”… deeply emotional, a dark rollercoaster ride.”- Ed James, author of bestselling DI Fenchurch series“The book is just fantastic. Rare to rarest to find wonderful heart kickin’ compassion in a crime novel. Solomon is a true keeper. ”- Ken Bruen, author of the Jack Taylor series“A compelling murder mystery with a multilayered and engaging new hero. Great read. ”- Mason Cross, author of the … new hero. Great read. ”
– Mason Cross, author of the Carter Blake thriller series
Was it suicide … or murder?
When teenager Nick Buckingham tumbles from the fifth floor of an apartment block, Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray answers the call with a sick feeling in his stomach. The victim was just a kid, sixteen years old. And the exact age the detective’s son, Tom, would’ve been, had he not gone missing at a funfair ten years ago. Each case involving children haunts Gray with the reminder that his son may still be out there – or worse, dead. The seemingly open and shut case of suicide twists into a darker discovery. Buckingham and Gray have never met, so why is Gray’s number on the dead teenager’s mobile phone?
With his boss, Detective Inspector Yvonne Hamson, Gray begins to unravel a murky world of abuse, lies, and corruption. An investigator from the Met is called in to assist, setting the local police on edge. And when the body of Reverend David Hill is found shot to death in the vestry of Gray’s old church, Gray wonders how far the depravity stretches and who might be next. Nothing seems connected, and yet there is one common thread: Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray, himself. As the bodies pile up, Gray must face his own demons. Crippled by loss but determined to find the truth, Gray takes the first step on the long road of redemption.
Set in the once grand town of Margate in the south of England, the now broken and depressed seaside resort becomes its own character in this dark detective thriller. Dig Two Graves is the first book in a series featuring Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray. The crime series is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, and Peter James.
About the Author
Keith Nixon is a British born writer of crime and historical fiction novels. Originally he trained as a chemist, but Keith is now in a senior sales role for a high-tech business. Keith currently lives with his family in the North West of England.
more
Great book with twists!
It grabs you right away because of the kidnapping of Gray’s six year old son from a local fair. Both Gray and his wife are unable to move forward because of the lack of closure. Ten years later Gray is still searching; Is his son still alive? Gray never gives up the search. He totally believes he will find him someday. This is a dark and sad and lonely search.
At first I became tired of overly descriptive scenes, from tables and chairs to curtains to numerous offices to even china tea sets, and frequently began to skip over these. But then I began to believe our author was telling me something important about our main character. Gray was totally observant of everything! Staying on top of his vigilance was his way of staying focused. He knew he would find his son someday. He just had to keep searching.
Dig Two Graves is the opening chapter of Keith Nixon’s Detective Solomon Gray series. It is an opening that will haunt you for days and makes you to reach for the next story in the series. I love series where there is one red line that runs through all the books while each book has its own ‘story’ as well! Add to this the location – once grand town of Margate in the south of England – and you are gone … gone for Detective Solomon Gray and his personal story!
Dig Two Graves introduces us to Detective Gray and gives us his story, the disappearance of his six year old son, his never-ending search and his daily work as a Detective … this story revolves around a world of abuse, corruption, lies … it is the world where you do not know who is telling the truth and who is lying… there seems to be no end to depravity of the man …
It is a dark ride that the writer is taking us, be prepared to suffer and rage with Solomon … you will feel broken and lost and you will give up and you are so wary that you no longer want to continue on the road to redemption … there is no end in sight …
It is the best of the contemporary British crime stories and I can only hope that someone would pick up the series and create something that is in the same league with Broadchurch … (what is there in the south of England that brings out the worst in the man?). I cannot wait to continue walking alongside Detective Gray!
DIG TWO GRAVES is a suspense/thriller which isn’t necessarily my go to trope but I was in need of a change so I picked it up.
The first story I’ve read by the author, this is a very detailed story about a very unlikable guy. It’s strange because I’ve read other series similar to this and have always found redeeming qualities in the characters. The MC never warmed up for me.
This is a dark story that has twists and turns along the way and it definitely keeps the reader on its toes. There are several elements of the story that tapped into my base fears (losing child in a crowd, for instance) and made me feel a little “itchy” at times.
While I didn’t care for Sol, I did enjoy the story and found that it is a good set up for stories to come.
I give Dig Two Graves: A Gripping Crime Thriller (Solomon Gray Book 1) by Keith Nixon, 4 stars.
Detective Sergeant Gray is called to the scene of a death. It appears to be 16 year old boy who jumped off a balcony. This hits hard for Gray, since his missing son would be that age. Is it him? If not, what happened to the boy? Was it suicide or was there more going on here? And then there is another murder. Someone Gray knows. He knows his life is falling apart, but is it really connected to him or just coincidence? Can Gray solve these mysteries? Can he pull himself out of this murk that he lives in?
This is a great crime thriller revolving around Detective Sergeant Gray. He has experienced extreme tragedies in his life. His character is very complex, not just a one-sided, boring person. This makes it more interesting. The story itself is very gripping and has a lot going on. You will not know the truth until the very end. Along the way, prepare for a rollercoaster of events and emotions.
I quite enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who like suspenseful crime dramas.
Dig Two Grave: A Gripping Crime Thriller ( Solomon Gray Book 1) by Keith Nixon. This book is amazing. Its the story of Detective Solomon Gray who’s 16 year old son disappears at fair and has never been found. When he’s called to an apartment block he just feels something is off, the victim is a 16 year old kid (just like his son) and they say it was suicide but for some reason Gray’s phone number is in this kids phone. How is that possible he doesn’t even know the kid. As he digs deeper into this case bodies pile up and he must face his own ghosts about his son’s disappearance. Will Gray let his own personal tragedy cause him to lose his job or will he solve this crime that may solve his own son’s crime. This book is so good and you get swept up in it quickly! Can’t wait to read another book by Mr. Nixon.
Dig Two Graves by Keith Nixon
Four Stars
Dig Two Graves is the first book in the Solomon Grey series by Keith Nixon. This thrilling crime drama had me hooked from the very first page. This is the first book I have read from this author, but it definitely won’t be the last. This book was dark and dealt with a lot of different issues, kidnapping, suicide, depression and a bunch of killings. The way the author kept me guessing until the end on what happened to Solomon’s son was excellent. I haven’t read many crime novels in the past couple of years but I really enjoyed this one, and look forward to reading more in this series.
Have you ever read a story and the hair sticks up on your neck? I can testify that Dig Two Graces by Keith Nixon has done that to me. This is my first book by Mr. Nixon, and it will not be my last. Mr. Nixon can spin an intricate web that kept me on my toes. The character is fully developed and believable. Mr. Gray is a troubled detective. He lost his son when he was six (and by lost, I mean taken from him). Every time there is a murder with a child close to his son’s age, he gets queasy thinking that it may be his son. There has been a teenage boy that committed suicide and he did not want to take the case just in case it in fact was his son. The story progresses from there and skeletons from Gray’s closet start coming out and there is a whirlwind surrounding the investigation. Will Gray be able to continue with this case? Will the past come back to haunt him? You will have to read to find out more.
Dig Two Graves: A Gripping Crime Thriller (Solomon Gray Book 1)
By Keith Nixon
This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me enthralled the entire time. Gray has experienced a tremendous amount of tragedy and has turned to alcohol and pills to try to numb the pain. While investigating what was originally thought to be a suicide, murders keep happening and the common denominator is Gray himself. There are twists and turns that kept a grip on me and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next or who was causing these murders. This was a very good read, I was on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. I recommend this book and look forward to reading the next one in this series.
5 star
Dig Two Graves ( The Detective Solomon Gray Series By Keith Nixon is q story that grabs your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go till the end. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough I had to know what happens next. Detective Solomon Gray is a haunted man he lost his son when he was six years old.He feels guilt because he was there and couldn’t stop it. The uncertainty of not knowing if his child is dead or just missing wears on hi,so he doesn’t always make the best choices.The twists and turns had me gripping my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Who is responsible for the Homicides? I highly recommend reading this book especially if you want to know what happens next I look forward to reading more from this Author and this series.
Dig Two Graves
A Gripping Crime Thriller
Solomon Gray Book 1
By Keith Nixon
This is by far one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. If I can even say that.
Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray takes his job seriously. His down fall was working to long and often left his family at home. Ten years earlier he had taken his son to the fair. When the boy did not return from the ride he was on, the search was on. Ten years later he is still looking for his son. When he gets a call about a young boy jumping to his death. Did he really jump or was he pushed? This is the first of many calls to come in. Now he must stop the killer!
Keith Nixon is a fantastic writer of suspense. His story is a real rollercoaster of emotions, including but not limited to anger. I enjoyed this first book and look forward to reading the rest of this series. Well done Keith Nixon, well done!
Dig Two Graves (A Solomon Gray Novel) By Keith Nixon
5-stars
Dig Two Graves was an emotional thriller that I could not put down. It begins with the disappearance of the main characters son which really tugged at my heart strings. Solomon aka Sol became a completely different man after that. He also had to deal with many other losses. This case follows a possible suicide of a boy who was very similar to Sol’s son. I did not expect the twists that occurred. I was shocked with the outcome. I can’t wait to read more in this series.
Dig Two Graves (Detective Solomon Gray #1) by Keith Nixon is a raw and dark read but that
is what all the best crime fictions stories are about, right? Add in a cop who has not only
witnessed the worst humanity has to offer but he has had to live through several of the most
tragic and horrific times of his life. Cynical – absolutely. Damaged – you bet ya. Barely
functioning – oh yeah. Keith has woven a magical yet complex thriller where the main
character is complex and broken and everything around him goes from bad to worse and the
intricate plot is a mystery until the very end. The emotions in this book weigh heavily and will
have you all over the place.
The story jumps back and forth from the past to the present as we journey along with the
memories of what was and today as Sol tries to go on with his life. The story is one I couldn’t
put down and had me on the edge of my seat.
Sol is a man who is struggling with a past that will forever haunt him and a job that is a
constant reminder. A life that is empty and cold. I life where there is nothing makes sense.
Dig Two Graves is a must read and will keep you guessing to the very end which will
surprise the heck out of you.
This page turner was brilliantly written. It kept me guessing from start to finish. This dark suspense was richly detailed with a strong plot line. It is a fantastic start to a series that I look forward to reading further.
Deeply emotional, a dark rollercoaster ride.
A compelling murder mystery with a multilayered and engaging new hero. Great read.
Dig Two Graves: A Gripping Crime Thriller (Solomon Gray Book 1) by Keith Nixon
3 stars
I really wanted to love this book, it just missed that mark for me. Between the language I had to try and make sense of but also the overly done descriptions, it just drug it all down for me. It took a bit to get into as it was a different style of writing, but after about 100 pages, I had to keep going to see what happened next.
We do learn a couple very valuable things in this book, but the main question I had wasn’t answered/solved, so I may read the next book to see if my answer is hidden there.