sergeant before Jess arrived. However Detective Constable Dougie Doolan is a friend although he is nearing retirement and particularly she gets on with Samira.
The Moss gang in London have put out a contract on Jess and are desperately trying to locate where she has gone. Dead Man's Stake will play another part in the book for Jess before the end.
This definitely is another winner for the author. I know Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley with the Trough of Bowland, beautiful countryside, a great setting for Jess and I look forward to more books set in Lancashire. I also look forward to when Jess and Henry meet!?
Very much recommended.