The Body in the Mist by Nick Louth is the third novel in a series that features Detective Chief Inspector Craig Gillard.

The series currently features ten books with an eleventh due out now (ish). Actually, I’ve just checked and The Body in the Shadows (book 11) came out two weeks ago on January 19, 2023.

I have now read eight of the eleven books, completely in the wrong order as I often do, and I’ve enjoyed all of them – that’s probably obvious as I wouldn’t have continued reading them if I didn’t enjoy them.

I think The Body in the Mist is my favourite so far though.

The problem is I am not convinced I am liking them for the right reasons.

I really enjoy crime novels, psychological thrillers, mystery and horror stories. I like to try (and mostly fail) to figure out whodunnit before I’m told. I also like to be gripped, appalled, shocked by what I’m reading and, honestly, I can’t say I am with this series.

Sometimes, as in this novel, I am amused… and I don’t think I’m supposed to be.

This book deals with a particularly nasty – and deliberate – hit and run of an unidentified man, paedophiles, blackmail, violence and major family trauma. Amusement is probably not what I am meant to draw from that.

I’m not saying the books are funny, they are not, but there are some characters I find add a little hilarity to the proceedings.

In this book my amusement came from DCI GIllard’s ageing relatives, particularly the aunts Trish and Barbara. Barbara goes around thumping people who upset her while Trish is a real conniving old codger who is extremely manipulative.

Their brother Uncle Philip (Podge) is in a care home suffering dementia and is a wheelchair user who can’t walk… until he stands up and then goes on to steal a car, something that isn’t really explained.

I do enjoy the plotting and the twists and turns in each case and I also enjoy the characters. I romp through the books each time and I do find them page turners.

Recommendations for the book on it’s cover say things like “an unputdownable heart-thudder of a read” and “this was up there with the best thrillers I have ever read” neither of which I could really agree with.

But this is a good crime series and I will read the three I haven’t yet read. I just find it hard to take it as seriously as some other crime series.