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
I enjoyed this author, he was concise and yet very descriptive as he developed the story. I especially enjoy the British approach to police work. I had a hard time putting this book down as it kept me guessing to the end.
Great book. Will read the whole series
The British countryside and perspective on police work.
Great read. Loved the characters and the attitudes of some. Ready for the next in this series.
I like British detective books and this was an entertaining one.
This one was….. weird!
I plan to purchase this entire series. “Accidental Death” was so good that I went back and read it again. These, in my ” reader’s” opinion, are the most well-honed, believable group of literary characters I’ve encountered in years. My one regret in starting Grainger’s D.S. Smith series is that I know it has about six (seven?) novels in it presently. Once those are done, and until he publishes again, I’m stuck. I’ll look around, trying to find an author who has achieved something close to the perfect balance Grainger has managed. But, frankly ~ it’s going to be a bloody hard slog. That said, I’m a Grainger fan for life.
Patient soul that I am, others will suffice temporarily and my brain won’t shrivel much in the interim. I’ll survive until the next DS Smith comes out … Why? What sets his books that much apart? Grainger has mastered the unique ability to grab a reader, like me, from the first page. It is a combination of story, plus word cadence and character description/building and flow that hooked me. Grainger’s style has you there. For me, it was akin to being “in the scene” itself. (Two scenes to recall, out of twenty plus that I noted:
1) DS Smith at the canoeist’s funeral, with his young assisting officer discussing why they do what they do, and 2) the scene at the river pub when the younger officer takes his date along, and introduces her to music that their parents and DS Smith had all grown up with and still passionately enjoy.
THAT is what Peter Grainger does in “An Accidental Death.” Few authors I know come close to writing like this … Characters of this ilk take on a personality and ambiance that allows them to come alive within the stories that they inhabit. That is what hooks a reader emotionally and/or intellectually from page one, and when it carries on through the entire book, you have something unique. Peter Grainger mastered that “straight out of the chute!’, to borrow a saying from the culture of my Texas youth. It’s used when a rodeo rider gets a solid grip on his horse or bull and completes the perfect ride, even though the creature may buck like hell the whole time. Peter Grainger gets a 10 from this judge.
After reading this book I then read all the other books in this series, one after the other. Great characters and intriguing plots.
So many of today’s authors are putting out ‘easy reads’. Yes, they are entertaining, but the characters are not well enough developed to make one feel involved with their lives. ‘An Accidental Death’ is an exception – and I am most appreciative.
I enjoyed this read. The British background was different, the characters were richly portrayed and the story line switched back and forth continually.
A young man is murdered? Why?
I love this series and DC the detective star. Makes me feel I’m back in England again.
Great characters
An English novel and therefore a higher quality of intellect for story.
Good novel. Investigate a death that looks accidental as a murder.
But you get no starting clues. Have to find them.
So very well written.
Interesting concept. Easy read!
This book was just okay. I found it pretty choppy and not that engrossing.
Could not warm up to the character. Did not finish
DC Smith solves another mystery.
Good suspenseful story.