A Tapping at My Door: A gripping serial killer thriller (The DS Nathan Cody series)

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The audio version is read by Jonathan Keeble who skillfully uses a variety of British accents and really knows how to increase the creep and suspense factor by adjusting the speed of the narration or inserting a brief pause.

I appreciate that the backstory for the book's antagonist is a real-life event, but, firstly - few people outside of a specific UK town care or know of that event, and secondly, Chernobyl and the Armenian Genocide were also real-life tragedies, but you don't see them often mentioned in crime drama.Although at first glance, you could be mistaken for thinking that this was an all too familiar plot of weirdo on rampage with twisted agenda, versus damaged cop, Jackson adds a certain verve to the whole affair as he sucks us in deeper to the tormented worlds of his protagonists. I particularly enjoyed the flow of this novel and I think it was because the focus was always on plot and the characters. There are several great moments in the book, but the introduction to the main character is my favorite. The way Jackson describes the relationships makes the reader feel like you already know the personalities and just can't wait to learn more about them. From the best-selling author of Cry Baby, the beginning of a brilliant and gripping police procedural series set in Liverpool, perfect for fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham.

I've spent just a few hours in the company of Nathan Cody and he's without doubt my most favourite detective since Angela Marsons' Kim Stone. I found it difficult reading the last few pages, for reasons I won't go into, and I know that many people will feel the same but it was handled perfectly. Clearly this issue will be dealt with in future books, but I didn't like at all the flimsy excuse that causes the break up of the current relationship one of the lovers is in.Many thanks to Bonnier Publishing for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I don't know what made my ears bleed more - the awful cardboard characters or the ridiculous mystery behind it all.

But after the first murder, and the introduction of detective Nathan Cody, I was hooked and enjoyed this listen from that point forward. I didn't feel especially attached to Nathan Cody, so I don't think I'm likely to continue this series. He adopts a female voice for the female characters, so it often sounds like the suspect is being interrogated by Mrs Brown's Liverpudlian sister. Though I would try another of this guy's books before I would read a number of reliably disappointing bestselling authors in this genre, I don't actually plan to do so.As flashbacks from his past begin to intrude, Cody realises he is battling not just a murderer but his own inner demons, too. All murders are horrific but I think when someone is going around killing police officers, it makes it a whole lot more personal as well as scary for other members of the police force. As far as a summary is concerned, I am only going to reveal that a serial killer who is murdering members of the police force is being hunted by Nathan and his team.