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A review by nietzschesghost
Fall Down Dead by Stephen Booth
4.0
'Fall Down Dead' is bestselling crime writer Stephen Booth's eighteenth installment in the popular DI Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry series set in the pristine, scenic surroundings of the Peak District. This is another bracingly intelligent addition to a series I have found myself thoroughly enjoying, with each new book being better than the last.
When a group of thirteen ramblers get lost in the fog on the Kinder Scout plateau in Derbyshire, and one of them is discovered dead at the bottom of an area known as Dead Woman's Drop, serious questions arise. Was Faith Matthews pushed to her death or did she slip accidentally? Enter DI Cooper who finds Matthews' death to be suspicious and trusts his gut that there is a little more to the story than first meets the eye. Despite the postmortem coming back as unconclusive, Ben continues to investigate and soon discovers that more than one of the ramblers had reason to want Faith dead. Once murder has been established he reluctantly passes the case on to the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), the division DS Fry is employed by, although he is unable to contact her directly due to the ongoing internal investigation into her conduct by Professional Standards.
This was a novel rich in detail with a beautiful setting and wonderful atmospherics. The setting is almost cast as a character and is a substantial part of the overall plot. The dynamic between Ben and Diane is odd to say the least, but it does work very well. They both have completely different personalities, and this makes for interesting reading - Diane is a loner with a no-nonsense approach to everything, whilst Ben is laid back, friendly and affable. There are two storylines that run parallel to one another - the major plot follows the hikers in the Peak District National Park, and the minor plot follows the investigation into Diane Fry, both of which were compelling. Booth manages to pull off these intertwining narratives without confusing the reader - quite a feat! With the lack of available forensics, due to the sparse landscape in which the murder takes place, DI Cooper is forced to turn his detective skills to inspecting the lives and relationships of each of the individuals that were part of the walking group in order to find motive. The novel slowly unfurls as a series of spectacular reveals are made which makes for a thrilling denouement and wraps the story up nicely.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group/Sphere for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
When a group of thirteen ramblers get lost in the fog on the Kinder Scout plateau in Derbyshire, and one of them is discovered dead at the bottom of an area known as Dead Woman's Drop, serious questions arise. Was Faith Matthews pushed to her death or did she slip accidentally? Enter DI Cooper who finds Matthews' death to be suspicious and trusts his gut that there is a little more to the story than first meets the eye. Despite the postmortem coming back as unconclusive, Ben continues to investigate and soon discovers that more than one of the ramblers had reason to want Faith dead. Once murder has been established he reluctantly passes the case on to the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), the division DS Fry is employed by, although he is unable to contact her directly due to the ongoing internal investigation into her conduct by Professional Standards.
This was a novel rich in detail with a beautiful setting and wonderful atmospherics. The setting is almost cast as a character and is a substantial part of the overall plot. The dynamic between Ben and Diane is odd to say the least, but it does work very well. They both have completely different personalities, and this makes for interesting reading - Diane is a loner with a no-nonsense approach to everything, whilst Ben is laid back, friendly and affable. There are two storylines that run parallel to one another - the major plot follows the hikers in the Peak District National Park, and the minor plot follows the investigation into Diane Fry, both of which were compelling. Booth manages to pull off these intertwining narratives without confusing the reader - quite a feat! With the lack of available forensics, due to the sparse landscape in which the murder takes place, DI Cooper is forced to turn his detective skills to inspecting the lives and relationships of each of the individuals that were part of the walking group in order to find motive. The novel slowly unfurls as a series of spectacular reveals are made which makes for a thrilling denouement and wraps the story up nicely.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group/Sphere for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.