Never Rest

I have to say that the start of this book as well as the end of it, seriously spooked me out. The author draws us straight in with the tale of Spitt, a serial killer who had butchered young women. Now serial killers are people who have always fascinated me so I was well and truly gripped as the description of Spitt’s house was so terrifying and there was no wonder that David Lithgow had come to get obsessed with the whole story of him.

Salvation Island is somewhere I have to admit I wouldn’t fancy living. A lot seems to go off there and the people are not quite as welcoming as you would expect. Mason is the police officer in charge and someone from Chris’s past. There seems to be a bit of un resolved chemistry of which didn’t seem to get anymore in the way of being resolved by the end of the book.

Chris is a likeable guy with a few issues of his own. He has held a bit of a torch for Mason for a lot of years and is one of the reasons why he takes on this case. I have to admit I was right with Chris when he gets on the Island and visits Spitt’s house. He becomes so wrapped up in it all that I felt at times, like him, that I was losing my mind.

Never Rest is one seriously twisted read. It is primarily a crime book but certainly has elements of horror to it. It certainly kept me on my toes and what a way to finish a book off! It certainly makes it one that you won’t forget in a hurry.

Chris Sigurdsson is an ex-detective now working as a private investigator. Approached by a woman, she wants to hire him to find her missing husband. She feels the police are not taking her seriously.

Her husband is an author, who went to work on Salvation Island on a new book. He hasn't been seen or heard from since. Chris is somewhat dubious about the island, as one of his last cases there almost resulted in his death.

This case leads him back to the Island .... and many dark secrets. What he finds is that the husband has been staying in the house of a serial killer who butchered six young women. But the man is nowhere to be found.

Is there a link between the mysterious proprietor of a traveling freak show and the malevolent specter of a vicious serial murderer who butchered six young women on the island?

Is there a copycat on the loose ... or has the dead serial killer returned?

To solve this case, Sigurdsson will need to enter the mind of a sadistic serial killer and unravel the island’s darkest secrets. And if he wants to survive, he must confront his deepest fears.

This is a very well-written highly suspenseful book ... reminiscent of Shutter Island. The house itself is spooky with hidden tunnels and passageways. The characters are outstanding. There are twists and turns and the book is hard to put down until the very end.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced copy of this thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The beginning and end of this book were very good, the beginning really did set the scene and I certainly didn't see that ending coming! This one is certainly a mix between crime fiction and a psychological thriller - it is not one for the faint hearted.

I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the blurb, it sounded similar Shutter Island which I really enjoyed and I love the cover! This book is one of those that makes you think and reading this really made me feel as though I was going through the same emotions as David, it was dark, creepy and suspense filled.

The main character Chris Sigurdsson was great and his personality was spot on for this book, he is a determined character that really gets stuck in with a passion to his cases, but just how far is he willing to go to solve this one...

Four stars from me, really enjoyable but also really disturbed and creepy too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an ARC of this book.

Never Rest is not for the faint of heart. It is chaotic, insane, and disturbing. Incredibly graphical, it does not just tell you about the madness inside someone’s mind, but takes you right into its depth. It starts and ends by making your skin crawl. And it keeps the pace up in between, too. Chaotic in a good way, it keeps pulling you into labyrinths of thoughts and ideas that mingle with reality, until the line begins to blur.

The characters are easy to associate with, while not being too two-dimensional. They’ve got some complexities, but are not highly complicated individuals, making them very relatable. There are aspects of the story (and to some of the characters) that, in retrospect, seem highly improbable. But this isn’t something you would notice in the flow of the story and, in fact, the oddity adds to the thrill of the tale.

The only part that left me wanting is the end. The story is well written and comfortably fleshed-out. But the end seems a bit hurried, leaving a few things unanswered and some things to the reader’s choice. While the latter isn’t a problem, a few pages extra may have made the former less of a problem.

There are three stories over three timelines referenced in the book. A disturbing past, Chris’ first case, and the current case. While the first and third are well explained, the second seems to only appear in brief mentions. As it turns out, this is because the second story is the main plot of Book 1 in the Chris Sigurdsson series (Deadly Burial). (Now I wish I’d read that first.) The end of Never Rest leaves you slightly dissatisfied because it leaves you with a lot of questions. The next book in the series will probably answer some of them (I hope).

The main thing I realized about the book is that it reminded me a lot of the work of Simon Beckett – specifically, Written in Bone (you can read my review of that great book here). It’s got this spooky, chaotic, disturbing feel that is hugely compelling and intriguing.

I’m going to read Richter’s first book, Deadly Burial, very soon. I don’t know if my experience with Never Rest would have been different had I read the first book before. What I do know is that you can read Never Rest as a standalone or start here at least, and other than a few things seeming random, you won’t really be lost.

Highly recommended to:
- fans of Simon Beckett
- fans of Tim Weaver
- crime fiction and thriller fans
- fans of psychological thrillers (this actually does check the boxes for both psychology and thriller)

When Chris left the police force, he started his own business known as Sigurdsson Investigative Services. Although he has done well for himself and has plenty of work, his mind strays to his past life and a particular case, which has stayed with him over the years. One day a woman calls asking him to investigate the disappearance of her husband on Salvation Island. When Chris arrives he finds evidence of a man whose mind appears to have been unraveling. Its not the first time he has investigated something on this island but it may be his last.
Reading this book was thrilling, gripping, horrifying and you wont be surprised to know I loved every minute of it. The storyline easily kept a tight grip on my attention and was not going to let go. Full marks to the author and I highly recommend this to lovers of a good mystery/thriller with a difference.
Of course, the end has all the answers even though they may not be the ones you expect. I had a niggling feeling there was a supernatural connection to some of the events. Salvation Island is definitely not the place to go for a holiday.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Never Rest is the authors debut novel and I am not quite sure how to describe this book. So first of all let's talk about the cover... it's something very amazing don't you think?! It has buy me written all over it and once again this is one of those books that I went into simply because I loved the cover.

The story is told with alternating chapters taking us back to the island. Where we follow the story of Chris Sigurdsson who is on the case to find missing person David Lithgow.

What a vivid imagination Jon Richter has which is shown throughout this story. It is what I can only describe has seriously weird but totally gripping. I wasn't sure if I was actually reading a thriller or a horror novel to be honest. But I am a massive horror fan so I was happy either way. This is certainly a dark read with all the elements you would expect to find in a horror book.

This is one fast paced read with plenty of OMFG moments...Yes this is a very twisted and creepy read. But also full of misery and tension. The author certainly knows how to keep the reader on their toes. I still cannot believe it is a debut novel.

This is a must read which I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars

Chris Sigurdsson, now a private detective based in London, has been recommended to a woman who's husband has gone missing on Salvation Island. He agrees to begin an investigation, using it also as an excuse to meet an old friend, DI Carin Mason, who is the one in charge of the missing persons case.

David Lithgow, the missing man, was hoping to write a book on the serial killer who lived on the island. Lithgow had even rented the house of the murderer and had covered the walls with a proliferation of papers on his own investigation and thoughts. Upon reading them Mason & Sigurdsson can see they are the ramblings of a man on the edge. He claims in his notes there are underground tunnels, the island being used as a poison gas site and a cult but there are no records of any of them.

To describe the setting as an island that is a run down tourist attraction overrun with rabbits, a freak show to boot, along with an abandoned amusement arcade and museum is to put it mildly a dreary place to live and visit.

Sigurdsson then stays in the house to make sense of the writings, though the house seems to have an evil presence about it which is affecting him, even with the feeling he is being watched whilst he slept.

This is a dark and creepy book and the author draws you into the story and the island. It's as if the island is calling you to come and stay...forever and once you are there you can never leave. Sigurdsson feels the ominous presence all around him in the house.

I enjoyed the epilogue; just when you think its over, it certainly is not so read on to the end.

A mystery about a missing husband. I like it already. This book was a good book for me. I love serial killer books and this book is no exception. It was creepy too and that is a good thing also for me. I enjoyed this book. I would read more from this author. *This book was given to me for free at my request from Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*