Wednesday 4 September 2019

BLOG BLITZ: The Girl in White - John Nicholl


Harry Gilmore has no idea of the terrible danger he faces when he meets a beautiful girl in a local student bar. Drugged and abducted, Harry wakes up in a secure wooden compound deep in the Welsh countryside, where he is groomed by the leaders of a manipulative cult, run by the self-proclaimed new messiah, known as The Master.

When the true nature of the cult becomes apparent, Harry looks for any opportunity to escape. But as time passes he questions if the master’s extreme behaviour and teachings are the one true religion.

With Harry’s life hanging by a thread, a team of officers, led by Detective Inspector Laura Kesey, investigate his disappearance. But will they find him before it’s too late?


What did I think?

I've read quite a few of John Nicholl's books so I know you're always guaranteed a quality novel from him, which is exactly what you get with The Girl in White.  As with all John Nicholl's novels, The Girl in White is dark and creepy but it's slightly different in that it's not set in a domestic situation.  As always though, John Nicholl manages to make my skin crawl with his chilling storyline and mesmeric writing.

Although the police feature in this book, it's not DI Gravel this time but rather his replacement, Laura Kesey.  As much as I love the DI Gravel books, it's nice to have a change now and again and I'm looking forward to getting to know the new cop in town: DI Kesey.  Laura certainly has some big boots to fill but I really like her; she's determined and smart so I think she'll do very well.

I've always found cults very creepy and wondered how they manage to attract members when you hear so many horror stories.  I wouldn't be surprised to find that this story is very true to life as surely most sane, intelligent people don't become members of cults by their own free will.  University student, Harry, is drugged and abducted when he meets a young woman in a bar and wakes up in the compound of a cult.  Harry's story is also a good reminder about accepting drinks or leaving drinks unattended when you're out in bars as there are some psychotic people out there!  DI Kesey is on the case to find Harry but can she find him before his mind is lost to the cult?

It's quite a short book so its length and the compelling storyline make it easy to read in one sitting, which is what I did.   With the end of the book approaching, I couldn't read it fast enough but it did feel a tiny bit rushed towards the end, however, it was a very satisfying ending nonetheless and leads on nicely to another DI Kesey instalment.  

The Girl in White is another excellent book from John Nicholl; it has all the dark and creepy qualities I've come to expect from him to ensure my stomach clenched and my skin crawled but I couldn't tear my eyes from the page.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


Buy it from Amazon



About the author:
John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, child protection social worker and lecturer, has written seven darkly psychological suspense thrillers, each of which has been an Amazon #1 bestseller.

John’s books are set in the UK and have a strong Welsh flavour. He began writing after leaving his job heading up child protection services for Carmarthenshire.

You can find out more about John and his books at: http://www.johnnicholl.com





Follow the blitz:

No comments:

Post a Comment