“HE’LL BREAK YOUR HEART.
LITERALLY.

Franklin B Goodman wants to spread love wherever he goes.

But love is an emotion he doesn’t understand.

In Franklin’s dangerously warped mind, a damaged relationship is like a sick animal. He is willing to take extreme measures to nurse it back to health.
And if that doesn’t work…
…the only option is to put it out of its misery.

On the other side of the River Mersey, murder detectives Nathan Cody and Megan Webley have their hands full with a manhunt to locate the killer of a beautiful and wealthy woman.

The last thing they need right now is for Franklin B Goodman to become interested in their lives.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Love Kills by David Jackson. Love Kills was published by Redshank Press on 16th July 2024 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats.

Oh my days, a new DS Nathan Cody thriller! One of the most exciting things to happen to the book world in 2024 by a mile, or ten. I know, I know. It’s taken me a while to get around to reading it, but I’m such a slow reader and rarely do I get to read any of my own books. I will also mention that I wasn’t even aware it had been published for a while. That pesky blogging slump I had last year really put the kybosh on things. But, all’s well that ends well as I found the book, purchased the book and read the book as part of my #20BooksofSummer2025 challenge.

The DS Nathan Cody series is by far one of the best police procedural series out there. The author has been writing standalone thrillers (GREAT standalone thrillers, might I add) for the last few years, and I had eventually come to terms with the fact that my time with Cody and DC Megan Webley had come to a sad end. It seems, however, that that is not the case! This new book is superb. The characters have made a triumphant return, and I hope this isn’t the last we see of them (otherwise I will have to start that whole ‘coming to terms’ process again!). What a dark and twisted joy. I loved every second of this book, being united with some of my favourite (fictional) people and returning to the dark underbelly of Liverpool’s streets.

It all came flooding back. Their past investigations, the traumas that Cody has faced over the years, his immense fear of clowns (I’m with you there, Cody!). The chemistry between the characters, how skilfully plotted Jackson’s books are. It was a dream, and I cherished every single moment.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Love Kills is a superb addition to one of my favourite series. This is the fifth book in the DS Nathan Cody series, but you can probably read it as a standalone. You’ll be missing out though. Missing out on the first four novels, which are all excellent. Some of the best police procedurals out there. The characters are beautifully written. Jackson has created a true monster in Franklin B Goodman. A man obsessed with love. But Franklin doesn’t really understand love in any way, shape or form. If his efforts to mend a broken relationship don’t pan out, he’s more than prepared to put the relationship and those in it out of their misery. Love Kills is a highly addictive, compulsive book that holds the reader in its thrall from the first word to the very last. Fast-paced and totally irresistible, I couldn’t tear myself away from this one. Dark, thrilling and highly emotional. I hope (I’m keeping everything crossed!) this book marks the return of this first-class series. Marvellous stuff! Highly recommended.

Love Kills by David Jackson was published in the UK by Redshank Press on 16th July 2024 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

David Jackson’s debut novel, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Awards. He has written a string of internationally published crime thrillers since then, including the bestseller Cry Baby, nominated by Amazon as one of their Best Books of the Year. When not murdering fictional people, David spends some of his time writing scripts, including several episodes of the award-winning ‘Short History Of…’ podcast series. He lives on the Wirral with his family.