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David J. Gatward Books In Order

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Publication Order of DCI Harry Grimm Books

Publication Order of Padre Books

Mission Creep (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon
Raised from Death (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon
Jaws of Hell (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon

David J Gatward is a bestselling mystery author best known for the “DCI Harry Grimm” series of novels. The author was born in Bristol and was brought up between Lincolnshire, Wensleydale and Cotswolds thanks to the fact that his father was a Methodist minister. Aside from his many hobbies that include music, caving, shooting, camping, climbing and archery, he has always loved writing. His life was changed forever when as a ten year old he read Alan Garner’s “The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.” He had always loved storytelling and reading before he got into the world of magic and myth, but it was in the pages of her novel that he determined that he would become a fiction author. Even though it was not until he was eighteen that he published his debut novel, it would take many more years before he achieved his dream of becoming a full time author. During this time, he distilled his many experiences that included almost drowning, seeing two ghosts, working on a salmon farm, and being mistaken for a homeless person. David now lives with his wife and children in rural Somerset from where he writes his novels.

In 1992 aged eighteen years old, David J Gatward published his first work. From then on he was hooked and became obsessed with writing stories and seeing them in print. He would go on to publish several more titles and hold several jobs in publishing. It was during this time that he published the “Dead Trilogy” under Hodder Children. Since then, Gatward has gone on to write for several publishers that include Oxford University Press, Puffin and Random House. He has also worked as a ghost writer and had several of his short stories published even though many of these are now out of print. But his efforts paid off as some of the short horror fiction he wrote during this time were featured in the “HellRaiser” DVD box set. In 2020, he wrote “Mission Creep” of the “Padre” series of novels that would then be followed by the very popular “DCI Harry Grimm” series of novels.

While has many hobbies, David J Gatward’s most favorite thing is writing. When he is not writing, he can often be found hanging out with his wife and two children. He also runs triathlons, makes homemade pizza, camps out in the wild, goes swimming, SUP boarding and cooks sausages on a small Firebox Stove whenever he goes out hiking in Hive Beach in Dorset.

David J Gatward’s “Grimm Up North” introduces Detective Crime Inspector Harry Grimm. He works for Bristol major crime but out of the blue, his obnoxious boss posts to North Yorkshire to the town of Wensleydale. Harry is a man that prefers to work his cases on his own as he believes he is more effective that way. Nonetheless, like many genius detectives, he is not a particularly likable person. He had been wounded by IED while he was in the Parachute Regiment and this gives him an intimidating and severe look. When he arrives at his new work station, he despairs as it is a sleepy outpost with sleepy villages, lots of sheep, and rolling hills that he does not believe could conjure up a major investigation. In the village, almost everyone knows everyone and the biggest crimes reported to local law enforcement are sheep stealing. Wensleydale does not even have a police station and he learns that he will be based at a small room in the community centre. But then his first day gets very interesting when a girl on her way to school goes missing. This results in an interesting chain of events with twists and trunks that are enough to make one dizzy.

“Best Served Cold” by David J Gatward sees DCI Harry Grimm getting to know about his seemingly crime infested posting. When he investigates a tragic farm accident, he is convinced that foul play was involved. But this killer is not the usual type as he has been hardened over the years and is now exacting revenge. Grimm never expected to be dealing with murder in the small tranquil town of Wensleydale. He is not sure if the first instance is murder or something else thought the circusmtances are very troubling. When there is a second very suspicious murder, Harry starts getting overwhelmed given the size of his team. Over the next few days, he starts theorizing that the killer is doing the homicides for revenge on what he believes had happened in the past. Meanwhile, there is so much fear in town that almost nobody comes out of their houses. But this is a killer that is as brutally effective as he is invisible. Some people have been threatening to take the law into their own hands and as DCI Grimm’s wounds from the past begin to open once again, he realizes he is about to journey into Hell itself. It turns out that the small hamlet is nothing like what it seemed like at first.

David J Gatward’s “Corpse Road” sees Harry Grimm getting used to life in the small town where he had been posted. While he is resting at home one evening, he gets an unexpected call from his father who has not spoken to him for years. He is calling to tell him that his life is in danger but Grimm is not interested in hearing from him ever since he killed his mother and beat up his brother years before. That very night, a woman named Kirsty is murdered in a grisly killing that the killer broadcast on the internet. Grimm gets another call in the night, this time from Detective Sergeant Matthew Dinsdale who tells him that the Swaledale Mountain Rescue team has found a corpse in the swamps beyond Yorkshire Moors. The victim is a female backpacker that had been stabbed in the throat. A very keen and dedicated PCSO named Jim Metcalfe who comes with a border collie pup drives Grimm to the location on his land rover. The scene is all messy but they have to wait for the crime scene team, a pathologist and doctor before they can do anything. On the woman’s head has been carved the name Stacy which has also been scrawled on her tent in blood.

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2 Responses to “David J. Gatward”

  1. Margaret Domjan: 7 months ago

    I live in the dales so reading your books is like watching a film in my head. I have been to most of your locations over the years we have lived here. Love all your characters. Thank you for the pleasure you give me and also my son ,who lives abroad is also an avid reader of your books.
    Best wishes
    Margaret Domjan.

    Reply
  2. Marie Smith: 1 year ago

    Now have read all of them…being in my eighties will never see the “dales” “fells” but after reading your books feel like I have been there…also great stories and enjoy your comparisons. Thank you so much as they have been a joy to read…and I like “the Grouch”In my life have read a lot…in this last book found myself weeping for them all..thank you for sharing your talent.

    Reply

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