Dead Flowers

When ex police officer Sian inherits her uncles old pub , 2 mummiged corpses are not what she expects to find in the cellar. As she delves into who they are she realises that she didnt really know her uncle at all...

Absolutely loved this book and the Nottingham setting made it even better

Interesting read. I like that the main character is slightly flawed, makes her different from other books I have read. Good storyline as she unpacks what she has discovered. Look forward to a follow on

Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

This one was a bit more procedure-ly than I had expected and that's not normally my favorite, but this book was so well-written and clever, and full of heart, I enjoyed every bit of it. I can't wait to read more in this series and from this writer.

Dr Sian Love inherits an old pub but on moving in discovers a grisly secret.  She doesn't want the police involved, for good reason, she used to be one and knows how corrupt they can be.  Was her relative responsible for murder? Is there more to the discovery?

This book is fast paced, it switches between 1967 the time of the murders to 2017. There are some really enjoyable characters and some you can't help but dislike, plus the dog you will grow to love. It delves into Sians relationships with her family, partner and the police as she seeks to find an answer tho who the victims are and who killed them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a great mystery with a twist! For anyone looking for something that won't take long to read but provides a great storyline this is for you!

Former DCI Sian Love finds human remains in the basement of a property she inherited from her uncle. But she doesn't trust the police...

I loved the 1967 opening chapter of this book. It had humour, darkness and interesting characters - good start. From this point we come right up to date (2017) and meet Sian Love, ex DCI and now a Doctor specialising in DNA analysis. She is moving into her uncle's old pub (which features in the opening chapter). It was left to her in his will which surprised the family. The setting (and some of the language) is Nottingham which gave it a Northern bite which I liked. Many of the chapters are musical references which looked interesting.

The book continues with parts set in the 1970s and the rest with Sian in 2017. Almost the first things she discovers about her uncle's pub is that there are bodies in the cellar. She doesn't trust the police any more and it is just possible that this concerns her family. If she investigates will that cause problems with the police and just what might she find out?

I found the atmosphere authentic in both the eras covered by this story. The dialogue felt well crafted and is colloquial at times. The characters in this were definitely good enough. Sian herself was excellent and I found her convincing. More minor characters were good too and I did like the character of Big Pat (Walsh). The first thing people said about him was he "wasn't a man you talked about".... Nice!

For me this book started well and generally got steadily better. I was increasingly drawn into this tale of death in the 70s and life in the present day. This is one of those slightly unusual books where I can honestly say I liked the ending and hadn't seen some of it coming. If I have a minor quibble the musical references in the chapters didn't seem to lead anywhere particular. There is a group involved in the early part of the story but this device didn't go anywhere interesting to me.

I would certainly recommend this to people who want a good UK crime read. It's not quite in the league of Joseph Knox or AA Dhand but it does get close for me. This is not quite so dark nor as violent (quite) as their books but that is no bad thing. Definitely 4.5/5 and I really would like to read another book with Sian as the central character - I hope there is one.

Well what can I say. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Right from the beginning to the very last page. It was written very well and the amount of twists and turns was unbelievable. It’s a definite who dunnit book. I hope there is more to come from this author as she has a new fan.

I really enjoyed this. It was a gripping read with interesting and realistic characters. It was also really well written and the book flowed really well. I couldn't put it down until I got to the end hopefully there will be more to come.

A gripping read with interesting and likeable characters
The book was well written and flowed well.
I couldn’t put it down. A great book

This is an interesting read. A proper whodunit, loads is suspects and more twists and turns than a very twisty corkscrew. Full of humour and loved the central characters. I read this book in one sitting and finally turned the last page at 1.am. A very happy reader. I have found another new author and I will definitely be looking out for more of this authors work. An easy four stars and recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Verve Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

LOVED this

well written, gripping and compelling - I couldn't put this down - I didn't see the end coming !

A great summer read

Nicola Monaghan's Dead Flowers is a marvellous crime novel, revolving around a cold case that goes back 40 years in the past, with a narrative that goes back and forth in time. Set in Nottingham, Dr Sian Love is 46 years old, a DNA analyst, once a high flying DCI on the murder squad, having quit after being disillusioned about the corruption, sexism and racism in the police. Sian has inherited the Loggerheads pub from her Uncle Rob, and is moving in with her ex-police alsation, Elvis, a cadaver dog. Elvis is instrumental in Sian's macabre discovery of two dead bodies in the cellar, getting injured in the process. She is reluctant to get the police involved but her partner, DI Kris Payne calls it in, triggering an intense media focus, and with the police crawling everywhere, Sian is forced to leave her new home.

Sian is reluctant to leave the case solely in police hands, she knows from personal experience that she cannot rely on them to conduct a competent and thorough inquiry, and she doesn't want to see her Uncle Rob carrying the can for the murders, even if he is dead, utterly convinced of his innocence. She is less than happy to see the detested corrupt Detective Superintendent Dominic Wilkinson lead the police case, and concerned over the involvement of DI Jon Breen, as the family liasion officer, a man she does not trust. However, Sian barely trusts herself and has issues trusting anyone, including Kris, responsible for dealing with her troublesome ex-boyfriend, Gary Bolton, a man she is still afraid of. The case goes back in time to the chaotic times in the Loggerheads pub history, to Angela's abusive marriage, the development of her relationship with Harry Kenzie, and her sister, Marilyn's with Bobby O'Quaid, the bartender. Harry has dreams of owning Loggerheads, for which he needs the support of the enigmatic Pat Walsh, with high hopes for his band, Midnight Roses, being bigger than The Beatles.

Sian finds herself in danger in a case that is personal, that uncovers long buried family secrets and tragedy. Monaghan writes a twisted, multilayered and well plotted atmospheric story, with a terrific central protagonist in the flawed and emotionally damaged Sian Love. Many of the chapters are songtitles, the novel is character driven, laced with dark edgy violence and menace, with plenty of suspense and tension. The historical parts of the novel captures the social expectations and attitudes towards women of the late sixties and early seventies. A great crime read that I adored and which I recommend to crime fiction fans. Many thanks to Verve and Oldcastle Books for an ARC.

Dead Flowers by Nicola Monaghan was such an intriguing read. Steeped in family secrets, this is a book that will keep you on your toes.

We are introduced to forensic scientist, Dr Sian Love who has just inherited a property, an old pub from her uncle once known as The Loggerheads in Newark. But within a short time after moving into her new home, Sian makes an unsettling discovery in the basement. Two skeletal remains have been abandoned there many years before. But after Sian and her partner, Kris reports the grisly find to the police, Sian finds that she can’t trust them. She sets out trying to identify the remains herself. This is despite Sian being an ex-police officer herself. Why doesn’t Sian trust her former colleagues? What discovery is she afraid they will make before she has a chance to find out the truth herself.

Finding the remains of two decaying human bodies is certainly not the welcome you would want when you move into your new home. I think if this ever happens to me, I would want to sell the place and move on. I couldn’t bear the thought of something dreadful that may once have occured there. I had a feeling right from the opening pages that Sian was going to uncover something very dark in her family history. But I couldn’t work out why she wanted to go about finding answers herself, rather than leave it to the police to deal with. Why would she want to risk her reputation and potentially do something illegal and especially Kris’s reputation as well, who is still a police officer? This is what gave the book an edgy feel as I wanted to see if there was any chance that Sian would be able to crack the case herself. Was she doing this to try and protect someone?

Both timelines which Nicola explores here are fascinating. Nicola takes us back to 1971 when The Loggerheads was a vibrant, busy pub at the heart of the local community. There were some very edgy characters in these scenes. They kept me on my toes as I waited to see how events between them were going to unfold. I knew something drastic was going to happen, and I wanted to see who was going to cause it and who would end up being the victim. Would any of them turn out to be the remains discovered many years later?

From the opening page, I wanted to see what dark secrets were going to be uncovered and what sort of an impact this would end up having on Sian. The edginess is there right from the start as Sian gets closer and closer to the truth, and ultimately she puts herself in grave danger. I wanted to see just how she was going to get out of this. Dark and suspenseful Dead Flowers is a very gripping read. I would definitely recommend it.

I think this is probably one of the best crime novels I’ve read this year. The central character is ex DCI now Dr Sian Love who inherits an old pub The Loggerheads in Nottingham from her uncle Rob. She makes a grizzly discovery there and what follows is a twisty, rollercoaster of a read as Sian tries to establish the truth about what she’s found and about herself. The storyline goes backwards and forwards fluidly from October 1967 to 2017 at no point did the different time frames feel anything other than organic. It is an extremely well written gritty book with the occasional flash of dry or black humour which I appreciate. I love that every chapter from the earlier period has an appropriate song title!

The characters from the earlier period are really interesting and well crafted. Harry seems charming initially but he’s determined and ruthless and will get what he wants by any means necessary. Bobby Q is much more likeable although he seems malleable and lurking darkly in the background is the menacing presence of Pat Walsh. The female characters of Angela and Marilyn are good and products of their time. From 2017, I really like the principal character of Sian and hope that she appears in future books. She’s feisty, dogged, brave and still haunted by her past but trying hard to trust again, in particular her Idris Elba lookalike partner Kris. The police characters are also good although you are not sure whether you can trust them. The dog Elvis is fabulous and he plays a key role.

I love the setting, the old pub is a great backdrop as is the town where I was born, in ‘bread and lard island’ otherwise known as West Bridgford! I was transported back to Nottinum, with the ‘ey ooop me duck’ and ‘yer bogger’ and at one point when Forest are mentioned I was back on the terraces cheering my team on heartily - we were successful then!!!! . The historical setting is fabulous and the author captures that so well. At times we feel tangible tension, then menace, then the confusion that Sian must feel as her life turns upside down. On a couple of occasions I think my jaw might have dropped as the climax of the book approaches and I like a book where you don’t see an end coming and the surprises keep on coming. This is so well written I couldn’t put it down and definitely want to read more by Nicola Monaghan.

My favourite book of 2019!!

I devoid this book I honestly couldn't put it down, it had me gripped until the end, an easy five stars.

Dr Sian Love a DNA analysis (former DCI) uncovers human remains in the cellar of her Uncles pub which she has recently inherited, which has her asking questions how well did she really know her Uncle or her family come to that??

Not trusting of her former 'corrupt' colleagues she decides to take matters into her own hands by starting her own investigation, never imagining the secrets and truths she would unearth along the way.

Set in Nottingham the chapters switch between the past '1967' and the present '2017' with countless twists and turns along the way, great central characters (especially Elvis) a fast paced whodunit crime mystery.

A new favourite author for me!!

Although I am not familiar with the author, I am a huge fan of British crime thrillers, and I always gravitate in their general direction. I'm not sure what it is but British crime thrillers and/or mysteries are just so much better and hugely intriguing. Maybe it's the setting, the history, the characters - I don't know. But if it's British, chances are I'm going to read it!

So without knowing anything about or by the author I wasn't sure what to expect when beginning DEAD FLOWERS...but what I got was a riveting thriller that had me captivated throughout. The concept, the narrative, the plot - it was all very cleverly layered with dark secrets and timely twists to make this a wonderfully gripping read.

The idea of the central character being a DNA analyst is a novel concept, though I'm not sure when she trained up in that area since she was a police officer prior, rising to the rank of DCI. That part was a little bit vague, but a minor aside. However, the over descriptive narrative involving the DNA testing, I must say had me thoroughly confused as it was way too scientific for my right-brain. I felt that much of that process could have been eliminated without confusing the reader or sending them to sleep in those couple of chapters with maybe just a slight reference to the procedure instead of the in-depth approach.

DEAD FLOWERS opens directly in 1967 Nottingham. The setting - the Loggerheads pub (love the name!). Here, we meet some interesting characters who will go on to be the cornerstone of the story that is yet to come as we the scene is masterfully set. There's Harry MacKenzie (Mac), a Scot who has dreams of being bigger than The Beatles but somewhat of a big mouth; his best mate, Bobby Q, an almost silent partner; Angela, who is seeking an escape from an abusive marriage and has the voice of an angel; Marilyn, Angela's sister who may not have the voice but certainly has the looks; and big Pat Walsh, who "wasn't a man you talked about". Harry also had dreams of owning the Loggerheads and set about buying it from Big Pat where he, Bobby and the two sisters set themselves up in a band called Midnight Roses, playing both covers and originals, hoping that one day they would be famous.

Fast forward fifty years and it's 2017. Sian Love, ex-DCI now doctor specialising in DNA analysis, has recently inherited her uncle's old pub - the former Loggerheads - surprising both her and her family. She was quite fond of her uncle and he would often regale her with his tales - one about his wife that she was never quite sure was truth or fiction. Because for as long as she'd known him he had never been married. And the story often changed so she wasn't sure what to believe.

Now she is moving into Loggerheads (as she still refers to it) with her German shepherd Elvis, an ex-cadaver dog, when she makes a gruesome discovery. The skeletal remains of two bodies, one partially mummified, secreted behind a door that has been plastered over in the cellar, injuring herself in the process. As an ex-copper familiar with the corruption in the local nick, she doesn't trust the police and is reluctant to get them involved but her Idris Elba-lookalike boyfriend Kris, who is also a DI, insists on doing so and calls it in.

But before they arrive, sporting her broken ankle complete with cast, Sian sneaks into the cellar to seize a tissue sample from the mummified remains to run her own tests. She's not sure what it will reveal but she doesn't trust the police to conduct a thorough investigation. She is even less confident in their ability to cast a wider net which would then inevitably result in the blame being placed on her uncle Rob for the murders, of which she is convinced of his innocence.

When she discovers that Detective Superintendent Dominic Wilkinson is the acting SIO on the case, she is less than happy. She's worked with Walker; she knows his style. Suspecting he is in the pocket of many a criminal, Walker is corrupt and she detests him. So when her Family Liaison Officer is revealed to be a Detective Inspector, Sian grows even more suspicious knowing full well that it is outside the remit of a DI to act as an FLO.

Sian doesn't know who she can trust. She barely trusts herself and struggles to do so with Kris and she knows she can't trust the police to do their job! So it's left to her to run the tissue sample she obtained to see what answers they may reveal. But is she prepared for the truth of those answers?

More than once Sian finds herself in danger as she is followed late at night, fearing for her life, in a case that turns out to be personal, uncovering the long buried family secrets and tragedy of the past. The deeper she digs, the more questions she finds. Just who was buried in that cellar? And why?

DEAD FLOWERS is a cleverly written multi-layered mystery that is atmospheric throughout. As the story unravels between the past and the present, there is something of a dark edge laced with menace which just exudes the right amount of suspense and tension.

The musical references in the chapter titles were a nice touch as a sign of the times - late sixties and early seventies - but in some aspects I didn't feel they reflected the content they titled. I won't give an example as that would just create a spoiler. But it was still a fitting nod to the past.

I cannot say I liked Sian a whole lot, especially to begin with. I found her a little closed off, detached, stubborn and somewhat unlikable at first. I know she has trust issues and I get that. But she did grow on me so she wasn't all bad. Elvis, however, was a star! (Thank you, Nicola Monaghan, for NOT hurting him!) Truly, he is...playing a key role!

I love the dual timeline feature, as it brings both stories together in a penultimate climax at the end. But just when you think you have it all figured out, there's another twist or two thrown our way, leaving readers gobsmacked.

I'm not sure where the reference to DEAD FLOWERS comes from; it's not from any song I know. I guess it could be kind of fitting "flowers" for the "dead"...maybe?

In any case, DEAD FLOWERS is a riveting thriller that weaves both the past and present together in a tapestry like no other, revealing the picture in its entirety with a final twist.

Recommended for those who love their crime fiction dark and thrilling, DEAD FLOWERS is a gripping read.

I would like to thank #NicolaMonaghan, #NetGalley#Verve for an ARC of #DeadFlowers in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis for Dead Flowers I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it since it’s lacking information. Thankfully I requested it anyway and I’m really glad I did!
A gritty crime thriller flicking back between 1970 and 2017 when two dead bodies are found in a pub cellar, it’s dark, shocking and best of all it’s a bloody good book!
I absolutely loved Dead Flowers and highly recommend it.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The main character is an ex DCI now Dr. Love who inherits her uncle’s pub, The Loggerheads. The storyline flows between the 1970’s and 2017 and at times it is brutal and other times there is a dark humour flowing through. Set in Nottingham, the characters are all flawed and Sian Love has so many trust issues that her long suffering partner, Kris has to wonder why he bothers with his relationship with her.
It was an intense drama and I would like to read more stories with Dr Sian Love as the main character, she is tough, feisty and flawed.
Highly recommended.

If you like a good crime story this is one for you. A very well written tense, atmospheric novel. Told through two timelines but being brought together filling in all the answers at the end with a new twist just when you least expected it.

Sian Love is a 46 year old DNA analyst, she was a DI in the police force until she was disillusioned by the corruption, sexism and racism which made her quit. She has just inherited a pub called ‘the Loggerheads’ which comes as a surprise to her and her family. The pub had been owned by her Uncle Rob who she has always liked, she had fond memories of him telling her tales although she never knew which were true and which weren’t.

She moves into the pub with her German Shepherd, ex cadaver dog Elvis. It’s with the help of Elvis that she makes the gruesome discovery of two mummified bodies behind a door that’s been plastered over in the cellar, injuring herself in the process. Now she has to decide whether to call it in or not, she doesn’t trust the police and doesn’t want to see her dead Uncle Rob getting the blame. But her DI boyfriend tells her she has to call it in. But before the police arrive Sian takes some samples from the mummified remains to analyse herself..

Sian is even less confident in the Police when she finds out that the SIO on the case is Detective Superintendent Dominic Wilkinson, she has worked with him in the past and suspects he is the pocket of many criminals. She is even more suspicious when he assigns DI Jon Breen, as FLO, a man she doesn’t trust.

The story is told in dual timelines 1967 and 2017 linking the past with the present it is very well done with some good characters from the past. Sian finds herself in danger a few times. When she does her own tests on the DNA will she like what she finds? Unearthing some tragic family events long hidden.

Thank you to netgalley and verve books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Dead Flowers is an accomplished crime mystery with a central character that sets a unique course for plot and family secrets that sets this novel apart. The story is told in two alternating time threads between the early 1970s and 2017 and the attention to historic detail in the settings is very well captured.

Dr Sian Love is a forensic scientist, having previously worked as a DCI with the Nottingham police, which she resigned from due to sexism, racism and corruption. Sian, along with her retired police cadaver dog, Elvis, has just moved into the Loggerheads Pub which she inherited from her Uncle Rob. It doesn’t take long before Elvis has zoned in on something suspicious behind a wall in the cellar. After tearing open a hidden door, Sian, find the remains of two dead bodies which have been sealed up for over four decades. Against Sian’s frustration, her partner DI Kris Payne, calls the discovery into the local police, which in itself opens up issues for Sian having to deal with Detective Superintendent Dominic Wilkinson as he leads the investigation and whom Sian holds responsible for the treatment she received while she worked in the force.

Sian doesn’t have faith in the police force’s integrity and is determined to ensure that her uncle Rob is not held responsible for the murders of the two victims. This causes friction from all sides and it becomes particularly acute with personal and family ties being stretched, twisted and broken. Her relationship with Kris is also put under pressure as she struggles with trust and commitment issues.

While the police investigation, and Sian’s own dangerous research, occupies one-time thread, we are taken on an enthralling journey with a number of fascinating characters from 1970 through to 1971. The relationships, plans and ambitions of the group are not always held equally valuable and the tensions are wonderfully developed. We can only but guess that two of them are the bodies found forty-six years later, but this mulita-layered plot will keep surprises and the suspense, taut until the end.

Within many of the scenes the accompaniment of musical references, filter through on the edges – a song played on a jukebox, the backdrop of a pop group, or the title of the chapters identifying various pop songs from 1971, for example All I Have to Do Is Dream or Can’t Help Falling In Love Oh, I could go on! Great idea for feeding an atmosphere, and with a particular fondness for Elvis. If Nicola Monaghan states she doesn’t like Elvis Presley, I’ll be shocked.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the little nostalgic glimpses back in time, which for a group of people, held engrossing actions and secrets with deadly consequences. The characters carry this story and how they interact with their own hopes and desires is brilliantly told.

I would highly recommend reading this book and I'd like to thank Verve Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

A great crime read which is interwoven with malice and dark, edgy violence. The historical setting is wonderful and is so well-captured and portrayed by Nicola Monaghan. The concept, the narrative and the plot were all very cleverly layered with dark secrets and timely twists to make this a wonderfully gripping read. Atmospheric throughout, the multi-layered story moves seamlessly between past and present, emanating a perfect level of suspense and tension.

I cannot say I was particularly fond of Sian Love, who is an ex DCI and now a Doctor specialising in DNA analysis. Initially, I found her somewhat aloof and detached, but she ingratiated herself with me as the story progressed and I knew she had trust issues going on.

The dual time-line worked well, connecting both stories in a penultimate finale. But just when I thought I had everything fathomed, there was another twist thrown into the mix, leaving me flabbergasted.

Dead Flowers is exceptionally well written and I couldn’t put it down. I want to read more by Nicola Monaghan, for sure. I have no hesitation in recommending Dead Flowers to those who are passionate about their crime fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Verve Books via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

WoW.........Double WoW...................I just Loved Dead Flowers by Nicola Monaghan. What a fantastic read this was. It's full of Suspects and Lots of twists and turns throughout. I loved all the characters and was hooked from the very first few pages and before I knew it.........the birds were singing out side and the world around me waking up.

This book has been written in dual times one in 1967 and the other in 2017 linking the past to the present time, which made this book very interesting to me. All the characters fitted well.

Dr. Sian Love is 46 years old and a forensic scientist/ex Police officer and has just inherited a property from her late uncle Rob. This property is an old Pub called The Loggerheads and it's in Newark. Sian has very fond memories of her uncle Rob telling her old stories of his past etc, Sian moves into her new home with her German Shepherd, ex cadaver dog called Elvis. Within a very short while, she finds a very unsettling discovery in her basement! with the help from Elvis............She finds two mummified remains........and they have been there for many years, behind a false plastered door!

Sian knows she has to report this find to the local police but she can not trust them. Plus, she does not want to see her dead uncle Rob, getting the blame for this. As they're on his property. However, her boyfriend who is a DI on the force tells her to report it.
Before the Police arrive she takes samples for herself from the mummified remains to analyse herself and to identify them as well.

Why does she not trust her former colleagues?

Why did she leave her former job?

What discovery is she afraid they will make, before she has a chance to find out the truth herself?

Sian finds out that the SIO on the case is Detective Superintendent Dominic Wilkinson, she has worked with him in the past and suspects he is the pockets of many criminals. She is even more suspicious and less confident when he assigns DI Jon Breen, as FLO, a man she doesn’t trust and also has a past with!

.Sian finds herself in danger a few times throughout this brilliant book and it will have you not wanting to put your Kindle or book down.

When the results of the DNA tests comes back from the mummified remains.........Will she like what she finds?

Will it Unearth some tragic family events which were long hidden and should of stayed buried in the basement!

"I can highly recommend this crime book. It was one of the Best Crime books I have read this year! Bloody Brilliant!!!"

Thank you to netgalley and verve books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book, many thanks for the advanced copy. I haven’t come across this author before but when I read the description I was instantly interested. Dr Sian Love is a great character who I think will be very popular.

Great story, flashes back the 1970’s when the crime actually happened. Good strong characters in the present time and the past. Twists and turns at every point keeps you guessing. Great climax and fascinating end. Well done Nicola Monahghan

Brilliant. Really good read with strong characters and a great plot. I hope there are more books to come in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a great crime story of family secrets between different time zones. I really enjoyed this.

I’m not usually a fan of books with flashbacks but on this occasion it works really well.

I was as intrigued with the back story as the one set in current time. Cleverly devised story.

I devoured this in 2 days & look forward to more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book
It was very fast paced and intriguing. There were so many twists throughout this book

I loved meeting new characters. And trying to solve the crime with them

Thoroughly enjoyed this one and will look out for more by the same author

Oh wow! What a book!
This book is set in two different years, 2017 and 1971, and flips between them throughout.
I have to say, until about a third of the way into the story, I couldn’t care less about the 1971 chapters. I was much more interested in the present day storyline, with Sian, who was the lead character. Now, I knew that the two groups of characters and stories would come together and merge somehow in the end but the 1917 bunch just didn’t hold my interest particularly to start with. I also found their story extremely confusing, mainly down to their relationships, how they were linked and the similar things that they were doing (You’ll understand what I mean when you read it - I don’t want to give anything away!). I kept getting the husbands and their wives confused! However, by the time I was about a third of the way into the book, I was just as gripped by them as I was with the present 2017 plot. So, don’t be put off because it really does get going and there are lots of surprises and twists ahead! Also, all the main characters are very likeable, so they all become great to read about.
I think the fact that I found the 1971 chapters almost a bit of an inconvenience at the start was perhaps mainly because Sian’s story kicks off so dramatically very early on, and I just wanted to keep reading about what was happening to her! I can’t say that the other part of the story was at all boring or anything, because it was far from it, and of course it was all important information that would become clear as the story unfolds.
Anyway, it all comes together very brilliantly. You’ll have your suspicions about how it’s all going to work out, but with various possibilities, you probably won’t completely figure it out.
Fantastic book by Nicola Monaghan, with lots of suspense and edge of your seat moments.
I can’t wait to read her next offering!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this thriller which is not my usual genre. I felt it was fast-paced and I read it in one go! Highly recommend.

Dead Flowers by Nicola Monaghan

I thoroughly enjoyed discovering this new to me author, and her gritty, realistic story, which kept switching from 2017 back to the late sixties and early seventies as the lead protagonist, Sian Love, unravelled what had happened in the past in an old pub called Loggerheads, of which had been bequeathed by her uncle. A man she thought she knew (as a child) better than her own dad. Turns out she didn't know him at all!

The down to earth Nottingham setting and the vocabulary the characters used made for a fun read. As did the conflict between Sian (an ex-DCI herself) and the police who got involved with her case. She's worked with many of these guys before, and doesn't trust them at all. But then again, who can she trust, when even her own mother doesn't seem to be telling her the truth.

DEAD FLOWERS is a gripping, atmospheric crime story with a multilayered plot and an awesome ending. Nicola Monagahn is definitely one to watch!

Thanks to Nicola Monaghan, NetGalley and Verve for an ARC of DEAD FLOWERS in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I really liked the way the plot of this story unfolded. I found the characters very relatable and loved the twists and turns of the story. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Nicola Monaghan for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

# Dead Flowers # Netgalley
Oh boy. Does she know what’s in store for herself. Ex police officer has no trust of her colleagues. Having seen and knows of things having happened for a crime made to fit another probably innocent person. She’s reluctant to call her ex colleagues. She knows this is a person message behind the bones. With twist and turns almost on every page. You will be totally addicted in no time. I found it hard to put down. I was far far to engrossed in the book I lost complete ask of time. It wasn’t until I noticed it was almost 5 am I thought I ought to get some sleep. I did my usual one more chapter and I will definitely get some sleep. At the end of the chapter I tell myself ok one more. When I am so engrossed in a book like this. These one more chapters do not work. No matter how hard I try. I don’t actually put the book down until it’s finished. This was one of those books. Just one more chapter. I do not why I tell myself. Ok I am totally totally hooked no sleep until I have finished. Trust me you will not want to put it down until you have finished. Just do not tell yourself one more chapter it leads to another and another and another. Amazing read

A good all round read.

A very easy read even with the change in decades.

Keeps you guessing til the end Who is who.

Give it a go

Thank you Verve Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was my first Nicola Monaghan novel and I hope it won't be my last and there will be more in the series.

Very well written, good characters and very cleverly done. There was more procedure than in your usual crime novel but I liked this.

Very highly recommended