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Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #1
Black Dog
As helicopters search Northern England's Peak District for fifteen year-old Laura Vernon, Detective Constable Ben Cooper quietly dreads the worst. And when her body is found in the woods, Cooper's investigation begins with a short list of markedly uncooperative suspects: retired miner Harry Dickinson, whose black Labrador discovered Laura's body, and Laura's wealthy parents. Uneasily teamed with ambitious newcomer Detective Constable Diane Fry, Cooper tests a town's family ties, friendships, and loyaties -- and finds that in order to understand the present, they must unearth the past.
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
448 people are currently reading
4514 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Booth
55 books672 followersStephen Booth is the author of 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series, all set around England's Peak District, and a standalone novel DROWNED LIVES, published in August 2019.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
November 5, 2023
Something New.
My first book by Stephen Booth of the Ben Cooper and Diane Fry mysteries.
When a local teenager is murdered, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry must get along and learn to work together. The clues are piling up, but they don’t appear to be leading anywhere.
Will Cooper and Fry solve this murder?
The author uses some suspense to keep you interested, which is appreciated, because there are times when I wander away.
Despite those plodding moments, I’m interested enough to read the next book in this series.
I give it three stars. ✨✨✨
My first book by Stephen Booth of the Ben Cooper and Diane Fry mysteries.
When a local teenager is murdered, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry must get along and learn to work together. The clues are piling up, but they don’t appear to be leading anywhere.
Will Cooper and Fry solve this murder?
The author uses some suspense to keep you interested, which is appreciated, because there are times when I wander away.
Despite those plodding moments, I’m interested enough to read the next book in this series.
I give it three stars. ✨✨✨
May 2, 2019
A police procedural which was a little too stretched out for me to enjoy to the full. As it is only the first in the series and because the series has good reviews I will certainly try no. 2
November 24, 2014
How frustrating! There were things here I really wanted to enjoy. In particular, a trio of very well drawn elderly male characters are like nothing else I've seen in the mystery genre or, really, anywhere. The intersection of the "Black Dog" of local mythology and an actual black dog (or two) is also well done. However, there were several things that consistently interrupted my ability to enjoy this book.
For one thing, the author infodumps with a heavy hand. Not only are passages too full of unnecessary details that fail either to move the story forward or bring the setting alive, but on many pages every sentence is stuffed with extra information that doesn't need to be there. I felt as though I were being force-fed, or as though I were reading the author's background notes that should not have been left in the final draft of the story. I normally love reading mysteries in part as travelogue, as they let me visit parts of the world in their pages and get to see them as the inhabitants see them rather than as a tourist. However, despite the wealth of information I now know about the Pennines area of northern England, I didn't develop any sense of understanding of the place. This is Booth's first published novel, so perhaps he's gotten better since then.
More of a problem is the rendering of the main female detective. She is a bizarre individual subject to inexplicable mood swings within the space of a few paragraphs and episodes of even stranger behavior. She's also a stroppy bitch, and not in a good way. I'm under the impression that the author was striving to write a complex, three-dimensional, strong woman but, because in real life he viewed women as weird aliens, failed miserably. Perhaps this has gotten better with subsequent novels, but I will not be reading more books by this author to find out.
For one thing, the author infodumps with a heavy hand. Not only are passages too full of unnecessary details that fail either to move the story forward or bring the setting alive, but on many pages every sentence is stuffed with extra information that doesn't need to be there. I felt as though I were being force-fed, or as though I were reading the author's background notes that should not have been left in the final draft of the story. I normally love reading mysteries in part as travelogue, as they let me visit parts of the world in their pages and get to see them as the inhabitants see them rather than as a tourist. However, despite the wealth of information I now know about the Pennines area of northern England, I didn't develop any sense of understanding of the place. This is Booth's first published novel, so perhaps he's gotten better since then.
More of a problem is the rendering of the main female detective. She is a bizarre individual subject to inexplicable mood swings within the space of a few paragraphs and episodes of even stranger behavior. She's also a stroppy bitch, and not in a good way. I'm under the impression that the author was striving to write a complex, three-dimensional, strong woman but, because in real life he viewed women as weird aliens, failed miserably. Perhaps this has gotten better with subsequent novels, but I will not be reading more books by this author to find out.
December 5, 2016
3.5 stars
August 29, 2015
A pleasantly twisted police procedural set in the Peak District of England. If you have any inkling you might read this book, I suggest you to read none of the reviews or summaries readily available—including this one—because they will diminish your reading pleasure.
If you’re still with me, I said the preceding because I did read some of those reviews and they spoiled the story for me. Since you won’t be reading the book or you wouldn’t be reading this (you are following my advice, aren’t you?), I’ll tell you why. Booth writes with the classic nineteenth-century omniscient narrator style, which take the reader deep into the thoughts and feelings of each character. He does it well. More important, we find ourselves overhearing the thoughts of several characters about each other. And, of course, they’re wrong. Oh, Booth doesn’t tell us; he shows us.
I don't normally read police procedurals, but I enjoyed the storytelling of this one. Perhaps you will, too, but you won’t know I said that because you’ve already stopped reading this review, didn’t you?
If you’re still with me, I said the preceding because I did read some of those reviews and they spoiled the story for me. Since you won’t be reading the book or you wouldn’t be reading this (you are following my advice, aren’t you?), I’ll tell you why. Booth writes with the classic nineteenth-century omniscient narrator style, which take the reader deep into the thoughts and feelings of each character. He does it well. More important, we find ourselves overhearing the thoughts of several characters about each other. And, of course, they’re wrong. Oh, Booth doesn’t tell us; he shows us.
I don't normally read police procedurals, but I enjoyed the storytelling of this one. Perhaps you will, too, but you won’t know I said that because you’ve already stopped reading this review, didn’t you?
January 10, 2012
I'd been looking out for new authors I might enjoy and this book came from the Goodreads recommendations. It is the debut novel, circa 1999, and I was delighted to see there are 11 books in all in this series. I really liked it, it did "just what it said on the tin", so to speak. Sometimes, the blurb on the back cover can be a little misleading, but not in this case. It had a great plot, characters and it was totally grounded and realistic. Set in the Peak District, D.C. Diane Fry arrives to take up a new position. We know fairly right off, that she has suffered a trauma in her previous job, but we don't find out what until near the end of the story. She is thrown into a murder enquiry almost on arrival and partnered with D.C. Ben Cooper, a local cop who is popular and endearing, but also has his own problems. The murder centers around the discovery of the body of a 15 year old girl, found by an old man and his dog whilst out for a walk. It's a fascinating police procedural story, which keeps the reader intrigued right to the end. I love a story where you can't really figure out the whys and whats until the end. You get a good line up of suspects and motives, but nothing is as it seems. There is also the developing relationship between Fry and Cooper and she comes across as a really hard, unfeeling and ambitious type, who will step all over Ben to get to the top, but there is a flip side to all interesting characters and Diane Fry has one it seems. I just had one little niggle on the editing, I hate when a mistake slips in, Ben is interviewing an elderly lady and the description of her cardigan colour is blue on one page and two pages later, it has turned green, unless Ben is colour blind, unlikely. I know, I am picky, otherwise, it was just great. I have to now check to see if my local library have the next few books in order. Fingers crossed.
July 17, 2018
Booth's got some good story-telling skills. This debut, however, suffers from two problems: a tendency to overt foreshadowing, which strikes the reader like a neon sign in a forest, and a seriously disappointing main female character.
It's the second that troubles me more. Diane Fry is your typical driven, damaged, almost inhumanly-focused female detective (a trope I've been encountering far too often in mystery novels lately, though only in those written by men). Depicting your women as insecure, overcompensating ball-breakers is one way of seeming enlightened--look, you've written a "strong female lead!" Making those women suffer from the trauma of family abuse and/or sexual assault from strangers is a convenient way of "humanizing" them without doing any real work. The book was saved from a one-star rating by some complicating of both Fry and her male counterpart, Ben Cooper, before the end--a development that gives me cautious hope for the rest of the series.
It's the second that troubles me more. Diane Fry is your typical driven, damaged, almost inhumanly-focused female detective (a trope I've been encountering far too often in mystery novels lately, though only in those written by men). Depicting your women as insecure, overcompensating ball-breakers is one way of seeming enlightened--look, you've written a "strong female lead!" Making those women suffer from the trauma of family abuse and/or sexual assault from strangers is a convenient way of "humanizing" them without doing any real work. The book was saved from a one-star rating by some complicating of both Fry and her male counterpart, Ben Cooper, before the end--a development that gives me cautious hope for the rest of the series.
November 9, 2025
Got this thru ILL since no library in the area possessed a copy. And now I know why..... Several times I wanted to just throw it across the room: frustrating, a VERY annoying female sidekick (who is about as uncouth as they come)- what kept me going was: I knew the solution was right in front of me & wanted to see it thru.
That, and I figure this book, the first of a series with Ben Cooper, was all about background & setting up the scene for the upcoming books.
Perhaps I'll read more of Mr. Booth, but I'll whittle down my to-read heap a bit first. 2 stars
2025: So 15 years later I read this again (forgetting to check if I'd read it. The book rang NO memories - obviously I really didn't like it in 2010! I hear they're making a show, wanted to pre-read... and honestly, I rather liked (?) this. There's a lot of set up - what's going on with Ben's family, what (exactly) happened to Dianne - there are hints. Still need to ILL these, or maybe I'll look for a Black Friday deal on Kindle Unlimited. Love the ol' codgers. 3.5 stars
That, and I figure this book, the first of a series with Ben Cooper, was all about background & setting up the scene for the upcoming books.
Perhaps I'll read more of Mr. Booth, but I'll whittle down my to-read heap a bit first. 2 stars
2025: So 15 years later I read this again (forgetting to check if I'd read it. The book rang NO memories - obviously I really didn't like it in 2010! I hear they're making a show, wanted to pre-read... and honestly, I rather liked (?) this. There's a lot of set up - what's going on with Ben's family, what (exactly) happened to Dianne - there are hints. Still need to ILL these, or maybe I'll look for a Black Friday deal on Kindle Unlimited. Love the ol' codgers. 3.5 stars
November 8, 2020
Black Dog is the first book in a series of British police procedural, crime thrillers written by Stephen Booth starring Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, set in the Peak District of Northern England near Manchester. Generally referred to as the Cooper & Fry series, I discovered the book as it was recommended to me by FantasticFiction, for readers who also like Stuart MacBride and Val McDermid (which I definitely do).
The British police procedural, crime thriller is a (very) well-populated genre I am discovering. So my tastes have become more discerning as I read more of them. Generally, I prefer books that feature at least one female protagonist (or are written by a female author). I think it’s probably as a gay Black male I don’t really connect with toxic masculinity in my fiction and I prefer to read stories featuring characters that share experiences similar to mine, i.e. trying to succeed professionally in settings where you’re under-represented.
I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging Black Dog is. The mystery is built around the disappearance and (inevitable) demise of a 15-year-old girl who is the daughter of the nouveau riche couple who own the biggest house in the Edendale area. However, as with all good books in the mystery genre, it’s not the case that’s important but the people working on the case. Ben Cooper is a young, handsome local “golden boy” who is a Detective Constable with a bright future and apparent rapid promotion ahead of him, despite his police father having been killed in the line of duty a mere 2 years before, leading to a psychological breakdown of his mother. Diane Fry is also a young Detective Constable who has recently transferred to the E-division police force after a traumatic event which she’s determined not to let slow her progress on the fast track to professional success in the police. They are polar opposites; Cooper is instinctive, well-liked by his colleagues and generally attuned to the sensibilities and sensitivities of the locals. Fry, on the other hand, is an outsider, perceived as a nervy, ambitious woman seeking to rise in the ranks by taking advantage of any situation to get noticed and advance her career. Somehow the two are paired together and sparks fly. There is definitely NOT sexual tension between the two, but there is professional rivalry (and perhaps personal antipathy), especially when Cooper realizes that Fry is much more likely to get the next Detective Sergeant promotion after his family problems start to negatively impact his job performance.
The details of the mystery in Black Dog are quite interesting, with a surplus of suspects and a large number of red herrings thrown at the reader. Even when the perpetrator was basically reduced to a cast of 3, I didn’t pick the correct person responsible for the crimes. The book is quite suspenseful and does a good job of slowly revealing different aspects of the personality traits of both Cooper and Fry which make me very interested to see how their interactions develop in future books. The series is quite substantial (almost 18 books at this writing) and I’m a bit surprised it doesn’t appear to have the same level of popularity and renown as similar books in this genre such as the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid or the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie. I think the reason may be because it doesn’t appear as if there’s a romantic relationship between the two lead characters (at least so far). The setting of the books is also somewhat unusual, a rural, sparsely populated, mountainous area (called the Peak Pike District) that is an actual tourist attraction. The supporting characters are not particularly diverse, but when there are two main characters who are both nuanced and well-drawn, that can sustain and fuel my interest in reading more books in the series, which I definitely intend to do.
The British police procedural, crime thriller is a (very) well-populated genre I am discovering. So my tastes have become more discerning as I read more of them. Generally, I prefer books that feature at least one female protagonist (or are written by a female author). I think it’s probably as a gay Black male I don’t really connect with toxic masculinity in my fiction and I prefer to read stories featuring characters that share experiences similar to mine, i.e. trying to succeed professionally in settings where you’re under-represented.
I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging Black Dog is. The mystery is built around the disappearance and (inevitable) demise of a 15-year-old girl who is the daughter of the nouveau riche couple who own the biggest house in the Edendale area. However, as with all good books in the mystery genre, it’s not the case that’s important but the people working on the case. Ben Cooper is a young, handsome local “golden boy” who is a Detective Constable with a bright future and apparent rapid promotion ahead of him, despite his police father having been killed in the line of duty a mere 2 years before, leading to a psychological breakdown of his mother. Diane Fry is also a young Detective Constable who has recently transferred to the E-division police force after a traumatic event which she’s determined not to let slow her progress on the fast track to professional success in the police. They are polar opposites; Cooper is instinctive, well-liked by his colleagues and generally attuned to the sensibilities and sensitivities of the locals. Fry, on the other hand, is an outsider, perceived as a nervy, ambitious woman seeking to rise in the ranks by taking advantage of any situation to get noticed and advance her career. Somehow the two are paired together and sparks fly. There is definitely NOT sexual tension between the two, but there is professional rivalry (and perhaps personal antipathy), especially when Cooper realizes that Fry is much more likely to get the next Detective Sergeant promotion after his family problems start to negatively impact his job performance.
The details of the mystery in Black Dog are quite interesting, with a surplus of suspects and a large number of red herrings thrown at the reader. Even when the perpetrator was basically reduced to a cast of 3, I didn’t pick the correct person responsible for the crimes. The book is quite suspenseful and does a good job of slowly revealing different aspects of the personality traits of both Cooper and Fry which make me very interested to see how their interactions develop in future books. The series is quite substantial (almost 18 books at this writing) and I’m a bit surprised it doesn’t appear to have the same level of popularity and renown as similar books in this genre such as the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid or the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie. I think the reason may be because it doesn’t appear as if there’s a romantic relationship between the two lead characters (at least so far). The setting of the books is also somewhat unusual, a rural, sparsely populated, mountainous area (called the Peak Pike District) that is an actual tourist attraction. The supporting characters are not particularly diverse, but when there are two main characters who are both nuanced and well-drawn, that can sustain and fuel my interest in reading more books in the series, which I definitely intend to do.
January 14, 2019
Only liked the descriptions of the Peak District topography...otherwise, not for me.
October 16, 2013
Review: http://peskypiksipesternomi.blogspot....
Wow. This is a fantastic read. Not only am I going to wholeheartedly recommend Black Dog to everyone, I'm going to go ahead and read the rest of the Ben Cooper & Diane Fry series; if the twelve books that follow are anything like this one, I know I'll love them. It is a unique story, with all the pieces of the intricately crafted puzzle falling smoothly in place at the end.
You know, in most popular mysteries (the few that I have read, anyway) the whole plot has an increasing frenzy and is the build up to a fabulous, thrilling ending. If that is the kind of conclusion you like to your reads, this might seem disappointing, a let down. Because the ending is too simple. It is so simple, that it would sound far fetched to people who are used to that grand climax. It reminded me of Stephen King's Under the Dome, for no reason other than how it made me feel; surprised and convinced, not to mention, wholly awed. It was impossible for me to have guessed it, but I know the answer had been right there all along, staring me in the face. The only disappointment I felt was for not having thought of it!
But even if not the ending, there is so much to appreciate and be impressed by in this book. While still being a swift mystery, Black Dog is like a laid back character sketch of all sorts of people in your usual small town. I loved the quirky ones, of course, like Harry Dickinson. And I also liked Gwen, his wife, about whom Cooper was so right - some people just get miserably tangled in messes they don't deserve to be in. Most of all, I liked Diane Fry; because she was so realistic. I liked how, as an outsider, she provided a neatly contrasting perspective on the rest of the team; one which I couldn't easily dismiss as she was also one of the good guys. The drama in Cooper's life was overwhelming and effectively justified the few character flaws in my mind (which made him much better than a conventional Lee Child-ish detective!) The book is wonderfully written, with hilarious comments at the most unexpected times and apt vivid descriptions that bring the setting to life. Mostly, I found Black Dog by Stephen Booth to be a perfect start to a series; which is something I hardly ever get to say. And Diane Fry and Ben Cooper do seem to make, possibly in spite of themselves, a pretty good team.
Wow. This is a fantastic read. Not only am I going to wholeheartedly recommend Black Dog to everyone, I'm going to go ahead and read the rest of the Ben Cooper & Diane Fry series; if the twelve books that follow are anything like this one, I know I'll love them. It is a unique story, with all the pieces of the intricately crafted puzzle falling smoothly in place at the end.
You know, in most popular mysteries (the few that I have read, anyway) the whole plot has an increasing frenzy and is the build up to a fabulous, thrilling ending. If that is the kind of conclusion you like to your reads, this might seem disappointing, a let down. Because the ending is too simple. It is so simple, that it would sound far fetched to people who are used to that grand climax. It reminded me of Stephen King's Under the Dome, for no reason other than how it made me feel; surprised and convinced, not to mention, wholly awed. It was impossible for me to have guessed it, but I know the answer had been right there all along, staring me in the face. The only disappointment I felt was for not having thought of it!
But even if not the ending, there is so much to appreciate and be impressed by in this book. While still being a swift mystery, Black Dog is like a laid back character sketch of all sorts of people in your usual small town. I loved the quirky ones, of course, like Harry Dickinson. And I also liked Gwen, his wife, about whom Cooper was so right - some people just get miserably tangled in messes they don't deserve to be in. Most of all, I liked Diane Fry; because she was so realistic. I liked how, as an outsider, she provided a neatly contrasting perspective on the rest of the team; one which I couldn't easily dismiss as she was also one of the good guys. The drama in Cooper's life was overwhelming and effectively justified the few character flaws in my mind (which made him much better than a conventional Lee Child-ish detective!) The book is wonderfully written, with hilarious comments at the most unexpected times and apt vivid descriptions that bring the setting to life. Mostly, I found Black Dog by Stephen Booth to be a perfect start to a series; which is something I hardly ever get to say. And Diane Fry and Ben Cooper do seem to make, possibly in spite of themselves, a pretty good team.
August 20, 2016
A writer new to me and starting from the beginning of the Cooper and Fry series. This looks like a straight -forward police procedural novel, as DC Cooper, the local lad, and son of a police hero, becomes involved in the murder of a 15year old girl. Three old men are part of the story who have a close bond of friendship built up through work in the local lead mines of the Peak District and service in the army during world war two.The descriptions of the Peak District and the valleys and tour make you feel as if you were treading the local bye-ways and paths. The blackness creeps up at every turn leading to a sinister ending. Cooper meets Fry who is newly transferred into the area and their relationship is far from smooth, giving the book a sharp edge. A good read.
November 18, 2014
This is the first novel in this author's series, and the first that I have read by him. It was an interesting rural setting with some colloquial terms that I could easily infer the meaning. The back stories of the two detectives was eventually revealed, but in the meantime I could have strangled Diane Fry. She was downright rude and her actions were sometimes premeditated and malicious. There were several suspects and I never did figure out on my own whodunit. That was revealed in the next to last chapter. I look forward to the next book in this series to see where the author takes his characters. I hope Ben Cooper develops a stronger spine.
August 18, 2024
Only 2.5 stars, but I understand this is Stephen Booth's first novel so, hopefully, the series gets better.
The first 75% drags frustratingly and unevenly on and on, introducing the two main characters and the Peak District, but there is very little pace in the plot.
I will try to find the sequel, in the hope that Diane Fry becomes a likeable character.
The first 75% drags frustratingly and unevenly on and on, introducing the two main characters and the Peak District, but there is very little pace in the plot.
I will try to find the sequel, in the hope that Diane Fry becomes a likeable character.
May 24, 2017
Would've been 9/10 if I could!
November 28, 2019
Book Description
Fifteen-year-old Laura, daughter of the wealthy Vernon family, is missing. When retired miner Harry Dickinson reports that he's found the body lying in the woods, his strangely obstinate refusal to cooperate with the investigation raises more than a few eyebrows. Whatever Harry knows about what has happened up in those woods, he's certainly not telling. Cooper teams up with Detective Constable Diane Fry, an ambitious rookie with a few secrets of her own. As they work to unravel the baffling crime, the young detectives find themselves in a complicated two-step of suspicion and sexual tension. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Northern England's Peak District, Black Dog is an evocative, gorgeously written work of psychological suspense.
My Review
I found this book to be an excellent debut by Stephen Booth. I enjoyed his writing right from the start. His descriptions allow you to visualize the setting and you feel like you are right there. This is not your typical crime novel. The two main characters, DC Ben Cooper and DC Diane Fry are what drive the story. They are competing to become a sergeant. They seem to be doing a dance of suspicion, attraction and frustration. Can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how this relationship pans out.
The plot and storyline are excellent and the reason and person behind the killing was a complete surprise to me. I would highly recommend this book to those who like psychological suspense.
Fifteen-year-old Laura, daughter of the wealthy Vernon family, is missing. When retired miner Harry Dickinson reports that he's found the body lying in the woods, his strangely obstinate refusal to cooperate with the investigation raises more than a few eyebrows. Whatever Harry knows about what has happened up in those woods, he's certainly not telling. Cooper teams up with Detective Constable Diane Fry, an ambitious rookie with a few secrets of her own. As they work to unravel the baffling crime, the young detectives find themselves in a complicated two-step of suspicion and sexual tension. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Northern England's Peak District, Black Dog is an evocative, gorgeously written work of psychological suspense.
My Review
I found this book to be an excellent debut by Stephen Booth. I enjoyed his writing right from the start. His descriptions allow you to visualize the setting and you feel like you are right there. This is not your typical crime novel. The two main characters, DC Ben Cooper and DC Diane Fry are what drive the story. They are competing to become a sergeant. They seem to be doing a dance of suspicion, attraction and frustration. Can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how this relationship pans out.
The plot and storyline are excellent and the reason and person behind the killing was a complete surprise to me. I would highly recommend this book to those who like psychological suspense.
August 7, 2016
As helicopters search Northern England's Peak District for fifteen year-old Laura Vernon, Detective Constable Ben Cooper quietly dreads the worst. And when her body is found in the woods, Cooper's investigation begins with a short list of markedly uncooperative suspects: retired miner Harry Dickinson, whose black Labrador discovered Laura's body, and Laura's wealthy parents. Uneasily teamed with ambitious newcomer Detective Constable Diane Fry, Cooper tests a town's family ties, friendships, and loyalties -- and finds that in order to understand the present, they must unearth the past.
Warning - possible trigger words in review!!
Unlikeable characters, including an insipid 'leading man' and a complete bitch of a partner, made this a bit of a slog for me. I'm all for strong, female characters but this one was irrational and all over the place emotionally. Didn't much care for the plot either. What really annoyed me though was having Fry (the female police officer) say that false reporting of rape is higher than that of actual rape. No, just no. Rating: 2 stars.
Warning - possible trigger words in review!!
Unlikeable characters, including an insipid 'leading man' and a complete bitch of a partner, made this a bit of a slog for me. I'm all for strong, female characters but this one was irrational and all over the place emotionally. Didn't much care for the plot either. What really annoyed me though was having Fry (the female police officer) say that false reporting of rape is higher than that of actual rape. No, just no. Rating: 2 stars.
May 14, 2015
I'm not sure if this is the oddest way to find a book recommendation but last week on the night before the election I was watching Jeremy Paxman being interviewed on Newsnight about his preparations for election night. Filmed in front of a bookcase full of crime novels I noticed the name Stephen Booth in bold and then found him in the library. Anyway an enjoyable crime novel set in the heart of the Peaks and introduces two young detective constables who are polar opposites Ben Cooper and Diane Fry , both of whom have plenty of hidden demons that suggest a promising series ahead. My only slight criticism was that the ending was a bit too left field but maybe I missed the clues but that didn't spoil the enjoyment and I will definitely read more.
April 21, 2018
What a lovely start to this long series, great characters and gentle descriptions of the countryside. I could describe it as - sitting in your fav armchair, with my pipe and slippers, drinking a cup of tea basking in the warm sunshine. Then this is this book...
Very enjoyable local crime, procedural series set in the peak district of the UK.
Very enjoyable local crime, procedural series set in the peak district of the UK.
March 8, 2021
Sunt unii autori britanici (precum PD James) care scriu romane politiste foarte literar si Stephen Booth este unul dintre ei. Trama politista este secundara pentru ca personajele sunt foarte bine conturate, multifatetate, cu o viata proprie.
October 13, 2013
I had a discussion over a book a few weeks ago, an argument really, and my side was “I can still love the book even if I hate the characters, even if they are the main characters”. This one almost pushed me to their side of the argument.
I had to stop a lot in the first 100-pages of the book and remind myself “It is British procedural.. it is a British procedural crime novel that won a bunch of awards… you like British crime novels.. channel Robbie Cultrane (Cracker)” What is the difference? It is a very significant difference, especially if you are someone who reads crime/mystery & procedural novels.
I have read a couple this year from UK authors, particularly Cold Killing by Luke Delaney (read my review) which involve the psyche of the people not just the procedural aspects of the case. Comparing these to US books in the same genre? You just can’t and you do need to be a dedicated fan, in my opinion or someone who (like I do) loves British TV. Brits focus on the people more than the crimes, sure it is important but the approach to the genre is different. Just keep that in mind as I blather on!
Cooper or Fry?There are several characters in this book, and not all of them are human or even singularly of flesh in blood. As you can read from the description there is Cooper and Fry. I was drawn with the possible mash-up of Twin Peaks meets Tana French (love her books). I kind of can see some of Fry’s reactions to the “country” likened to Agent Coopers in the first couple of episodes to the denizens of the Peaks, but Fry was… over the top in a different way.
Honestly, I see more of Mulder and Scully minus the X-factor. Agent Cooper is no way like either DC Cooper in Black Dog… maybe a bit like Fry, in as the parts the Agent Cooper infuriated the town of Twin Peaks, Fry did her part here, especially in the first half. I certainly wanted to throttle her. But Fry was nasty to DC Cooper and this was somewhat if a distraction, and possibly a well played one from the author *winking*.
But here is where it gets tricky, as I sit here distracting you with all these “clever” images. *giggling manically* So who is the protagonist? Cooper and Fry? Meh, I am going to argue this within these pages, especially the first half, the protagonist is the dead girl… Laura!!!!
Gotcha! Hey don’t blame me for going overboard, the person who wrote the synopsis did it to me! But ya, Laura is not really the lead character, like Palmer in Twin Peaks and as funny as Laura Vernon is also named Laura as we read her life slowly unfolds much like it did in the show. She certainly was a leading lady, even one who was missing a slipper (aka Trainer). Did she have a bit of a Cinderella complex? No it was ‘Ella and her three step sisters in a mash-up with … oh dear… nope, if I say anymore it will be a spoiler, and you know how I feel about spoilers! And if I told you, I would have to serve you to a certain old Billy I met in the book (ohh dear, that was in REAL bad taste… sorry guys)
But that brings me to the point of protagonists. This novel is establishing who Cooper and Fry are for the remainder of the series, (there are 12 in all). Warning: you won’t like Fry at first, at all.. in fact you may want to beat her with a cricket bat at times, but give her a chance, seriously. Go ahead, imagine her being attacked by angery geese with glee while you read, but I promise in the end you will have her solidly in your like realm. Cooper, the one who we are suppose to feel compassion for, he is built up to be the town hero, when in turn, like Mulder he has a past and a secret family life we only learn about because we get to read about it. We start endearing our self to Fry/Scully starts learning the hard way just what these secrets are. As she does, you start not hating her as much, at least I did because… you start learning her secrets which you learn along with Cooper. The relationship building is paramount, so give it the time it needs.
Speaking of time, and the reason why I am not throwing five stars at this… I am not sure I bought the necessity of the TELL instead of SHOW descriptions. There really was to much telling when it came to Fry, and not a lot of showing. Because it was more to do with Fry than anyone else I am wondering if this was a story device? But it went WAY to far for me. By page 150 I wanted to kill someone. Fry’s descriptions of her carpet down to the swirls of blah blah blah… ya I get why we needed to know what her dang carpet was like, but it was like this for everything. I get the need for establishing the two personality types, but Fry was over the top. Cooper’s point of view was written from a showing perspective, not a telling. Again, on purpose? It just bothered me. Cooper’s emotional approach balancing Fry’s need for by the book. (Are you starting to see why I saw Mulder and Scully… ya ya ya I know I miss the show, perhaps I am a bit obsessed but I seriously kept thinking about the comparisons as I read through this.) Anyway, this was my biggest complaint and it starts growing on you and as she starts to endear herself to Cooper she actually starts, or he starts writing her doing it less… ARGH!
But what are those other characters I am speaking about? I mentioned the murdered girl, Fry and Cooper… well, Harry. Here is when Mr. Booth shows his ass, and I mean his holy-crap-this-man-can-write-a-mystery- to-screw-with-your-head, ass. He truly is an exquisite story weaver and mystery writer. There are so many layers to this book it will have all you Fischer Price Sherlock Holmes wanna-be's squealing with glee.
Sir Ian McKellen
The whole village as a macro-organism is a character, the dog is not only a character but is a metaphor for the underlying mystery. Even the damn Billy Goat is a character, and a very important one.(probably the most disturbing scene for me because of it’s symbolism. Jessica Lay you have to HAVE to read it just for this bit, because you are just as odd as me.) Heck even the chickens and geese play an important part. I wish I could say more, but again.. spoilers. Just know you probably should keep notes.
So… want to go find out what happens in the shadow of The Mount? Have an ale at the local pub, Drovers with the old boys? Find out just why I did another ramble about and confused you even more? You really should take your time to read the book, it is only $2.99 on Kindle , it is so not a weekend read, this is a … take a week off to read the book. Or just accept the fact this book needs to be taken in chunks. I could not read it in one sitting, I had to read it about 50-75 pages at time because there was so much to digest.
If you love really good British police and crime procedural like Cracker, Wire in the Blood or Waking the Dead heck even Doc Martin, you will enjoy this book. (I bring in Doc Martin because the descriptions of the village and surrounding areas remind me of where Doc Martin is shot, heck evne some of his reactions remind me of Fry’s). If you are a fan of Kathy Reich style procedural, you will probably be disappointed. This is not as light as Kathy’s Bones, this one is much more dense. I highly recommend this book for a mystery has layers upon mysteries within mysteries, and folks who adore a long series with characters to fall in love with. They are already written guys, this is just the first one (see below.)
8 out of 10
I had to stop a lot in the first 100-pages of the book and remind myself “It is British procedural.. it is a British procedural crime novel that won a bunch of awards… you like British crime novels.. channel Robbie Cultrane (Cracker)” What is the difference? It is a very significant difference, especially if you are someone who reads crime/mystery & procedural novels.
I have read a couple this year from UK authors, particularly Cold Killing by Luke Delaney (read my review) which involve the psyche of the people not just the procedural aspects of the case. Comparing these to US books in the same genre? You just can’t and you do need to be a dedicated fan, in my opinion or someone who (like I do) loves British TV. Brits focus on the people more than the crimes, sure it is important but the approach to the genre is different. Just keep that in mind as I blather on!
Cooper or Fry?There are several characters in this book, and not all of them are human or even singularly of flesh in blood. As you can read from the description there is Cooper and Fry. I was drawn with the possible mash-up of Twin Peaks meets Tana French (love her books). I kind of can see some of Fry’s reactions to the “country” likened to Agent Coopers in the first couple of episodes to the denizens of the Peaks, but Fry was… over the top in a different way.
Honestly, I see more of Mulder and Scully minus the X-factor. Agent Cooper is no way like either DC Cooper in Black Dog… maybe a bit like Fry, in as the parts the Agent Cooper infuriated the town of Twin Peaks, Fry did her part here, especially in the first half. I certainly wanted to throttle her. But Fry was nasty to DC Cooper and this was somewhat if a distraction, and possibly a well played one from the author *winking*.
But here is where it gets tricky, as I sit here distracting you with all these “clever” images. *giggling manically* So who is the protagonist? Cooper and Fry? Meh, I am going to argue this within these pages, especially the first half, the protagonist is the dead girl… Laura!!!!
Gotcha! Hey don’t blame me for going overboard, the person who wrote the synopsis did it to me! But ya, Laura is not really the lead character, like Palmer in Twin Peaks and as funny as Laura Vernon is also named Laura as we read her life slowly unfolds much like it did in the show. She certainly was a leading lady, even one who was missing a slipper (aka Trainer). Did she have a bit of a Cinderella complex? No it was ‘Ella and her three step sisters in a mash-up with … oh dear… nope, if I say anymore it will be a spoiler, and you know how I feel about spoilers! And if I told you, I would have to serve you to a certain old Billy I met in the book (ohh dear, that was in REAL bad taste… sorry guys)
But that brings me to the point of protagonists. This novel is establishing who Cooper and Fry are for the remainder of the series, (there are 12 in all). Warning: you won’t like Fry at first, at all.. in fact you may want to beat her with a cricket bat at times, but give her a chance, seriously. Go ahead, imagine her being attacked by angery geese with glee while you read, but I promise in the end you will have her solidly in your like realm. Cooper, the one who we are suppose to feel compassion for, he is built up to be the town hero, when in turn, like Mulder he has a past and a secret family life we only learn about because we get to read about it. We start endearing our self to Fry/Scully starts learning the hard way just what these secrets are. As she does, you start not hating her as much, at least I did because… you start learning her secrets which you learn along with Cooper. The relationship building is paramount, so give it the time it needs.
Speaking of time, and the reason why I am not throwing five stars at this… I am not sure I bought the necessity of the TELL instead of SHOW descriptions. There really was to much telling when it came to Fry, and not a lot of showing. Because it was more to do with Fry than anyone else I am wondering if this was a story device? But it went WAY to far for me. By page 150 I wanted to kill someone. Fry’s descriptions of her carpet down to the swirls of blah blah blah… ya I get why we needed to know what her dang carpet was like, but it was like this for everything. I get the need for establishing the two personality types, but Fry was over the top. Cooper’s point of view was written from a showing perspective, not a telling. Again, on purpose? It just bothered me. Cooper’s emotional approach balancing Fry’s need for by the book. (Are you starting to see why I saw Mulder and Scully… ya ya ya I know I miss the show, perhaps I am a bit obsessed but I seriously kept thinking about the comparisons as I read through this.) Anyway, this was my biggest complaint and it starts growing on you and as she starts to endear herself to Cooper she actually starts, or he starts writing her doing it less… ARGH!
But what are those other characters I am speaking about? I mentioned the murdered girl, Fry and Cooper… well, Harry. Here is when Mr. Booth shows his ass, and I mean his holy-crap-this-man-can-write-a-mystery- to-screw-with-your-head, ass. He truly is an exquisite story weaver and mystery writer. There are so many layers to this book it will have all you Fischer Price Sherlock Holmes wanna-be's squealing with glee.
Sir Ian McKellen
The whole village as a macro-organism is a character, the dog is not only a character but is a metaphor for the underlying mystery. Even the damn Billy Goat is a character, and a very important one.(probably the most disturbing scene for me because of it’s symbolism. Jessica Lay you have to HAVE to read it just for this bit, because you are just as odd as me.) Heck even the chickens and geese play an important part. I wish I could say more, but again.. spoilers. Just know you probably should keep notes.
So… want to go find out what happens in the shadow of The Mount? Have an ale at the local pub, Drovers with the old boys? Find out just why I did another ramble about and confused you even more? You really should take your time to read the book, it is only $2.99 on Kindle , it is so not a weekend read, this is a … take a week off to read the book. Or just accept the fact this book needs to be taken in chunks. I could not read it in one sitting, I had to read it about 50-75 pages at time because there was so much to digest.
If you love really good British police and crime procedural like Cracker, Wire in the Blood or Waking the Dead heck even Doc Martin, you will enjoy this book. (I bring in Doc Martin because the descriptions of the village and surrounding areas remind me of where Doc Martin is shot, heck evne some of his reactions remind me of Fry’s). If you are a fan of Kathy Reich style procedural, you will probably be disappointed. This is not as light as Kathy’s Bones, this one is much more dense. I highly recommend this book for a mystery has layers upon mysteries within mysteries, and folks who adore a long series with characters to fall in love with. They are already written guys, this is just the first one (see below.)
8 out of 10
August 21, 2013
The Vernon family are an anomaly in the Peak District. They are very well to do, and their lifestyle is in stark contrast to the farmers and other working people of the area. Graham Vernon entertains his business contacts royally; their palatial home is cared for by gardeners and other servants. However, even the wealthy are not immune to crime. Their 15-year-old daughter, Laura, goes missing. Shortly before her disappearance, she was seen in the gardens with a young man. Have they run away together? Has she been abducted against her will?
The entire district police force goes into action to find Laura, conducting a huge search operation, looking at every nook and cranny of the village. Her body is not discovered by the police, however; her shoe is found by the dog being walked by an old man, Harry Dickinson, and the body discovered shortly thereafter. Although no one thinks that Harry had anything to do with Laura's death, he is strangely uncooperative and reticent about providing any information during his interrogation. Detective Constable Ben Cooper has a strong feeling that Harry is holding out on him, that if only he could ask the right questions, Harry would shed some light on the situation.
Ben is following in the footsteps of his beloved father, who died a hero in a mugging two years earlier. Ben is a local man and widely seen as the winning candidate for a sergeant's position. That is, until a DC from another district joins the team. Diane Fry is thoroughly ambitious, somewhat cold, but with her eye on the prize at all times. Ben and Diane are studies in opposites. Ben is intuitive and willing to follow his feelings, even if they don't make sense. Diane is supremely logical and wants to follow the book for every situation. Naturally, when they are paired on the investigation, conflict ensues. Fry and Cooper participate in the full-scale investigation together with the rest of the department. Interviews, searches, background checks, following false leads until it seems that there are no more clues to follow, they proceed nonetheless. There's some feeling that Laura's murderer may be the work of a serial killer, since there are several similarities to a recent case in another district. There are several possible suspects, but it isn't until the final 20 pages that all is revealed.
What could have been a simple police procedural takes on extraordinary depth as Booth develops each of the characters. Even the minor players have more to them than meets the eye. The Vernon family has some unsavory secrets. Harry Dickinson is obviously covering up something. And both Ben and Diane are facing various personal problems. Ben is distracted by the fact that his mother is slipping into severe schizophrenia and may need to be permanently institutionalized. Indeed, Ben often feels that the "black dog" is on his back, that he is suffering from a profound depression that will never go away. In fact, he changes before our eyes from a confident, self-possessed detective to a nervous, morose and unpredictable man. Diane is very slowly recovering from an incident that happened in her previous assignment. Although she seems secure and heartless, there's more to her than meets the eye. Both she and Ben are trapped in their own self-made prisons. As the plot develops, so do the individual histories of each of the characters.
In addition to a nicely complex plot and excellent characterization, Booth excels at creating a sense of place. The setting is lovingly delineated. One can see the hills, the various homes and shops of the village, the steaming compost heap, the pub.
Booth has achieved a tour de force in this, his first outing. In fact, it is hard to believe that he is a first time author. I really could not find any area of deficiency. If I were to assign a star to each of the main writing elements of plot, characterization, pace, dialog and setting, Booth would get five stars, hands down. Highly recommended.
The entire district police force goes into action to find Laura, conducting a huge search operation, looking at every nook and cranny of the village. Her body is not discovered by the police, however; her shoe is found by the dog being walked by an old man, Harry Dickinson, and the body discovered shortly thereafter. Although no one thinks that Harry had anything to do with Laura's death, he is strangely uncooperative and reticent about providing any information during his interrogation. Detective Constable Ben Cooper has a strong feeling that Harry is holding out on him, that if only he could ask the right questions, Harry would shed some light on the situation.
Ben is following in the footsteps of his beloved father, who died a hero in a mugging two years earlier. Ben is a local man and widely seen as the winning candidate for a sergeant's position. That is, until a DC from another district joins the team. Diane Fry is thoroughly ambitious, somewhat cold, but with her eye on the prize at all times. Ben and Diane are studies in opposites. Ben is intuitive and willing to follow his feelings, even if they don't make sense. Diane is supremely logical and wants to follow the book for every situation. Naturally, when they are paired on the investigation, conflict ensues. Fry and Cooper participate in the full-scale investigation together with the rest of the department. Interviews, searches, background checks, following false leads until it seems that there are no more clues to follow, they proceed nonetheless. There's some feeling that Laura's murderer may be the work of a serial killer, since there are several similarities to a recent case in another district. There are several possible suspects, but it isn't until the final 20 pages that all is revealed.
What could have been a simple police procedural takes on extraordinary depth as Booth develops each of the characters. Even the minor players have more to them than meets the eye. The Vernon family has some unsavory secrets. Harry Dickinson is obviously covering up something. And both Ben and Diane are facing various personal problems. Ben is distracted by the fact that his mother is slipping into severe schizophrenia and may need to be permanently institutionalized. Indeed, Ben often feels that the "black dog" is on his back, that he is suffering from a profound depression that will never go away. In fact, he changes before our eyes from a confident, self-possessed detective to a nervous, morose and unpredictable man. Diane is very slowly recovering from an incident that happened in her previous assignment. Although she seems secure and heartless, there's more to her than meets the eye. Both she and Ben are trapped in their own self-made prisons. As the plot develops, so do the individual histories of each of the characters.
In addition to a nicely complex plot and excellent characterization, Booth excels at creating a sense of place. The setting is lovingly delineated. One can see the hills, the various homes and shops of the village, the steaming compost heap, the pub.
Booth has achieved a tour de force in this, his first outing. In fact, it is hard to believe that he is a first time author. I really could not find any area of deficiency. If I were to assign a star to each of the main writing elements of plot, characterization, pace, dialog and setting, Booth would get five stars, hands down. Highly recommended.
September 19, 2014
I read the fourth book in this series many years ago – so long ago that I really don’t remember much of it except main characters Fry and Cooper – and that I enjoyed it. When I saw their names come up somewhere not too long ago, it stirred a memory of that book and got me curious to read more.
Like Deborah Crombie’s Kincaid & James series, this one is set in England but Booth’s style is enough different that this book didn’t feel like a knockoff of her work or an attempt to cash in via a similar premise.
The story started of slow, which can be expected in the first book in a series as the author establishes the personas of his main characters. I’ve also come to expect that slower start in mysteries set in England as they have a different pacing than ones set in the US. Still, the further I read into the book, the more the story engaged me.
Some of the characters – including Fry and Cooper at times – were obnoxious. It’s more realistic than having the stars of the book be ‘perfect’ right from the get-go but there were times when I wanted to reach into the book, slap them both, and shout, “Grow up!”
Booth in a few places comes down with 'Show me the road' disease - a tendency to describe everything the driver passes on his or her way from one place to the other.
The motive behind the murder of the young woman was a little thin in my opinion but realistic for the characters involved. And it seemed like Fry and Cooper (and the rest of the police force) stumbled around blindly until it all fell into place for Cooper. I would have liked to see a steadier build-up to the resolution.
I'll definitely come back for more in this series.
Like Deborah Crombie’s Kincaid & James series, this one is set in England but Booth’s style is enough different that this book didn’t feel like a knockoff of her work or an attempt to cash in via a similar premise.
The story started of slow, which can be expected in the first book in a series as the author establishes the personas of his main characters. I’ve also come to expect that slower start in mysteries set in England as they have a different pacing than ones set in the US. Still, the further I read into the book, the more the story engaged me.
Some of the characters – including Fry and Cooper at times – were obnoxious. It’s more realistic than having the stars of the book be ‘perfect’ right from the get-go but there were times when I wanted to reach into the book, slap them both, and shout, “Grow up!”
Booth in a few places comes down with 'Show me the road' disease - a tendency to describe everything the driver passes on his or her way from one place to the other.
The motive behind the murder of the young woman was a little thin in my opinion but realistic for the characters involved. And it seemed like Fry and Cooper (and the rest of the police force) stumbled around blindly until it all fell into place for Cooper. I would have liked to see a steadier build-up to the resolution.
I'll definitely come back for more in this series.
November 29, 2013
The murder of a girl sets off an investigation through which the reader gets to know every person in the village. I kept on reading to find out about the secrets most of the characters seem to be carrying. The author has skilfully and artfully set up the story line with allusions indicating there is much more to the various characters than at first meets the eye. Meanwhile the ways in which the various police departments relate to one another gives another dimension to the story.
The reader is kept in the dark at some crucial points which gives the opportunity to try to work the crime out for oneself. The title has an interesting meaning that becomes very clear about two-thirds into the book.
It is a well written, smooth and fascinating read. Although it took me a little to get into the story, once it grabbed me it didn’t let go until the clever ending. Even after finishing the book I was quietly enjoying the subtlety with which the story has been put together. Highly recommended for detective lovers!
The reader is kept in the dark at some crucial points which gives the opportunity to try to work the crime out for oneself. The title has an interesting meaning that becomes very clear about two-thirds into the book.
It is a well written, smooth and fascinating read. Although it took me a little to get into the story, once it grabbed me it didn’t let go until the clever ending. Even after finishing the book I was quietly enjoying the subtlety with which the story has been put together. Highly recommended for detective lovers!
December 28, 2009
This books was okay but I had a few problems with it. It was verbose to the extreme. While listening, I occasionally found myself unconsciously rolling my eyes and saying "Get on with it!" in my head though maybe it wouldn't have been as annoying in print. An okay mystery plot with a murderer who is a surprise mostly becasue his motive is weak in the extreme. Only one really likeable character and somewhat cheaply tries to make the reader sympathetic with one of the other characters by giving them a "tragic past". Overall not very impressive and I will not be seeking out any more of the constable Ben Cooper mysteries.
December 31, 2013
This book is very, very English.
This bewildering line brought the entire story down for me; it made me rethink what I liked about the characters:
Whaaaa??
This bewildering line brought the entire story down for me; it made me rethink what I liked about the characters:
"She panicked?"
"Yes, inspired by half-digested sex-education lessons and a vivid imagination. And with all the stories that have been in the papers, the first thing that occurred to her was to shout rape."
"Not the first time that's happened."
Fry shrugged. "We all know there are more false rape allegations than there are actual rapes. The boyfriend's fifteen, by the way."
Whaaaa??
August 21, 2015
Start of a new English police series for me. While the main characters were interesting, the mystery seemed to drag on too long. I didn't guess the killer but I seldom do so I was surprised once again. Have the next two books in the series so I will see how it goes. There was a section regarding "black dog" which seems part of a superstition hence the title. Did not add anything to the story that I could determine.
July 25, 2018
Stephen Booth writes a mean crime book! His two DCs, Cooper and Fry, each have a complicated background. When a young girl is murdered they soon discover that most of the people they meet in the course of their investigations have an equally complex life. It makes for a great puzzle. I absolutely love the ending.
January 5, 2018
For a book I largely enjoyed, 2 stars may seem harsh, but there was so much cliché, abrasively expositional dialogue and dodgy writing that make this a debut in need of an editor and some polish.
The Peak District setting works well for a murder and the author certainly uses the setting to it's full advantage. The important questions when it comes to a murder mystery plot are;
Did I enjoy the book? Yes.
Did I want to know who did it? Yes.
Were the detectives memorable? Somewhat.
Did I want to turn the pages? Yes.
Would I want to read another? Quite probably.
Did it hang together as a story once resolved? Yes, more or less.
As far as the writing is concerned though, there were so many rookie faux pas' that it spoilt the effect a bit. Each reveal is almost embarrassingly signposted, the characters are recognisable but, excepting Harry, fairly one-dimensional and the narrative voice wanders inconsistently about. The dynamic between Fry and Cooper is almost cringey at times, although I can't pretend I didn't care a little bit...
At one point italics are used for no discernable reason throughout a chapter on and off, without adding anything in the way of drama.
It also interested me how sensitivities have changed in the 17 years since this book was first published. Some of the ways issues are discussed cause my millennial mind to wince. I wouldn't mark it down for that reason though. The Zeitgeist moves on quickly.
An enjoyable mystery set in the peaks, good fun and easy to read, let down by intermittently crummy writing.
The Peak District setting works well for a murder and the author certainly uses the setting to it's full advantage. The important questions when it comes to a murder mystery plot are;
Did I enjoy the book? Yes.
Did I want to know who did it? Yes.
Were the detectives memorable? Somewhat.
Did I want to turn the pages? Yes.
Would I want to read another? Quite probably.
Did it hang together as a story once resolved? Yes, more or less.
As far as the writing is concerned though, there were so many rookie faux pas' that it spoilt the effect a bit. Each reveal is almost embarrassingly signposted, the characters are recognisable but, excepting Harry, fairly one-dimensional and the narrative voice wanders inconsistently about. The dynamic between Fry and Cooper is almost cringey at times, although I can't pretend I didn't care a little bit...
At one point italics are used for no discernable reason throughout a chapter on and off, without adding anything in the way of drama.
It also interested me how sensitivities have changed in the 17 years since this book was first published. Some of the ways issues are discussed cause my millennial mind to wince. I wouldn't mark it down for that reason though. The Zeitgeist moves on quickly.
An enjoyable mystery set in the peaks, good fun and easy to read, let down by intermittently crummy writing.
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