Dying to Know

by Alison Joseph

A man’s body washes up on the beach.

It looks as if he threw himself from a lighthouse - but was it suicide, or something more sinister?

Detective Inspector Berenice Killick is used to dealing with minor complaints like parking tickets and lost property, so when she is offered the case she jumps at the chance.

She soon discovers that the dead man was Murdo Macguire, a physicist, and that he and his colleagues were carrying out top secret work on particle collisions.

When more of the scientists are found dead, in the same place and manner as Macguire, it looks like someone has a vendetta against the project.

But what were the scientists working on?

And will someone kill to find out - or to prevent the science being revealed?

As she delves deeper into the mystery, Berenice must fight to get her voice heard in a police department run by men - and she must learn to trust her instincts if she is to have any chance of solving the case.

What is it that the murderer is Dying to Know?

Berenice must find out before it is too late...

Genres: Mystery

438 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2013

About the author

Alison Joseph was born and brought up in London. She studied French and Philosophy at Leeds University, and then worked in local radio in Leeds as a producer and presenter. She moved back to London in 1983 and worked for a Channel 4 production company, making short documentaries. In 1985 she set up her own company, Works on Screen. Productions included Through the Devil's Gateway, a series about women and religion presented by Helen Mirren, which was broadcast by Channel 4 in 1989. A book of the series was published by SPCK. Sister Agnes became a reality with the publication of Sacred Hearts in 1994. This was followed by The Hour of Our Death (1995), The Quick and the Dead (1996), A Dark and Sinful Death (1997), The Dying Light (1999) and The Night Watch (2000). All the Sister Agnes books are published by Endeavour Press and Allison & Busby in the UK, and the first three are also available in German.
Other novels include Dying to Know (published by Endeavour Press), featuring D I Berenice Killick. Alison is also the author of two novellas in which (a fictional) Agatha Christie is the detective. They are Murder Will Out and Hidden Sins, both published by Endeavour Press. The third is due out Autumn 2016.

Alison has also written short stories for Radio 4, for YOU magazine, for Critical Quarterly and for various women's magazines, as well as abridging novels for Radio 4's Book at Bedtime and The Late Book, including the award-winning production of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. She is the author of about twenty-five plays for BBC Radio 4. Her most recent short story is Samir's Lament, available on Kindle Singles.

Alison lives in London.

Reviews

[Norma Jolliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tad Confusing

Science has always baffled me. And the deep science of this made me grind my teeth with glazed eyes. That said, it was a good story, if perhaps with too many people. It's a murder mystery, but not plain and simple. While at times I wanted to toss the book aside (the confusing science thing) I am glad I stuck it out. The ending was worth it.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting crime novel featuring a new detective, DI Berenice Killick. A varied cast of characters including physicists and a clergyman.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can see why other readers failed to finish it, far too many characters, weird plot threads, and tough to follow jumps between characters or even times, with many characters being known by one or more name - Tobias/Tom, the scientists as their forenames, surnames and even nicknames all used interchangably.

Although called a Berenice Killick story Berny barely featured until the saving the day at the end.

[Ann James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried many times to get into the book, but gave up when I reached chapter 5 :/

[Callie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got to 27% and just couldn't get into it. Sorry