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Kings Lake Investigation #5
Another Girl
"She's just watching, thinking about it again, when a big flash car pulls up outside. No one gets out. Then the doors of the bar open and people appear. Two men and a youngish woman, and one of the men has a hold on the woman's arm. It looks as if they're having words. Then this all happens quickly—they push the woman towards the car, one of the back doors opens, and they manhandle her inside. Sarah hears a muffled shout from the woman and the car pulls away. It's all over in a few seconds." Just a few seconds—but seconds which will set in motion a sequence of events involving every member of the Kings Lake Central murder squad in the days to follow. This time the threat is to one of their own.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2023
323 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Peter Grainger
71 books872 followersA British author, the writer Peter Grainger is a well known novelist of mystery fiction, largely focused on detective lead investigations. This his been the prime focus for much of his career, as he takes much of his inspiration from that of other infamous British detectives, such as Inspector Morse. The influence is clearly evident here, as he brings his own detective, DC Smith, to life, along with other books as well. Setting his mysteries firmly within the world of British detective fiction it is clear where his tastes lie as an author of his increasingly popular stories, stories that only increase in popularity as time goes on.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
October 7, 2023
Another winner!!
Loved the humane plot, the references to DC, and all the old team.
Peter Grainger never disappoints. I think this one is my favorite in the Kings Lake series.
Loved the humane plot, the references to DC, and all the old team.
Peter Grainger never disappoints. I think this one is my favorite in the Kings Lake series.
October 4, 2023
Superb
Peter Grainger is my favourite mystery writer and with good reason. The writing is thoughtful and the dialogue so natural the characters really come to life and I feel like I’m right there with them. The story lines are very current and unfold at such a pace that I didn’t want to put the book down. The characters develop as the DC Smith and Kings Lake Investigations series progress so it’s best to read them in order. Very highly recommend.
Peter Grainger is my favourite mystery writer and with good reason. The writing is thoughtful and the dialogue so natural the characters really come to life and I feel like I’m right there with them. The story lines are very current and unfold at such a pace that I didn’t want to put the book down. The characters develop as the DC Smith and Kings Lake Investigations series progress so it’s best to read them in order. Very highly recommend.
February 14, 2024
Another great novel by Peter Grainger albeit with a slightly different approach. In this story the focus is upon Serena Butler who is deeply involved in an undercover operation. Although there are the usual fond references to DC, and Chris Waters enters halfway through the novel, the focus on another of the team allows for greater character development of Serena, but also of the other detectives in this ongoing series. The plot is very much of today as the team deal with drug and people trafficking. And of course this was an audiobook as how could I read a Grainger novel when I have the opportunity to listen to the brilliant Gildart Jackson.
I cannot recommend this series and the previous DC Smith series highly enough, but note they are best read in order.
I cannot recommend this series and the previous DC Smith series highly enough, but note they are best read in order.
August 13, 2024
Exciting and suspenseful.
July 9, 2025
another good police procedural from Kings Lake murder squad. Serena is on loan to another district working undercover surveillance on suspicious activity at a private club. A man is found dead on the highway with injuries inconsistent with a hit and run. The dead man is a young Asian with no ID. murder, drugs and human trafficking, what could be better.
January 19, 2024
oh DC, where are you?
I enjoy Grainger’s writing and have read most of his books. This series, though, seems anemic after so thoroughly enjoying all the D C Smith investigations. While there are familiar characters and frequent nostalgic references to Smith, the Kings Lake investigations simply don’t have the wit and character interplay that the Smith books do. It isn’t just the Smith character that’s missing, but some of the character of the books themselves.
I enjoy Grainger’s writing and have read most of his books. This series, though, seems anemic after so thoroughly enjoying all the D C Smith investigations. While there are familiar characters and frequent nostalgic references to Smith, the Kings Lake investigations simply don’t have the wit and character interplay that the Smith books do. It isn’t just the Smith character that’s missing, but some of the character of the books themselves.
July 15, 2024
3 stars and barely that. This book was very disjointed and not really up to Grainger’s previous books. It lacked the character development, humor in places and a cohesive storyline. And it ended on a dismal note. I’ll keep reading the books in this series for at least one more. But if this is the best Grainger can do, I’m not eager to continue. Why he didn’t shine the light on Waters and have more personal anecdotes I just don’t know.
October 8, 2023
3.5 stars. Engrossing.
January 25, 2024
I usually really enjoy Grainger's books, but I didn't really care for this one. Disclaimer: I'm usually not a fan of storylines in which a member of a police force goes undercover, so the book started with that strike against it. As soon as a police character no longer has a private life and isn't spending any time with their colleagues on the force, that isolation centers the book more heavily on the undercover work. I missed feeling more camaraderie between the members of the team; it's still there but there's usually more of it in Grainger's books. There's also usually more sparkling wit. Humor is present, including gallows humor, which is common in some types of work as a coping mechanism. Some jokes did make me cringe a bit -- -- but that doesn't mean those dark jokes wouldn't be useful coping mechanisms in real life. The book overall was bleak, with graphic, heavy violence. tw for
January 6, 2024
Wonderful police procedural by a master in this genre
Peter Grainger is one of my very favorite crime/police procedural authors. I've read the DC Smith novels and the corresponding Kings Lake series of which this one is the latest for me. All I can say is "Wow!"....although I'm sure I've said this before, Another Girl may be my favorite so far. The old team is there although Chris Waters was taking a crime procedure course and didn't rejoin the group till at least midway through. Serena Walters was really the main focus of the story operating in an undercover position with another County's CID investigating a large scale drug operation headquartered in London but branching out into other Counties via huge grow rooms filled with Marijuana plants tended by Vietnamese trafficked to the UK. A marvelous story with much intrigue and action I highly recommend this book. It can be read as a stand alone but would be much more enjoyable if read in the series.
Peter Grainger is one of my very favorite crime/police procedural authors. I've read the DC Smith novels and the corresponding Kings Lake series of which this one is the latest for me. All I can say is "Wow!"....although I'm sure I've said this before, Another Girl may be my favorite so far. The old team is there although Chris Waters was taking a crime procedure course and didn't rejoin the group till at least midway through. Serena Walters was really the main focus of the story operating in an undercover position with another County's CID investigating a large scale drug operation headquartered in London but branching out into other Counties via huge grow rooms filled with Marijuana plants tended by Vietnamese trafficked to the UK. A marvelous story with much intrigue and action I highly recommend this book. It can be read as a stand alone but would be much more enjoyable if read in the series.
January 30, 2024
Not my favorite Peter Grainger. He’s usually very good, but he’s not as good as Tana French when it comes to showing the impact of trauma on individuals and the choices they make. One of my favorite characters on the Murder Squad is hurt by some very bad guys. I applaud the author’s choice to focus on this character, but it’s too bad she had to be another female victim. Hopefully she recovers for the next book in the King’s Lake series.
November 13, 2023
Peter Grainger delivers again
Another very enjoyable journey through the world of Kings Lake. This one went fast! Grainger explores different elements of detective work not covered in earlier works, to great result.
Another very enjoyable journey through the world of Kings Lake. This one went fast! Grainger explores different elements of detective work not covered in earlier works, to great result.
March 1, 2024
Another well-constructed story. I enjoyed the references to DC but missed having him as part of the story. Hopefully there'll be another DC Smith book soon.
August 2, 2024
Great read, quick pace, edge of seat, love his work
February 20, 2024
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S ANOTHER GIRL ABOUT?
Serena Butler is loaned out to do some plainclothes intelligence gathering in a nearby city. She misses a check-in with her handler, right after saying something tantalizing about making some new friends. This galvanizes her team back at King's Lake and her DCI pushes her weight and rank around to get involved in the investigation into her disappearance--and the drugs investigation Butler was helping with.
At the same time, there's an apparent hit and run for the Murder Squad to look in back at home--and while they do their due diligence with that, their concern for one of their own clearly has captured their attention (also, an absent pathologist means a delayed autopsy, so they can only do so much).
A CHANGE OF FOCUS
Initially, DCI Cara Freeman and DC Serena Butler carried most of this book--although DI Tom Green gets a lot more focus than he's ever received before. And that was just great, I always liked him, but I wanted to see him get to shine a bit. Freeman and Butler are a great pairing and really establish this as a different kind of entry in this series.
Yes, when Waters shows up roughly mid-way through the book, he ends up getting a lot of the focus, as we're used to. Still, the narrative really does take advantage of Waters' absence and explores the team and uses the multiple POVs to a greater advantage than Grainger has in the past. I don't want Waters to get pushed to the background on a regular basis--but man, I really appreciated this.
But this is Serena's book, really. We start with her assignment hitting a bump in the road and we finish by it going deeper than she was ready for. But throughout, we get to learn a lot more about this character that's been around for twelve books and really takes on new life and a greater depth. She's been a favorite of mine from early on in her first appearance--and I like her more now that I understand her better. Honestly, if she got her own spin-off series in the future, I'd be game, or just for more books like this. (a book that uses Green more would also be welcome, but given the way his character typically operates, I'm not sure that's possible).
DC'S SHADOW
DC Smith (it still feels strange to call him David) has always loomed large over these King's Lake books, but it seemed to me that it was a little larger this time than it had been since Songbird (but it's not like I keep statistics or anything). He's either mentioned in conversation (by people on all sides of the law) or thought of by Chris and Serena--who will remember some advice/guidance he gave them--which allows Granger to slip in a line or two using his DC voice--and I'm always going to be in favor of that.
Which, I guess, brings us to:
A WORD ABOUT THE NARRATION
This is an audiobook, so I need to talk about the narration. But as I keep saying, I don't know what to say about Gildart Jackson's work on this series that I haven't said umpteen times.
When his voice starts coming out of my phone, my mind instantly settles in for a good time. There's a calmness that he evokes in me almost instantly (note: it's not his voice, I rarely felt calm during the Alex Verus books). He catches the humor, the tension, the camaraderie, the...I don't know, the spirit of these books. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I'm not picking these up in print (although, I know at least one non-audiobook person who says they're great in print), I have to have Jackson's voice.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT ANOTHER GIRL?
Grainger doesn't frequently put his King's Lake characters in peril (I thought about listing exceptions to that rule, but I won't--but the point stands), this series is about typical investigations. But when he does, he does it effectively. And boy howdy, he does so here. I haven't been this concerned for the fate of a Grainger character since A Private Investigation's close.
But more than just the danger aspect, watching Serena deal with the pressures of working undercover (especially as she initially wasn't supposed to go as deep as she ended up) was so well done. Equally well done was watching her team fret about her when they couldn't contact her and weren't sure what was going on.
The hit-and-run story never got the time I initially expected, but the way that Grainger worked it into the overall storyline was his typical well-done work. He was able to weave it into the drugs story and show how it is about much more than drugs.
This tied this particular novel into something we first saw in On Eden Street and will likely show up for at least one more novel. Which isn't to say that this novel isn't largely a stand-alone like the rest, but there's something that will tie it to further books.
I think I've rambled enough--possibly too much. I had a great time with this one, and as always I strongly encourage you to give this one a try. It would serve as a fine jumping-on point to the series (like every book so far), but if you have the time and means, I'd suggest starting at the beginning. Or somewhere. Just start with Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson, and the detectives in and around King's Lake Central.
---
WHAT'S ANOTHER GIRL ABOUT?
Serena Butler is loaned out to do some plainclothes intelligence gathering in a nearby city. She misses a check-in with her handler, right after saying something tantalizing about making some new friends. This galvanizes her team back at King's Lake and her DCI pushes her weight and rank around to get involved in the investigation into her disappearance--and the drugs investigation Butler was helping with.
At the same time, there's an apparent hit and run for the Murder Squad to look in back at home--and while they do their due diligence with that, their concern for one of their own clearly has captured their attention (also, an absent pathologist means a delayed autopsy, so they can only do so much).
A CHANGE OF FOCUS
Initially, DCI Cara Freeman and DC Serena Butler carried most of this book--although DI Tom Green gets a lot more focus than he's ever received before. And that was just great, I always liked him, but I wanted to see him get to shine a bit. Freeman and Butler are a great pairing and really establish this as a different kind of entry in this series.
Yes, when Waters shows up roughly mid-way through the book, he ends up getting a lot of the focus, as we're used to. Still, the narrative really does take advantage of Waters' absence and explores the team and uses the multiple POVs to a greater advantage than Grainger has in the past. I don't want Waters to get pushed to the background on a regular basis--but man, I really appreciated this.
But this is Serena's book, really. We start with her assignment hitting a bump in the road and we finish by it going deeper than she was ready for. But throughout, we get to learn a lot more about this character that's been around for twelve books and really takes on new life and a greater depth. She's been a favorite of mine from early on in her first appearance--and I like her more now that I understand her better. Honestly, if she got her own spin-off series in the future, I'd be game, or just for more books like this. (a book that uses Green more would also be welcome, but given the way his character typically operates, I'm not sure that's possible).
DC'S SHADOW
DC Smith (it still feels strange to call him David) has always loomed large over these King's Lake books, but it seemed to me that it was a little larger this time than it had been since Songbird (but it's not like I keep statistics or anything). He's either mentioned in conversation (by people on all sides of the law) or thought of by Chris and Serena--who will remember some advice/guidance he gave them--which allows Granger to slip in a line or two using his DC voice--and I'm always going to be in favor of that.
Which, I guess, brings us to:
A WORD ABOUT THE NARRATION
This is an audiobook, so I need to talk about the narration. But as I keep saying, I don't know what to say about Gildart Jackson's work on this series that I haven't said umpteen times.
When his voice starts coming out of my phone, my mind instantly settles in for a good time. There's a calmness that he evokes in me almost instantly (note: it's not his voice, I rarely felt calm during the Alex Verus books). He catches the humor, the tension, the camaraderie, the...I don't know, the spirit of these books. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I'm not picking these up in print (although, I know at least one non-audiobook person who says they're great in print), I have to have Jackson's voice.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT ANOTHER GIRL?
Grainger doesn't frequently put his King's Lake characters in peril (I thought about listing exceptions to that rule, but I won't--but the point stands), this series is about typical investigations. But when he does, he does it effectively. And boy howdy, he does so here. I haven't been this concerned for the fate of a Grainger character since A Private Investigation's close.
But more than just the danger aspect, watching Serena deal with the pressures of working undercover (especially as she initially wasn't supposed to go as deep as she ended up) was so well done. Equally well done was watching her team fret about her when they couldn't contact her and weren't sure what was going on.
The hit-and-run story never got the time I initially expected, but the way that Grainger worked it into the overall storyline was his typical well-done work. He was able to weave it into the drugs story and show how it is about much more than drugs.
This tied this particular novel into something we first saw in On Eden Street and will likely show up for at least one more novel. Which isn't to say that this novel isn't largely a stand-alone like the rest, but there's something that will tie it to further books.
I think I've rambled enough--possibly too much. I had a great time with this one, and as always I strongly encourage you to give this one a try. It would serve as a fine jumping-on point to the series (like every book so far), but if you have the time and means, I'd suggest starting at the beginning. Or somewhere. Just start with Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson, and the detectives in and around King's Lake Central.
November 20, 2024
4.5 - I love the whole DC Smith (and DC-adjacent) series so much!!!
April 22, 2025
This one, in the series was REALLY good!
February 21, 2024
Pretty much inhaled this series during the first half of Feb ‘24, thanks to Audible Plus and Hoopla. Some of the core cases that drive each plot are better than others, but the main cast’s evolving relationships are first rate and kept me coming back for more. Props to the narrator for imbuing the characters and their relationships with the depth and credibility their creator intended.
May 27, 2025
I miss the stories with DC Smith as the main character. This book refers to him but it is just not the same. This story was captivating but I didn’t really like the ending. I think I am done with this series. They are a little too edgy for my taste.
December 15, 2023
great British procedural
I always look forward to Peter grainger’s releases, and they never disappoint. I recommend them highly to fellow mystery aficionados.
I always look forward to Peter grainger’s releases, and they never disappoint. I recommend them highly to fellow mystery aficionados.
October 14, 2023
A little more dynamic than some of the Kings Lake series - which tend to be heavy on procedure - as Sabrina goes undercover - and reveals glimpses of her private life. These books are good but they were better before DC Smith went into retirement, the department and the series lost its keystone.
October 26, 2023
Some VERY stressful moments after Serena is discovered by the bad guys. She has been working undercover which is something I cannot imagine doing. There are several cases that are related and they round up several at one time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2024
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I chose the Kings Lake Investigation series because I love British mysteries and I own the first 3 books and the 4th one was just released last May. It was a great choice. I really enjoyed listening to these with a favorite narrator. The overall story arc is the reshaping of the law enforcement personnel in an area after some key players have left and the forming of a new "murder squad." I went back and read what I now know is the previous series, DC Smith series, which also has had stellar new installments.
I'm always thrilled to start a new story from this author. The moral aspects and choices are enlightening. Another Girl is an interesting look into Serena Butler. She was a member of DC Smith's team and is coming into her own at King's Lake. She is pulled into an undercover operation by chance, because she fits in at a club.
She has a good enough cover to get involved with a drugs group, doing minor things for them. But at the point where they plan to have her do more serious tasks, they interview her more sharply about her life and contacts. Serena makes some mistakes here.
Serena ends up in a fight for her life. Her strategic thinking and training help her, as do her quick witted colleagues at King's Lake. I was glad to have more depth on her character but missed seeing more of Chris Waters and DC Smith.
Narration:
Gildart Jackson is a favorite narrator of mine and I am enjoying his performance. I can recognize characters because he has distinct voices for them. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I chose the Kings Lake Investigation series because I love British mysteries and I own the first 3 books and the 4th one was just released last May. It was a great choice. I really enjoyed listening to these with a favorite narrator. The overall story arc is the reshaping of the law enforcement personnel in an area after some key players have left and the forming of a new "murder squad." I went back and read what I now know is the previous series, DC Smith series, which also has had stellar new installments.
I'm always thrilled to start a new story from this author. The moral aspects and choices are enlightening. Another Girl is an interesting look into Serena Butler. She was a member of DC Smith's team and is coming into her own at King's Lake. She is pulled into an undercover operation by chance, because she fits in at a club.
She has a good enough cover to get involved with a drugs group, doing minor things for them. But at the point where they plan to have her do more serious tasks, they interview her more sharply about her life and contacts. Serena makes some mistakes here.
Serena ends up in a fight for her life. Her strategic thinking and training help her, as do her quick witted colleagues at King's Lake. I was glad to have more depth on her character but missed seeing more of Chris Waters and DC Smith.
Narration:
Gildart Jackson is a favorite narrator of mine and I am enjoying his performance. I can recognize characters because he has distinct voices for them. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
March 2, 2024
Unabridged audio e version read by Gildart Jackson borrowed from the Norfolk Libby App.
I feel so fortunate that I stumbled across Peter Grainger and An Accidental Death all those months ago. This spin off Kings Lake series is fantastic. I miss DC, but he's mentioned and Walters hears his advice on occasion.
Serena is the star in this installment as she goes under cover in Norwich to investigate County Lines and young drug carriers, including the feisty 14 year old Ange.
The police procedural is great, the characterisation believable, the humanity obvious, the drama exciting, breathtakingly stressful at times, and Gildart Jackson's narration ideal.
But most of the places in Norfolk are fictional. So why leave in Norwich train station and depict its location so wrongly. Really jarred me as someone who has spent hours there. And the train goes down to Liverpool Street NOT Kings Cross. That made this reader VERY cross. I nearly took a star away!!!
I feel so fortunate that I stumbled across Peter Grainger and An Accidental Death all those months ago. This spin off Kings Lake series is fantastic. I miss DC, but he's mentioned and Walters hears his advice on occasion.
Serena is the star in this installment as she goes under cover in Norwich to investigate County Lines and young drug carriers, including the feisty 14 year old Ange.
The police procedural is great, the characterisation believable, the humanity obvious, the drama exciting, breathtakingly stressful at times, and Gildart Jackson's narration ideal.
But most of the places in Norfolk are fictional. So why leave in Norwich train station and depict its location so wrongly. Really jarred me as someone who has spent hours there. And the train goes down to Liverpool Street NOT Kings Cross. That made this reader VERY cross. I nearly took a star away!!!
March 7, 2024
Another Girl, book 5
Peter Grainger is an amazing writer and I loved his DC Smith series. The Kings Lake series has been a little bit of a hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a masterpiece.
Serena had come to the station under a cloud due to an inappropriate relationship with her previous superior. Smith had taken her and trained her up, and she’s now a seasoned professional. She likes to take some risks but she’s well able to handle herself and most situations. So she takes on an undercover assignment dealing with the drug trade. In the meantime, a man’s been hit by a car… and the author ties this all together.
I can’t recommend this enough. The writing is amazing and the characters are so interesting. We’ve definitely met many of them before, but the new players are integral to the crimes being investigated. This was such a great story and I highly recommend it.
Peter Grainger is an amazing writer and I loved his DC Smith series. The Kings Lake series has been a little bit of a hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a masterpiece.
Serena had come to the station under a cloud due to an inappropriate relationship with her previous superior. Smith had taken her and trained her up, and she’s now a seasoned professional. She likes to take some risks but she’s well able to handle herself and most situations. So she takes on an undercover assignment dealing with the drug trade. In the meantime, a man’s been hit by a car… and the author ties this all together.
I can’t recommend this enough. The writing is amazing and the characters are so interesting. We’ve definitely met many of them before, but the new players are integral to the crimes being investigated. This was such a great story and I highly recommend it.
November 30, 2024
I listened to this audiobook. I like the D.C.Smith series and this spin off series is quite good too. While D.C., the mentor and legendary detective in the previous series still influences the characters in Kings Lake, this new series expands on the characters of Chris Waters, Serena Butler, and John Murray. This story features Serena, a tough detective constable who, while she is opinionated and stubborn at times, is smart and capable. She has agreed to go undercover to do some intelligence gathering for another division. What she learns and becomes involved with is a bad group of criminals who not only traffic Vietnamese workers for their marijuana grow houses, but girls into prostitution and worse. She becomes more involved than simply observing and helps bring down the operation at great risk to herself. She does bring actionable intelligence, but when police start making arrests , Serena is uncovered and is in great danger.
October 18, 2023
Another great book by Peter Grainger, my favorite living author along with Donna Leon. Hope he doesn't mind the comparison for excellence. While both write about detectives they come from a very different point of view. Perhaps Leon's Brunetti mysteries have deeper character development. Guido Brunetti has a close family life, we learn to knpw how they all think, what they like to eat and drink and read, and we learn to identify with a small number of his work colleagues. Grainger develops his characters as well but there are many more of them. He works on the dynamics of building a team and he does it very well. He goes into much more analysis of police procedures, I think he brings up more philosophical points and his stories are a delight to read. This book revolving around DC Serena Butler almost brought me to tears near the end. We care about these people. Thank you Mr. Grainger.
October 23, 2023
Among my favorite authors
I don't know exactly how to explain why I like some authors more than others, it's a feeling, not unlike thinking that some people are funnier than others. But every one of Grainger's novels in these series have people that I care about and have respect for. The writing is spare and on-point and the descriptions always feel genuinely of character and convictions born of actually caring about the people for whom these peace officers want to do good. I personally like a style where I don't have to waste time wading through "atmosphere" and endless descriptions of how good looking the people are. The plots are always good, too, and the characters read to me as true to convictions, and they suppress the self indulgence of giving up or losing hope, all the while being able to concentrate and see what the clues are telling them.
I don't know exactly how to explain why I like some authors more than others, it's a feeling, not unlike thinking that some people are funnier than others. But every one of Grainger's novels in these series have people that I care about and have respect for. The writing is spare and on-point and the descriptions always feel genuinely of character and convictions born of actually caring about the people for whom these peace officers want to do good. I personally like a style where I don't have to waste time wading through "atmosphere" and endless descriptions of how good looking the people are. The plots are always good, too, and the characters read to me as true to convictions, and they suppress the self indulgence of giving up or losing hope, all the while being able to concentrate and see what the clues are telling them.
February 1, 2024
This is an excellent new book in the Kings Lake series. This time, DC Smith doesn't appear at all but he isn't gone; he's offstage, not far away. Characters refer to him, think about him, remember his advice, quote him. Serena Butler is the center of attention. She's undercover and gets in and out of trouble. Much of the novel's focus is on women, from Serena to one of the villains to a teenage girl being exploited. It's sensitive and sometimes even moving. The narrative is still entertaining, and never loses its wit, although human trafficking doesn't lend itself to comedy. A related subplot is also interesting. Some of the old crew are still there, in good form. Christopher Waters doesn't show up until halfway through but he's there for Serena. It's now my favorite in the Kings Lake series.
April 28, 2024
Another excellent installment in the King’s Lake series
Serena Butler, an interesting character and key member of the King’s Lake detective squad, is front and center in this novel as she goes undercover trying to gain information on drug ring being investigated by another department. As with Grainger’s other novels, the plot becomes more complex and Serena is in a very dangerous situation.
A fan since Grainger’s first book in this series, I was heartened to get glimpses into the ‘off-stage’ DC Smith, the original lead character. His character was smart, witty, excellent as his job but a bit of an underdog that the reader can’t help but be in his court. As of yet, no other character has filled the Smith role. It’s a role that made the other books so outstanding.
Still an excellent series, great characters and a good read.
Serena Butler, an interesting character and key member of the King’s Lake detective squad, is front and center in this novel as she goes undercover trying to gain information on drug ring being investigated by another department. As with Grainger’s other novels, the plot becomes more complex and Serena is in a very dangerous situation.
A fan since Grainger’s first book in this series, I was heartened to get glimpses into the ‘off-stage’ DC Smith, the original lead character. His character was smart, witty, excellent as his job but a bit of an underdog that the reader can’t help but be in his court. As of yet, no other character has filled the Smith role. It’s a role that made the other books so outstanding.
Still an excellent series, great characters and a good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews