This is DC Smith’s third investigation with the Diver and Diver Associates agency. They have been asked by a member of Norfolk’s aristocracy to look into the tragic death of her younger brother, Freddie, the late Lord Thorpe of the title. The inquest verdict was of misadventure, but it isn’t long before Smith begins to suspect there has been a serious miscarriage of justice.
A 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.
As expected, the only thing disappointing about the new Grainger book is that I’ve finished it and have to wait now for the next one. Such a distinctive and clear voice as we enter DC Smiths fascinating and astute brain that I hear it in my own head for days as I observe myself observing! Yes- the intrigue and untangling of the specific case is great but truly I just come to spend time with the characters. The minute I end the books I miss them dearly. Hoping there is more in the future. I encourage everyone to pick up any of his books and read ( or listen) to them. Well- The other sad thing, even tho I said there was only one and in no way a criticism but just truth- I wish I had at least one of them on paper. Digital doesn’t last and sit on my bookshelf to savor. But I understand the issue. Just saying….
I don't know why his "crime" books seem so different to others. It's maybe the asides and semi confidential comments both the author and "hero" come up with as well as believable and constantly interesting plots....
Peter Grainger’s DC Smith series, as well as the Kings Lake series and the Willows and Lane, as yet, trilogy, are simply masterful. I cannot overstate the excellence of these books and their characters. Grainger knows his players, plots carefully, and never fails to write just enough. Having been reminded about events of earlier books by events in this book, I think I shall start the series over, though I doubt DC would appreciate the construction of this sentence.
I really enjoy the books in this D.C. Smith series, this 11th the latest from Grainger. I usually cannot put it down once started, but this time I walked down to the Chicago Art Institute for one of my regular visits and was shocked to find the whole city in attendance (so it seemed) due to spring break. It is usually a quiet refuge. I was so happy to return to the quiet of my latest installment of the Smith series which included endearing scenes of holiday preparations including a Christmas goose but the crime investigated by Smith was gruesome and challenging. He was up for the job as usual. You need to start this series at the beginning.
I stumbled upon An Accidental Death on Audible while browsing for something that came free with my subscription — and a few minutes in, I was completely hooked. I had no idea at the time that this would become not only my favorite detective series, but one of my favorite series of all time. When I discovered there were ten more books in the DC Smith Investigation series by Peter Grainger — all included in my subscription — I was ecstatic!
What sets this series apart is its quiet brilliance. The writing is elegant but unpretentious. The plots are thoughtful and cleverly woven, not rushed or overly dramatized. Each case stands on its own while contributing to a greater arc, and every single book holds up — something I rarely experience with long-running series. There wasn’t one installment that felt like a dip in quality. If anything, the series just kept getting better with every new release.
DC Smith himself is one of THE most memorable, charming, and well-drawn characters I’ve ever encountered. Dry, intelligent, modest, and often quietly hilarious, he feels like someone you genuinely know — someone you’d trust, listen to, and be endlessly intrigued by. Over the course of the series, more characters are introduced and fleshed out, and soon enough, they start to feel like a real team, with dynamics and inside jokes that made me feel like I was right there with them.
The character development is what truly makes this series exceptional. These people aren’t just solving crimes — they’re living their lives, with quirks, backstories, ambitions, relationships, and heartbreaks. It’s all so well-balanced. The pacing never lags, and the humor, subtle as it often is, brought a warmth that made the series deeply enjoyable, even when dealing with darker themes.
The narrator, Gildart Jackson, deserves just as much praise as the author. His performance brought the entire cast to life. The tone, delivery, and emotional nuance he brought to each character elevated the writing — and I genuinely believe this series owes a large part of its success to how perfectly he captured its voice.
I only wish these books were available in print — I would absolutely own physical copies in a heartbeat. I’ve recommended this series to everyone who would listen, and I truly believe it deserves more attention. There’s also a spin-off series (or perhaps two?) featuring some of the characters, and I fully intend to listen to that next. I will actually read EVERYTHING Peter Granger writes, period!
In short: this series is a gem. If you’re looking for a smart, character-driven detective series that builds a world you’ll never want to leave — this is it. In my humble opinion, DS Smith belongs with the best of them – Sherlock, Miss Marple, Poirot, Dupin, etc… Just please go read those books. They’re the epitome of brilliance.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS** I generally love all of the D.C. Smith novels. I was a little disappointed in this one because the real villain(s) are not identified, let alone taken to task in any way. Otherwise it was exactly what I enjoy about a police procedural -- methodical step-by-step gathering of evidence building to a satisfying conclusion. The methodical part fell a bit short in this D.C. Smith outing because the the murderer(s) are suggested by the mounting evidence but not clearly named. I did enjoy the developing relationships with the Divers and others at that agency.
You need to write a book every month. Ha! Nothing this good can be easy. Not being a writer I cannot imagine how hard it is. I read many mysteries. I find in most to know when to skip passages or even chapters. I am not sure why but when I get that twitch in your books to maby skip some I can’t do it because each sentence is important. I feel involved with him. I cannot miss anything. I feel like I am actually there feeling the emotions upon each revelation. You don’t leave the first person perspective. That draws me in and it becomes personal. I think that In my dreams i wish I could be that smart, clever and perceptive as DC Smith. I go with it and I am him. Thanks for the promotion from my regular self. I do Look forward to my nightly reading, (45 min per evening). Taking it slow as don’t want it to end. I am savoring every second. What are you doing to me. The book is done now and a feeling of satisfaction and loneliness envelopes. Thank you.
I am an enormous fan of Peter Grainger’s book series on Kingslake and the spin-off DC Smith novels. I choose to listen to these novels because of the brilliance that is Gildart Jackson and his reading of this book was no exception. While I usually enjoy Grainger’s descriptions and the character driven nature of his novels, for some reason I struggled a little here. I grew frustrated with what felt like a slower pace, of coffe blends and the quality of the china. The resolution , which I assume or at least hope will be the subject of a future Kingslake novel, was a little unsatisfying.
Oh Mr. Grainger you have done it again. I put off reading this one because I hate when they end. The characters are wonderful, even the not so nice ones. I did not like the cover at all, however. I'm sure Freddie Thorpe was a much more handsome man. Fascinating investigative procedural. Smith's brain is amazing, intuitive, compassionate, and oh so clever. Please send us another one soon!
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I whole-heartedly love the characters and stories in the DC Smithseries. I don't suppose one would have to read them in order but there is a lot of history, personal growth, and world building one would miss. Plus nearly every book is a 5 heart winner. The tip to amazing may be the stellar characters, plots and narration by Gildart Jackson.
The Late Lord Thorpe is an effort to find out how he really died. His sister is still grieving but just feels the inquest was off. She hires Diver & Diver, ie Smith, to investigate. Taking a case without police information and support is a different path. People don't have to talk to you. But Smith and his developing new team are intelligent and savvy. There are a few advantages to not being police as well.
I love how Smith is creating a whole new team with diverse skills to continue solving problems. Ones which may not always be police matters but sometimes are. They may show times when the police have been ineffectual, influenced or distracted. It makes the relationship with the police a bit delicate.
There is also a balance with keeping the client informed yet not too optimistic or too dismal about the possible outcomes. This case is tricky with political factors trying to obscure what really happened and why.
Another winner and I'm always excited to read more. They are absolute favorites.
Narration: Gildart Jackson is a favorite narrator of mine and I am enjoying his performance. Hearing his voices just makes me happy as with this author I know I am in for a treat. I can recognize characters because he has distinct voices for them. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Did it keep my interest? 5. I was angry when I finished this book. Angry because there are no more DC Smiths written and I zoomed through this one too quickly.
Did I enjoy the topic? 5. I wonder if Smith would make a fun neighbor. He’s a bit aloof, but he has a great sarcastic sense of humor. We would invite him and Jo over for a neighborhood fire pit night. I’d have trouble not treating him like a celebrity.
Was the dialogue realistic? 5. This is me with Smith at our fire pit. Me: David, do you mind if I call you DC … oh, ok. David it is. Can I get you an IPA? No? Yes, we do have tea. Can I just say, I love your work. You are so brilliant. I don’t know how you manage to solve all those crimes. While we have you here, I wonder if you could help us solve a neighborhood issue? Someone is putting their trash in my bins without my consent…. Oh, you have to go already? Ok, come again, DC, I mean David …
Would I recommend to Jen (smart, discerning reader)? 5. She’s read two and will read more!
Would I have recommended to my Mom (read for entertainment)? 5. I would have Mom in my DC Smith book club. Jen, Mom and myself will be the founders of this fake book club and we will evangelize to everyone we meet.
Quality of narrator? 5. My wife used to co chair the Newburyport film festival. She just told me they have had narrators, in addition to writers, at the festival. Imagine if she brought over Gildart Jackson! You are not suppose to meet your heroes, but I’d have to share a cigar with him.
British mystery. DC continues as a private investigator to work another unusual case. Settling in a little more with the agency, with colleagues' characters gradually becoming richer. Clever, witty and engaging, Grainger writes a tale that keeps me happily occupied for many hours. Serious investigation tale, but DC does make me laugh with his sharpness, and love his relationship development, professionally and at home. The characters are complexed and nuanced, as seen through DC's sharp eyes, and DC is simply one of the best in British mystery field. Grainger writes good character. In varied ways, the author deftly exposes DCs insights and conclusions, through clues, conversations, highlighting quick expressions, and musings from DCs as he dissects the gathered details. Not a lot of new characters, but new layers added to many. Recommend you read all Grainger's books, as the background complexities could be distracting, the comings and goings of various bit players confusing, without knowing the full histories. And the histories of the DC's cases are well written and well worth the time. And follow the author on amazon: each time a book comes out its a complefe surprise and without watning...always worried i will miss one. Ready for the next!
Did not want to finish this very good book, it ended on a cliff-hanger, but in a very satisfying way, as you know that the mills of justice are going to continue to grind. In fact, it was a very good place to end it, as the main characters exit the story at this point, but I wanted to find out more about each of them, and hope the next book will come along soon, so that I can.
While the plot is compelling, a page turner, Grainger use of language that makes me linger. Like a delicious chocolate, you want to hold on to it, roll the words about, extend your pleasure.
Enjoyed it, but didn’t seem to be as much DC being DC as others in this journey. Tough to explain I know, but kinda think one more draft or one more rewrite would’ve been beneficial
I just absolutely love DC Smith books would love reading one a week. The storyline was excellent, the characters just keep giving. No negatives at all hurry with the next one
While I enjoyed this book, as I have all others in the series, it isn't up to the author's usual 5 star standard for me. As another reviewer noted, it needed further attention before publication. When a character stated how long a property had been in her family she claimed there 258 years from 1775 to 2023, when the book is set. The word "unphased" was used instead of "unfazed." There was at least one more incorrect word, and several punctuation errors. These errors unfortunately took me out of the pleasure of reading the story. Hopefully this is a one time problem and the next book will be back to higher standards.
What distinguishes Peter Grainger is his sense of life's passage, along with characters plot. This has made DC Smith the equal of the other great detectives. One of the best drawn of them all
3 ¾ stars. Ahhh. Connecting back with DC Smith, as portrayed by Gildart Jackson feels like coming home. This one received a slightly lower rating than the first (*gasp* I really do love these books) 10 books in this series because although Lady Caroline’s investigation and inquest issue was resolved… there were so many questions left unanswered. Was the MP involved? Who broke into the D&D Associates’ building? Is the policy surrounding military sales going to change? Who deleted the emails and texts? Will we ever get all the answers to the Andretti murder mysteries? Jo is a much more prominent figure here, which is lovely, and I now have a professional girl crush not just on Cara Freeman but also on Polly and Gloria Butterfield (all because they are brilliant and forces of nature). There must be a follow on book in the works, right? I did have to giggle when DC and Jo were talking about selecting a narrator for Jo’s first book and one of them says “you have to pick a narrator and stick with them, because listeners become attached to the original narration.” Ah yes, how true. If Grainger had to kill off Jackson (inside joke having finished the book), I’d have to start protesting in the streets. Well done again Grainger, but we do need to tie up these loose ends.
Let me start by saying this is a good book. It's not one of the best in the series. There are too many distractors, and I especially found the hint towards Israel involvement at least redundant, if not offensive. Is this the author's way of joining the anti-Israel brainwashing efforts of the BBC/Hamas? The Palestinians are too miserable to reduce their misery into an anti-Israel anti-Zionist or a simple good-old-middle-ages' antisemitism. Bear that in mind when you make the reference. Even if the reference in the book was meant to point a finger at the brainwashed peons of the Hamas in the UK, it really distracts from an otherwise interesting plot. Perhaps it's just me, but I hate it when politics and propaganda mess with an otherwise great literature. It makes me doubt whether I should read the follow up book.
I really like this series and wondered how it would continue once DC Smith retired. It has gotten even better. The author keeps the series fresh by alternating between DC Smith books, focused on his private investigations, and Kings Lake Investigations, which focuses on his old team at the Kings Lake police department. This one is a DC Smith book and introduces some engaging characters moves at a brisk pace. This could easily be read as a stand alone, but because of the ever evolving lives of the characters, I strongly recommend starting with "An Accidental Death," and reading the entire series from the beginning. Highly recommended
Peter Grainger goes from strength to strength with this book. Characters you can believe in and twisting stories I can't put down. Thank you Mr Grainger from a devoted reader.
DC Smith & King’s Lake Investigation is one of my favorite police procedural series. And it was a lovely return to the scene and people. That said this later installment really lost some of the subtlety and restraint the earlier books did so well with.