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BODILY HARM a gripping crime thriller full of twists (Langthorne Police Series Book 1) Kindle Edition
One of the grittiest, most authentic police thrillers you will read this year.
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller starts with a vicious stabbing of a pretty teenage girl and her boyfriend on a local bus. She happens to be the mayor’s niece. It’s the final straw for the community. The police are desperate to get results and decide on a risky course of action involving undercover infiltration of the notorious Effingell Estate.
Detective George Elms knows this hellish place extremely well, and his sharp investigative mind is put to work to solve the crime. The police are under immense media pressure and conveniently a local lowlife confesses to the attack. But George is not convinced. There are many layers of criminal and police motivation, and few people are what they seem.
Authentic, fast-paced, and with a touch of black humour, you won’t want to put down BODILY HARM till the nail-biting conclusion.
Who can you trust? And when his family is put at risk will DS George Elms go beyond the law?
If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Mel Sherratt or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.
BODILY HARM is book one of a new series of detective thrillers.
THE AUTHOR
Charlie Gallagher has been a serving UK police officer for ten years. During that time he has had many roles, starting as a front-line response officer, then a member of a specialist tactical team and is currently a detective investigating serious offences.
THE SETTING
Langthorne, typical of many smaller seaside towns dotted around the UK's coastline. Once a thriving tourist destination, where the affluent built grand seafront houses, it has suffered a hard fall from grace. Unemployment has blighted the area and so has crime.
THE DETECTIVE
George Elms joined the police pretty much straight out of school and now in his mid-thirties, he’s been getting in the faces of criminals for over fifteen years. Well known and respected on both sides of the line he is now responsible for running a team who work the crimes that come out of one of the county’s most notorious housing estates. He is married to Sarah and they have a little girl.
What readers are saying about Charlie Gallagher’s books
“I was hooked from page 1.” Maggie
“Charlie Gallagher is a police detective which means police procedures are spot on. His cast of characters are believable.” Elizabeth Burns
“Explosive from the opening chapter. Excellent storyline.” Sarah
“It's one of the most exciting, fast-paced crime novels that I've read.” GreatStuff
“Probably the best police procedural books I have read, and I have read a lot.” W. Collins
ALSO BY CHARLIE GALLAGHER
LANGTHORNE POLICE SERIES
Book 1: BODILY HARM
Book 2: PANIC BUTTON
Book 3: BLOOD MONEY
Book 4: END GAME
Book 5: MISSING
Book 6: THEN SHE RAN
Book 7: HER LAST BREATH
MADDIE IVES
Book 1: HE IS WATCHING YOU
Book 2: HE WILL KILL YOU
Book 3: HE WILL FIND YOU
Book 4: HE KNOWS YOUR SECRETS
Book 5: HE WILL GET YOU
Book 6: THE DEADLY HOUSES
STANDALONE CRIME THRILLERS
RUTHLESS
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJanuary 22, 2017
- File size1035 KB
Shop this series
See full series-
First 3$12.97
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First 5$22.95
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All 7$32.93
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First 3$12.97
-
First 5$22.95
-
All 7$32.93
This option includes 3 books.
This option includes 5 books.
This option includes 7 books.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Charlie Gallagher has been a serving UK police officer for ten years. During that time he has had many roles, starting as a front-line response officer, then becoming a member of a specialist tactical team. He is currently a detective investigating serious offenses. Visit him at WriterCharlieGallagher.com.
Product details
- ASIN : B01MR94IP5
- Publisher : Joffe Books Mystery, Crime Thriller, Suspense Fiction (January 22, 2017)
- Publication date : January 22, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 1035 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 273 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #599,977 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #836 in Women's Detective Fiction
- #7,529 in Police Procedurals (Kindle Store)
- #11,980 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Charlie Gallagher has been writing for twenty years, most of that time as a hobby but with the dream of one day 'doing it properly.' Alongside this hobby it was necessary to have a day job which, for thirteen years, was as a serving U.K. police officer. This career in policing opened up a whole new world of experiences and opportunities and he is now fortunate enough to be able to channel those experiences into stories on a full time basis.
Whilst a police officer, Charlie worked as a response officer, a member of a specialist tactical team, a detective and in a regional counter terrorism unit.
His books are thrillers and, rather unsurprisingly, policing and crime are central to the stories.
Charlie lives on the south coast of the U.K with his wife and two daughters, a springer spaniel, a tortoise and a cat with a far higher number of twitter followers. Charlie is published by Joffe Books and Avon, Harper Collins.
The Maddie Ives Series:
Book 1 - He Is Watching You
Book 2 - He Will Kill You
Book 3 - He Will Find You
Book 4 - He Knows Your Secrets
Book 5 - He Will Get You
Book 6 - The Deadly Houses
Book 7 - Last One Alive
Book 8 - The Girl Under The Floor
Book 9 - The Girls Upstairs
The Joel Norris Series:
Book 1: The Friend
Book 2: Lethal Game
The George Elms Series:
Book 1 - Bodily Harm
Book 2 - Panic Button
Book 3 - Blood Money
Book 4 - End Game
Book 5 - Missing
Book 6 - Then She Ran
Book 7 - Her Last Breath
Standalone books:
Ruthless
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the plot engaging with unexpected twists and turns that keep them hooked. The book is described as a compelling read from start to finish with well-described, realistic characters. However, some readers found the pacing too slow or hard to follow at times. Opinions differ on the writing quality, with some finding it well-written and imaginative, while others felt it was awkward and uninspired.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the engaging and suspenseful plot. They find the storyline enjoyable with interesting characters and unexpected twists that keep them hooked until the end. The plot is imaginative and packed with action, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions. While providing closure to the actual crime, the ending leaves a cliffhanger.
"I absolutely enjoyed reading this novel. It was an enjoyable police crime storyline , interesting characters...." Read more
"...It makes the stories very interesting. This was another edge-of-the-seat read for me...." Read more
"...The pacing was spot on and the twists were a true surprise. I'm looking forward to the next story." Read more
"...All in all a very well written and fast paced book with lots of twist and turns, had an excellent debut novel!!" Read more
Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging from start to finish, with lots of action and excitement. The last few chapters are worth reading. Overall, readers describe the book as an entertaining read that is captivating until the end.
"I absolutely enjoyed reading this novel. It was an enjoyable police crime storyline , interesting characters...." Read more
"...What a crazy ride this book is. I finally understand Charlie Gallagher's note on the force, and good and bad police...." Read more
"Gallagher's police thriller is both captivating and entertaining, especially as it takes place in England and we are treated to action and..." Read more
"...This is an excellent read and it is George's character that makes this book so good...." Read more
Customers find the characters well-described and dimensional. They say the characters act like real people rather than cardboard cutouts. The plot is good, with multiple characters and locations.
"...writes in an extremely visual style, and even with multiple characters and locations, with as much information as you are given, it never becomes..." Read more
"...It was an enjoyable police crime storyline , interesting characters. Just the last couple of chapters i felt got a bit unbelievable maybe...." Read more
"...one of the good guys, he occasionally loses his temper and acts like a real person, rather than a cardboard cut out of what a cop should be...." Read more
"...Each character was developed in a sense of realism that is rare...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality. Some find it well-written and fast-paced, with imaginative plot twists and realistic characters. They appreciate the vivid descriptions of scenery and procedures. However, others feel the writing is awkward, uninspired, and dull. The story and prose lack compellingness, leaving some readers confused.
"...Charlie Gallagher writes in an extremely visual style, and even with multiple characters and locations, with as much information as you are given,..." Read more
"...It was well written and the story was interesting...." Read more
"...in its incompletion - undoubtedly to sell the next volume. But what's to say that the next book won't also be incomplete?" Read more
"...moments were woven with the often mundane side of police work was skillfully done. The pacing was spot on and the twists were a true surprise...." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book slow and hard to follow. They mention it's tiresome to keep up with, too fast at the end, and hard to read past 50 pages.
"...The story could have covered another book. A little to fast paced at the end...." Read more
"...Too tiresome to keep up with, and there are so many more authors to discover...." Read more
"...about his job, then he does about his Family,the all force loses,slow reading,,,should have had a lot better ending" Read more
"I enjoyed the book. Wish there was another chapter. Hardish to follow to start with but the last few chapters was worth it!" Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018I'm really tardy to the party where this series is concerned, but in this case, better late than never for real. This is Book 1 in the series about a detective named George Elms, and includes his precinct, the areas surrounding said precinct, and those law enforcement personnel within.
This first book includes one particularly brutal case that pushes a snowball full of betrayal and lies rolling down that proverbial hill. Of course, everyone knows that hard-core criminals cannot be trusted, but you can always trust the police, and the line between them is crystal clear. Right? Unfortunately, circumstances in this particular area of the city have blurred those lines, and blindly trusting one side or the other can be a matter of life and death.
A lot of novels claim twists and turns around every corner, but some of them are still quite predictable. Bodily Harm is NOT one of those. This story takes you down paths that lead you to steep cliff edges where the ground under your feet suddenly disappears over and over again. 'Twists and turns' doesn't begin to cover Bodily Harm's storyline, but the word 'thriller' certainly does. You get to know each and every character, each and every location, and each and every event in such detail that it feels as if you are there. The fear becomes just as real to you the reader as it does to the characters.
Charlie Gallagher writes in an extremely visual style, and even with multiple characters and locations, with as much information as you are given, it never becomes difficult to follow where the writer is leading you. Before you finish the first story, you are already making sure you can get your hands on the next one. I certainly did, and as soon as I finished this one, I began reading Book 2, and just as I expected, by the second chapter, I was hooked yet again. I recommend Bodily Harm to anyone who enjoys tagging along with police detectives as they investigate crimes, but this George Elms series is so much more than that. You are taken into two worlds - the one filled with light and good and the one filled with darkness and evil. Then, you are dropped into that hazy middle and left to try to figure the right way out.
Definitely get into this series, but begin with Book 1 and go from there because you don't want to miss out on a character or an event and risk interrupting the flow. I'm going to close now - Book 2 awaits!
- Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024I absolutely enjoyed reading this novel.
It was an enjoyable police crime storyline , interesting characters.
Just the last couple of chapters i felt got a bit unbelievable maybe.
Anyway an enjoyable read.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2018I would have rated it higher except I wasn't privy to how it ended. I am sick of wasting my time reading a book and then find there is no ending. It was well written and the story was interesting. I kept reading and just as I thought it was all going to work out...characters die that shouldn't have and the main character is left in limbo...I am left in limbo. I was planning to buy other books written by Mr Gallagher but no. I have decided to not fall into the trap again. This seems to be a "thing" these days to write a decent book but not end it or make you buy the next book to see what happens. My rule these days is to never buy a book from someone who does not know how to write an ending. If it happens, I will live in ignorance because I won't buy book No. 2.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2018Langthorne detective George Elms is called to a grisly attempted murder of the mayor’s niece on a public bus in the notorious Effingell Estate (the equivalent of U.S. “housing projects” in inner cities). The area has long been a hotbed of crime and drug abuse and the community wants action. Eh, so the residents are killing each other, so what, but when they take after the mayor’s relative, Something. Must. Be. Done! Elms is a bright, steady, results-oriented, straight arrow detective, and doesn’t quite believe it when a lowlife conveniently confesses to the attack. He is under pressure from all angles, including his weenie of a boss, to resolve the situation and move on, but he can’t let go and his investigation puts everything and everyone he loves at risk.
I have become a huge fan of this author in a very short time. He is a serving United Kingdom police officer in real life, and his stories have the ring of authenticity. The characters are realistic, the action is non-stop, and the settings well described. I particularly like Elms, because while he is clearly one of the good guys, he occasionally loses his temper and acts like a real person, rather than a cardboard cut out of what a cop should be. Another thing I like is that while some of the characters are truly bad, with no redeeming qualities, occasionally one comes along who still has enough of a conscience to struggle over the path he or she has taken. It makes the stories very interesting.
This was another edge-of-the-seat read for me. I think I read the entire book in a 24-hour period because I was so invested in the characters and hungry to know what happened. The ending is abrupt, and sets up the story for the next book. Sometimes that annoys me, but this time I just wanted to know what was going to happen, so immediately purchased book 2 in the series.
If you like gritty, dark, realistic British police procedurals, this is the series for you. I’ll be reading this series as long as the author writes it.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023I don't always enjoy books written in the King's English, but this one broke the mold. Each character was developed in a sense of realism that is rare. The way interpersonal moments were woven with the often mundane side of police work was skillfully done.
The pacing was spot on and the twists were a true surprise. I'm looking forward to the next story.
Top reviews from other countries
- DeewunReviewed in Canada on December 5, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars XLNT !
Charlie brings an authenticity to his books that reflects his wide knowledge of police work. Superbly crafted plots with twists and turns that keep the reader enthralled. Mixing in tragic outcomes for some of his characters he sometimes shocks with his treatment of them, much to the reader's disappointment - gritty realism at its best and worst!
- Bateman KristaReviewed in France on July 26, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars A super read! I definitely recommend!
I stumbled across this first Charlie Gallagher book in the Langthorne series by chance as it was recommended by Amazon. I loved it and quickly moved on to the second and then the third.... I have loved them all! I was so glad that I only had to wait a couple of months for the next in the series to come out. Now I'm bummed though.... I hated finishing these books as I enjoyed them so much! The characters were so real - not at any moment did they do or say something that made me come out of the story and think "what?!" I was totally into it and had a hard time to set any of them down. Real page turners and so well written! Please keep it up Charlie! I'm waiting for the next one!!!
- Alan G. HiderReviewed in Australia on August 28, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally gripping story
A realistic setting and great characters. The plot evolves with dramatic speed including a bomb attack on the main character. Excellent reading.
- Stephanie MadrellReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, gripping read
Just finished reading it while on holiday and just a shame it wasn't longer - I had finished it in 3 days what was I to do for the other 4? Chat to the wife ? Crikey.
Couldn't put it down the plot was excellently developed and you felt you got to know the characters as it all unfolded with each page turn. Really hating some while cheering for others.
Twist and turns in each direction and I really got engrossed into how or what was going to happen next. And at points what did happen next was both shocking and exciting.
I also found the author to have a dark sense of humour that appealed very much to my own as I did laugh out loud on more than one occasion much to my embarrassment round the pool.
A great read got me hooked from early on and that continues right to the last page. I hadn't read a book since my A Levels (I'm old now) but the ending means I now have to read another!!!!
10/10 ;-)
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on March 21, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
The book was excellent. Lots of action. The ending fell short.