I would like to thank Netgalley and The Book Folks for a review copy of The Name on the Bullet, the eleventh novel to feature DCI John Blizzard, set in the fictional northern city of Hafton.

When one of his detectives is found shot dead certain evidence leads Blizzard to think that ageing gangster Nathaniel Callaghan might be behind it. Callaghan has always evaded charges, but this time Blizzard sees an opportunity to try and turn some of his associates. Unfortunately MI5 and the NCA are also interested in Callaghan and Blizzard doesn’t do politics, but the more he investigates and uncovers the more he has to broaden his thinking.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Name on the Bullet, which is a plot driven novel with some interesting and unexpected twists and turns. It’s probably not the most realistic of plots, but it certainly holds the attention and offers plenty of entertainment. It’s not a long novel, so it doesn’t waste any time on the superfluous and keeps strictly to the point - catching the murderer of a serving police officer. It may take a circuitous route to get to said point and involve the uncovering of tangential crimes, but it’s all relevant.

I think this is the first novel in the series that I have read, but it won’t be the last. It works well as a stand-alone and I was impressed by the way the plot unfolds, offering so many initial options and gradually narrowing in on a suspect and a motive. It is not a deep novel, so it’s an easy way to pass a few hours, trying to work out who did what amid all the secrets, lies and misdirection.

The novel is told from Blizzard’s point of view and I’d like to say that, therefore, the reader knows what he knows, but he’s keeping a few secrets himself and indulging in some misdirection. It’s all for a good cause and it springs some real surprises at the end of the novel.

The Name on the Bullet is a good read that I can recommend.

THE NAME ON THE BULLET by John Dean.
Book 11 of  DCI John Blizzard.
After a policeman is shot dead, DCI John Blizzard seizes a chance to settle old score. When a high-profile detective on a reality TV cop show is killed, John Blizzard fancies old-school gangster Nathaniel Callaghan for the crime. With the aging boss’s control over his northern crime empire on the wane, Blizzard sees an opportunity to turn his associates against him. But MI5 are also in on the action, and the different departments are in danger of scuppering each other’s investigation. Yet as skeletons clatter out of the closet, it dawns on Blizzard that things are not as clear cut as they seem. Who had murder on their mind, and who wrote the name on the bullet?
I did enjoy this book. Twisty and gripping. 5*.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and whilst it is the eleventh in a series I think it can be read on its own. I enjoyed this book and think it is written well, flows easily and has an array of mostly likeable characters, particularly DI Blizzard who I thought was believably portrayed. Here he investigates the murder of one of their own and finds the case takes a surprising turn when MI5 become involved. I liked this read although it didn’t wow me, and I found it to be a good, easy albeit a fairly short read compared to what I’m used to. I thought the pacing was just a little slow for my liking although I did enjoy the little snippets into Blizzard’s home and personal life. The story is very current with its themes and I liked the different story threads and the epilogue which bought everything together nicely at the end. For me, the list of characters listed at the end of the book would have helped more by being at the start as I’m new to this author and series. Overall a good solid police procedural and I’ll look to read the previous books when I can.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️