The Dead Place

This was quite a puzzling book for me to rate. I did enjoy the book, but at points it didn't fully hold my interest, partially I think because there didn't seem enough about an investigation of a murder, or enough about the private lives of the characters. However, if you want to know more about the process of the bodies when someone dies it is very interesting, and by that I mean the involvement of undertakers and exactly what they do. Overall this is a good series and it is set in an area not a million miles from where I live and which I know well, but always feel the books miss something that would make them even better - it may also be that they are a tad longer than they need to be. I will, however, be continuing the series as I show more enjoy them and the interactions between the characters. Also this book left off at quite an interesting point. show less

First time reading this author. An education in the obsession & horrors some people practise or study about death and secret techniques of the funeral trade. The flesh eater & the death place need searching for with minimal clues .
It would seem it's hard to dispose of a body legally especially when its already been cremated.
A good read told well.

Once I discovered Stephen Booth's mysteries I had to read them all. Cooper, the local guy, and Fry, the woman police officer "from away," team up rather awkwardly at times in these police procedurals set in the Peak District of England. Plot does not seem to take second place to setting and characters, even though that would be easy to forgive since the latter elements are so good. In this entry in the series, they investigate a killer who leaves eerie phone messages.

This was another long read for me. I think this book seemed a little longer than it actually was because I found myself rereading parts at times. Now, don't take that the wrong way. I wasn't rereading them because I didn't understand them. I had to go back to reread certain parts because I thought I missed something I should have picked up on. Now, in my book, that is a good thing.

This is unique to me because I haven't really read many books like this. Now, I have never read any of the other books in this series, so I think I might be missing some pieces to the characters. I haven't gotten to know them over time, like others have. That is not to say one needs to read the others before this. I just felt like I was missing a few links show more with the characters is all.

This book will have you guessing and reguessing... It's like the old board game Clue. You remember that game don't you? Whodunit, where, with what... Except we know many of the key parts; we just have to put the important pieces together correctly.

The easy, yet not so easy, relationship between the detectives adds to this book's story. They are almost how you would envision them... or at least I envisioned them with trench coats and hats on. I don't know why. I think when I think of English detectives, I think of men and women in trench coats and hats... Just my own little stereotype I guess.

I am not going into detail about the plot. It is in the blurb, and it gives you all of the information you really need. Like I have said in many reviews, if I give you anymore to the plot, I might end up spoiling things for you or confusing you.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice break from the romance and love stories that are floating around on my Kindle. I like a good mystery or a good thriller now and then. show less

I thought I had read a book in this series before but when I checked, I didn't see Booth's name on my list. Must have been several years ago, or I've just heard so much about the series that I was mistaken. This Cooper and Fry series is popular and successful of course, but I was a bit disappointed with this particular story,

First, Cooper and Fry. I do like Cooper. He's a thinker, compassionate toward people and animals, has a good detective's intuition, and seems easy to get along with. Fry, on the other hand, is in this story at least moody, touchy, edgy, and a bit obtuse. I noted that she's dealing with some issues from her childhood when she was shuttled from foster home to foster home, and her sister is now living with her. Since show more the sister is a former heroin addict, this is causing problems.

The story is difficult to follow and has strange characters. For instance, a retired professor who specializes in (actually is obsessed with) death, all aspects of death. There is a funeral home owned by Melvyn Hudson with employee Vernon Slack, the grandson of one of the founders of the business. Melvyn thinks of Vernon as stupid and useless.

Speaking of useless, one funny spot in this depressing story is that Cooper meets the property owner where a body is found and the man has four hound dogs who tend to sleep in a pile on the porch. Their names are Graceless, Feckless, Aimless, and Pointless. I still laugh at them and their names.

There are other murders and attempted murders, missing persons, a crematorium, a series of mysterious phone calls tantalizing the detectives with supposed clues to a murder coming soon and I found it tough to follow. At the end I didn't feel as if I had all the answers I needed. Some likely suspects just seemed to drop off the edge of the page never to be heard from again.

Keeping in mind that sometimes what doesn't appeal to me might be just the thing for another reader, Cooper & Fry mysteries didn't get so popular without something good going for them so I intend to read at least one more. Maybe I just happened to start with a rare miss from this author.

Recommended if you know and love this series
Source: Publisher Witness Impulse Imprint, HarperCollins show less

This was another long read for me. I think this book seemed a little longer than it actually was because I found myself rereading parts at times. Now, don't take that the wrong way. I wasn't rereading them because I didn't understand them. I had to go back to reread certain parts because I thought I missed something I should have picked up on. Now, in my book, that is a good thing.

This is unique to me because I haven't really read many books like this. Now, I have never read any of the other books in this series, so I think I might be missing some pieces to the characters. I haven't gotten to know them over time, like others have. That is not to say one needs to read the others before this. I just felt like I was missing a few links show more with the characters is all.

This book will have you guessing and reguessing... It's like the old board game Clue. You remember that game don't you? Whodunit, where, with what... Except we know many of the key parts; we just have to put the important pieces together correctly.

The easy, yet not so easy, relationship between the detectives adds to this book's story. They are almost how you would envision them... or at least I envisioned them with trench coats and hats on. I don't know why. I think when I think of English detectives, I think of men and women in trench coats and hats... Just my own little stereotype I guess.

I am not going into detail about the plot. It is in the blurb, and it gives you all of the information you really need. Like I have said in many reviews, if I give you anymore to the plot, I might end up spoiling things for you or confusing you.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice break from the romance and love stories that are floating around on my Kindle. I like a good mystery or a good thriller now and then. show less

As usual, a dark tale set in Edendale, a fictional town in the Peak District. In this case the author reveals considerable research about the art of the undertaker, as Cooper tries to solve the mystery of a skeleton found in the open in area near Edendale and Fry tries to find a mystery caller threatening death.