Black Dog (Paperback)

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Stephen Booth's first novel Black Dog is an impressive portrait of two sorts of policing. Ben is a local man who knows everybody and perhap scares too much, while Diane is a stranger wherever she goes and is perhaps too cold-blooded; when they find themselves rivals for promotion, and colleagues on a difficult case, breaking strain is going to be reached sooner or later. Spoiled, young Laura Vernon is missing, soon to be found dead, and the question soon arises: is she only, or even, the first? Retired quarryman Harry found the body and perhaps knows more than he is letting on, but he will do anything rather than tell the police more than he has to. The Vernons' gardener is missing, a thuggish young man rather too fond of showing off his muscles--what does he know? What went on at the Vernons' smart cocktail parties and what do Harry and his friends talk about over their beer in the pub? This is an ingenious dark little mystery in which there may be solutions to problems, but no cures; Ben and Diane are two of the more interestingly flawed young cops of recent crime fiction. --Roz Kaveney

Product Description
Combining the qualities of Reginald Hill, Minette Walters and Barbara Vine, Black Dog is an amazingly assured and impressive debut thriller from the most promising new author to emerge in the genre in recent years. It's a long, hot summer in the Peak District, but the blue skies are darkened by police helicopters and the sound of birdsong is drowned out by the increasing hysteria of a full-scale search operation for a missing teenage girl. Laura Vernon is smart, sexy and the keeper of many secrets, but now she's lying dead in a thicket in the heart of the country. Harry Dickinson finds the body, but what instincts make him so bent on obstructing the police investigation into Laura's murder? And what do he and his two fellow retired lead miners find to talk about on those long, balmy nights in the pub, hunched over their game of dominoes? Graham Vernon is a man who knows all about secrets, and the police are at a loss to understand the attitude of this powerful businessman and his glamorous wife to their precious daughter. The Vernons are holding something back. But what could be more important than the discovery of Laura's brutal murderer? Ben Cooper, a young DC living with tragedy, has known the villagers all his life, but his instinctive feelings about the case are called into question by the arrival of Diane Fry, a ruthlessly ambitious DC from another division. As Ben and Diane take the first steps in a complicated dance of suspicion, attraction and frustration, they discover that to understand the present, they must also understand the past -- and in a world where no one is entirely innocent, pain and suffering can be the only outcome.

22 Reviews 5 star:  (11) 4 star:  (5) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Crime Fiction at its Best, 20 Nov 2002 By A Customer This review is from: Black Dog (Paperback) If you like traditional crime novels, then I am sure you will enjoy 'Black Dog'. The story is well-crafted and perfectly paced. The dramatic setting of the Peak District, and the dynamics of the relationship between Ben Cooper and Diane Fry (two constables working on the case) serve to compliment the central storyline - that of the murder of wealthy teenager, Laura Vernon. A number of murder suspects are amassed throughout the course of the novel, and there are a number of twists along the way. The style of writing is simplistic, yet taut - and the timing is excellent. The only reason I am not awarding this book 5 stars is down to a personal feeling that the ending was a little disappointing. I think the revelation of the murderer was done well, but there were not enough hints to their identity and I couldn't help but feel the criminal should have been someone else! In summary, this is an absorbing and well-written murder mystery, and whilst I did feel a little let-down at the end, it was an impressive debut nonetheless. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars would make an excellent TV series, 1 Jun 2002 By  O. Southwood "owensouthwood" (UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Black Dog (Paperback) This is a whodunnit that keeps you guessing all the way. The numerous twists and turns before the mystery finally unravels will keep you turning the pages until you know the answers. There are some truly jaw-dropping revelations at certain points in the story and Stephen Booth cleverly casts suspicion over key characters in a way that is both convincing and intreguing. The atmosphere of this book is dark, paranoid and desparate. I loved it! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   16 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start, 29 Oct 2003 By  Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    This review is from: Black Dog (Paperback) In Stephen Booth’s debut novel, we are taken to the Peak District in northern England. It’s in this setting that a 15-year-old girl, Laura Vernon, has gone missing only to be found later, murdered. The Vernons are known as ‘comers-in’ by the locals, meaning that they are new to the area and will consequently be treated as outsiders. It is because of this that the locals are not particularly helpful when questioned by the police. The beginning of the book is very reminiscent of Val McDermid’s A Place of Execution. A young girl is missing from a small rural community. The locals are not particularly helpful with the police. The detectives working on the case are young with their eyes cast to furthering their career. Mystery not only surrounds the murder of Laura Vernon, it surrounds many of the characters in the book. DC Ben Cooper is dealing with his mother’s schizophrenia; Diane Fry has just arrived in Edendale and has brought personal problems of her own. Laura Vernon’s parents are both harbouring secrets that they are keen not to let out and Harry Dickenson, the man who found Laura, is being very close-lipped as well. Even Laura Vernon herself was leading a secret life that would have shocked her parents had they found out. The surrounding Derbyshire countryside of the beautiful Peak District is described with exceptional clarity giving us an insight into countryside that must be simply breathtaking to behold. The local folk are portrayed as friendly, yet reserved when it comes to dealing with outsiders. A little humour is provided throughout by three old Derbyshire gents who have been friends for over sixty years. Together they make wry observations to one another and always seem to watch others with a sardonic eye. My enjoyment in this book can be witnessed by the length of my review. I’m usually a 3 paragraph man. A quick overview and my impressions usually suffice. This book moved me more than most and my feeling of satisfaction has been reflected here. Read the book, if you’re after a terrific police procedural I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 22 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous discovery! Hooray! This came as a surprise, after thinking that the classic Brit Police Procedural was all written out. Read more Published 1 month ago by Ms. E. J. White 3.0 out of 5 stars Black Dog Posh fifteen year old Laura Vernon is bumped off in the middle of the Peak District where she lives. Who did it? Who knows? Read more Published 6 months ago by imla 2.0 out of 5 stars Dull Dull and not very exciting, this book is leaden, clunky and not much of a mystery. The only mystery is the large number of good reviews it gets. Read more Published 13 months ago by G. Moss 3.0 out of 5 stars Decent debut Black Dog is a decent book but after it build's up some good momentum, it is let down by a poor ending. Read more Published 19 months ago by G. Peters 5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Tense Thriller A newspaper and magazine journalist for over 25 years, Stephen Booth was born in the English Pennine town of Burnley. Read more Published 23 months ago by J. Chippindale 5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Series A newspaper and magazine journalist for over 25 years, Stephen Booth was born in the English Pennine town of Burnley. Read more Published 23 months ago by J. Chippindale 4.0 out of 5 stars Detective novel with a difference An impressive debut novel complete with dysfunctional cops and the obligatory red herrings. Most of the action takes place in a claustrophobic Peak District village after a... Read more Published 23 months ago by I. Brooks 3.0 out of 5 stars A mix of tedium and and plot I have to agree with a previous reviewer who felt disappointed by this book. I, too, had heard many great things regarding Stephen Booth but I found Black Dog extremely dull for... Read more Published on 20 Mar 2007 by H. J. Whitaker 4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive debut From start to finish, this is an exploration of secrets - everyone has them and some are darker than others! Read more Published on 2 Mar 2007 by Mrs. K. A. Smurthwaite 5.0 out of 5 stars Soak up the atmosphere After reading all Stephen Booth's other Cooper and Fry novels, I have finally managed to get hold of a copy of Black Dog. Read more Published on 27 April 2006 by G. Woods Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 22 customer reviews...

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