An unmarked grave, an old promise and a maverick detective… When an archaeological investigation of an old prisoner of war camp turns up several bodies in unmarked graves, it should be an open and shut case for DCI John Blizzard.But, on a foggy November morning, his instinct that something is not quite right is confirmed when forensics show that while most of the victims died during a flu … most of the victims died during a flu epidemic after the Second World War, one of the deaths was far more recent.
Who is this man? Why was he killed? As Blizzard and his team investigate, they begin to uncover a cruel crime, and a promise of revenge that goes back generations. Worse, the killer is at large and now motivated to strike again. Can Blizzard piece together the puzzle and let old wounds finally heal?
Set in the fictional port of Hafton in northern England, THE LONG DEAD is a contemporary British whodunnit. If you are a reader who likes having to guess the identity of the murderer, you’ll enjoy picking up on the various clues. With snappy dialogue and convincing characters, this is a page turner that the whole family will appreciate.
This book is the first in a series of novels featuring detective John Blizzard and his team. The full list, in order of publication, is:
1. THE LONG DEAD
2. STRANGE LITTLE GIRL
3. THE RAILWAY MAN
4. THE SECRETS MAN
5. A BREACH OF TRUST
6. DEATH LIST
Also look out for the author’s other murder mystery series set in the Pennines, featuring detective Jack Harris and comprising:
1. DEAD HILL
2. THE VIXEN’S SCREAM
3. TO DIE ALONE
4. TO HONOUR THE DEAD
5. THOU SHALT KILL
All of these books are available to buy on Kindle and in paperback, and are free on Kindle Unlimited.
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An interesting storyline with believable characters. Although the story was a little slow at times it is overall a quick read and the lively banter between the police officers was a definite bonus. I will look out for later books in this series.
Recommend to readers of British police procedurals.
I had a full month with lots of travel and other distractions, and so this poor book suffered along with me. I often had to re-read pages because I couldn’t recall what had already happened, etc. So I don’t know that I can accurately provide a good review of this book since it took me almost 6 weeks to read it…
Sad, confusing & too many characters for me…
Was not sure – ended up really liking the series and currently reading book 2 and downloaded book 3
Good book, intense
A recently located mass grave contains German prisoners of war who died during an influenza outbreak at a British POW camp. But one of the remains turns out to be far more recent. DCI Blizzard and his fellow officers have to find their way through a people smuggling operation, a threatened housing development, revenge for a war crime and several more associated murders, before they can put all the pieces together and bring some justice. I’m moving on to the second title in this 5 book series.
Page turning.
Average
My first outing with this author – really enjoyed the characters, atmosphere, and pace of this story. Looking forward to reading more!
Very slow moving. Pretty good if you can stick with it.
Excellent British detective story
Long live Blizzard
A DCI has to go searching into the WWII era to solve this mystery.
A formulaic DCI murder mystery, short on originality, just plug new details into the formula and presto, you have a new book. If the plot is the all end all, then you may enjoy this type of book. If you want better writing, read Tana French and the “Dublin Murder Room” books. I applaud the author’s commitment; writing is hard work and good writing is much harder still.
To long.
I enjoyed it immensely. Good old fashioned book with believable characters. Look forward to reading the complete series
The Long Dead is first and foremost a mystery unfolded by a cast of characters–both living and dead. Yes, detective John Blizzard and his team have their quirks, but the reader only becomes aware of these when it matters to the plot. Similarly, any romantic relationships or other personal issues Blizzard and his team may have are referenced only if they contribute to the story. These manifest they way they would among a group of professionals attempting to solve a complex, international crime that spans decades. They add depth to the characters and the plot, not space-filling fluff. It’s mystery-writing synergism at its best.
A great read
I’m reading this book now but I just can’t get into it. Too many characters to follow.
This was a fast read, with identifiable British police characters. Enjoyable.