Saturday, September 28, 2013

Black Dog by Stephen Booth

A young woman goes missing and is reported to the police.  When she's not located quickly, the affluent parents start pestering the police.  Despite canvasing the neighborhood and searching all the grounds, the police don't locate her.  An old man taking a walk with a dog finds her shoe.  It doesn't take long to find her body then... 

Witness Impulse and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this ebook for review (thank you).  The book will be published October 8th, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

This is the first book in the series about Cooper and Fry by Mr. Booth.  The story is set in Derbyshire, England, and the villages there are small and keep to themselves.  I thought Amish people hid secrets well, but I see English villages can be quiet and stubborn as well.

While the cops are the focus of the story, I enjoyed reading about Harry.  He's 78, has a military stance even at that age, and he only answers questions asked.  He won't lie, but he won't volunteer anything.  You know he knows something, but he's not telling.

The story is a bit slow because the author introduces you to members of the village as well as his police characters.  The research on the crime moves slowly because everyone is keeping secrets and not telling all they know.  And the two cops are wary of each other.

The ending surprised me a bit.  I was looking in the right direction but didn't suspect the actual killer or the reason why.

This was a good read.  Make sure to have some coffee or tea ready when you start because you can't read it fast.  It's finely detailed and really makes you feel like you live in the area and know those people.  I enjoyed the story.  I also hope to find some more adventures from these two cops.  They have their own baggage and approach things differently, but they make a good team.

Happy reading.

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