An Accidental Death: A DC Smith InvestigationThe story opens with the apparently accidental drowning of a British sixth form student in the Norfolk countryside. As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake … between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters.
As an ex-Detective Chief Inspector, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear that some of his superiors wish that he would do so. The latest trainee detective to work with him is the son of a member of his former team, and together they begin to unravel the truth about what happened to Wayne Fletcher.
As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear that others are involved – some seem determined to prevent it, some seem to be taking too much interest. In the end Smith operates alone, having stepped too far outside standard procedures to ask for support. He knows that his own life might be at risk but he has not calculated on the life of his young assistant also being put in danger.
Perfect for fans of Colin Dexter, Ruth Rendell, P D James, R D Wingfield or even John le Carre.
DC Smith Investigation Series;
- Book 1: An Accidental Death: A DC Smith Investigation
- Book 2: But for the Grace: A DC Smith Investigation
- Book 3: Luck and Judgement: A DC Smith Investigation
- Book 4: Persons of Interest: A DC Smith Investigation
- Book 5: In This Bright Future: A DC Smith Investigation
- Book 6: The Rags of Time: A DC Smith Investigation
What readers are saying –
“Really enjoyed this book. A police procedural with its own twist and a detective with a different way than others I have read in this very full market. As a first book I doubt it could be faulted.”
“This first story is much deeper than it first appears and had me gripped from the very start to the extremely satisfying ending. There isn’t a lot of blood and gore, the language never strays into the offensive tirades that have become all too common in crime books these days and all in all it is, for me in the same league as Morse and Lyndley et al and that’s a jolly good league to be in I think.”
“As an American fan of British mysteries, I was delighted to find a new voice who deserves attention for creating a character who is warm, funny and endearingly human.”
“I absolutely loved this book. It has everything a British mystery should have: great characters and an interesting police case. It definitely makes me want to read the rest of his books. A new favorite author!”
“I was introduced to this series by a friend who is a great Anglophile. His recommendation was that it was his favorite British detective series. The first book, An Accidental Death, is a great read and I have now downloaded the whole series.”more
An uncommon British police procedural mystery with a mature protagonist and interesting secondary characters. The writing is far above average, which makes this series one of the best book series available. There is nothing gratuitous in this book–there is some action, but it’s not over-the-top. If you prefer lots of horrific gore and violence, you might wish to look elsewhere. But, if you want a good story and good writing, you may like this book very much, and go on to read the rest of the series, as I had.
I already posted a review on this book on Amazon. This was a great book with wonderful character development. I found DC Smith to be just mysterious enough but quite believable. Do yourself a favor a favor, read this book, it’s worth your time!
This is one of a series of English cop novels which are right at the top of the genre. Set in Norfolk in the east of England it keeps the reader hooked until the last page. The cop D C Smith is quirky. but absolutely believable. When you have consumed the first you will hunger for the next. Fortunely there are 6 or so in the series so can continue to enjoy these excellent novels.
Peter Grainger is a master at developing great characters. His main character, DC Smith is a delight to follow.
Money can buy you more than you thought possible even a FREE murder.
The best. I’m sorry he has only written 7 in this series. I’ve read each one and enjoyed everyone. As good as any British police procedural I have ever read. Thanks to Book Bub for introducing this author to me.
Outstanding
I would read any DC Smith book I could find. He’s broken, like many detectives (fictional or otherwise), but that doesn’t stop him. His issues are more realistic than most of the traditional mystery-solvers, and his reactions are certainly realistic. He gives me hope for the human race…. if he can figure it out, we all can.
Just dragged on forever. No much of a story there.
Particularly enjoy a mystery when I am mis-directed by the author and this one had several turns for me.
This book was dry. It seemed to take forever to get to the heart of the story. I might try one of the author’s other books but would not make it the next book I read.
D.C. Smith is a somewhat unlikely character as a police sergeant in very good standing after having taken a voluntary demotion after a family tragedy. Nonetheless, I found the narrative entertaining and the mysteries within reasonable limits of believability.
I love this whole series.
One of the most unexpectedly interesting books I have read in a long time. I would like to read more by this author.
excellent Brit. police procedural-series
The Audible edition of this is wonderfully read. Great characters, subtle humor.
Slow read. Doesn’t keep you intetest.
Another story involving one of my favorite English police inspectors, AD Smith. This story starts out with the investigation involving the accepted accidental drowning of a young man. But soon escalates into something altogether unexpected, involving a European history of abuse and murder. An interesting read that kept my interest. I gave it five stars.
Slow moving, predictable, but still has merit
I love an author who can write realistic dialogue. This book has great dialogue and plausible interaction between characters.