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Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #12
Dead and Buried
DS Ben Cooper comes closer to death than he ever has before in the 12th Cooper/Fry case As moorland fires sweep across the Peak District national park, hundreds of firefighters and park rangers battle to prevent flames reaching a remote inn, once a famous landmark, now abandoned and boarded up. The blaze is just one of a series of random acts of arson which have destroyed miles of heather moorland, and once the flames have died, a grim surprise awaits DS Ben Cooper and DI Diane Fry—a body, dead for years.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2012
52 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Booth
55 books672 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 116 reviews
July 7, 2016
Despite this being the twelfth in the series, Dead and Buried served as my introduction to the Cooper and Fry novels of Stephen Booth set amidst the Peak District. As a standalone this worked as a solid introduction to the series and Booth provided enough depth as to the back story and the history of the pairing, yet also left me wanting to know more. Clearly the tension between the two lead detectives is a long running feature of the series.
DS Diane Fry had thought she had escaped the Derbyshire Constabulary thanks to a transfer to the major crimes unit based in Nottingham, so the antagonistic ice queen is none to happy to find herself pulled back to her old division. A spate of wildfires and the discovery of the suspected personal effects of a married couple who disappeared over two years ago whilst holidaying in the region brings her back alongside her old colleagues. When a preoccupied Ben Cooper neglects his duty to attend to a break-in at a disused pub it leaves a smug Diane Fry to waltz into the scene and discover the recent corpse that lies within and take charge of the operation. Meanwhile, Cooper is given the much less enviable task of scrutinising the original investigation into the disappearance of the couple and finds himself asking if there is any truth behind the rumours of the 'convenient' disappearance due to financial irregularities. As the two separate strands stray onto the same territory and a connection seems apparent it brings DS Ben Cooper and his nemesis in Fry to loggerheads, and with Diane Fry any sign of letting your guard down is swiftly followed by her making mincemeat of you, as Ben is well aware. The discovery that perhaps the wildfires isn't quite so accidental provides another threat to the investigating officers....
Although the base for the CID E Division is located in the fictional town of Edendale, Booth recognises that it is very representative of towns is the Derbyshire area. Whilst Edendale is fictitious, the surroundings motorways, distinctive landmarks, moors and towns are not. I expect that part of the appeal of this long running series is for local readers who recognise the locations, but not being familiar with the area left me at somewhat of a loss. Pages went by with me having no clue as to how one moor was situated in relation to another, which A roads surrounded the town, or the exact farm which sits between two sites. The specific geographic details were excessive and potentially run the risk of alienating readers not familiar with the territory. A fictional map at the front of the novel would have provided a point of reference and in my opinion was essential.
Initially some of the colour on the changes which regional policing procedures have been subject to in the age of austerity was highlighted well, particularly the tensions as the technical resources are shared between regions and outside officers are brought into an investigation. The recognition that unmanned police stations are a common feature of the UK was also well highlighted and the friction between the local force and the external operations staff illustrated the benefits of having a local contingent working the case. This pacing of the novel is pedestrian and the further into the novel I progressed I did come to the conclusion that much of the specific history of the Peak District region was simply there to serve a purpose of appealing to those who know the area. Certainly a great deal of it added nothing to the story.
My overriding feeling was that despite Dead and Buried being a solid enough police procedural, many of the aspects of the story were also rather formulaic. DS Ben Cooper was the local boy made good whose job in the force has caused friction amongst his family, specifically with brother Matt. DC Gavin Murfit is the dinosaur about to retire and Booth even made room for the lonely elderly witness with a tendency to ramble if not kept on point! Altogether this was a gentle introduction to the Cooper and Fry series and I will read more of the series. Despite her tendency to rub people up the wrong way, DS Diane Fry is an interesting character and did intrigue me. A strong ending provided the ultimate hook and I will certainly read the following novel in the series.
DS Diane Fry had thought she had escaped the Derbyshire Constabulary thanks to a transfer to the major crimes unit based in Nottingham, so the antagonistic ice queen is none to happy to find herself pulled back to her old division. A spate of wildfires and the discovery of the suspected personal effects of a married couple who disappeared over two years ago whilst holidaying in the region brings her back alongside her old colleagues. When a preoccupied Ben Cooper neglects his duty to attend to a break-in at a disused pub it leaves a smug Diane Fry to waltz into the scene and discover the recent corpse that lies within and take charge of the operation. Meanwhile, Cooper is given the much less enviable task of scrutinising the original investigation into the disappearance of the couple and finds himself asking if there is any truth behind the rumours of the 'convenient' disappearance due to financial irregularities. As the two separate strands stray onto the same territory and a connection seems apparent it brings DS Ben Cooper and his nemesis in Fry to loggerheads, and with Diane Fry any sign of letting your guard down is swiftly followed by her making mincemeat of you, as Ben is well aware. The discovery that perhaps the wildfires isn't quite so accidental provides another threat to the investigating officers....
Although the base for the CID E Division is located in the fictional town of Edendale, Booth recognises that it is very representative of towns is the Derbyshire area. Whilst Edendale is fictitious, the surroundings motorways, distinctive landmarks, moors and towns are not. I expect that part of the appeal of this long running series is for local readers who recognise the locations, but not being familiar with the area left me at somewhat of a loss. Pages went by with me having no clue as to how one moor was situated in relation to another, which A roads surrounded the town, or the exact farm which sits between two sites. The specific geographic details were excessive and potentially run the risk of alienating readers not familiar with the territory. A fictional map at the front of the novel would have provided a point of reference and in my opinion was essential.
Initially some of the colour on the changes which regional policing procedures have been subject to in the age of austerity was highlighted well, particularly the tensions as the technical resources are shared between regions and outside officers are brought into an investigation. The recognition that unmanned police stations are a common feature of the UK was also well highlighted and the friction between the local force and the external operations staff illustrated the benefits of having a local contingent working the case. This pacing of the novel is pedestrian and the further into the novel I progressed I did come to the conclusion that much of the specific history of the Peak District region was simply there to serve a purpose of appealing to those who know the area. Certainly a great deal of it added nothing to the story.
My overriding feeling was that despite Dead and Buried being a solid enough police procedural, many of the aspects of the story were also rather formulaic. DS Ben Cooper was the local boy made good whose job in the force has caused friction amongst his family, specifically with brother Matt. DC Gavin Murfit is the dinosaur about to retire and Booth even made room for the lonely elderly witness with a tendency to ramble if not kept on point! Altogether this was a gentle introduction to the Cooper and Fry series and I will read more of the series. Despite her tendency to rub people up the wrong way, DS Diane Fry is an interesting character and did intrigue me. A strong ending provided the ultimate hook and I will certainly read the following novel in the series.
January 13, 2016
Diane Fry gets more annoying with each book lately. In several earlier books, it seemed as if she might be softening her attitude toward Ben Cooper and her fellow officers, but in the last few ones, she seems to be getting more antagonistic than she was at the start. I’m beginning to wonder why her superiors haven’t called her on the carpet for it.
Readers of this book (and all the others in the series) also learn more about the Peak District of England than anyone other than a hard-core Anglophile would ever care to know. Booth does the same with everything. We get way too much detail about way too many things in every book, much of which could be cut with no loss of story integrity.
I'm getting tired of both and every time I wade through one of these books, I think I may give up on this series. But Booth tells such an engaging tale that I always come back for more.
I also noticed quite a few places in this book where 'he' was used when it should have been 'she' and 'she' was used when 'he' would have been correct. Sloppy editing, pure and simple.
This was the first story in this series where Booth delivered the kind of tension that made me sweat. And I had a gut feeling something big was going to happen and what it would be. And it did and I was right. And it was a bit of a cliché.
While this book has an ending, it feels incomplete. It felt rushed, as if Booth, after cranking out 300+ pages of plodding progress, suddenly realized he only had 1000 words to wrap everything up. There were some threads in the primary plot line that weren’t quite tied off. The ending also left me with the feeling that in some ways this book while being a stand-alone is also a set-up for the next book in the series.
In spite of that, I’m anxious to read that book – something that never happened before with others in the series.
Readers of this book (and all the others in the series) also learn more about the Peak District of England than anyone other than a hard-core Anglophile would ever care to know. Booth does the same with everything. We get way too much detail about way too many things in every book, much of which could be cut with no loss of story integrity.
I'm getting tired of both and every time I wade through one of these books, I think I may give up on this series. But Booth tells such an engaging tale that I always come back for more.
I also noticed quite a few places in this book where 'he' was used when it should have been 'she' and 'she' was used when 'he' would have been correct. Sloppy editing, pure and simple.
This was the first story in this series where Booth delivered the kind of tension that made me sweat. And I had a gut feeling something big was going to happen and what it would be. And it did and I was right. And it was a bit of a cliché.
While this book has an ending, it feels incomplete. It felt rushed, as if Booth, after cranking out 300+ pages of plodding progress, suddenly realized he only had 1000 words to wrap everything up. There were some threads in the primary plot line that weren’t quite tied off. The ending also left me with the feeling that in some ways this book while being a stand-alone is also a set-up for the next book in the series.
In spite of that, I’m anxious to read that book – something that never happened before with others in the series.
December 13, 2013
First Booth book to read. Another hyped up novel by the press. It needed a map. Not all of us are familiar with the B6061 or the A610. I became so confused with east west that I felt dizzy. Sometimes the writing felt like a lot of copy and paste: page276. "it was where David and Trisha Pearson should have been...." And page 278 " Pearsons ought to have been....". I didn't care for the feeling at the end that things weren't tied up. Why didn't the crime scene investigators go through the entire inn to begin with? Why wasn't the trash from the fire checked out. Did they find the bat? More about the cases and less about the moors. Again, a feeling of cut and paste describing the moors and what is lost when they burn.
October 14, 2015
The peaty soil of the Peak District has dried out and is easily set alight, so in this latest atmospheric offering from Stephen Booth, large swathes of moorland are burning. A pub which has closed due to the economic situation, the drink and drive ban and its isolated location, is the epicentre of the shockwaves running through the story.
Ben Cooper the local copper is starting to get jaded and to lose hope of promotion, while old-timer Gavin Murfin is jocularly pretending he doesn't care that he'll soon be pushed into retirement. Diane Fry, the snappy, pushy outside lass, is hauled back to deal with a major crime but her specialist squad role doesn't make her happy; she thought she'd never have to look at sheep again. Methinks she should transfer to London and get over herself. Normally I cheer for the female officer, but she's been losing my support fast.
A body is found in the closed pub and this has potential ties to the disappearance of two hikers a couple of years previously. As the hikers had financial troubles it has been thought that like the vanishing canoeist who went to Panama, they have just flitted; a relative is adamant that they must be dead.
Myself, I couldn't see how a scene of crime team would overlook what they overlooked, in the case of the hikers or the new body. I also found the tale rather slow in the middle and thought some tighter editing might have helped, as not much was happening. But this is probably like real life. Cooper is involved in wedding preparations and happy for once. We know that with crime story protagonists, this is seldom allowed to remain the case, so I got suspicious right away. After all, nobody buys books about happy people. But the author is entitled to write the stories as they come to him, and I'm afraid all those of us who enjoy happy endings will just have to go and read a romance.
Ben Cooper the local copper is starting to get jaded and to lose hope of promotion, while old-timer Gavin Murfin is jocularly pretending he doesn't care that he'll soon be pushed into retirement. Diane Fry, the snappy, pushy outside lass, is hauled back to deal with a major crime but her specialist squad role doesn't make her happy; she thought she'd never have to look at sheep again. Methinks she should transfer to London and get over herself. Normally I cheer for the female officer, but she's been losing my support fast.
A body is found in the closed pub and this has potential ties to the disappearance of two hikers a couple of years previously. As the hikers had financial troubles it has been thought that like the vanishing canoeist who went to Panama, they have just flitted; a relative is adamant that they must be dead.
Myself, I couldn't see how a scene of crime team would overlook what they overlooked, in the case of the hikers or the new body. I also found the tale rather slow in the middle and thought some tighter editing might have helped, as not much was happening. But this is probably like real life. Cooper is involved in wedding preparations and happy for once. We know that with crime story protagonists, this is seldom allowed to remain the case, so I got suspicious right away. After all, nobody buys books about happy people. But the author is entitled to write the stories as they come to him, and I'm afraid all those of us who enjoy happy endings will just have to go and read a romance.
August 21, 2018
Dead and Buries by Stephen Booth.
DSgt Diane Fry has left Edendale to join a team set up with other counties to investigate major crimes. Meanwhile DSgt Ben Cooper remains with the detectives in his home town, he is currently investigating the theft of Post Office Mail boxes which are taken for their resale value or for scrap, when clothing items belonging to the Pearson’s, who had disappeared 2.5 years ago, come to light when some serious moorland fires turn up their hiding place. Diane Fry returns reluctantly and soon finds a body of a local teacher in a boarded up local pub. Ben is angry that he had failed to discover the body as he is distracted by his impending marriage to Liz Petty, a scene of crimes examiner. Needless to record Diane and Ben are immediately at loggerheads, each trying to score from the other and not properly sharing information or the tasks. The trail inevitably leads to the discovery of the Pearson’s bodies but where have they been all this time, what role is played by Pearson’s father and how is Dante’s 9th level of his inferno relevant and what of the Wharton’s the former pub landlord and his family?
The main characters remain Diane Fry and Ben Cooper who remain at arms-length and barely speaking throughout the book. Ben has a difficult time with his brother Matt who is suspicious of the police following his case in the previous novel. In the team Gavin Murfin is approaching his retirement and is not beyond aggravating relationships particularly between Diane and Ben. At times this leaves me feeling that I want to “knock their heads together” and actually get on with the case, the senior officers appear remote and have little apparent control of the teams who appear to be left to get on without guidance or control. Apart from the relationship issues the plot was non-existent and the conclusion came dramatically to an abrupt conclusion leaving me to wonder exactly who had murdered the teacher or the Pearson’s. I was disappointed as the plot was neither as complex nor compelling as previous stories in this series.
DSgt Diane Fry has left Edendale to join a team set up with other counties to investigate major crimes. Meanwhile DSgt Ben Cooper remains with the detectives in his home town, he is currently investigating the theft of Post Office Mail boxes which are taken for their resale value or for scrap, when clothing items belonging to the Pearson’s, who had disappeared 2.5 years ago, come to light when some serious moorland fires turn up their hiding place. Diane Fry returns reluctantly and soon finds a body of a local teacher in a boarded up local pub. Ben is angry that he had failed to discover the body as he is distracted by his impending marriage to Liz Petty, a scene of crimes examiner. Needless to record Diane and Ben are immediately at loggerheads, each trying to score from the other and not properly sharing information or the tasks. The trail inevitably leads to the discovery of the Pearson’s bodies but where have they been all this time, what role is played by Pearson’s father and how is Dante’s 9th level of his inferno relevant and what of the Wharton’s the former pub landlord and his family?
The main characters remain Diane Fry and Ben Cooper who remain at arms-length and barely speaking throughout the book. Ben has a difficult time with his brother Matt who is suspicious of the police following his case in the previous novel. In the team Gavin Murfin is approaching his retirement and is not beyond aggravating relationships particularly between Diane and Ben. At times this leaves me feeling that I want to “knock their heads together” and actually get on with the case, the senior officers appear remote and have little apparent control of the teams who appear to be left to get on without guidance or control. Apart from the relationship issues the plot was non-existent and the conclusion came dramatically to an abrupt conclusion leaving me to wonder exactly who had murdered the teacher or the Pearson’s. I was disappointed as the plot was neither as complex nor compelling as previous stories in this series.
June 11, 2019
3.5 ... much better than the one I abandoned !!!! However the tensions and bitching between Fry and Cooper are incredibly repetitive , also it’s irritating ... this was a decent little detective novel though .. no prize winner but it was ok x
June 16, 2017
Dead and Buried by Stephen Booth
Cooper and Fry series Book #12
4★'s
From The Book:
Brutal acts of fire starting have ravaged the Peak District, and now a new wave of moorland infernos sweeps across the national park. For DS Ben Cooper, the blazes are best left to the firefighters, even with the arsonists still at large. But when an intruder breaks into an abandoned pub, Cooper is on the case—and he swiftly unearths a pair of grim surprises. The first is evidence of a years-old double homicide, and the second is a corpse, newly dead. What links the three deaths? Where are the missing bodies? Who is responsible—and how do the raging fires fit in? For Cooper and his rival DI Diane Fry, it's the most twisted investigation of their lives, and with an ingenious killer pulling the strings, it could also be their last.
My Views:
This is another series that I have been a long time reader of and for the most part can't find fault with any of the actual writing or the story itself. The thing that has bothered me more and more from the beginning is Diane Fry's treatment of Ben Cooper. She is ambitious and wants to make grade quickly but her character needs to become a bit more human and respectful of her partner. She was specially vicious in this installment so her behavior is escalating and it's beginning to take away from what was an excellent story line with a really surprising ending. Hopefully she will have cooled her heels a bit by the next one.
Cooper and Fry series Book #12
4★'s
From The Book:
Brutal acts of fire starting have ravaged the Peak District, and now a new wave of moorland infernos sweeps across the national park. For DS Ben Cooper, the blazes are best left to the firefighters, even with the arsonists still at large. But when an intruder breaks into an abandoned pub, Cooper is on the case—and he swiftly unearths a pair of grim surprises. The first is evidence of a years-old double homicide, and the second is a corpse, newly dead. What links the three deaths? Where are the missing bodies? Who is responsible—and how do the raging fires fit in? For Cooper and his rival DI Diane Fry, it's the most twisted investigation of their lives, and with an ingenious killer pulling the strings, it could also be their last.
My Views:
This is another series that I have been a long time reader of and for the most part can't find fault with any of the actual writing or the story itself. The thing that has bothered me more and more from the beginning is Diane Fry's treatment of Ben Cooper. She is ambitious and wants to make grade quickly but her character needs to become a bit more human and respectful of her partner. She was specially vicious in this installment so her behavior is escalating and it's beginning to take away from what was an excellent story line with a really surprising ending. Hopefully she will have cooled her heels a bit by the next one.
September 25, 2013
Very hard to put down, a book I read in two days and now I'll have to wait months to find out what happens next. Have to admit a soft spot for Ben Cooper and an intense dislike of Diane Fry.
The Lighthouse is an inn up on the moors, near the old tracks across the land before the modern roads came in. It sounds a bit like The Slaughtered Lamb in an American Werewolf, and there's definitely an element of what can happen when you 'Stray from the path'.
I also like spotting the places I know in Booth's books.
The Lighthouse is an inn up on the moors, near the old tracks across the land before the modern roads came in. It sounds a bit like The Slaughtered Lamb in an American Werewolf, and there's definitely an element of what can happen when you 'Stray from the path'.
I also like spotting the places I know in Booth's books.
December 10, 2016
Tolfte delen om Cooper och Fry är utläst och nu börjar jag närma mig slutet på riktigt. Endast en bok kvar oläst i hyllan och den borde vara bra, för denna var det inte. Jag börjar allvarligt misstänka att Stephen Booth är en varannanboksförfattare. Läs mer på min blogg
October 22, 2018
Stephen Booth's 'Dead and Buried' is one of the best murder mysteries I have read in a long time. The story is a well crafted 'Who Dunnit?' and 'Why Dunnit?' aided by the writer's fluid prose. The author's ability to create atmosphere and and character is excellent. An engrossing and highly enjoyable read.
December 1, 2023
Dnf .. gave up after 200 pages .Dull and unengaging .
August 3, 2013
Two problems with this book, and they are both my problems. One, somehow I must have this author confused with someone else because I can fathom no other reason I would pick up book #12 in a series. It read well enough as a stand alone for the most part, there are no insurmountable big knowledge gaps which is good as otherwise I'd have ditched it pretty early on. Which leads to my second problem. I appear to be in a generally mean and cranky mood this week, I think I scared the tech at the pharmacy today when I admitted that sometimes dealing with insurance made me want punch someone. Judging by her startled look it seems my tone was not quite as lighthearted as I intended. Or maybe it was my messy hair. In any event, i found myself frequently annoyed through at least the first half of this book. SO dang slow moving and just too much repeated introspection and conversation about the fires, the Peaks, the old searches/investigation for some missing tourists, blah blah blah. It's a dandy mystery and the Peaks district is a place I would love to visit should I suddenly be gifted with a bucket load of cash but seriously, in my present mood, this book came close to killing my interest on several levels.
PS Due to my general crabbiness I will mark the first book in the series as a want to read and try to adjust my attitude;-)
PS Due to my general crabbiness I will mark the first book in the series as a want to read and try to adjust my attitude;-)
August 20, 2013
Better than the last two books regarding the Cooper/Fry interactions, but this definitely had a whiff of Elizabeth George's With No One as Witness about the ending.
The moors are on fire (never a good thing) and of course there are things uncovered where they burn. Additionally, there's a man's body found in a pub that closed recently - his last phone call referred to Dante's ninth circle of Hell. There are two investigations, one into the recently uncovered effects of two people who disappeared two and a half years previously (led by Cooper) and the other into the recent body (led by Fry, on secondment from the Major Crimes Unit). The two investigations are necessarily intertwined, with bad results.
I'm still very unsure where Booth is going with the Cooper/Fry (and now Villers) relationship, let alone why he's led it into such a dark, estranged place. At times it feels as though he doesn't really like Fry, and in this book it occasionally felt that he doesn't really like Cooper, either. Which is really quite odd, when you think about it.
The moors are on fire (never a good thing) and of course there are things uncovered where they burn. Additionally, there's a man's body found in a pub that closed recently - his last phone call referred to Dante's ninth circle of Hell. There are two investigations, one into the recently uncovered effects of two people who disappeared two and a half years previously (led by Cooper) and the other into the recent body (led by Fry, on secondment from the Major Crimes Unit). The two investigations are necessarily intertwined, with bad results.
I'm still very unsure where Booth is going with the Cooper/Fry (and now Villers) relationship, let alone why he's led it into such a dark, estranged place. At times it feels as though he doesn't really like Fry, and in this book it occasionally felt that he doesn't really like Cooper, either. Which is really quite odd, when you think about it.
April 12, 2013
I feel like it's a cop-out to say this is my favourite Cooper/Fry story because it is the newest (until June '13) but...It is!!! What a super story. Stephen Booth has taken things to the next level - on many fronts. You will go places you didn't expect - both in Cooper and Fry's relationship and with Ben's others relationships. But what really will get you is the ending. It is truly epic - Stephen will take you right to the edge (the Devil's Edge . Then he will let you look over that edge. However instead of letting you walk back to safety, he smiles at you and pushes you over. That is how you will feel when you finish this book. WOW... I can't wait to see where he takes us next.....
November 26, 2016
#12 in the Ben Cooper-Diane Fry series set in the Peak District, Derbyshire, England. I've really enjoyed this series since the mystery group read Black Dog, the first, in October 2003!
Another great outing by Stephen Booth. In the midst of wildfires on the moors, evidence is unearthed of the presence of two visitors who vanished in a snow storm two years earlier. Diane Fry is brought back to Edendale from her new posting and her distaste for everything and everyone in Edendale is on display once more. Ben is pulled in many directions with the investigations underway, issues with his brother, plans for his upcoming marriage, and then having to deal with Diane's jabs. The ending, however, is just too much! Enough said. I'm going to read the next book in the series immediately!!!
Another great outing by Stephen Booth. In the midst of wildfires on the moors, evidence is unearthed of the presence of two visitors who vanished in a snow storm two years earlier. Diane Fry is brought back to Edendale from her new posting and her distaste for everything and everyone in Edendale is on display once more. Ben is pulled in many directions with the investigations underway, issues with his brother, plans for his upcoming marriage, and then having to deal with Diane's jabs. The ending, however, is just too much! Enough said. I'm going to read the next book in the series immediately!!!
September 7, 2016
I love Stephen Booth's 'Cooper and Fry' series. I'm not reading them in any particular order, which I might have done but it doesn't make much difference to my enjoyment because it's easy to catch up with exactly where the duo are with their lives - and interesting to fill in the missing bits when I read an earlier book a little later on. I love the way the duo interact with both each other and with the other characters in the series. There's always an absorbing plot, this one involving a cold case about a missing couple, together with a recent murder and the whole building up to an absolutely gripping finale. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it.
May 20, 2017
History and Present End and take Ben's Future
As Ben Cooper's story moves along through this mystery in the series, it carries the reader back into the past. Way back. Details of the District's history become critical even as they mesmerize the reader with the drama of historical details. Booth manages to weave the past and present brilliantly. My favorite thus far in this series because every detail matters. Pay attention.
As Ben Cooper's story moves along through this mystery in the series, it carries the reader back into the past. Way back. Details of the District's history become critical even as they mesmerize the reader with the drama of historical details. Booth manages to weave the past and present brilliantly. My favorite thus far in this series because every detail matters. Pay attention.
January 11, 2016
Gave it a try, but note to self. No more Cooper/Fry. Not complex enough for me; characters not interesting and/or intelligent. Hate reading books where you have to wonder how stupid could people be, particularly when they are supposed to be investigating and solving murders.
January 30, 2017
Read for Prison Reading Group. Well written, good character development. Part of a series. I would definitely read more of Stephen Booth's work - a lovely man who came to talk to the Reading Group which was appreciated.
December 13, 2016
I needed a lighter novel to read, so I chose this one. I like the setting of this mystery series. And I am pleasantly far behind, so I have a few I can catch up with.
October 30, 2018
Having no idea what to expect as I hadn't read this author before, I had my hopes raised by the blurb on the back, particularly the bit about a shocking twist at the end. How sad it was, then, that I was thoroughly disappointed. The plot was thin, the characters 2D and as for the "twist"... saw it coming from a country mile. DS Ben Cooper must be one of the dimmest coppers out in novel land.
I ploughed through pages of scene setting, thorough descriptions of what shops were in a particular town and what you could see from various points on the landscape. Endless history lessons of locations jostled with the need to tell us what things meant - sorry, but I like to find these things out for myself, if I'm interested. And kids' ponies don't eat oats. The author didn't research THAT one! Entire chapters failed to move the story on one inch.
Unfortunately, I was bored by this book. It was tedious to read and I'm sorry that I bought two of his books in one go, so still have another one to wade through. Oh well.
I ploughed through pages of scene setting, thorough descriptions of what shops were in a particular town and what you could see from various points on the landscape. Endless history lessons of locations jostled with the need to tell us what things meant - sorry, but I like to find these things out for myself, if I'm interested. And kids' ponies don't eat oats. The author didn't research THAT one! Entire chapters failed to move the story on one inch.
Unfortunately, I was bored by this book. It was tedious to read and I'm sorry that I bought two of his books in one go, so still have another one to wade through. Oh well.
July 25, 2017
This audio book is a huge disappointment. The narrator reads with way too much affectation. He really ruined the listening experience. As far as the actual book goes it almost boring. I just wanted him to stop with all of the excessive description of the Peak District (I think you would have to actually live there to appreciate it) and get on with the story. At least in his early book, The Black Dog the area description was atmospheric and added to the story. Another very noticeable thing was the way that most of the female characters in the book are portrayed in a bad light, even the woman who is Cooper's fiancé has a negative feel. This book is one of the Cooper and Frye series but he paints a very negative light on Diane Frye. Really making her out as a bit of a harridan that no one in the force likes in the least.
September 9, 2020
I found it okay. I think the issue for me was how long winded it was and I found it quite boring in some areas which was a bit disappointing. The storyline was great I really enjoyed that, I just think the execution was staggered and didn't really do much for me. There were too many times where I didn't have the attention for it and didn't really want to carry on, however there were also some really good times too? An example would be that at the end of one of the chapters, Fry tells Cooper the blood found on the clothing is not Pearsons and it goes to a cliffhanger but then it's not heard about for another few chapters.
Overall, it is still something I would recommend to people, especially if they like slow burners, but maybe not to someone who wants it to jump straight in.
Overall, it is still something I would recommend to people, especially if they like slow burners, but maybe not to someone who wants it to jump straight in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2024
This book was not for me. A horrible reading experience. I was only able to finish it because I am learning English.
Out of the 400 pages at least 250 seemed to tell about fricking moors and the fire. Yes yes the fires were started to destroy evidence and all but still.
The crime in the book was so boring. A family business is going down the toilet because of a bad financing deal. And a couple from the financing company seeks shelter in the Bar. Surprisingly the owners drunken son kills the couple. They hide the bodies in the cellar. Eventually the bodies are found and the father dying of cancer tries to take the blame for the crime but the detective doesn’t believe that.
It is truly a skill to write 400 pages about absolutely nothing.
Out of the 400 pages at least 250 seemed to tell about fricking moors and the fire. Yes yes the fires were started to destroy evidence and all but still.
The crime in the book was so boring. A family business is going down the toilet because of a bad financing deal. And a couple from the financing company seeks shelter in the Bar. Surprisingly the owners drunken son kills the couple. They hide the bodies in the cellar. Eventually the bodies are found and the father dying of cancer tries to take the blame for the crime but the detective doesn’t believe that.
It is truly a skill to write 400 pages about absolutely nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2021
This is the most tragic of the books. It begins with a wildfire burning through the Peak District peat bog area. The firemen discover clothing and items buried in the peat, items that call to mind the disappearance of two tourists two years previously. Because a deserted pub, The Lighthouse, is in danger from the fires, many people who frequented the Lighthouse are motivated to think fondly of times spent drinking and fraternizing at that pub. But the loss of the two tourists are on everyone’s mind causing Cooper to put together clues that help him understand exactly what happened that night two years ago—leading to a near death experience for Ben and tragedy in his life.
August 30, 2022
I happened to pick this book up off a table from a tent sale the local bookstore was holding. I love crime/thriller books (think Allison Brennan, Alex Kava, Erica Spindler, etc). So, I never read the first 11 books by Stephen Booth, therefore I have nothing to compare.
Personally, Fry was just annoying and hateful. I also felt like there was absolutely no character nor depth when it came to the characters of the book. Again, this is the first book of his I read, so I don’t know if character descriptions were given in his previous books.
I would not be against trying out a different book, but I don’t know that I’d invest in the whole series.
Personally, Fry was just annoying and hateful. I also felt like there was absolutely no character nor depth when it came to the characters of the book. Again, this is the first book of his I read, so I don’t know if character descriptions were given in his previous books.
I would not be against trying out a different book, but I don’t know that I’d invest in the whole series.
October 2, 2019
This novel features Ben Cooper with Diane Fry becoming more of a secondary character. She works in another division but must return to Edendale to work on the strange disappearance of a couple two years previously after their bags were uncovered on the moor. Some of the material covered has blood on it. Still the young couple have not surfaced and that remains a mystery until nearly the end of the book. There are fires on the moors that are threatening structures occupied and unoccupied. Another body turns up in an abandoned pub. Sadly, the reader was not prepared for the ending.
February 26, 2020
Ben Cooper, Diane Fry ja Peak District National Park. Ekan Boothin luin suomeksi, sitten kymmenkunta englanniksi aina sitä mukaa kun ilmestyivät, sen jälkeen vuosien tauko. Nyt palasin suomenkieleen.
Näissä on hienoa alueen, luonnon ja monenlaisten brittiyhteiskunnan asioiden esittely. Henkilöhahmoista Diane Fry olisi mielenkiintoinen, jos hänen annettaisiin olla muutakin kuin sietämätön ja kireä. Lukijat tietysti haluavat, että hahmot eivät muutu... minä toivoisin, että hekin muuttuisivat ja kasvaisivat. Tämä sarja alkaa olla jo liian laaja?
Näissä on hienoa alueen, luonnon ja monenlaisten brittiyhteiskunnan asioiden esittely. Henkilöhahmoista Diane Fry olisi mielenkiintoinen, jos hänen annettaisiin olla muutakin kuin sietämätön ja kireä. Lukijat tietysti haluavat, että hahmot eivät muutu... minä toivoisin, että hekin muuttuisivat ja kasvaisivat. Tämä sarja alkaa olla jo liian laaja?
October 4, 2018
Another excellent procedural featuring the rival cops Fry and Cooper. Even more sniping than usual between them this time, I wish they'd just get a room! Stephen seemed to be trying to cram as much of the extensive research he'd done into the text as possible, which slowed things down in a couple of places, but the denouement was an adrenalin fuelled rush. But that ending! Stephen, how could you?! 😲
August 5, 2022
This book started off slow with the rehashing of a cold case. Cooper's team went over old ground and the book was slow and boring. Then the irascible Fry came back on the scene and the two cases, new and old, overlapped. I forgot what a b*tch Fry is and I don't like her character, but I have to admit she is a good and dogged detective. Of course, now I have to read the rest of the series, especially to see what happens with Cooper.
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