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Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #16
Secrets of Death
Steeped in the atmosphere of the stunning Peak District, Secrets of Death is master crime writer Stephen Booth's most daring and clever Cooper & Fry thriller yet.
A beautiful place to die . . .
Residents of the Peak District are used to tourists descending on its soaring hills and brooding valleys. However, this summer brings a different kind of visitor to the idyllic landscape, leaving behind bodies and secrets.
A series of suicides throughout the Peaks throws Detective Inspector Ben Cooper and his team in Derbyshire's E Division into a race against time to find a connection to these seemingly random acts - with no way of predicting where the next body will turn up. Meanwhile, in Nottingham Detective Sergeant Diane Fry finds a key witness has vanished...
But what are the mysterious Secrets of Death?
And is there one victim whose fate wasn't suicide at all?
A beautiful place to die . . .
Residents of the Peak District are used to tourists descending on its soaring hills and brooding valleys. However, this summer brings a different kind of visitor to the idyllic landscape, leaving behind bodies and secrets.
A series of suicides throughout the Peaks throws Detective Inspector Ben Cooper and his team in Derbyshire's E Division into a race against time to find a connection to these seemingly random acts - with no way of predicting where the next body will turn up. Meanwhile, in Nottingham Detective Sergeant Diane Fry finds a key witness has vanished...
But what are the mysterious Secrets of Death?
And is there one victim whose fate wasn't suicide at all?
400 pages, ebook
First published May 4, 2017
140 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Booth
55 books672 followersStephen Booth is the author of 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series, all set around England's Peak District, and a standalone novel DROWNED LIVES, published in August 2019.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 14, 2017
I'm a latecomer to the Cooper & Fry series, just read the latest three books out of the sixteen that's been published, but I find the books interesting and I love how different Copper and Fry are. Fry isn't really the most, let say, warm person, almost wrote a human person, but she is still human, I think. Fry is struggling in this book with unwanted house guests in the form of her sister and nephew, meanwhile, Cooper is moving into his new house, probably in a way to try to cope with his recent loss. What they don't know is that they are working on the same case, well they are investigating the same person, but for different reasons...
It's a strange case, it seems that the suicide rating has been increasing lately, but what if the suicides is not a suicide, or rather what if someone is encouraging people to die? And, what's the connection with Fry's case?
Personally, I found the second half of the story the best when Fry and Cooper were working together, they are an interesting team and it's so much more enjoyable reading about them working together than separately. And, I felt that Fry just didn't do much to the story until they discovered the connection between the cases although, the tone seems to be a bit more frosty than in the last book, but with Fry is it hard to tell, to be honest.
I did not see the outcome of the case, how it all was linked and it was nice to not be able to figure it all out. Secrets of Death was a good book, perhaps not as engaging as the last one in the series, but I enjoyed reading this book.
It's a strange case, it seems that the suicide rating has been increasing lately, but what if the suicides is not a suicide, or rather what if someone is encouraging people to die? And, what's the connection with Fry's case?
Personally, I found the second half of the story the best when Fry and Cooper were working together, they are an interesting team and it's so much more enjoyable reading about them working together than separately. And, I felt that Fry just didn't do much to the story until they discovered the connection between the cases although, the tone seems to be a bit more frosty than in the last book, but with Fry is it hard to tell, to be honest.
I did not see the outcome of the case, how it all was linked and it was nice to not be able to figure it all out. Secrets of Death was a good book, perhaps not as engaging as the last one in the series, but I enjoyed reading this book.
January 8, 2018
Booth again takes us on an in-depth tour of the Peak District, naming every town, stream, road, village, highway, mountain, and bridge encountered. Knowing these things is great if they play a role beyond just being there, but to mention them in passing does nothing except slow the forward motion of the story.
If I lived in or had visited the Peak District, all these might mean something. But having done neither, they are just words on a page that mean nothing to me. And each one takes me out of the flow of the story because I wonder which of the 10,000 place he mentions I need to remember because it will have a key part in the story later.
I notice this happening mostly in novels written by British authors (or wannabe authors who set their books in England – Elizabeth George, anyone?) than in those by American authors. And perhaps British readers prefer their books slower paced and heavily padded with travelogue information.
That creates a problem here and in all of Booth’s books. He writes very good novels about interesting crimes through wonderful story-telling. But they are brought low by his compulsion to point out every physical and man-made feature in sight. It turns what could be excellent stories into something bloated and plodding.
There’s something missing in the last few books in this series, too. When Cooper and Fry were stationed in Edenvale, the stories had a dynamic based on their interactions with each other. Sometimes it was childish to the point where their superior officer should have taken them by the scruff of their necks, smacked their heads together, and told them to grow up and act like professionals. Now that Fry has been posted to Nottingham, that dynamic is missing and the stories are flatter for it.
If you have a series with co-protagonists, they should be interacting throughout the book, not running on parallel paths that only intersect occasionally. Diane Fry seems relegated to almost second tier status here, appearing much less than she did in past books. Is Booth trying to phase her out?
Still, I’ll keep coming back for more in this series.
If I lived in or had visited the Peak District, all these might mean something. But having done neither, they are just words on a page that mean nothing to me. And each one takes me out of the flow of the story because I wonder which of the 10,000 place he mentions I need to remember because it will have a key part in the story later.
I notice this happening mostly in novels written by British authors (or wannabe authors who set their books in England – Elizabeth George, anyone?) than in those by American authors. And perhaps British readers prefer their books slower paced and heavily padded with travelogue information.
That creates a problem here and in all of Booth’s books. He writes very good novels about interesting crimes through wonderful story-telling. But they are brought low by his compulsion to point out every physical and man-made feature in sight. It turns what could be excellent stories into something bloated and plodding.
There’s something missing in the last few books in this series, too. When Cooper and Fry were stationed in Edenvale, the stories had a dynamic based on their interactions with each other. Sometimes it was childish to the point where their superior officer should have taken them by the scruff of their necks, smacked their heads together, and told them to grow up and act like professionals. Now that Fry has been posted to Nottingham, that dynamic is missing and the stories are flatter for it.
If you have a series with co-protagonists, they should be interacting throughout the book, not running on parallel paths that only intersect occasionally. Diane Fry seems relegated to almost second tier status here, appearing much less than she did in past books. Is Booth trying to phase her out?
Still, I’ll keep coming back for more in this series.
June 17, 2016
An eagerly awaited instalment of Peak District Noir. Stephen Booth is now very successful and a nice man to boot by all accounts and perhaps all of those goes to explain why the book suffers from the lack of a good editor. I found reading it a distinctly jangly experience for the nerves yet impelled onwards by his grasp of Derbyshire and by his theme - what one of the minor DCs refers to as 'suicide tourism'. It felt as though his threads needed combing through somehow - perhaps some taken out altogether (although certainly used in another book) if they were not to be beefed up a bit more here. DS Diane Fry's mysterious and problematic sister and her new baby for example, and DS Dev Sharma who was a promising introduction in the last outing...immigration enforcement...students funding their studies through sex work.
It was interesting to spend more time in this story in Nottinghamshire which is where Stephen Booth actually lives (now there's a mystery)
It was interesting to spend more time in this story in Nottinghamshire which is where Stephen Booth actually lives (now there's a mystery)
January 9, 2019
I've followed this series since "Black Dog" was first published way back when & it's a series that, while it may have had it's dips (for me books 11 & 13 spring to mind) is one I continue to enjoy & this was no exception.
Strangely, despite the rather sombre theme of suicide, I found the overall tone rather lighter than some of the very dark & brooding earlier instalments. To say it was more like a standard crime novel makes it sound as if it wasn't up to par which IMHO certainly wasn't true, I just felt it had a bit of a different vibe to normal. Has Cooper mellowed? He certainly seemed a little less uptight to me but Fry on the other hand remains her prickly unlikeable self (which is how I like her!)
I found the storyline engrossing & while the is-it-suicide-or-murder idea isn't wholly original I found this a really good take on the subject, never being really sure as to what tack things were going to take.I liked the fact that Cooper & Fry ended up "collaborating" on the deaths despite no longer working in the same area. However, the conclusion did leave me with an unanswered question that I felt should have been addressed, for which I will knock of half a star & award 4.5.
Will I read more? Well, book 17 is already sat on my TBR mountain, enough said....
Strangely, despite the rather sombre theme of suicide, I found the overall tone rather lighter than some of the very dark & brooding earlier instalments. To say it was more like a standard crime novel makes it sound as if it wasn't up to par which IMHO certainly wasn't true, I just felt it had a bit of a different vibe to normal. Has Cooper mellowed? He certainly seemed a little less uptight to me but Fry on the other hand remains her prickly unlikeable self (which is how I like her!)
I found the storyline engrossing & while the is-it-suicide-or-murder idea isn't wholly original I found this a really good take on the subject, never being really sure as to what tack things were going to take.I liked the fact that Cooper & Fry ended up "collaborating" on the deaths despite no longer working in the same area. However, the conclusion did leave me with an unanswered question that I felt should have been addressed, for which I will knock of half a star & award 4.5.
Will I read more? Well, book 17 is already sat on my TBR mountain, enough said....
June 14, 2017
Even though SECRETS OF DEATH is the 16th novel in the terrific Cooper and Fry mystery series by Stephen Booth, his name is still far from a household word here in the U.S.A. I can only hope that enough people, and other shrewd reviewers who have a nose for great novels, get the word out about this novel and the series that everyone has been missing out on.
Stephen Booth resides near the place of his birth, the Lancashire town of Burnley, and sets this entire series in the area known as the Peak District. He knows this terrain like the back of his hand and the descriptions he utilizes in this series allows readers to envision it as well. If you are regular readers of Peter Robinson's DCI Banks series or the late Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series then the Cooper and Fry mysteries are for you!
SECRETS OF DEATH very subtlety and ironically talks about the beauty and tranquility of the Peak District hills and its' picturesque landscapes --- and why it is an ideal location to kill yourself. As a matter of fact, people have been killing themselves --- mostly by jumping off one of the many cliffs --- for years. The recent string of suicides has not gone unnoticed by D.S. Diane Fry or D.I. Ben Cooper.
It turns out the deaths have something in common --- something called "Secrets of Death" that not only gives advice on how to properly end your life but actually encourages it. The novel opens with a quote from this that reads "And this is the first secret of death. There's always a right time and a place to die." This is read by one of the suicide victims just prior to scouting out the ideal location to end it all.
When Cooper locates a business card near one of the victims with the words Secrets Of Death on the front he realizes that this needs a much more intense look. This may be the most difficult case of Cooper and Fry's career for how do you prevent the deaths of people who want to die? As they begin questioning people who may have ties to the mysterious 'Secrets Of Death' one man named Anson Tate states his case for suicide by stating: "Doesn't it seem wrong to you that sick animals are put out of their misery by vets, but we aren't allowed to end our own wretched existences?" Cooper recognizes that Tate may be a person of interest he needs to keep a keen eye on.
Cooper is very determined and more than a bit self-righteous and cannot abide with someone attempting to play God over the matter of life and death on his watch. Readers will find themselves torn on this one. Not saying that suicide is ever condoned, but shouldn't people be able to end their life in a peaceful manner as outlined in this mystery? I guarantee SECRETS OF DEATH will have you questioning this very controversial issue. It is also impossible to put down this or any of the novels in this masterful series as the characters are so likeable and Booth's writing is as smooth and easy as the territory he describes so well. If you have yet to discover Cooper and Fry, SECRETS OF DEATH is a great place to start.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Stephen Booth resides near the place of his birth, the Lancashire town of Burnley, and sets this entire series in the area known as the Peak District. He knows this terrain like the back of his hand and the descriptions he utilizes in this series allows readers to envision it as well. If you are regular readers of Peter Robinson's DCI Banks series or the late Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series then the Cooper and Fry mysteries are for you!
SECRETS OF DEATH very subtlety and ironically talks about the beauty and tranquility of the Peak District hills and its' picturesque landscapes --- and why it is an ideal location to kill yourself. As a matter of fact, people have been killing themselves --- mostly by jumping off one of the many cliffs --- for years. The recent string of suicides has not gone unnoticed by D.S. Diane Fry or D.I. Ben Cooper.
It turns out the deaths have something in common --- something called "Secrets of Death" that not only gives advice on how to properly end your life but actually encourages it. The novel opens with a quote from this that reads "And this is the first secret of death. There's always a right time and a place to die." This is read by one of the suicide victims just prior to scouting out the ideal location to end it all.
When Cooper locates a business card near one of the victims with the words Secrets Of Death on the front he realizes that this needs a much more intense look. This may be the most difficult case of Cooper and Fry's career for how do you prevent the deaths of people who want to die? As they begin questioning people who may have ties to the mysterious 'Secrets Of Death' one man named Anson Tate states his case for suicide by stating: "Doesn't it seem wrong to you that sick animals are put out of their misery by vets, but we aren't allowed to end our own wretched existences?" Cooper recognizes that Tate may be a person of interest he needs to keep a keen eye on.
Cooper is very determined and more than a bit self-righteous and cannot abide with someone attempting to play God over the matter of life and death on his watch. Readers will find themselves torn on this one. Not saying that suicide is ever condoned, but shouldn't people be able to end their life in a peaceful manner as outlined in this mystery? I guarantee SECRETS OF DEATH will have you questioning this very controversial issue. It is also impossible to put down this or any of the novels in this masterful series as the characters are so likeable and Booth's writing is as smooth and easy as the territory he describes so well. If you have yet to discover Cooper and Fry, SECRETS OF DEATH is a great place to start.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
January 7, 2018
This was the first Stephen Booth book I'd read. I found it shallow and immature......the sort of book I could probably write myself, but would be too embarrassed to let anyone read it. However, I assumed it was the author's first book so I stuck with it in case it improved. It didn't. About two thirds of the way through I decided to see what other books the author had written. I was amazed to find that this book was his sixteenth.....based around the same wooden characters.....and I presume the same lengthy descriptions of the Peak District. With that realisation, having no interest in the characters or the plot, and certainly no interest in the author, I stopped reading and crossed Stephen Booth off my list of future reading.
December 20, 2025
För en väldig massa år sedan (2012) upptäckte jag Stephen Booth och började samla på mig hans böcker om poliserna Cooper och Fry. De har haft en förvånansvärd hög nivå, tycker jag, men nu när jag har kommit till den sextonde delen, Dödens hemligheter, så känner jag nog att det kunde ha varit dags att runda av. Eller det borde kanske ha gjorts redan för någon bok sedan.
Faktum är att just den här boken hade kunnat platsa bland turistbroschyrerna. Det har visserligen alltid varit mycket miljöbeskrivningar genom hela serien, men nu blev det för mycket. Ibland fick jag känslan att Booth skrev den för att kunna beskriva Peak District in i minsta detalj. Varje väg, kulle, flod. Till och med vilken busslinje som går vart. Väldigt ofta så passar inte de bitarna alls in i det som händer och sker just då. De är bara insprängda på ett högst onaturligt sätt.
Trots mina invändningar mot Dödens hemligheter så är det småtrevligt att hänga med Cooper och boken är inte dålig. Det är bara på tok för många och långa beskrivningar av gröna kullar. Fler böcker har inte översatts till svenska, men det finns ytterligare två på engelska. Sedan verkar det faktiskt vara slut, det har inte kommit någon ny sedan 2018. Trist ändå att inte få veta hur det slutar, nu när man ändå har följt de här människorna i sexton böcker.
OBS! Detta är en kraftigt förkortad text. Hela finns på min blogg
Faktum är att just den här boken hade kunnat platsa bland turistbroschyrerna. Det har visserligen alltid varit mycket miljöbeskrivningar genom hela serien, men nu blev det för mycket. Ibland fick jag känslan att Booth skrev den för att kunna beskriva Peak District in i minsta detalj. Varje väg, kulle, flod. Till och med vilken busslinje som går vart. Väldigt ofta så passar inte de bitarna alls in i det som händer och sker just då. De är bara insprängda på ett högst onaturligt sätt.
Trots mina invändningar mot Dödens hemligheter så är det småtrevligt att hänga med Cooper och boken är inte dålig. Det är bara på tok för många och långa beskrivningar av gröna kullar. Fler böcker har inte översatts till svenska, men det finns ytterligare två på engelska. Sedan verkar det faktiskt vara slut, det har inte kommit någon ny sedan 2018. Trist ändå att inte få veta hur det slutar, nu när man ändå har följt de här människorna i sexton böcker.
OBS! Detta är en kraftigt förkortad text. Hela finns på min blogg
April 8, 2017
I liked this British police procedure novel. It has a good balance of investigation technique and detectives' personal lives. This novel is part of a series. There is a definite history between some of the characters but I found that the novel read well on its own.
The novel has an unusual plot – an apparent epidemic of suicides. Cooper suspects someone is orchestrating the increasing number of deaths in the area. Trying to find a connection between the victims stretches Cooper's investigative skills.
Cooper is the main character in this story with Fry coming in later on. I could tell there was friction between the two investigators from past events. If one wanted to appreciate the full relationship between the policemen the previous novels should be read.
This novel centers on suicide. There is much about it in the novel including ways of completing suicide, opinions on assisted suicide, whether it should be legal, etc. Readers sensitive to this topic may have difficulty with the emphasis in the book.
I like the author's writing style. There was a clever spot I must point out. The detectives were talking about a sign of depression, a semi-colon drawn in ball point ink on the wrist of a teenage girl who had committed suicide. The sentence describing the meaning of the symbol had a semi-colon in it!
This is a good British police procedure novel and I recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The novel has an unusual plot – an apparent epidemic of suicides. Cooper suspects someone is orchestrating the increasing number of deaths in the area. Trying to find a connection between the victims stretches Cooper's investigative skills.
Cooper is the main character in this story with Fry coming in later on. I could tell there was friction between the two investigators from past events. If one wanted to appreciate the full relationship between the policemen the previous novels should be read.
This novel centers on suicide. There is much about it in the novel including ways of completing suicide, opinions on assisted suicide, whether it should be legal, etc. Readers sensitive to this topic may have difficulty with the emphasis in the book.
I like the author's writing style. There was a clever spot I must point out. The detectives were talking about a sign of depression, a semi-colon drawn in ball point ink on the wrist of a teenage girl who had committed suicide. The sentence describing the meaning of the symbol had a semi-colon in it!
This is a good British police procedure novel and I recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
September 10, 2017
Oddly, given this book is about suicide, I finished reading it on World Suicide Prevention Day. It's very well researched on the subject and well up to Stephen Booth's usual high standard, dealing with its sad subject matter in a sensitive way. There's been an unusually high number of suicides in Edendale and Inspector Ben Cooper wants to know why, if all he has to go on, is a business-type card with a string of meaningless numbers and letters, headed under the title of 'Secrets of Death'. How he solves the case makes for an absorbing read and as usual with this Cooper and Fry series, once I'd got into it, I read it relatively quickly. I'm intrigued with the frosty relationship between Ben Cooper and the abrasive Detective Sergeant, Diane Fry and want to know where it might be headed. I also think a new love interest for Ben Cooper might have been introduced and I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see if I'm right.
June 29, 2016
Another cracker from Stephen Booth. A cluster of suicides trigger an investigation into whether there are links. Once again, a very topical subject area brought into modern crime fiction as a new coroner provides an opportunity to investigate the psychology of suicide and gives Ben Cooper a new character to interact with. Interesting and insightful in the framework of a great crime story. Loved it and can't wait to see what happens to Ben next!
November 23, 2017
Another very enjoyable addition to a series which has long been a favourite of mine. As well as the scenic Peak District settings I've always enjoyed to total contrast between the two central characters; amiable easy-going local lad Ben Cooper and ambitious ice maiden city girl Diane Fry. Also, in the earliest stories they were both lowly Detective Constables, which was an original touch; most central characters in police series are usually, at least Inspectors.
By this, the 16th novel, Ben is a Detective Inspector, still working out of Edendale, where he's confronted by a spate of recent suicides. Diane, meanwhile is a Detective Sergeant working serious crimes in Nottingham, and it turns out one of the suicide victims was a person of "special interest" to her team. The series wouldn't be the same if these two didn't come into conflict somewhere. The novel also marks a welcome return for Ben's aging former number two, Gavin Murfin, albeit in a civilian role.
By this, the 16th novel, Ben is a Detective Inspector, still working out of Edendale, where he's confronted by a spate of recent suicides. Diane, meanwhile is a Detective Sergeant working serious crimes in Nottingham, and it turns out one of the suicide victims was a person of "special interest" to her team. The series wouldn't be the same if these two didn't come into conflict somewhere. The novel also marks a welcome return for Ben's aging former number two, Gavin Murfin, albeit in a civilian role.
April 22, 2017
I love thi s crime series set in Britain's Peak District but this is my least favourite of the series. For me the subject matter was very difficult as I found myself in disagreement with the author and most of the characters on the issue of rational suicide so I was constantly arguing with them in my mind.
The character of Diane Fry also bothered me. She seems to be getting worse as a colleague even though she now has a position that appeals to her more than being in Edendale. In all, I found it a bit depressing but grateful for the wonderful descriptions of place which once again made me want to jump on a plane and go there. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
The character of Diane Fry also bothered me. She seems to be getting worse as a colleague even though she now has a position that appeals to her more than being in Edendale. In all, I found it a bit depressing but grateful for the wonderful descriptions of place which once again made me want to jump on a plane and go there. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
October 16, 2018
I'm ambivalent about this book - I didn't really like it much, but on the other hand I rattled through it and found it absorbing. I live in the Peak District, which gives it an extra interest to me; but I think at times there is too much detail, and I can understand strangers to the area finding there's too much padding. Diane Fry is unlikeable and ultimately unbelievable character - some character development required there. I wasn't sure what her sister Angie, whom I've always found boring - had to do with the story. I also felt the end went on too long - the explanation of the crime was very complicated, and once the guilty party had been revealed, it could have finished much quicker. Having said that, I spent two enjoyable evenings reading it, and after all, that's what counts!9
December 10, 2019
Why are all the suicides turning up in the Peak District? DI Ben Cooper is tasked to discover any reasons. The trail is most distressing especially as there are some graphic details of how some of the victims chose to end their lives. A connection s found with the discovery that one victim is under the eyes of officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit in the guise of Detective Sergeant Diane Fry.
Very grim subject matter but the story is brought to light by the stunning descriptions of the Peake \district. Not the best in the series but good enough.
Very grim subject matter but the story is brought to light by the stunning descriptions of the Peake \district. Not the best in the series but good enough.
February 21, 2021
3.6 stars . This was a bit of a disappointment to me. The central group of investigators are still interesting, but I found the plot a bit over contrived. There are sections where it seems the writer is working of the Peak District tourist organisations rather than getting on with the story. But I still enjoyed it and will carry on with the series.
January 1, 2023
Liikaa porukkaa
August 3, 2025
Love the local knowledge
November 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this Cooper & Fry book. The last few I thought were a little repetitive at times and far too descriptive of the countryside. This book got back to the murder & mystery and the characters are moving forward. Onto the next book in the series.....
November 20, 2024
Plot was good and a bit different. I like Cooper and Fry and their difficult relationship. The other characters are realistic and although it's a series, there's always enough detail in the narrative to read it as a standalone novel.
May 27, 2017
My second Goodreads Giveaway! Many thanks to Goodreads and Little Brown for my free copy.
This is the 16th in the Cooper and Fry series and my first foray into the world of Stephen Booth.
It's fair to say that I'm somewhat late to the party!
The novel can be read as a standalone but I did feel that I would have benefited from reading the previous books as there were references to the characters pasts.
However this was good solid three star entertainment. Stephen Booth evokes a great sense of place and his atmospheric descriptions of the Peak District help create an underlying sense of menace throughout the book.
Much like Conan Doyles' Hound of the Baskervilles Dartmoor; the Peak District almost becomes a character in of itself.
This was a well written and original take on the norms of the genre with a genuinely intriguing mystery around a spate of suicides.
I particularly liked the fact that the two main protagonists; Cooper and Fry don't get on and actively don't like each other. This made for an interesting dynamic between the two.
A swift and entertaining read.
This is the 16th in the Cooper and Fry series and my first foray into the world of Stephen Booth.
It's fair to say that I'm somewhat late to the party!
The novel can be read as a standalone but I did feel that I would have benefited from reading the previous books as there were references to the characters pasts.
However this was good solid three star entertainment. Stephen Booth evokes a great sense of place and his atmospheric descriptions of the Peak District help create an underlying sense of menace throughout the book.
Much like Conan Doyles' Hound of the Baskervilles Dartmoor; the Peak District almost becomes a character in of itself.
This was a well written and original take on the norms of the genre with a genuinely intriguing mystery around a spate of suicides.
I particularly liked the fact that the two main protagonists; Cooper and Fry don't get on and actively don't like each other. This made for an interesting dynamic between the two.
A swift and entertaining read.
February 7, 2018
I can honestly say I just did not get this book. I did not understand what motivated the many,many characters, I did not understand the two main detectives and their relationship, I did not understand the 'killer' and his motivations or the suicides. Much of this must of had to to do with the fact that this was number 16 in god knows how many of these books in this series. The only thing I did get was the setting of the Peak District but even this was detailed in so much minutiae that I found myself tuning out to the setting. Writing was ok but things just were not explained enough! I won't be reading any more by this author.....
January 3, 2018
Another corking crime novel from Stephen Booth. I adore the Peak District setting of these books and it's particularly well used here.
September 11, 2021
The Peaks District is known for its beauty and wonderful towns such as Derbyshire and Nottingham. Tourists flock to view the beauty and hike on the miles of nature trails. DI Ben Cooper is used to the tourist influx every summer but not what this summer has brought. All of a sudden, suicides are being found all over the district and the terms suicide tourist is being bandied about.
This won't do and Cooper's superiors want him to look into it and see what, if anything, can be done. The victims vary in age and gender and in methods of death. There have been leaps from bridges, drug overdoses, slit wrists and asphyxiation. What could possibly tie these deaths together? But shockingly, Ben finds a common thread. Each of the suicide victims has a card in their possession, a black card embossed with the phrase Secrets Of Death.
In the past, Ben would have been working with Diane Fry, his colleague with whom he had an uneasy work relationship. But Diane has been transferred to Nottingham to the Major Crime division and is no longer a worry to him. Until she reappears telling Ben that his latest victim was also one of the Major Crime's suspects in three womens' deaths. What is the cord that binds these cases?
This is the sixteenth Cooper and Fry novel in the series. Ben has had some personal setbacks and is just pulling himself out of a personal depression. He meets several women who make him think about getting back into the dating game although he hasn't done so yet. The relationship between Ben and Diane is fraught with tension and disconnects as always which makes the book more interesting. This book is recommended for mystery readers.
This won't do and Cooper's superiors want him to look into it and see what, if anything, can be done. The victims vary in age and gender and in methods of death. There have been leaps from bridges, drug overdoses, slit wrists and asphyxiation. What could possibly tie these deaths together? But shockingly, Ben finds a common thread. Each of the suicide victims has a card in their possession, a black card embossed with the phrase Secrets Of Death.
In the past, Ben would have been working with Diane Fry, his colleague with whom he had an uneasy work relationship. But Diane has been transferred to Nottingham to the Major Crime division and is no longer a worry to him. Until she reappears telling Ben that his latest victim was also one of the Major Crime's suspects in three womens' deaths. What is the cord that binds these cases?
This is the sixteenth Cooper and Fry novel in the series. Ben has had some personal setbacks and is just pulling himself out of a personal depression. He meets several women who make him think about getting back into the dating game although he hasn't done so yet. The relationship between Ben and Diane is fraught with tension and disconnects as always which makes the book more interesting. This book is recommended for mystery readers.
July 9, 2022
TW - suicide
Back to the Cooper and Fry series, having read them all and now needing to catch up on the last four. This was an interesting way to go at a crime novel, different from your usual "body, investigation, baddie found".
There are a couple of stretches in the middle that are a bit tough; I'm not into graphic stuff anyway, and while it's hardly truly gruesome, if you've had any suicidal ideation, there are a couple of bits that are a rough ride for a few pages. Having had a bad month or two not long ago, I had to take a breather a couple of times.
I suppose the issue I worry about for this series going forward is similar to that for Ian Rankin; if you have 2-3 main characters, rather than just one focus, you've got to keep coming up with scenarios that bring them all together, and that is going to feel a bit forced pretty quickly. While for Rankin, Rebus is the star character, the most recent books have all needed Rebus, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox to be brought in, and that's going to be complex. It's even more complicated here; if Stephen Booth is going to be bringing Cooper in Derbyshire into contact with Diane Fry in Nottingham, I'm not sure how it's going to keep working. It's obviously great that the characters have developed, it's not a complaint. But I do wonder how long it can continue to be "Cooper and Fry", and not just, well, "Cooper", to be honest - Diane Fry might be a fascinating character, but The Peak District is the star, really, isn't it?
Be interesting to see how it goes.
Back to the Cooper and Fry series, having read them all and now needing to catch up on the last four. This was an interesting way to go at a crime novel, different from your usual "body, investigation, baddie found".
There are a couple of stretches in the middle that are a bit tough; I'm not into graphic stuff anyway, and while it's hardly truly gruesome, if you've had any suicidal ideation, there are a couple of bits that are a rough ride for a few pages. Having had a bad month or two not long ago, I had to take a breather a couple of times.
I suppose the issue I worry about for this series going forward is similar to that for Ian Rankin; if you have 2-3 main characters, rather than just one focus, you've got to keep coming up with scenarios that bring them all together, and that is going to feel a bit forced pretty quickly. While for Rankin, Rebus is the star character, the most recent books have all needed Rebus, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox to be brought in, and that's going to be complex. It's even more complicated here; if Stephen Booth is going to be bringing Cooper in Derbyshire into contact with Diane Fry in Nottingham, I'm not sure how it's going to keep working. It's obviously great that the characters have developed, it's not a complaint. But I do wonder how long it can continue to be "Cooper and Fry", and not just, well, "Cooper", to be honest - Diane Fry might be a fascinating character, but The Peak District is the star, really, isn't it?
Be interesting to see how it goes.
January 13, 2025
One of those comfortable easy reads, this one had a melancholic ambience to it, even Ben Cooper who is now a DCI reflects on the past right from the start which leads into the main story about suicides I felt that the books mood reflected the subject but some reading this may have found it a bit to difficult to stomach and the feelings it may evoke. In the UK 1 in 4 have a mental health issue with many experiencing depression unfortunately suicide amongst young men continues to be high but it is important to encourage those with deep depression to share experiences with like minded people and seek help, not i might add from those who run suicide sites on the web as in this book. Food for thought in the story re right to die, effects on those who are left often without any answers. Feel there should be a warning to those who read it - if you have experience of issues whist reading this book or it has affected you seek advice and support such as from your GP, friends, family the Samaritans etc and if severe Mental Health services (where I worked); we are there to support.
August 24, 2017
A Cooper and Fry novel.
The area around Edendale in Derbyshire has experienced a significant increase. Inspector Ben Cooper discovers a black business card with the words "Secrets of Death" written on it. A subsequent suicide uncovers an identical card.
The identity of one of the suicides is a man suspected of being responsible for the murders of several young women which is being investigated by Diane Fry.
The relationship between Cooper and Fry has evolved over the years to,the point where is little trust and no affection between the pair. Fry has moved on from Edendale and is now in a serious crime unit.
Secrets of Death throws into stark contrast the personalities between Cooper and Fry. Fry appears driven and ambitious with little warmth and apparently contemptuous of Cooper who doesn't share her outlook on life.
The area around Edendale in Derbyshire has experienced a significant increase. Inspector Ben Cooper discovers a black business card with the words "Secrets of Death" written on it. A subsequent suicide uncovers an identical card.
The identity of one of the suicides is a man suspected of being responsible for the murders of several young women which is being investigated by Diane Fry.
The relationship between Cooper and Fry has evolved over the years to,the point where is little trust and no affection between the pair. Fry has moved on from Edendale and is now in a serious crime unit.
Secrets of Death throws into stark contrast the personalities between Cooper and Fry. Fry appears driven and ambitious with little warmth and apparently contemptuous of Cooper who doesn't share her outlook on life.
March 17, 2019
Stephen Booth is a local author ,well to me he is. The places he mentions in the novel I know so well. I love the complexity of his books, the twists and turns that send the reader in various directions. This book doesn't disappoint. Cooper is still recovering from the traumatic loss of his fiancee in a previous book which is referred to briefly but also adds to the story. Fry is no longer working alongside Cooper but she is cleverly brought into the book and eventually works alongside him. The story is about suicides cleverly woven into murder investigations. Definitely worth reading and especially if you know Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire!
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July 2, 2022Another Cooper-centric into Stephen Booth's "Cooper and used to be Fry, too" series, and suffers essentially from the same problem as the last one. The novel does liven up considerably once Fry and Cooper start working together again, and becomes actually exciting for the last third, reminding readeres what make them like the series in the first place. So maybe there is still hope for the (at the time of writing) two remaining volumes, but seeing how there has not been a new entry into this series for five years now, I am not too optimistic. Maybe it is for the best though, and Booth did released a standalone novel...
July 3, 2022
I couldn't wait to finish it. So unsatsifying. Generally, I like British police procedurals , but this was more like a travel guide, gushing about the scenery of the Peak District and the mystery was in the background, not very urgent at all. Someone is orchestrating suicides. The main character, Cooper, is unclear. Hard to identify with. I know this is not the first in the series, and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I knew his relationship to DS Fry, who seems like a very unpleasant person. But if you're into British mysteries, be forewarned that this is more of a travelog, and a rambling one at that.
September 1, 2022
I have always liked Cooper and have grown to like the Peak District through Stephen Booth’s books—Fry, not so much. Fry and I agree on only one point “it”. The deaths in this book are all suicides and Cooper finds a website called Secrets of Death set up with the sole purpose of aiding people to commit suicide. One of the men who successfully committed suicide was found to be a murderer and had come to Fry’s notice, and her team were just about to arrest him when he killed himself. It’s a very interesting read; and contrary to what one reviewer wrote, Booth’s descriptions of the Peak District areas were vivid and enticing. I would dearly love to visit there some day.
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