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DC Smith #2
But For The Grace
“We are living in the departure lounge,” said Ralph Greenwood, “and flights leave with monotonous regularity.” So when another resident of the Rosemary House care home is found dead in her chair one Saturday evening in December, no-one is very surprised – not until the results of a routine post-mortem reveal something extraordinary. DC Smith and his team have to tread carefully as they investigate what took place, and Smith himself has to confront some difficult memories. Others, meanwhile, seem intent on getting him to leave the force altogether, while, despite his best efforts, his social life also becomes a little more complicated. To top it all, Kings Lake has been waiting weeks for the snow to fall, in a winter that seems as if it will never end… This, the second DC Smith investigation, follows on from 'An Accidental Death'.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2014
1156 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Peter Grainger
70 books867 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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January 30, 2024
Another Sound 4-Stars for DC Smith - "I Really Liked It"!
"But for the Grace (D.C. Smith #2)"
by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)
This is a police procedural series that I really like. As noted below in "from my reading activity", I am now going to re-listen to "Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3)", and then proceed through the series in an orderly manner😊.
I don't want to overstate my enjoyment of Peter Grainger's DC Smith novels so far. They possibly won't suit the tastes of many readers of 'crime', or 'police procedural' novels. They are definitely not 'action-packed', or 'pulse-pounding', nor do they focus on 'private relationships', and to date there has not been a word written about, err, 'rumpy-pumpy', thank Odin! However, there are proper 'plots', 'story-lines', with mostly likeable and some not-so-likeable 'characters'.
The narrator, Gildart Jackson, is excellent, varying his accents and characterisations to suit each story.
I will definitely continue listening to this series, which fortunately I have been able to source from the "Audible Plus" library, a real bonus for an impecunious old-age pensioner like me!
From my Listening Activity:
24 Jan, 2024: Delightful listening to #2 immediately after hearing #1, the latter establishing the characters, locale, etc, of which I had some knowledge due to having heard #3 as a standalone. Yeah I know, a bit of a balls-up, but it reinforces reading a series from #1!"
29 Jan, 2024: Last year I heard Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3) 4-Stars, and last week I heard An Accidental Death (DC Smith #1) 4-Stars. I have just finished But for the Grace (DC Smith #2) 4-Stars.
My quandary: Listen to Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3) again now? hmm"🤩
The answer is Yes, so I'll start re-hearing it tonight!
"But for the Grace (D.C. Smith #2)"
by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)
This is a police procedural series that I really like. As noted below in "from my reading activity", I am now going to re-listen to "Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3)", and then proceed through the series in an orderly manner😊.
I don't want to overstate my enjoyment of Peter Grainger's DC Smith novels so far. They possibly won't suit the tastes of many readers of 'crime', or 'police procedural' novels. They are definitely not 'action-packed', or 'pulse-pounding', nor do they focus on 'private relationships', and to date there has not been a word written about, err, 'rumpy-pumpy', thank Odin! However, there are proper 'plots', 'story-lines', with mostly likeable and some not-so-likeable 'characters'.
The narrator, Gildart Jackson, is excellent, varying his accents and characterisations to suit each story.
I will definitely continue listening to this series, which fortunately I have been able to source from the "Audible Plus" library, a real bonus for an impecunious old-age pensioner like me!
From my Listening Activity:
24 Jan, 2024: Delightful listening to #2 immediately after hearing #1, the latter establishing the characters, locale, etc, of which I had some knowledge due to having heard #3 as a standalone. Yeah I know, a bit of a balls-up, but it reinforces reading a series from #1!"
29 Jan, 2024: Last year I heard Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3) 4-Stars, and last week I heard An Accidental Death (DC Smith #1) 4-Stars. I have just finished But for the Grace (DC Smith #2) 4-Stars.
My quandary: Listen to Luck and Judgement (DC Smith #3) again now? hmm"🤩
The answer is Yes, so I'll start re-hearing it tonight!
June 22, 2025
★★★⭒☆ (3.75 stars) — DC Smith returns, with his modesty & dry-witted nature in even fuller view!
Sometimes a novel arrives on your shelf like a quiet moral puzzle, wrapped not in fireworks or fanfare, but in soft dread and slow revelation. But for the Grace by Peter Grainger is one such book—measured, morally dense, and modestly crafted, but carrying a heavy aftertaste that indeed lingers, almost with a slight, delicate but definite heaviness to it.
The premise feels deceptively familiar: a fatal mistake, a judicial system wheezing under human error, and a protagonist caught in the undertow of guilt, fate, and redemption. But Grainger isn’t here to tell a courtroom thriller. No, this is a story about the quiet agony of what would you do in a similar situation—what if I had a loved one in pain, what if I’d aged and was in agony, would grace tilt the scales differently. It’s the controversy of Euthanasia, albeit in its assisted form, with the dramatic turn of having it involve heroin.
Grainger’s prose is taut without being flashy—he has that rare ability to evoke atmosphere with a handful of syllables. There’s a restraint in his writing that mirrors the inner life of his protagonist, a Police Detective haunted by the ripple effects of a misjudgment, with some morality of the past hinted at. You don’t read this novel so much as listen to it breathe: pages turning with the hush of remorse, redemption, and reflection. DC Smith gives little away, but by the novels end it is clear he feels conflicted, as does the reader.
That said, I found myself yearning for more stylistic audacity, a few more twists & turns, even if red-herrings. The emotional impact is unmistakable, but it sometimes feels muffled by an overly stoic narrative voice. I wanted more colour, more psychological specificity, perhaps more resistance to the saintly arcs that characters fall into by novel’s end. The thematic bones are strong—but some of the flesh feels undernourished.
The moral ambiguity, though, is this book’s quiet triumph. In an age where fiction often strains to provide answers or at least moral clarity, Grainger offers none—only a mirror and the question: Would you have done the same?
The title — I gather — is taken from the age old phrase “There but for the grace of God go I,” which is more than apt. It’s the novel’s spine & its constant whisper. Grainger is not preaching—but he is reckoning. And though this won’t be everyone’s idea of gripping fiction, it’s precisely the kind of quiet, ethical storytelling that deserves not just to be read, but discussed over hushed dinner tables, with gentle nods and ‘hmms’ aplenty!
📚Key Passages🖋️
“He had always believed that remorse was a kind of punishment. But now he saw it for what it was: the soul’s way of limping forward.”
“It wasn’t that the system was broken. It was that the system worked exactly as designed—and that, he realised, was the true horror.”
“Grace, he thought, was not the absence of guilt. It was the ability to keep standing in its presence.”
Sometimes a novel arrives on your shelf like a quiet moral puzzle, wrapped not in fireworks or fanfare, but in soft dread and slow revelation. But for the Grace by Peter Grainger is one such book—measured, morally dense, and modestly crafted, but carrying a heavy aftertaste that indeed lingers, almost with a slight, delicate but definite heaviness to it.
The premise feels deceptively familiar: a fatal mistake, a judicial system wheezing under human error, and a protagonist caught in the undertow of guilt, fate, and redemption. But Grainger isn’t here to tell a courtroom thriller. No, this is a story about the quiet agony of what would you do in a similar situation—what if I had a loved one in pain, what if I’d aged and was in agony, would grace tilt the scales differently. It’s the controversy of Euthanasia, albeit in its assisted form, with the dramatic turn of having it involve heroin.
Grainger’s prose is taut without being flashy—he has that rare ability to evoke atmosphere with a handful of syllables. There’s a restraint in his writing that mirrors the inner life of his protagonist, a Police Detective haunted by the ripple effects of a misjudgment, with some morality of the past hinted at. You don’t read this novel so much as listen to it breathe: pages turning with the hush of remorse, redemption, and reflection. DC Smith gives little away, but by the novels end it is clear he feels conflicted, as does the reader.
That said, I found myself yearning for more stylistic audacity, a few more twists & turns, even if red-herrings. The emotional impact is unmistakable, but it sometimes feels muffled by an overly stoic narrative voice. I wanted more colour, more psychological specificity, perhaps more resistance to the saintly arcs that characters fall into by novel’s end. The thematic bones are strong—but some of the flesh feels undernourished.
The moral ambiguity, though, is this book’s quiet triumph. In an age where fiction often strains to provide answers or at least moral clarity, Grainger offers none—only a mirror and the question: Would you have done the same?
The title — I gather — is taken from the age old phrase “There but for the grace of God go I,” which is more than apt. It’s the novel’s spine & its constant whisper. Grainger is not preaching—but he is reckoning. And though this won’t be everyone’s idea of gripping fiction, it’s precisely the kind of quiet, ethical storytelling that deserves not just to be read, but discussed over hushed dinner tables, with gentle nods and ‘hmms’ aplenty!
📚Key Passages🖋️
“He had always believed that remorse was a kind of punishment. But now he saw it for what it was: the soul’s way of limping forward.”
“It wasn’t that the system was broken. It was that the system worked exactly as designed—and that, he realised, was the true horror.”
“Grace, he thought, was not the absence of guilt. It was the ability to keep standing in its presence.”
August 1, 2020
Atmospheric and thoughtful look at death amongst the old that falls a little short on tension.
"But For The Grace" wasn't what I expected as a follow-on from "An Accidental Death".
It shares some of its predecessor's strengths: police officers that I can believe in as real people and not just plot devices, the irritations of internal politics and the humour, bloodymindedness and practised disingenuity used to get around them and an empathy for the people whose lives are touched by the police investigation.
I think the writing became richer, evoking an atmosphere of melancholy resignation to the investigation of a death in a nursing home. The imagery of winter was used well. Even the name of the institution, Rosemary House, a herb closely associated with remembrance and honouring the dead, played its part.
Where it departed from its predecessor was in the decision to make solving the crime a secondary consideration. At the start, the novel feels like a police procedural investigation of a possible murder. As the story develops, that impetus is lost as DC Smith is made into an unwilling bystander to a demonstration of how the old and sick who are still sharp of mind and strong in spirit, deal with the inevitability of imminent death.
I rather liked Ralph Greenwood, the formidable old man at the centre of the story. DC Smith liked him as well. There were good points made on what it means to be old and what a mistake it is to see them as undifferentiated "old dears" rather than people who have lived long, full lives which are now coming to an end.
While I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and the opportunity to meet the people in it, I wasn't convinced that the police procedural conceit was sustained.
I'll be reading the next book in the series but I hope that Peter Grainger manages to keep up the fine writing and build more tension into the plot next time.
"But For The Grace" wasn't what I expected as a follow-on from "An Accidental Death".
It shares some of its predecessor's strengths: police officers that I can believe in as real people and not just plot devices, the irritations of internal politics and the humour, bloodymindedness and practised disingenuity used to get around them and an empathy for the people whose lives are touched by the police investigation.
I think the writing became richer, evoking an atmosphere of melancholy resignation to the investigation of a death in a nursing home. The imagery of winter was used well. Even the name of the institution, Rosemary House, a herb closely associated with remembrance and honouring the dead, played its part.
Where it departed from its predecessor was in the decision to make solving the crime a secondary consideration. At the start, the novel feels like a police procedural investigation of a possible murder. As the story develops, that impetus is lost as DC Smith is made into an unwilling bystander to a demonstration of how the old and sick who are still sharp of mind and strong in spirit, deal with the inevitability of imminent death.
I rather liked Ralph Greenwood, the formidable old man at the centre of the story. DC Smith liked him as well. There were good points made on what it means to be old and what a mistake it is to see them as undifferentiated "old dears" rather than people who have lived long, full lives which are now coming to an end.
While I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and the opportunity to meet the people in it, I wasn't convinced that the police procedural conceit was sustained.
I'll be reading the next book in the series but I hope that Peter Grainger manages to keep up the fine writing and build more tension into the plot next time.
June 25, 2024
Well the gangs all back for this second installment: DS DC (aka David C) Smith, his partner, Chris Watson, and their boss, DI Reeves. The book summary just basically introduces the different storylines, with the primary one being a death at an assisted living facility, that was made to look like a suicide, but that DC and the gang believe is a murder. There is also another storyline of the brass still trying to get DC to retire and their latest attempt is to transfer him to some lame lackey position. However, unbeknownst to the brass, DC has already been offered a very appealing and lucrative position from a friend and former colleague (Watson’s father).
He’s also met a woman (DC is widowed), who also works for his friend and who is clearly interested in getting to know DC better. Lastly, there is a female reporter/author that has written a book on one of DC’s former cases, who is now eager to connect with him, that DC suspects is to pump him for more info on another former case. None of this is a spoiler since it all happened very early in the story.
The story flips back and forth between all the different storylines, with the investigation of the death getting the bulk of attention and space. I love the interactions between DC and pretty much everyone he works with and comes into contact with. DC has that quick, acerbic and snarky, British humor that I so love in British stories. It also helps that DC is probably at the end of his career with the police and has the short-timer blues where he doesn’t really care what most people think about him.
This is no fast-paced, action-packed police procedural/crime thriller/murder mystery, but I enjoyed it just the same. It leans heavily on character driven elements, which I really enjoy. However, at 225pgs it was a quick read, so there’s that. The storyline was interesting and certainly had some moral ambiguity to it depending on how you feel about certain things. The writing was definitely the highlight for reasons I’ve already stated, plus I really liked the ending. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.75 and I will be rounding up to a 4star rating.
He’s also met a woman (DC is widowed), who also works for his friend and who is clearly interested in getting to know DC better. Lastly, there is a female reporter/author that has written a book on one of DC’s former cases, who is now eager to connect with him, that DC suspects is to pump him for more info on another former case. None of this is a spoiler since it all happened very early in the story.
The story flips back and forth between all the different storylines, with the investigation of the death getting the bulk of attention and space. I love the interactions between DC and pretty much everyone he works with and comes into contact with. DC has that quick, acerbic and snarky, British humor that I so love in British stories. It also helps that DC is probably at the end of his career with the police and has the short-timer blues where he doesn’t really care what most people think about him.
This is no fast-paced, action-packed police procedural/crime thriller/murder mystery, but I enjoyed it just the same. It leans heavily on character driven elements, which I really enjoy. However, at 225pgs it was a quick read, so there’s that. The storyline was interesting and certainly had some moral ambiguity to it depending on how you feel about certain things. The writing was definitely the highlight for reasons I’ve already stated, plus I really liked the ending. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.75 and I will be rounding up to a 4star rating.
April 21, 2024
I seem to have found a series!
I am enjoying the writing, the narrator, and the plots so far. To be honest, it's the characters who are key, and I really like both of them, and have started to really care what happens to them!
Finally, it is not repetitive / padded out.
Now for the next one...
I am enjoying the writing, the narrator, and the plots so far. To be honest, it's the characters who are key, and I really like both of them, and have started to really care what happens to them!
Finally, it is not repetitive / padded out.
Now for the next one...
February 1, 2018
This is like reading an old cosy mystery on a rainy day. The plots aren't complicated, but the delivery is good. This is the second of the series and one I'll keep reading.
I like the main character, he's reliable, quintessentially British, and the kind of guy you'd want as an Uncle. He's fairly conservative and likes his routine, but plays rock n'roll on his guitar, and can be a modern thinker, but only if he has to be. He's the friend you wished you had.
When you are in the mood for a comfortable read, this series is for you.
I like the main character, he's reliable, quintessentially British, and the kind of guy you'd want as an Uncle. He's fairly conservative and likes his routine, but plays rock n'roll on his guitar, and can be a modern thinker, but only if he has to be. He's the friend you wished you had.
When you are in the mood for a comfortable read, this series is for you.
September 5, 2017
Enjoy every one of DC Smith's investigations & this is one of the best.
I don't give storylines; suffice to say this is another great police/ mystery/ whodunnit that avoids Agatha Christie's artifice of "and you didn't see this but ...". Every clue you need is there but nothing is obvious. I am now officially addicted to DC Smith.
I don't give storylines; suffice to say this is another great police/ mystery/ whodunnit that avoids Agatha Christie's artifice of "and you didn't see this but ...". Every clue you need is there but nothing is obvious. I am now officially addicted to DC Smith.
January 27, 2025
This series is a nice break from a lot of the mysteries I read - there's not much in the way of violence, the criminals are often likable, good people who try to do the right thing, but sometimes in the wrong way. The main character, D.C. Smith, is smart and often funny, and often has a roundabout way of working that keeps people wondering. And he often keep the reader thinking about the issues he is trying to sort out.
In this one, the main issue is assisted suicide. The victims are all senior citizens living in an assisted living situation, who have health issues that are either terminal or causing pain and suffering. One of them was very entertaining and likable; he and D.C. were great together.
In this one, the main issue is assisted suicide. The victims are all senior citizens living in an assisted living situation, who have health issues that are either terminal or causing pain and suffering. One of them was very entertaining and likable; he and D.C. were great together.
October 9, 2021
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
When I talked about the first installment in this series last year, I said, "There's something about this one that got under my skin more than a typical procedural does—it's maybe DC Smith, it's maybe Grainger's style (there's a lot of subtle humor in a dark text)—it's a Gestalt thing, I think. I really dug it." I'm tempted to leave this at that, too. But that's giving this short shrift.
There are three main stories—the least interesting to me (at present, but it keeps coming up, so I expect that it'll be of vital importance and interest at some point) is the "big case" that defined Smith's career. There's a True Crime writer who wants to revisit the case with DC's help. There's a couple of good moments revolving this, but I'm not (yet) seeing the appeal.
The more interesting thread centers on DC Smith's future. Smith's old partner, and father of the newly-minted detective Smith's training, owns a private security firm and wants him to come aboard in a senior position. At the same time, there's an opportunity that many are urging Smith to take in a regional criminal investigation task force. But Smith's inclination is to stick with his current duty—but he's tempted by both over the course of the novel.
But the focus for the book is a death in a retirement home that's identified as suspicious. Smith and his team start investigating this pretty colorful home. The characters—staff and residents—are well-drawn, colorful and the kind of characters you want to spend time with. The case goes pretty much how you'd expect (motive, culprit, and resolution), but there are a couple of twists that keep the reader/listener on their toes. Watching Smith and his colleagues pursue the killer is the joy in this. The pleasure is in the journey, not just the destination here.
Once again, Jackson weaves a spell with his narration—he sucked me in once again. A perfect combination of narrator and text.
A solid follow-up novel, that also provides plenty of incentive to move on to the rest. This is a series you should jump into—in print or audio.
---
When I talked about the first installment in this series last year, I said, "There's something about this one that got under my skin more than a typical procedural does—it's maybe DC Smith, it's maybe Grainger's style (there's a lot of subtle humor in a dark text)—it's a Gestalt thing, I think. I really dug it." I'm tempted to leave this at that, too. But that's giving this short shrift.
There are three main stories—the least interesting to me (at present, but it keeps coming up, so I expect that it'll be of vital importance and interest at some point) is the "big case" that defined Smith's career. There's a True Crime writer who wants to revisit the case with DC's help. There's a couple of good moments revolving this, but I'm not (yet) seeing the appeal.
The more interesting thread centers on DC Smith's future. Smith's old partner, and father of the newly-minted detective Smith's training, owns a private security firm and wants him to come aboard in a senior position. At the same time, there's an opportunity that many are urging Smith to take in a regional criminal investigation task force. But Smith's inclination is to stick with his current duty—but he's tempted by both over the course of the novel.
But the focus for the book is a death in a retirement home that's identified as suspicious. Smith and his team start investigating this pretty colorful home. The characters—staff and residents—are well-drawn, colorful and the kind of characters you want to spend time with. The case goes pretty much how you'd expect (motive, culprit, and resolution), but there are a couple of twists that keep the reader/listener on their toes. Watching Smith and his colleagues pursue the killer is the joy in this. The pleasure is in the journey, not just the destination here.
Once again, Jackson weaves a spell with his narration—he sucked me in once again. A perfect combination of narrator and text.
A solid follow-up novel, that also provides plenty of incentive to move on to the rest. This is a series you should jump into—in print or audio.
December 13, 2022
Second book in the series by Peter Grainger.about detective Sargeant DC Smith. I am reminded of the Harry Bosch books in that Smith is in his 50s and being pressured to retire. .Like the Hamish Macbeth books, Smith often investigates crimes that his superiors would rather toss off as accidental or natural deaths.
BUT FOR THE GRACE finds Smith investigating the death of an elderly woman in a care home from an overdose of heroin. At the same time Smith's boss wants him to go to a different department and out of his hair. Smith is also offered a position with a private firm.
I like Smiths dry sense of humor and this was best displayed in the audio book narrated by Geldart Jackson.
BUT FOR THE GRACE finds Smith investigating the death of an elderly woman in a care home from an overdose of heroin. At the same time Smith's boss wants him to go to a different department and out of his hair. Smith is also offered a position with a private firm.
I like Smiths dry sense of humor and this was best displayed in the audio book narrated by Geldart Jackson.
September 8, 2015
The book begins with lots of questions, but it rather petered out at the end. Some of the dialogue is humorous and the characters are interesting.There are many references to previous cases that distract rather than add to this story. The point of view changes without warning and I found this to be kind of irritating. The mystery was really solved 3/4 of the way through and the book lost a star in my review at that time.
July 24, 2021
DS Smith is called in to investigate a suspicious death at an assisted living care facility. What follow is not your usual police procedural since there is a lack of evidence, motive or suspects.
The description of the care facility is spot on and hit home as my father spent some time in such a place. There's not much described about the town of King's Lake, which is a shame since I was born in the town it's based on and a bit of familiarity would have added to my enjoyment.
Not a bad read and the ending brought up some questions on 'grey' policing and moral and social obligations.
The description of the care facility is spot on and hit home as my father spent some time in such a place. There's not much described about the town of King's Lake, which is a shame since I was born in the town it's based on and a bit of familiarity would have added to my enjoyment.
Not a bad read and the ending brought up some questions on 'grey' policing and moral and social obligations.
January 4, 2018
3.5.
While looking over my reads from 2017, I remembered how much I enjoyed the first DC Smith book and had planned to read more. Now I am so glad that I did. While this is not quite as good a story as An Accidental Death the characters are still very well drawn and mostly likable. Poetry is occasionally quoted and book titles thrown around in conversation. Since these books are free with my library subscription, I will waste no time in starting on book 3.
As to this particular story, it was, perhaps, uncomfortably familiar to me because my mother lives in assisted living and my father in skilled care. The story revolves around uncomfortable life and death issues which I stare at often in real life. Do we prolong life or do we really just drag out death? I am not at all in favor of assisted suicide but I do think we have gotten ourselves into a bit of a mess by prolonging life through artificial means.
This book also reminds me of the heroes who work in these facilities on a daily basis. When I visit my father, I often leave his room weeping silently and walking the halls of the home does not bring any relief at all. It is a hard thing to face every few weeks or so let alone daily. This book also introduced me to the stark, beautiful, and painfully true poem by Philip Larkin The Old Fools.
While looking over my reads from 2017, I remembered how much I enjoyed the first DC Smith book and had planned to read more. Now I am so glad that I did. While this is not quite as good a story as An Accidental Death the characters are still very well drawn and mostly likable. Poetry is occasionally quoted and book titles thrown around in conversation. Since these books are free with my library subscription, I will waste no time in starting on book 3.
As to this particular story, it was, perhaps, uncomfortably familiar to me because my mother lives in assisted living and my father in skilled care. The story revolves around uncomfortable life and death issues which I stare at often in real life. Do we prolong life or do we really just drag out death? I am not at all in favor of assisted suicide but I do think we have gotten ourselves into a bit of a mess by prolonging life through artificial means.
This book also reminds me of the heroes who work in these facilities on a daily basis. When I visit my father, I often leave his room weeping silently and walking the halls of the home does not bring any relief at all. It is a hard thing to face every few weeks or so let alone daily. This book also introduced me to the stark, beautiful, and painfully true poem by Philip Larkin The Old Fools.
September 3, 2022
DNF. I have very little free time at present as we’ve just moved home so what I need is easy, entertaining bedtime reading. This certainly did the trick as I fell asleep reading it every night!! I think the problem is that Smith is such a very boring man. I enjoy police procedurals if they’re page turners but this isn’t. The basic concept is interesting as it concerns a care home resident found to have died from a heroin overdose. Did she take it willingly or was she murdered? I would have liked to know the outcome but I need to read something that will entertain me. This just isn’t for me.
May 3, 2024
4.25 stars
A solid second book in this series that is tying up the story from the first one and dives into a new mystery. Deaths at a care home. Nothing suspicious until some surprising findings are discovered in someone's body's.
Again, the dialogs are one of the biggest highlights. They are elegant, indirect, purposeful and eloquent. Feels like playing chess with words. A delightful treat!!
A solid second book in this series that is tying up the story from the first one and dives into a new mystery. Deaths at a care home. Nothing suspicious until some surprising findings are discovered in someone's body's.
Again, the dialogs are one of the biggest highlights. They are elegant, indirect, purposeful and eloquent. Feels like playing chess with words. A delightful treat!!
April 9, 2023
4/2023 reread:
I didn't like this one as much as the first one, in the sense that there was no real mystery, per se. However, I did like the character development that occurs with Smith and Waters, although the focus is definitely Smith. I thought the end was melancholy, but it makes me want to continue with the series to see what ends up happening with Smith. I read the first two books in this series about 3 years ago, but never got around to reading further in the series. But since I want to read the spin-off (which is up to 5 or 6 books now), I'd like to get caught up with this series. Looking forward to it!
Original Review:
This was a pretty decent episode in the D.C. Smith series of police procedurals. However, unlike Accidental Death, this one hovers between a crime and a not-crime as they explore the idea of assisted suicide. I discover more about D. C. Smith and the people around him, and you also get to know Waters a little better. There wasn't as much mystery behind who the "culprit" was this time, so there was less tension in that bit. But I really liked the old resident, Ralph Greenwood and the discussions that took place in this story. I think Guildart Jackson does an excellent job narrating, and I think that's part of the reason I enjoy these stories so much. Overall, though, I felt like this was more of a "cozy mystery" than it was a hardboiled detective novel, which is totally fine for me. Still, I look forward to seeing what the next episode will bring, and if it will be more like this one or like Songbird, which I really loved.
I didn't like this one as much as the first one, in the sense that there was no real mystery, per se. However, I did like the character development that occurs with Smith and Waters, although the focus is definitely Smith. I thought the end was melancholy, but it makes me want to continue with the series to see what ends up happening with Smith. I read the first two books in this series about 3 years ago, but never got around to reading further in the series. But since I want to read the spin-off (which is up to 5 or 6 books now), I'd like to get caught up with this series. Looking forward to it!
Original Review:
This was a pretty decent episode in the D.C. Smith series of police procedurals. However, unlike Accidental Death, this one hovers between a crime and a not-crime as they explore the idea of assisted suicide. I discover more about D. C. Smith and the people around him, and you also get to know Waters a little better. There wasn't as much mystery behind who the "culprit" was this time, so there was less tension in that bit. But I really liked the old resident, Ralph Greenwood and the discussions that took place in this story. I think Guildart Jackson does an excellent job narrating, and I think that's part of the reason I enjoy these stories so much. Overall, though, I felt like this was more of a "cozy mystery" than it was a hardboiled detective novel, which is totally fine for me. Still, I look forward to seeing what the next episode will bring, and if it will be more like this one or like Songbird, which I really loved.
September 2, 2024
I am really enjoying this series. Good, characters and plotting. I plan to read right through the series and then read his other series.
June 12, 2022
Smith's investigation leads him into the gray area of police work, bringing back his personal past as well as old cases. In this story he tries to solve an assisted living death, as well as make decisions on the direction of his own life. An easy listen for audio fans.
June 1, 2023
Traditional modern English mystery. Excellent audio.
In this 2nd installment we get to go deeper into the character of David Smith and leave him in a perhaps hopeful stage. We'll see in the next one.
The case isn't too mysterious but it does nudge us towards reflection and I might have teared up once or twice.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
In this 2nd installment we get to go deeper into the character of David Smith and leave him in a perhaps hopeful stage. We'll see in the next one.
The case isn't too mysterious but it does nudge us towards reflection and I might have teared up once or twice.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
July 13, 2025
Is this a murder mystery? I don't know. It is about the end of life, surely, and who has the right to decide when life is over. Is the prospect of unendurable pain a good reason to take your own life? Is it a reason to facilitate the ending of someone else's? Who decides how much pain is endurable? If you suspect another person with an incurable disease may have the means to end their own life, what are your moral obligations?
March 10, 2018
Enjoyed the story, nice cozy mystery with nice characters and originally gave it 3 stars. This is for the audio version-a good listen in the car-but the narrator (while good) has a unique way of presenting the characters. It is the same forceful, overly dramatic, sing-songy, voice for the men. Admitting the story would have gotten 4 stars if not for that I upped it to 4. He does the women well and you know when a character changes. I would not have read the story as the narrator presents it.
February 9, 2025
Did it keep my interest? 4. I do like this series. DC Smith is a sage gentleman with a great British wit and has a bit of dog in him.
Did I enjoy the topic? 4. The topic of assisted suicide is explored. I think I am pro self termination. Voluntary euthanasia is legal in Switzerland and in the U.S. states of Montana, California, Vermont, Oregon and Washington.
Was the dialogue realistic? Wikipedia has a painting of Socrates drinking hemlock to hasten his death after being convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens by introducing other deities. Harsh.
Of course the potential voluntary euthanasia in this book is at a nursing home and does not include hemlock.
Would I recommend to Jen (smart, discerning reader)? 5. She should definitely read this series.
Would I have recommended to my Mom (read for entertainment)? 4 Yes for Mom, too.
Quality of narrator? 5. Gildart Jackson is the perfect DC Smith. His lack of variance with the other characters is easily forgiven. His wife, Melora Hardin, played Trudy Monk in ‘Monk’, one of the favorite shows of our family when the kids were young.
Did I enjoy the topic? 4. The topic of assisted suicide is explored. I think I am pro self termination. Voluntary euthanasia is legal in Switzerland and in the U.S. states of Montana, California, Vermont, Oregon and Washington.
Was the dialogue realistic? Wikipedia has a painting of Socrates drinking hemlock to hasten his death after being convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens by introducing other deities. Harsh.
Of course the potential voluntary euthanasia in this book is at a nursing home and does not include hemlock.
Would I recommend to Jen (smart, discerning reader)? 5. She should definitely read this series.
Would I have recommended to my Mom (read for entertainment)? 4 Yes for Mom, too.
Quality of narrator? 5. Gildart Jackson is the perfect DC Smith. His lack of variance with the other characters is easily forgiven. His wife, Melora Hardin, played Trudy Monk in ‘Monk’, one of the favorite shows of our family when the kids were young.
March 4, 2025
One thing I like about this series is the well fleshed out characters- not just the main detective, DC Smith, but the people around him from book to book, and the people connected to the crime. In this book, the crime (or is it?) takes place in a retirement community. I was waiting for something resembling the Thursday Murder Club, but since this was written long before that one, the vibe ended up being quite different. Enjoyable short read…
October 14, 2023
I like the way DC Smith thinks and he seems a bit curmudgeonly but you get occasional glimpses of his softer side. I like the development of the supporting characters, especially Waters. The overall story was sad and I am not a fan of sad stories but I liked the characters so much that I was okay wading through the sad stuff. I am on to the next book in the series.
January 3, 2017
This second book following the career of D.C. Smith finds him assigned to investigate the death of a "generous" woman living in a somewhat upscale retirement home. She is one of a group of five that keep company. There is questioning to be done on premises once it is discovered that the death was not a natural one but induced by heroin. Smith again works with Waters under Reeves and is pressured by the Deputy Superintendent to take a new assignment away from their King Lakes division and off to Norwich.
For his personal life his old comrade who started a private investigation firm presses him to join his successful practice as well as introducing him to his attractive accountant. Smith does manage to have a few dates with her, dragging feet. His wife died three years ago, something we learn in bits of memory as he talks to her when he reads, plays his guitar or listens to music that has associated memories.
The theme here is death and it is handled very well by this author. Secondarily is the legality - or not - of assisted suicide. Smith continues to prove himself with intelligent police work and his subtle wit rings beautifully - bringing reflection to the appreciative reader. One of the individuals investigated suggests that Smith read the short story by James Joyce, The Dead.
A taste from James Joyce, what with our current snow and cold and relevant topic: "It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." For further, the story can be found here: http://www.online-literature.com/jame...
For his personal life his old comrade who started a private investigation firm presses him to join his successful practice as well as introducing him to his attractive accountant. Smith does manage to have a few dates with her, dragging feet. His wife died three years ago, something we learn in bits of memory as he talks to her when he reads, plays his guitar or listens to music that has associated memories.
The theme here is death and it is handled very well by this author. Secondarily is the legality - or not - of assisted suicide. Smith continues to prove himself with intelligent police work and his subtle wit rings beautifully - bringing reflection to the appreciative reader. One of the individuals investigated suggests that Smith read the short story by James Joyce, The Dead.
A taste from James Joyce, what with our current snow and cold and relevant topic: "It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." For further, the story can be found here: http://www.online-literature.com/jame...
December 9, 2016
Not quite as powerful as #1, but only just. If you like Peter Robinsons DCI Banks or Iain Rankins Rebus (pre retirement) - this is your new book-series.
The characters are so well written, and impossible not to fall in love with. The stories and plots are strong, and this is easily one of the best book-series I've read.
The characters are so well written, and impossible not to fall in love with. The stories and plots are strong, and this is easily one of the best book-series I've read.
May 2, 2018
Amazing Grace
Grainger is in full command of words, phrases, moods, thoughts and atmosphere. Will send Mom the series in paperback since she refuses the use of personal electronics outside her phone.
Some say the pace is sedate. I say it provides more opportunity to reflect on the writing.
Grainger is in full command of words, phrases, moods, thoughts and atmosphere. Will send Mom the series in paperback since she refuses the use of personal electronics outside her phone.
Some say the pace is sedate. I say it provides more opportunity to reflect on the writing.
June 5, 2023
This is a really good series!!
February 26, 2021
I read the first book of this series about 3 years ago and, from my remarks at the time, enjoyed it and was keen to follow the series. I am, therefore, surprised that this has been on my shelf for so long and I was only nudged into reading it now,when my wife eagerly grabbed the latest of D.C. Smith's adventures.
That I could remember so little of the first book , in spite of the reminders in this one, after such a period, is a little worrying. Perhaps it enables me to feel more at home in the setting for this novel, Rosemary House Care Home.
An elderly patient has died and it looks as if she took her own life, or did she and if she did how did she get the drugs to do it. Not the usual who-done-it and with the other elderly people at the home as potential witnesses, who have memories that may be spasmodic or even down right incorrect, it could be a tricky one.
Although I generally enjoyed the book I thought it dragged . May be that was the reason that I 'lost' a couple of characters and had to look them up again.
From the comments of my wife and another friend, the series gets better and I hope that this time, it doesnt take me as long to get to the next.
That I could remember so little of the first book , in spite of the reminders in this one, after such a period, is a little worrying. Perhaps it enables me to feel more at home in the setting for this novel, Rosemary House Care Home.
An elderly patient has died and it looks as if she took her own life, or did she and if she did how did she get the drugs to do it. Not the usual who-done-it and with the other elderly people at the home as potential witnesses, who have memories that may be spasmodic or even down right incorrect, it could be a tricky one.
Although I generally enjoyed the book I thought it dragged . May be that was the reason that I 'lost' a couple of characters and had to look them up again.
From the comments of my wife and another friend, the series gets better and I hope that this time, it doesnt take me as long to get to the next.
May 8, 2023
Someone else called this a cozy mystery. Another liked the evocative mood and the attention to the fact that those in the “Departure room” are fully realized humans and not just doddering lumps on a log.
I’m not far from the old ages represented here, and I chuckled at the assumptions of when the body starts betraying the owner. As I approach my 70s, I’m fairly fit and hope that lasts a good while. Living in a home, or needing a caretaker—well, I pray not for a very long while.
I agree that there wasn’t any tension in this book, more a study of police personalities, procedures and politics.
Nevertheless, it served as a nice escape—reading about decent people, if some misguided (like the police chief) trying to carry out justice.
If you haven’t read the first book, you might get a bit confused by the references to that case. But they aren’t critical to this story.
I will move on to the next. I prefer more tension, but I do appreciate the avoidance of putting the protagonist in danger every episode.
I’m not far from the old ages represented here, and I chuckled at the assumptions of when the body starts betraying the owner. As I approach my 70s, I’m fairly fit and hope that lasts a good while. Living in a home, or needing a caretaker—well, I pray not for a very long while.
I agree that there wasn’t any tension in this book, more a study of police personalities, procedures and politics.
Nevertheless, it served as a nice escape—reading about decent people, if some misguided (like the police chief) trying to carry out justice.
If you haven’t read the first book, you might get a bit confused by the references to that case. But they aren’t critical to this story.
I will move on to the next. I prefer more tension, but I do appreciate the avoidance of putting the protagonist in danger every episode.
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