And now for the latest Cooper & Fry mystery to release on ebook
(paperback coming out next month), in the US:
Synopsis:
A holiday weekend is ruined by a drowning in a picturesque village. The incident not only traumatizes Detective Cooper, a helpless witness to the tragedy, but leads him to become involved in the tangled lives of the victim's family.
As he gets to know them, Cooper begins to suspect that one of them is harboring a secret that the whole family is desperate to cover up.
Meanwhile, Detective Fry embarks on a personal journey back to her roots. As she finds herself drawn into an investigation of her own, Fry realizes there is only one person she can rely on for the help she needs.
But that man is Ben Cooper, and he's back in Derbyshire, where his suspicions lead him toward a shocking discovery on the banks of another Peak District river.
Review:
I think this is probably the darkest of the Cooper & Fry mysteries up to date. Fry's journey home brings up traumatic memories and actions, that explain her reserve to the reader, but place her mentally into a very emotional place. meanwhile Cooper experiences a similar emotional upheaval when he attempts to save a child and fails. His search for the truth leads him to question what he knows not only about himself, but about his family and about Fry. Together Cooper and Fry understand that they DO have a friendship, that is based on mutual need and dare they say it, respect for the other's capabilities. It is a natural progression, in this tenth book of the series, but their shared trauma, and how they both are acting 'outside the lines', allows them to reach out to the other. This book is probably the most detailed, especially when it comes to descriptions of Burm (Birmingham, Fry's old post). But I can see that the author was trying to set a truer understanding of Fry's background and how she came to be. She was just as influenced by her 'countryside' as Cooper was, but in a different way. There are still twists and turns in the story to keep the reader guessing as to what will happen in the end to both 'cases', and you may find yourself a bit surprised! This is a great read, but I would recommend reading other books in the series first, to better understand how Cooper & Fry have changed in this story!
About the Author:
Stephen Booth is an award winning British crime writer, the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry, who have appeared in twelve novels set in England’s beautiful and atmospheric Peak District. Stephen has been a Gold Dagger finalist, an Anthony Award nominee, twice winner of a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, and twice shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year. Ben Cooper was a finalist for the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author, and in 2003 the Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers the most pleasure”.
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