Blind to the Bones: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen Booth: 9780007130658: Books

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Review

Praise for Stephen Booth:
‘Stephen Booth creates a fine sense of place and atmosphere … the unguessable solution to the crime comes as a real surprise’ Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph

‘The complex relationship between [Cooper and Fry] is excellently drawn, and is combined with an intriguing plot and a real sense of place: Stephen Booth is an author to keep an eye on’ T J Binyon, Evening Standard

‘In this atmospheric debut, Stephen Booth makes high summer in Derbyshire as dark and terrifying as midwinter’ Val McDermid

‘Black Dog sinks its teeth into you and doesn’t let go … A dark star may be born!’ Reginald Hill

Val McDermid

‘Stephen Booth makes high summer in Derbyshire as dark and terrifying as midwinter’ --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Booth's best yet, 11 April 2003

By

M. V. Clarke (Durham, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blind to the Bones (Hardcover)

This, Stephen Booth's fourth novel featuring DC Cooper and DS Fry, is an excellent continuation to the series, and arguably his best novel yet. Set as always in the Peak District, this novel has all the classic elements - dead bodies, a struggling police force and unhelpful witnesses. However, Blind to the Bones is much more than a typical murder mystery. Once again, the antagonism between Cooper and Fry, mixed up with a grudging mutual respect, boils away just below the surface. As with Booth's earlier novels, the reader feels close to these characters, due to the excellent descriptions of their emotions and thought processes. This time, it is DS Fry's personal life that we become more involved in, unlike Blood on the Tongue, where Cooper's was at the forefront. In developing the plot, Booth lifts this novel onto a higher level, providing a fascinating insight into the life of a close-knit family, and an isolated and deprived community. Booth's research is exemplary, and the significance of a particular local custom to the plot is a masterful touch. The landscape of the Peak District and the location of this novel are especially important, as in all of Booth's novels, and the added historical element to the story adds to the unusual community at the centre of the plot.

Several seemingly disparate elements are woven together and ingeniously combined, producing a most satisfying conclusion to the book, following a series of unexpected twists. The contrast between the different social groups within the village is superbly handled - though they make attempts to distance themselves from each other, there are of course connections between them, which are slowly unravelled throughout this novel, making the plot all the more intriguing. As ever, there's some light humour, courtesy of DC Murfin, and his appetite, which infuriates DS Fry.

This is a truly splendid piece of writing - read it! I can't wait for the next instalment.

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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Town Mysteries, 20 Nov 2003

By

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blind to the Bones (Hardcover)

Murder once again visits the Peak District of Derbyshire near Edendale in the 4th book of this terrific series. The members of the Derbyshire Constabulary, E Division are called on to work the case, although Ben Cooper has been loaned out to the Rural Crimes Team and Diane Fry is investigating a 2-year-old missing persons case, separating the duelling coppers.

The story centres around the tiny hamlet of Withens leading both Cooper and Fry there on their separate investigations. The murder victim is a young local man named Neil Granger. Granger is part of a large family that makes up the majority of the residents of Withens. It’s Ben’s job to interview the residents but like so many isolated close-knit communities they are particularly suspicious of outsiders, and this lot are especially suspicious when it comes to the police. Ben can’t help but think they are hiding something but doesn’t know what.

Meanwhile, there is one old couple in Withens, the Renshaws, who are more than happy to talk. The problem is, the only topic of conversation is their daughter Emma, who went missing 2 years ago. The Renshaws talk of Emma in the present tense, expecting her to walk through their door at any moment, much to Diane Fry’s bemusement.

Because of Ben Cooper’s secondment to the Rural Crimes Team, Diane has had to use the ever hungry and source of numerous lighter moments, Gavin Murfin. Murfin is taking an increasingly prominent role as the series progresses and is a nice counterpoint to Fry’s more dour by the book attitude.

This series is getting stronger and stronger with each new book and the characters of Ben Cooper and Diane Fry are developing nicely. If you’re after an exceedingly enjoyable police procedural, I strongly recommend this one. In my opinion, this is the best of the series so far.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!, 27 Mar 2005

By A Customer

This review is from: Blind to the Bones (Paperback)

How fantastic can a book get?? I haven't even finished this one yet, but I feel compelled to write a review about it.
This book is great. It is packed with atmosphere. It is gritty, suspenseful, terrifying, intriguing, and almost impossible to put down. The characters are well thought out, and incredibly well presented. The descriptions of the Derbyshire landscapes is at once, accurate, beautiful and chilling.
From page one of this book, I have been drawn into the story. I am in suspense to find out what happens in the end. Does Cooper get his man? Do the Renshaws find their daughter? What are the secrets surrounding the Oxleys? Who are the border rats, and will Diane Fry finally find peace regarding her missing sister?
If you want a great read, buy this book. You won't be disappointed!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars The jury's out on this.
My first meeting with a Booth novel. I was told he writes in the mould of Peter Robinson whom I love. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jane Baker