Worse than Dead – a review
My fourth Cloak
and Dagger read of 2019 was a return to familiar territory with Stephen Puleston’s Inspector Drake series, set
like my current ‘work in progress’ in North Wales. I have already reviewed Brass
in Pocket, the first book
in the series.
On then to my review
of Book 2.
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Worse than Dead
by Stephen
Puleston (Goodreads Author)
A ferry leaves
Dublin…The chief engineer lies dead on the car deck …There’s a killer on
board…
Inspector Drake is called from a seminar on cyber crime to meet the ferry
docking at the port of Holyhead. Frank Rosen the chief engineer lies on the car
deck a knife through his heart. For the first time Drake knows where the killer
is but he doesn’t know who.
When Rosen’s house is ransacked the night after he’s killed Drake knows the
killer was looking for something. The data stick Rosen’s wife finds may hold
the clues. But the codes and numbers on it only complicate the investigation.
And then Drake’s cousin makes contact and tells him he has information. But can
Drake rely on him or does he have another agenda? And when the team discover a
direct link to drug dealing in North Wales and beyond there are powerful forces
at work.
Drake’s cousin drags Drake’s family into the middle of the case that piles the
pressure on Drake who’s facing regular counselling for his OCD and the prospect
of losing his father to cancer.
When Drake’s superior demotes him and acts entirely against protocols Drake
knows that something is wrong. Establishing the evidence takes him to Dublin
and Cardiff and then on a last minute chase over North Wales to the ancient
Fort Belan hoping that he will catch the killer.
Review 4.3 stars
I was hoping that this second Book in Stephen Puleston’s
Inspector Drake series would transport me back to North Wales. I was not
disappointed.
This was the country I remembered from living there a few years
– without the criminal element. That darker side was the world of the first
book, providing Detective Inspector Ian Drake with another baffling case.
When Frank Rosen, a ferry’s Chief Engineer is found murdered
on the car deck, Drake knows that the killer must still be onboard. But the investigation
is complicated when his team is forced to let everyone disembark before a
suspect can be identified. A link to drug dealing complicates matters further,
especially when different police departments must be involved.
Puleston uses his background as a retired criminal lawyer to
lend authenticity and detail to the working of the police and the criminals. Both
sides play devious games – fortunately, Drake is not easily fooled in the end.
But he continues to struggle with his OCD as he did in the
first book. This idiosyncrasy and his addiction to Sudoku make him a memorable protagonist,
although I don’t warm to him. The rest of his team – Caren Waits, Dave Howick and
Gareth Winder – have their own traits that we see through Drake’s OCD eyes
primarily. I wondered if this was an unusual team or maybe not.
Drake’s Detective Sergeant, Caren had more scenes in her POV
than in Book 1, and these helped me get to know her better. POV scenes for
Howick and Winder added their perspective but to a lesser extent. Even though
Puleston called Caren by her first name throughout, and all the male officers
by their surname – which felt strange – I still couldn’t relate to even her.
Conflict weaves its way in the story but comes with the
territory even for police with their own rivalries. The domestic tensions are
there for Drake and others, echoing real-life experiences of police families as
well as the impact of crime on lives.
There are again too many cast members – especially with
multiple suspects and witnesses. This is a failing in many books so perhaps forgivable
in the final analysis when the plot comes together. A few surprises were in
store and most complexities were resolved. But one scene from a different POV
confused me – or is to be resolved in the next case.
This is a recommended read and I will be checking out Book #3
as this novel whet my appetite for more from North Wales. The place and people
of this beautiful country infused the writing, from scenery to language.
Story – four stars
Characters – four
stars
Setting/World-building
– five stars
Authenticity –
five stars
Structure – four
stars
Readability – four
stars
Editing – four
stars
