| Publisher | Severn House |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 31 August 2016 |
| ISBN-10 | 178029090X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1780290904 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 240 |
| Price | £ 20.99 |
Death Ship
by
DI Shaw and DS Valentine find themselves with 60-year-old case on their hands following an explosion on Hunstanton beach.
Review
I’m a huge fan of Jim Kelly’s journalist series, set in Ely. His second series, featuring DI Peter Shaw, has been more of a slow burner. But Death Ship really caught fire.
There’s an explosion on Hunstanton beach. Immediate assumptions are that it’s a second world war device. But there are also some very vocal protestors on the scene, trying to stop the renovation of the town’s pier. Police are also trying to track down an elderly female killer. And a Dutch engineer is missing.
Kelly’s novels have a palpable sense of place and time. There’s far less of the elements in the police procedural series, albeit with the sea as a strong background presence. And this isn’t wham-bang action – the books are as measured and thoughtful as the hero.
Shaw is a quiet man, one who combines his police work with volunteering as a lifeboatman. His wife runs a beachside café, and he’s most at home either in or overlooking the sea.
His sidekick DS George Valentine has past history – he was partnered with Shaw’s late policeman father, and was also demoted. He’s more of the old-style cop, but he and Shaw seem to understand each other. And Valentine is living with down-to-earth Probationary PC Jan Clay – widow of another former partner – and more mature in years and outlook than most new officers.
One of Kelly’s strengths is the way he weaves history into his plots – and Death Ship is no exception as it incorporates the east coast of England’s vulnerability during the second world war. Once the investigation into the beach explosion progresses, Shaw and Valentine find themselves with a murder case from the 1950s on their hands.
Death Ship feels very real, with its cast of townspeople, all with their own agendas, some scary sabotage, and coppers who aren’t superman. It’s tightly-plotted, nicely understated and an all-round engrossing read.
There’s an explosion on Hunstanton beach. Immediate assumptions are that it’s a second world war device. But there are also some very vocal protestors on the scene, trying to stop the renovation of the town’s pier. Police are also trying to track down an elderly female killer. And a Dutch engineer is missing.
Kelly’s novels have a palpable sense of place and time. There’s far less of the elements in the police procedural series, albeit with the sea as a strong background presence. And this isn’t wham-bang action – the books are as measured and thoughtful as the hero.
Shaw is a quiet man, one who combines his police work with volunteering as a lifeboatman. His wife runs a beachside café, and he’s most at home either in or overlooking the sea.
His sidekick DS George Valentine has past history – he was partnered with Shaw’s late policeman father, and was also demoted. He’s more of the old-style cop, but he and Shaw seem to understand each other. And Valentine is living with down-to-earth Probationary PC Jan Clay – widow of another former partner – and more mature in years and outlook than most new officers.
One of Kelly’s strengths is the way he weaves history into his plots – and Death Ship is no exception as it incorporates the east coast of England’s vulnerability during the second world war. Once the investigation into the beach explosion progresses, Shaw and Valentine find themselves with a murder case from the 1950s on their hands.
Death Ship feels very real, with its cast of townspeople, all with their own agendas, some scary sabotage, and coppers who aren’t superman. It’s tightly-plotted, nicely understated and an all-round engrossing read.
Reviewed 17 September 2016 by Sharon Wheeler
