Set in a damp English village on the midland moors, Booth's fourth suspense novel is a moody, meandering tale, bringing back the two police protagonists of earlier novels. Det. Constable Ben Cooper has just been transferred to a rural beat when he finds himself up to his handcuffs in the gruesome murder of a young man, Neil Granger. Meanwhile, his former superior, Det. Sgt. Diane Fry, is investigating the two-year-old disappearance of 19-year-old Emma Renshaw. The cases are almost certainly related-Emma and Neil both grew up in the Peak District village of Withens and were housemates in the Black Country, an urban area just west of Birmingham-but clues linking them are scarce. As Fry and Cooper pursue their separate investigations, Emma's distraught and unbalanced parents prove a hindrance, and a family of petty criminals further hamper progress. An accidental shooting, the discovery of a second corpse, a possible link to a burglary ring and a suspicious land development deal add more complications. Bogged down in this plethora of subplots, Fry and Cooper are also plagued by personal troubles. Fry's own sister has been missing for 15 years, and Cooper has information about her that he doesn't know whether to share.

Stephen Booth is a cracking crime writer and in the space of four books has established himself at the top of his genre. The darkly brooding background of the Peak District is a marvellous setting for strange goings on in the patch of DS Fry and DC Cooper, and their relationship moves forward, and yet at the same time doesn't get anywhere. This was really compulsive reading and I can't wait to start the next in the series.

Sending this to MoJeDenUK, a book from her wishlist. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Herrgirl. I received the book today (it was left in the garden shed by the Postman!) I'm presently reading his previous book Blood On The Tongue so look forward to starting this one soon.

Now this was a vast improvement on the last book. I thought the humour among the detectives was very droll and some of the observations were spot on! This author is definitely improving and even DS Fry didn't seem quite so objectionable this time although her feathers did get ruffled a little bit by DC Ben Cooper.

I love the descriptions of the Peaks area and all the historical information that is interwoven within the storyline. I have driven through the Peaks a few times but reading the book really makes me want to explore it a little more. It really is beautiful there.

Caught at the Nottingham meetup today, in my attempt to get all books of the series. So far, I've read only the first two, and now I only need to get hold of "Blood on the Tongue" to continue reading. I am aware that the books can be read independently from each other, but I prefer to stick to the chronology, so this one is going to be resting on my TBR pile for a little while...

Another excellent book in the series of DS Fry and DC Cooper! I have nothing to add to the storyline, which has been already given by the previous readers, and I am pleased to say that DS Fry didn't prove so annoying as in the earlier books. Now I am very curious to see what happens in the next mystery, which I have already prepared for tonight's bedtime reading session.
This book, after having been with me for 5 years (how time flies!!), is ready to be freed very soon. Watch this space :)