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Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #8
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For decades, Pity Wood Farm has been a source of employment for poor workers passing through Rakedale, migrants with lives as abject as the labour they sought. But now it seems a far worse fate may have befallen some of those who came upon this isolated community.
Routine building work at the farm has unearthed a grisly discovery: a human hand preserved in clay. When police dig up the farmyard, they find not one, but two bodies – and several years between their burials.
With pressure from a new Superintendent and scant forensic evidence to aid them, DS Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper have only the memories of local people to piece together the history of the farm. In a case as cold as the ground, Cooper finds himself drawn to a desperate theory: that somewhere, there lies a third body which holds the key to these dreadful crimes.
Routine building work at the farm has unearthed a grisly discovery: a human hand preserved in clay. When police dig up the farmyard, they find not one, but two bodies – and several years between their burials.
With pressure from a new Superintendent and scant forensic evidence to aid them, DS Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper have only the memories of local people to piece together the history of the farm. In a case as cold as the ground, Cooper finds himself drawn to a desperate theory: that somewhere, there lies a third body which holds the key to these dreadful crimes.
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First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Stephen Booth
55 books674 followersStephen Booth is the author of 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series, all set around England's Peak District, and a standalone novel DROWNED LIVES, published in August 2019.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
June 30, 2011
I've been enjoying Stephen Booth's Cooper and Fry series from the beginning. Set in England's picturesque, but menacing, Peak District the series is both typical and untypical of the classic British police procedural. The main characters, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, are officers who often work together -- what a US police force would call partners. The pairing of a man and a woman officer is not unusual -- viz. Deborah Crombie and Jill McGown. Unlike in the books of those two authors, there is as yet no romantic relationship between Cooper and Fry. We're always given the feeling that they could become friends, at least, but their own inner demons have so far prevented that. Fry also outranks Cooper - she is a sergeant and quite concerned with her career path, while Cooper seems to be stuck at Detective Constable. Cooper is a local boy, son of a heroically dead police sergeant, with a brother who is still farming; Fry is an urban transplant from the Black Country and frequently bemoans her inability to get a handle on Cooper and the other locals. However, when it comes to investigating, they are usually on the same wavelength.
It appears that Dying to Sin, published in 2007, is the most recent to be released in the US, although there are two more recent books available in the UK. I didn't dislike this book, but it did take me a while to get through, with the two police detectives both dealing with their own problems and insecurities and a lot of moaning about the plight of the British farmer. The book moves quite slowly for a good portion of its considerable length. Of course, the situation -- the discovery of an unidentified body, and then another, on a derelict farm that's being converted to a hobby farm for a rich city dweller -- engenders a certain amount of interest in the police department, but not much urgency, since the bodies have been there some time and Christmas is just around the corner. I have a fairly high tolerance for slow-moving stories but I can see that it wouldn't be to everyone's taste. The story does become mroe exciting in the last third of the book, and new developments in Cooper's and Fry's personal and professional lives add interest. I will still be looking for the subsequent volumes in the series, but I'll be hoping that Booth comes up with some resolution to his characters' depression in the next books. Recommended for Booth fans, but if you haven't read him before, don't start with this one.
It appears that Dying to Sin, published in 2007, is the most recent to be released in the US, although there are two more recent books available in the UK. I didn't dislike this book, but it did take me a while to get through, with the two police detectives both dealing with their own problems and insecurities and a lot of moaning about the plight of the British farmer. The book moves quite slowly for a good portion of its considerable length. Of course, the situation -- the discovery of an unidentified body, and then another, on a derelict farm that's being converted to a hobby farm for a rich city dweller -- engenders a certain amount of interest in the police department, but not much urgency, since the bodies have been there some time and Christmas is just around the corner. I have a fairly high tolerance for slow-moving stories but I can see that it wouldn't be to everyone's taste. The story does become mroe exciting in the last third of the book, and new developments in Cooper's and Fry's personal and professional lives add interest. I will still be looking for the subsequent volumes in the series, but I'll be hoping that Booth comes up with some resolution to his characters' depression in the next books. Recommended for Booth fans, but if you haven't read him before, don't start with this one.
February 3, 2020
A solid crime story with doses of the plight of small farms in modern England and local lore and folk beliefs. Like some other reviewers I think it was a bit long and I didn’t find the detectives very engaging. Pretty good but not good enough for me to seek out another book in this series. 3 1/2 stars.
August 25, 2018
A half derelict farm has been sold in the rain-sodden Peak District. When the builders turn up a body the local police take charge, and soon discover other odd situations like chemical use, pagan superstition, migrant workers not on the books and some even more sinister criminals.
As the farm was inhabited by two elderly brothers I at first thought it was an earlier book I'd read, but the tale quickly went off into new territory for the police, who have to cope with modern crime even in the close-mouthed mountain district.
Diane Fry even makes a flying visit to Dublin while her colleague Ben Cooper realises that as a local copper he is going to be stuck doing local coppering for ever. If he can't get promotion soon, younger cops will be promoted over his head. With Ben's liking for hiking alone though, it's hard to imagine him as Chief Inspector.
I enjoyed the read and look forward to the next book. This is an unbiased review.
As the farm was inhabited by two elderly brothers I at first thought it was an earlier book I'd read, but the tale quickly went off into new territory for the police, who have to cope with modern crime even in the close-mouthed mountain district.
Diane Fry even makes a flying visit to Dublin while her colleague Ben Cooper realises that as a local copper he is going to be stuck doing local coppering for ever. If he can't get promotion soon, younger cops will be promoted over his head. With Ben's liking for hiking alone though, it's hard to imagine him as Chief Inspector.
I enjoyed the read and look forward to the next book. This is an unbiased review.
September 9, 2013
I keep reading these books even though I always feel like there is never an ending. Perhaps that's why! Mr Booth has found the formula that keeps some of us returning. At the end of the one before, I wasn't sure I could keep reading without something different happening with the relationship between Fry & Cooper. Well, apparently, I will continue as I've already started the next one. I continue to hope for some progress of any sort with that pair. Then, there is the weird angst of Ben's brother, Matt. Ben's flirtation with the "other." His clueless attitude & actions with and around Liz. All this and I haven't touched on the crimes and mysteries! As always the crimes, criminals -- what, how, who, when -- gets sorted by the end. Sometimes I have to reread portions to figure any of it out. At times I think I'll scream. And, yet, I keep attaching 4 stars. Sigh. I must enjoy being punished. BTW - start this series at the beginning or you probably won't like it.
December 10, 2010
This book didn't captivate me as much as earlier books in the series have done. Still like the atmospheric setting, still like the central characters, and the rest of the characters were mostly well drawn. The plot felt a bit ropey in places, especially near the end, and it seemed to go on that bit too long. It wasn't awful, and still better than plenty of mysteries out there. I guess I just think Booth can do better, which isn't really an insult is it?
August 9, 2016
Jag fortsätter att beta av den här serien och börjar fundera på om det möjligtvis kan vara för mycket att läsa en varje månad. Inte för att boken är dålig på något sätt, men jag märker att väldigt mycket är samma. Något som jag inte brukar haka upp mig på när det går längre tid mellan böcker i en serie. Läs mer på min blogg
May 9, 2016
A cracking read from one of the top English crime writers of today
May 8, 2014
Dying to Sin by Stephen Booth is a May 2014 Witness Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
An old Farmhouse with the odd name of Pity Farms is the scene of a very puzzling crime. Workers digging on the foundation discovered a preserved hand . This sets off a string of other gruesome discoveries on this out of the way farm where evidently someone has been getting away with murder for a long time. With the owners of the farm either dead or suffering from dementia, Cooper and Fry have their hands full. First of all the task of identifying the dead bodies and then trying to figure out who they need to interview especially since the these corpses have been buried awhile and the farm had hired many immigrants over the years who came and went frequently. To add more pressure it is the holiday season and Diane and Ben both seem to have a case of the Bah Humbugs.
Diane is feeling out of her element more than ever before while working this case. Her inability to fit into this small community has come to the attention of her superiors who have suggested to her she could be happier somewhere else. While she knows that and ask herself why she is wasting her time here when she could easily find a job working for the MET, having someone else point this out for her was painful.
This eighth installment in the Cooper and Fry series is a particularly difficult one. The owners of the farm are selling it and the sole survivor in the family is in a facility suffering from Alzheimer's. By all accounts two brothers lived together on the farm for years although they did not get along at all. One brother was a religious man and the other was very superstitious. Odd ducks for sure. But, there have been some rather disturbing occurances on the farm in the past and the detective working the case back then seemed to have found his own way of handling things.
This book is a procedural which takes the reader through the entire investigation from start to finish showcasing good old fashioned police work. The office politics are bubbling over in background and we glimpse the personal lives of Cooper and Fry at times as well. I loved the forensic elements the author included. These details were very interesting, for example we are told how the pathologist might judge the age of a corpse. The odd goings on at that farm also showcases a terrible problem that seems to plague small community's worse than the big cities. This case reminds us that bucolic scenery can be a deadly illusion and crimes are more easily committed and hidden in this type of environment. But the same sins inflict the country folk as do the city folk, a lesson that will most likely have long term repercussions.
Sadly, Diane's future seems a little unsettled and she appears to be ready for a change in her career and perhaps in her personal life too. I felt like I could identify with Diane on many levels. I don't want to say anything that would hurt anyone's feelings , but having lived in a small town for many years, I still to this very day never found a niche for myself. Sometimes that is simply the case for those who are not born and raised in an area. Newcomers just don't get all the little inside jokes or the lingo or jargon or mindset and are never fully accepted. If someone is lucky enough to finally breakthrough they will admit it took them a great many years to do so.
I hope that this case and Diane's quick thinking that helped solve the murders and unravel an ongoing crime will give her some long overdue respect and she will be able to feel like she belongs, at least a little bit. Only time will tell.
Dark, atmospheric, moody, and suspenseful- I give this one 4 stars.
note: This book was published previously. This is a reissue by William Morrow's Witness Impulse imprint. This book is now available in digital format.
An old Farmhouse with the odd name of Pity Farms is the scene of a very puzzling crime. Workers digging on the foundation discovered a preserved hand . This sets off a string of other gruesome discoveries on this out of the way farm where evidently someone has been getting away with murder for a long time. With the owners of the farm either dead or suffering from dementia, Cooper and Fry have their hands full. First of all the task of identifying the dead bodies and then trying to figure out who they need to interview especially since the these corpses have been buried awhile and the farm had hired many immigrants over the years who came and went frequently. To add more pressure it is the holiday season and Diane and Ben both seem to have a case of the Bah Humbugs.
Diane is feeling out of her element more than ever before while working this case. Her inability to fit into this small community has come to the attention of her superiors who have suggested to her she could be happier somewhere else. While she knows that and ask herself why she is wasting her time here when she could easily find a job working for the MET, having someone else point this out for her was painful.
This eighth installment in the Cooper and Fry series is a particularly difficult one. The owners of the farm are selling it and the sole survivor in the family is in a facility suffering from Alzheimer's. By all accounts two brothers lived together on the farm for years although they did not get along at all. One brother was a religious man and the other was very superstitious. Odd ducks for sure. But, there have been some rather disturbing occurances on the farm in the past and the detective working the case back then seemed to have found his own way of handling things.
This book is a procedural which takes the reader through the entire investigation from start to finish showcasing good old fashioned police work. The office politics are bubbling over in background and we glimpse the personal lives of Cooper and Fry at times as well. I loved the forensic elements the author included. These details were very interesting, for example we are told how the pathologist might judge the age of a corpse. The odd goings on at that farm also showcases a terrible problem that seems to plague small community's worse than the big cities. This case reminds us that bucolic scenery can be a deadly illusion and crimes are more easily committed and hidden in this type of environment. But the same sins inflict the country folk as do the city folk, a lesson that will most likely have long term repercussions.
Sadly, Diane's future seems a little unsettled and she appears to be ready for a change in her career and perhaps in her personal life too. I felt like I could identify with Diane on many levels. I don't want to say anything that would hurt anyone's feelings , but having lived in a small town for many years, I still to this very day never found a niche for myself. Sometimes that is simply the case for those who are not born and raised in an area. Newcomers just don't get all the little inside jokes or the lingo or jargon or mindset and are never fully accepted. If someone is lucky enough to finally breakthrough they will admit it took them a great many years to do so.
I hope that this case and Diane's quick thinking that helped solve the murders and unravel an ongoing crime will give her some long overdue respect and she will be able to feel like she belongs, at least a little bit. Only time will tell.
Dark, atmospheric, moody, and suspenseful- I give this one 4 stars.
note: This book was published previously. This is a reissue by William Morrow's Witness Impulse imprint. This book is now available in digital format.
November 30, 2012
Confesso que ao pegar neste livro ia com as expectativas bastante elevadas só que ninguém me avisou e eu não fiz uma pesquisa decente antes de iniciar a leitura por isso não fazia ideia que seria o oitavo de uma série pelo que fiquei sem perceber se terei perdido algo por ter começado pelo livro "errado".
O desenvolvimento é bastante mais lento do que estava à espera, sem cenas de violência gratuita e uma grande informação de procedimentos policiais, é de facto bastante interessante conseguirmos perceber a meticulosidade do seu trabalho. Houve uma cena em especial onde a patologista faz descrição detalhada dos dois corpos que para uns pode ser fascinante (principalmente para quem gosta de series como o CSI) mas para outros pode ser informação a mais. Nota-se que há uma pesquisa extensa sobre estes procedimentos o que valoriza bastante a obra. A interação entre Ben e Diane também é feita a conta gotas, nota-se uma certa tensão entre eles mas não consegui perceber se o mesmo advém de alguma situação anterior ou se eles são assim desde sempre. Fiquei com a nítida ideia que perdi algo da história deles o que só pode ser colmatado com a leitura dos livros anteriores.
É interessante como vamos conhecendo a zona rural de Peak District, pormenores de agricultura que são-nos dados por Ben ou pelo seu irmão, as pessoas que caracterizam a zona, como o dono do pub Dog Inn e outros habitantes locais e como eles vão contribuindo para a trama. Também a superstição está patente e a crença popular torna o livro ainda mais envolvente e peculiar.
A história apesar de bastante boa não conseguiu prender-me com a mesma intensidade de outros policiais mas julgo que isso se deve em muito ao facto de os últimos lidos me terem marcado profundamente pela sua componente psicológica, bem como violência física extrema. Tem todos os ingredientes para os amantes do género e julgo que os seguidores desta série não se irão desiludir. Booth sabe sem dúvida o que faz e nós leitores vemos bem que o seu trabalho é exaustivo principalmente a nível de pesquisa.
Fiquei satisfeita e penso ler mais deste autor mas terei de ver a ordem correcta dos seus livros para não voltar a ser apanhada desprevenida.
O desenvolvimento é bastante mais lento do que estava à espera, sem cenas de violência gratuita e uma grande informação de procedimentos policiais, é de facto bastante interessante conseguirmos perceber a meticulosidade do seu trabalho. Houve uma cena em especial onde a patologista faz descrição detalhada dos dois corpos que para uns pode ser fascinante (principalmente para quem gosta de series como o CSI) mas para outros pode ser informação a mais. Nota-se que há uma pesquisa extensa sobre estes procedimentos o que valoriza bastante a obra. A interação entre Ben e Diane também é feita a conta gotas, nota-se uma certa tensão entre eles mas não consegui perceber se o mesmo advém de alguma situação anterior ou se eles são assim desde sempre. Fiquei com a nítida ideia que perdi algo da história deles o que só pode ser colmatado com a leitura dos livros anteriores.
É interessante como vamos conhecendo a zona rural de Peak District, pormenores de agricultura que são-nos dados por Ben ou pelo seu irmão, as pessoas que caracterizam a zona, como o dono do pub Dog Inn e outros habitantes locais e como eles vão contribuindo para a trama. Também a superstição está patente e a crença popular torna o livro ainda mais envolvente e peculiar.
A história apesar de bastante boa não conseguiu prender-me com a mesma intensidade de outros policiais mas julgo que isso se deve em muito ao facto de os últimos lidos me terem marcado profundamente pela sua componente psicológica, bem como violência física extrema. Tem todos os ingredientes para os amantes do género e julgo que os seguidores desta série não se irão desiludir. Booth sabe sem dúvida o que faz e nós leitores vemos bem que o seu trabalho é exaustivo principalmente a nível de pesquisa.
Fiquei satisfeita e penso ler mais deste autor mas terei de ver a ordem correcta dos seus livros para não voltar a ser apanhada desprevenida.
October 13, 2019
Would probably give this 2.5 stars as the story is okay, but I don't like DS Diane Fry. She is so depressing and always complaining. She should go back to the city, but I think misery is her thing.
November 21, 2010
.Well, this kept me entertained in the car for a week. I think I must have switched off a few times though because I was lost in the story from time to time. That didn't matter too much as the plot didn't seem to move from where it was on CD 2 and the story spent it's time wandering around the topics of Polish workers, the troubled British farming community turning to making skunk (??), myths and superstitions and the like. There was a trip to Ireland in the story - I couldn't work out why that happened (maybe that was where I switched off?). What was all that about skulls being kept in farm houses to ward off spirits? There was a comment towards the end which resonated with me - about people living in towns and cities being so insular these days that no-one ever witnesses anything whereas in the country everyone knows everyone else's business (apparently it used to be the other way around).
I'm sure I would made more of the book if I was reading it rather than listening to it but as an audio book I have heard much better.
I'm sure I would made more of the book if I was reading it rather than listening to it but as an audio book I have heard much better.
February 6, 2012
Why read series - they are, as sonia so elequently justified, the same story rehashed.
This is true - Fry and Cooper go nowhere in this book. She is as bitter as ever, he is the loyal labradore.
The story, again is patently redicoulous. Something to do with an old farming siblings burying dead in the garden and allowing it to be used as a cystal meth lab. In the peak district.
Meticoulous research into the farming practices of the peak district and local issues, inlcuding immigration. This is nicely done. An undercurrernt of black humour is also there.
Not as good as rankin, but little is. I suppose, I need to decide whether to carry on with the Child Series (i think I will), see what John Harvey is like and rekindle Macbride and perhaps look at Billingham and Alex James.
This is true - Fry and Cooper go nowhere in this book. She is as bitter as ever, he is the loyal labradore.
The story, again is patently redicoulous. Something to do with an old farming siblings burying dead in the garden and allowing it to be used as a cystal meth lab. In the peak district.
Meticoulous research into the farming practices of the peak district and local issues, inlcuding immigration. This is nicely done. An undercurrernt of black humour is also there.
Not as good as rankin, but little is. I suppose, I need to decide whether to carry on with the Child Series (i think I will), see what John Harvey is like and rekindle Macbride and perhaps look at Billingham and Alex James.
August 14, 2012
Unlike previous books in the Cooper and Fry series, this book has a lot of Law & Order type preachiness in it aka informing reader of the state of a situation, in this case farming in the UK. Or maybe I just noticed it more this time. I know it's hard to pass on necessary information to readers, or to inform them of a real-world injustice, in a natural way, usually through dialogue; I would've liked it to have been better done, to truly sound like natural venting from one of the characters. But the plot was still intriguing, and character growth still kept me engaged.
November 1, 2018
Ond of the best pieces of crime fiction I've read this year. A pleasure to discover this series. Looking forward to more now although that means going back in time. Never a good idea to start with volume 8....
October 12, 2019
Location, Location, Location
I approached this story as an unknown quantity. I had never read a Stephen Booth book and knew nothing about DS Fry and DC Cooper. Being a fan of British detective stories, and reading some promising reviews on Amazon, however, I decided to give it a try. I am very glad I did.
Almost immediately the characters and story captured my attention. This was not the glittering world of Sayres and Allingham, but closer to Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. Dark, brooding and full of atmosphere.
Fry and Cooper are a curious pair, chalk and cheese would not be far off the mark. They appear to have developed a halting respect for each other even though they speak different languages. Fry is City, all logic and tight procedure while Cooper is Peak District country, intuitive, sensitive and still learning. I find them an interesting combination and look forward to reading more of their stories.
The plot is deep and complicated, taking in ancient superstitions, intractable country folk, and illicit activity where it can be buried for decades and not come to light. The modern world is encroaching on this secretive land, though, and the plot includes illegal immigrants and the drug trade.
All in all, if you enjoy a ripping good detective story with atmosphere to spare, I would recommend you give this book a try.
I approached this story as an unknown quantity. I had never read a Stephen Booth book and knew nothing about DS Fry and DC Cooper. Being a fan of British detective stories, and reading some promising reviews on Amazon, however, I decided to give it a try. I am very glad I did.
Almost immediately the characters and story captured my attention. This was not the glittering world of Sayres and Allingham, but closer to Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. Dark, brooding and full of atmosphere.
Fry and Cooper are a curious pair, chalk and cheese would not be far off the mark. They appear to have developed a halting respect for each other even though they speak different languages. Fry is City, all logic and tight procedure while Cooper is Peak District country, intuitive, sensitive and still learning. I find them an interesting combination and look forward to reading more of their stories.
The plot is deep and complicated, taking in ancient superstitions, intractable country folk, and illicit activity where it can be buried for decades and not come to light. The modern world is encroaching on this secretive land, though, and the plot includes illegal immigrants and the drug trade.
All in all, if you enjoy a ripping good detective story with atmosphere to spare, I would recommend you give this book a try.
August 15, 2019
A series I hadn't read for awhile; this entry was published in 2008, and author Stephen Booth is up to sixteen books at this point.
The story was reminiscent of other British writers who incorporate supernatural and mystical elements into their work (Phil Rickman and Sharon Bolton spring to mind, although there are others), emphasizing the connection between the residents of the Peak District and the long, dark history of their land. He did a remarkable job of describing the beliefs and superstitions of the rural farmers and pubowners without letting them overwhelm the fact that this is still a police procedural with a crime to be solved.
I liked the characters as much as I remembered: the tension between native DC Ben Cooper and "outsider" DS Diane Fry, the comic relief of DC Murfin and his constant eating, the bristly developing relationship between Cooper and SOCO Liz Petty. Cooper and Fry always seem to be edging towards a better understanding of each others' motives, attitudes, and fears, which makes the series interesting. A good story, enjoyable and engrossing.
The story was reminiscent of other British writers who incorporate supernatural and mystical elements into their work (Phil Rickman and Sharon Bolton spring to mind, although there are others), emphasizing the connection between the residents of the Peak District and the long, dark history of their land. He did a remarkable job of describing the beliefs and superstitions of the rural farmers and pubowners without letting them overwhelm the fact that this is still a police procedural with a crime to be solved.
I liked the characters as much as I remembered: the tension between native DC Ben Cooper and "outsider" DS Diane Fry, the comic relief of DC Murfin and his constant eating, the bristly developing relationship between Cooper and SOCO Liz Petty. Cooper and Fry always seem to be edging towards a better understanding of each others' motives, attitudes, and fears, which makes the series interesting. A good story, enjoyable and engrossing.
October 8, 2024
The ideas behind this book were excellent, but I found that Stephen Booth needs to stop trying to educate with matters only tangential to the plot - did I really need to know about a budget flight to Dublin? The book is long and I felt the ending was sacrificed because he had used up so much space. What was the point of the new Superintendent, it was a bit of a cliche to bring her in, but she added nothing to the story. On the other hand when we came to the conclusion the person responsible had hardly featured in the book. The 'missing' brother was poorly written, wouldn't any police investigation in these circumstances consider he was dead if there wasn't evidence he was still alive?
This could have be sharp and hard-hitting, it needed to be edited and the concluding chapters improved.
This could have be sharp and hard-hitting, it needed to be edited and the concluding chapters improved.
March 1, 2020
The first half to three-quarters seemed to move along glacially, and then in the final quarter everything comes together. (I think I may have made a similar comment on the last Cooper & Fry mystery I read.) And there are hints that something will change with the characters, but that, too, seems to get delayed to a future novel. Will Ben and his current girlfriend stay together (that relationship seems a little frayed in this novel)? Will Ben and Diane get together (something hinted at since the first novel of the series)? What changes will come with the new boss? Will Diane get transferred out? Will Ben get a promotion? All of that will be explained in the next (or one of the next) novels (I assume).
December 6, 2022
It's one of life's mysteries how detectives Cooper and Fry manage to work together and secure results, given their completely different attitudes to life.
In this excellent novel, two bodies are found at a farm once owned by two somewhat eccentric brothers. One is now dead, and the other is in a nursing home. The farm has been sold and the builders have moved in ready to redevelop the buildings for the new owner. Once the police begin investigating the identities and cause of death of the bodies, they come up against a wall of silence from the locals, and also begin to suspect that the farm was being used for more than farming. As the days pass, the full horror of what occurred there is slowly revealed.
In this excellent novel, two bodies are found at a farm once owned by two somewhat eccentric brothers. One is now dead, and the other is in a nursing home. The farm has been sold and the builders have moved in ready to redevelop the buildings for the new owner. Once the police begin investigating the identities and cause of death of the bodies, they come up against a wall of silence from the locals, and also begin to suspect that the farm was being used for more than farming. As the days pass, the full horror of what occurred there is slowly revealed.
October 6, 2017
A story that kept me engaged over four evenings, alright well into the night, will a well crafted plot that had an unexpected conclusion. This is a tale of the declining farming community of the Peak District of Derbyshire and its rural inhabitants finding it difficult to change. We have the now well trodden relationship between the local Ben Cooper and Sergeant Diane Fry fro her Black Country roots that produce the inevitable clashes. In this book this is overshadowed by the arrival of a new Superintendent. Plenty of bodies, migrant foreign workers and street girls make for a good crime novel.
September 24, 2019
I've been many times in knee deep mud on a farm, but in the rain and the freezing cold? No, thanks! So that is exactly where Ben Cooper and Diane Fry find themselves when a body is discovered on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
I loved the juxtaposition of the old ways against the new ways in many of things...tradition (Christmas), friendships, families, and morals. In the novel the influx of migrant workers, documented and undocumented is discussed, along with the illegal drug business. And of course, the bodies keep coming.
I loved the juxtaposition of the old ways against the new ways in many of things...tradition (Christmas), friendships, families, and morals. In the novel the influx of migrant workers, documented and undocumented is discussed, along with the illegal drug business. And of course, the bodies keep coming.
May 3, 2024
Always enjoy this series set in the peak country of England. Not so much for the mysteries but more for the portrait of rural life. The author does a great job of showing us the challenges of preserving that way of life in the modern world, also the changes of policing, the atmosphere of the weather and landscape. Living in Canada I am always struck by how similar our society changes are. The relationship between Fry and Cooper is a slow progression but I am hoping it will continue to evolve.
June 23, 2018
Dying to sin by Stephen Booth
This book was more ghoulish than I’m comfortable reading but well written. The characters were real and vivid, especially those two Cooper and Fry who are always opposing each other’s ideas. The country people they are investigating are dark and and silent adding to the mysteries surrounding them
Ann Reed
This book was more ghoulish than I’m comfortable reading but well written. The characters were real and vivid, especially those two Cooper and Fry who are always opposing each other’s ideas. The country people they are investigating are dark and and silent adding to the mysteries surrounding them
Ann Reed
August 5, 2019
Usual high standard in this series. Terrific sense of place of very rural life and changing times. Good plot. Particularly enjoyed the relationship of Fry and Cooper. Watching the partnership evolve between two such opposites is always interesting. This book did not prompt me to move to a cozy cottage in the country,
November 21, 2022
Too many inaccuracies in the first chapter. They meant nothing - pointless "dramatic" effect. The entrance of the police detectives was no better. Human is good, but frailties should be dropped in later; they are not inessential to the plot. I expect there was plot, since a body had been found, but I gave up reading. Shame - the book was recommended to me.
August 20, 2025
Superstition, Christmas, and Change
Dying to Sin is a new mystery for the team involving illegal money making enterprise, slave labor, and a shake up at the police headquarters. Will Diane be able to cope with the changes coming her way?
I really enjoyed the tidbits about the characters, fleshing them out making them feel more human.
Dying to Sin is a new mystery for the team involving illegal money making enterprise, slave labor, and a shake up at the police headquarters. Will Diane be able to cope with the changes coming her way?
I really enjoyed the tidbits about the characters, fleshing them out making them feel more human.
December 12, 2018
The Cooper and Fry series is amazing. The detailed description of the landscape and the characters gives you the feeling of actually living there. The storylines are very different each time and I thoroughly recommend this series.
December 21, 2018
The usual reliable, tightly-plotted and well-crafted crime novel from this author. No frills, just a well thought-out and executed murder mystery which mixes (relatively) old crimes with new in (as is often the case with Booth) a grim but atmospheric setting.
May 6, 2019
I know this is the third book I’ve read by this author...the other books I didn’t make any comments, but I don’t think I’ll read any more...the stories are set in England using terms I don’t recognize...I can get the idea that is being conveyed but I don’t have full understanding ...
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