What do you think?
Rate this book
Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #17
Dead in the Dark
Master crime writer Stephen Booth ventures into the Peak District's dark subterranean world for a brand new, stunning and gasp-inducing Cooper & Fry thriller.'A modern master'GuardianHow do you prove a murder without a body?Ten years ago, Reece Bower was accused of killing his wife, a crime he always denied. Extensive police searches near his home in Bakewell found no trace of Annette Bower's remains, and the case against him collapsed.But now memories of the original investigation have been resurrected for Detective Inspector Ben Cooper - because Reece Bower himself has disappeared, and his new wife wants answers. Cooper can't call on the Major Crime Unit and DS Diane Fry for help unless he can prove a murder took place - impossible without a body. As his search moves into the caves and abandoned mines in the isolated depths of Lathkilldale, the question who would want revenge for the death of Annette Bower?
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2017
207 people are currently reading
517 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
September 30, 2025
Another good entry in this series. I enjoyed learning about the people of the Peak District. Reading about how the locals pronounce place names brought back memories for me. I once lived in a place called Alcester in Warwickshire, however anyone who lived there for any length of time pronounced it as, 'All-ster.' Similarly, in the Peak District, "Eyam was 'Eem,' Edensor was 'Enser,' Tideswell was 'Tidza.' It was a sign of ownership of the landscape, adopting a version in the local accent that outsiders wouldn't recognize."
The descriptions of the landscape were lovely. I could 'see' this as I read: "When he looked out over the patchwork of fields, the sun broke through the clouds sporadically, highlighting one field and then another, changing the colours in the landscape as it went, catching a white-painted farmhouse here, casting shadows from a copse of trees over there."
Also, "The tracery of white limestone walls was like a map laid over the landscape, so painstakingly constructed that it seemed to hold the countryside together."
And, "Beyond the spoil heaps of Ricklow Quarry, the valley narrowed dramatically. This part of the dale had an eerie atmosphere, with moss-covered rocks amid dank dripping trees, twisted into unnatural shapes." This sends chills up my spine and makes me want to visit to see it for myself, and I enjoyed the following spooky tale of the Vicar of Monyash.
Talking of spooky, this had my spidey senses tingling: "He just knew he had been there before. Lathkill Dale was a part of his life, the way it was for many people. It had a manner of creeping into your consciousness, as if you'd always known it."
The descriptions of people were interesting also and gave an insight into the inhabitants of rural areas especially, describing their obstinacy and surmising that "Perhaps it was a characteristic of people living and working in an environment where you needed a powerful streak of stubbornness to survive."
Also, "Some people never seemed happy with life, and you could see it in their faces. Diane Fry had that look. It was a look that suggested the whole world was a terrible place."
About a forensic pathologist, Felix Webber, aka 'Fingers Felix': "He's a miserable bugger, the real life and soul of a funeral, if you know what I mean." And, "He's far too important these days. He doesn't even chew his own food, let alone answer his own phone."
I enjoyed the exploration of relationships between people also. We get to see the gentle caring between Ben Cooper and his brother, then Ben gets to see the more human side of his boss, Detective Superintendent (DS) Hazel Branagh, when she asks him to look further into an historic case. However, I had some misgivings on the way she asked him, which seemed to put an emotional burden of responsibility on him, enabling her to retire leaving the case solved. "'Between you and me, I see this as a way to make amends, to explore missed opportunities,' she said. 'We may be able to put things right.'" and followed it up with, "Will you do this for me, Ben?"
DS Branagh also seems to manipulate Cooper into working with Detective Sergeant Diane Fry again, which leaves Cooper scratching his head, as her view of his relationship with Diane is very different from his own. DS Branagh qualifies this by saying, 'I always thought you worked well together,' and 'Oh, I know you're very different, and you didn't always get on. But you were a good team. You got results.'
Places I learned I would like to visit in the Peak District in late August when the heather is in full bloom:
"the wonderful Haddon Hall, one of his [Cooper's] favorite places to visit."
Lathkill Dale
New words I learned:
"twocking" - breaking into a car.
A "winze" - a sloping access into another shaft of a mine.
*Re-reading, this time with Simon, as we are going to take some time out to explore the Peak District next month. I have been inspired to visit the Peak District in part by reading this series. September 25, 2025. It was every bit as good second time around. The final chapter was especially poignant, as we learn something from the victim's perspective.
The descriptions of the landscape were lovely. I could 'see' this as I read: "When he looked out over the patchwork of fields, the sun broke through the clouds sporadically, highlighting one field and then another, changing the colours in the landscape as it went, catching a white-painted farmhouse here, casting shadows from a copse of trees over there."
Also, "The tracery of white limestone walls was like a map laid over the landscape, so painstakingly constructed that it seemed to hold the countryside together."
And, "Beyond the spoil heaps of Ricklow Quarry, the valley narrowed dramatically. This part of the dale had an eerie atmosphere, with moss-covered rocks amid dank dripping trees, twisted into unnatural shapes." This sends chills up my spine and makes me want to visit to see it for myself, and I enjoyed the following spooky tale of the Vicar of Monyash.
Talking of spooky, this had my spidey senses tingling: "He just knew he had been there before. Lathkill Dale was a part of his life, the way it was for many people. It had a manner of creeping into your consciousness, as if you'd always known it."
The descriptions of people were interesting also and gave an insight into the inhabitants of rural areas especially, describing their obstinacy and surmising that "Perhaps it was a characteristic of people living and working in an environment where you needed a powerful streak of stubbornness to survive."
Also, "Some people never seemed happy with life, and you could see it in their faces. Diane Fry had that look. It was a look that suggested the whole world was a terrible place."
About a forensic pathologist, Felix Webber, aka 'Fingers Felix': "He's a miserable bugger, the real life and soul of a funeral, if you know what I mean." And, "He's far too important these days. He doesn't even chew his own food, let alone answer his own phone."
I enjoyed the exploration of relationships between people also. We get to see the gentle caring between Ben Cooper and his brother, then Ben gets to see the more human side of his boss, Detective Superintendent (DS) Hazel Branagh, when she asks him to look further into an historic case. However, I had some misgivings on the way she asked him, which seemed to put an emotional burden of responsibility on him, enabling her to retire leaving the case solved. "'Between you and me, I see this as a way to make amends, to explore missed opportunities,' she said. 'We may be able to put things right.'" and followed it up with, "Will you do this for me, Ben?"
DS Branagh also seems to manipulate Cooper into working with Detective Sergeant Diane Fry again, which leaves Cooper scratching his head, as her view of his relationship with Diane is very different from his own. DS Branagh qualifies this by saying, 'I always thought you worked well together,' and 'Oh, I know you're very different, and you didn't always get on. But you were a good team. You got results.'
Places I learned I would like to visit in the Peak District in late August when the heather is in full bloom:
"the wonderful Haddon Hall, one of his [Cooper's] favorite places to visit."
Lathkill Dale
New words I learned:
"twocking" - breaking into a car.
A "winze" - a sloping access into another shaft of a mine.
*Re-reading, this time with Simon, as we are going to take some time out to explore the Peak District next month. I have been inspired to visit the Peak District in part by reading this series. September 25, 2025. It was every bit as good second time around. The final chapter was especially poignant, as we learn something from the victim's perspective.
January 3, 2018
How I love this series....
November 6, 2018
My Opinion:
I really liked it. I got into Ben and wanted to know more about him. I like how the case was intertwined in another case. I am not a big police mystery reader so this was fun for me. Ben seemed like a decent guy and someone you would easily want to work with. Fry, on the other hand, was a b**ch. I did not like this woman at all. In fact, they could have removed her and the book would have been better. She did not add anything to the story but misery. Like who wants to be in this woman's head? She doesn't even get along with her own sister. She seems jilted and just downright nasty. No redeeming qualities to her at all for me.
Overall the book was great and I liked the writing of it. I like the tale and was interested in finding out what happened so it kept me reading. Take out Fry and thumbs up. I also like that it is set in Britain, as I haven't read many books that focus over there and that was fun for me. Just reading about the ways they say things as opposed to the US. I totally recommend this mystery book as a fun, fast read!
I give this book 4 of 5 stars!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and author for a chance to read this novel.
I really liked it. I got into Ben and wanted to know more about him. I like how the case was intertwined in another case. I am not a big police mystery reader so this was fun for me. Ben seemed like a decent guy and someone you would easily want to work with. Fry, on the other hand, was a b**ch. I did not like this woman at all. In fact, they could have removed her and the book would have been better. She did not add anything to the story but misery. Like who wants to be in this woman's head? She doesn't even get along with her own sister. She seems jilted and just downright nasty. No redeeming qualities to her at all for me.
Overall the book was great and I liked the writing of it. I like the tale and was interested in finding out what happened so it kept me reading. Take out Fry and thumbs up. I also like that it is set in Britain, as I haven't read many books that focus over there and that was fun for me. Just reading about the ways they say things as opposed to the US. I totally recommend this mystery book as a fun, fast read!
I give this book 4 of 5 stars!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and author for a chance to read this novel.
September 28, 2020
10 years ago, Reece Bower's wife disappeared and he was accused of killing her. Police searched and never found anything. Now Reece has disappeared and his new wife wants to know what happened to him.
Ben Cooper and Diane Fry are detectives on the case and they won't stop until they solve it.
This is the 17thbook of the series and even though I didn't read any of the others in this series, I felt that I learned enough about them to read it as a standalone.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the book to review.
Ben Cooper and Diane Fry are detectives on the case and they won't stop until they solve it.
This is the 17thbook of the series and even though I didn't read any of the others in this series, I felt that I learned enough about them to read it as a standalone.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the book to review.
May 5, 2019
This is a difficult one for me to review as the fact that I've loved this series from the off (and actually read them in order!) must surely cloud my judgement.
I have always enjoyed the conflict yet successful working partnership between Cooper & Fry but once again this story sees them working independently, & in different areas to each other. However, circumstances are such that a connection is found between their cases...& a very tenuous one IMHO. In truth I found both crime stories a bit of a non-event, with no build up of tension & rather lacklustre overall. While the evocative atmosphere of the Derbyshire countryside is well described as always, much of the plotline felt uninspiring, with the passages about the miner's strike in particular, having the feeling of been taken straight from a text book.
Despite that sounding rather negative, I did like it, & although it's not one of the best in the series, I'm still looking forward to no 18 :o)
I have always enjoyed the conflict yet successful working partnership between Cooper & Fry but once again this story sees them working independently, & in different areas to each other. However, circumstances are such that a connection is found between their cases...& a very tenuous one IMHO. In truth I found both crime stories a bit of a non-event, with no build up of tension & rather lacklustre overall. While the evocative atmosphere of the Derbyshire countryside is well described as always, much of the plotline felt uninspiring, with the passages about the miner's strike in particular, having the feeling of been taken straight from a text book.
Despite that sounding rather negative, I did like it, & although it's not one of the best in the series, I'm still looking forward to no 18 :o)
October 1, 2017
I'm a big fan of this series and, as an added bonus, had the opportunity to read this while touring the Peak District. That said, I thought that this was among the weaker books in the series. The Cooper and Fry storylines are largely independent, though, as always, Ben lends a hand to the ungrateful Fry. I remain a bit put off by the Cooper/Fry relationship which seems rather directionless.
July 1, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Dead in the Dark, the 17th novel set in the Peak District to feature detectives Cooper and Fry.
It is a while and a few books back since I last dipped into this series so there are a few changes. Ben Cooper is now a detective inspector and still in Edendale. Diane Fry is still a sergeant but now works for EMSOU which I think is the East Midlands Serious Crime Squad based in Nottingham.
Ben has his work cut out with a spate of armed robberies, a serial arsonist and the disappearance of Reece Bower. Normally CID wouldn't be bothering with a missing person but Reece Bower was charged with murder in the disappearance of his wife Annette 10 years previously although it never came to court and now Ben sees the opportunity to try and resolve that case. Diane is also in Derbyshire trying to solve the murder of a polish immigrant who was found dead in his flat after being stabbed.
Mr Booth runs these two plotlines concurrently, alternating between Ben and Diane with occasional overlaps. I usually find that it makes for a choppy read with this kind of alternating points of view as I just get settled in when it changes but after a few chapters I got used to the rhythm and caught up in both plotlines so the novel seems to flow well. It is a fairly straightforward police procedural so there are no real twists, just solid investigation, a few lucky breaks and some intuition. I love a good procedural and this ticks all the boxes.
The novel has a fair amount to say on the thorny subject of racism and immigration. The arguments are well balanced and interesting but I'm not in a position to be able to judge their accuracy.
As usual in this series the characters of Ben and Diane are at the heart of the novel. The sunny, optimistic Ben continues to follow his instinct when wanting to investigate Reece Bower's disappearance more closely. He is painstaking and by the book in his approach to police work but it pays dividends. He cuts a bit of a lonely figure despite having a close family and a budding relationship. Diane is a wholly different character. She is rude, offhand and patronising to Ben and not much better to colleagues and witnesses. She is obviously deeply unhappy but not prepared to do anything about it.
Dead in the Dark is a solid police procedural which I have no hesitation in recommending as a good read.
It is a while and a few books back since I last dipped into this series so there are a few changes. Ben Cooper is now a detective inspector and still in Edendale. Diane Fry is still a sergeant but now works for EMSOU which I think is the East Midlands Serious Crime Squad based in Nottingham.
Ben has his work cut out with a spate of armed robberies, a serial arsonist and the disappearance of Reece Bower. Normally CID wouldn't be bothering with a missing person but Reece Bower was charged with murder in the disappearance of his wife Annette 10 years previously although it never came to court and now Ben sees the opportunity to try and resolve that case. Diane is also in Derbyshire trying to solve the murder of a polish immigrant who was found dead in his flat after being stabbed.
Mr Booth runs these two plotlines concurrently, alternating between Ben and Diane with occasional overlaps. I usually find that it makes for a choppy read with this kind of alternating points of view as I just get settled in when it changes but after a few chapters I got used to the rhythm and caught up in both plotlines so the novel seems to flow well. It is a fairly straightforward police procedural so there are no real twists, just solid investigation, a few lucky breaks and some intuition. I love a good procedural and this ticks all the boxes.
The novel has a fair amount to say on the thorny subject of racism and immigration. The arguments are well balanced and interesting but I'm not in a position to be able to judge their accuracy.
As usual in this series the characters of Ben and Diane are at the heart of the novel. The sunny, optimistic Ben continues to follow his instinct when wanting to investigate Reece Bower's disappearance more closely. He is painstaking and by the book in his approach to police work but it pays dividends. He cuts a bit of a lonely figure despite having a close family and a budding relationship. Diane is a wholly different character. She is rude, offhand and patronising to Ben and not much better to colleagues and witnesses. She is obviously deeply unhappy but not prepared to do anything about it.
Dead in the Dark is a solid police procedural which I have no hesitation in recommending as a good read.
January 20, 2018
Being a big fan of this series from its inception, I wanted to like it. I really did. But for me it was just “okay”. I found the story a bit contrived. It almost seemed that the story connection between Cooper and Fry was created as there needed to be something since it’s a Cooper & Fry mystery. But if felt forced and fell a bit flat for me. I was waiting for a twist that didn’t come.
I’m also not a fan of the new love interest for no other reason than the character is a bit too much of a copy of a Peter James character. Not an issue if you don’t read both authors but if you do you might start to wonder if Cleo is playing away.
Again, not a bad book - not one I’d recommend someone new to the series start with tho.
I’m also not a fan of the new love interest for no other reason than the character is a bit too much of a copy of a Peter James character. Not an issue if you don’t read both authors but if you do you might start to wonder if Cleo is playing away.
Again, not a bad book - not one I’d recommend someone new to the series start with tho.
August 6, 2017
More adventures with Ben Cooper and the now numerous women that influence his life - I know its crime fiction, but I'm more intrigued by his 'love' life, I'm sorry..... :-) All the usual excellent content you'd expect from Stephen Booth, with a really captivating portrayal of the Derbyshire countryside, with the odd dead body to add an excuse to explore more of it, but the relationship between Ben, his work colleagues, family and those he meets in the course of his job are at the heart of the book. Fabulously entertaining.
July 25, 2017
A very solidly enjoyable read which I was not pleased to interrupt for normal life.
Booth loves his research and as usual there's plenty of it here, both up to the minute and historical/geological. We're in Lathkilldale in the White Peak, old mines replaced by nature and we're in Shirebrook on the border with Nottinghamshire, old mines (and miners) replaced by migrant workers and [unnamed] Mick Ashley's Sports Direct warehouse. As usual too there's a bit too much shoehorned in, with superfluous teaser snippets about the family lives of Cooper and Fry. The prose clunks and grinds a bit (as is usual) but the main plots are fascinating - one with a theme as old as the hills perhaps, the other bang up to date (although Booth himself has one of his characters point out slavery's long history, in these parts as well as the better known)
Booth loves his research and as usual there's plenty of it here, both up to the minute and historical/geological. We're in Lathkilldale in the White Peak, old mines replaced by nature and we're in Shirebrook on the border with Nottinghamshire, old mines (and miners) replaced by migrant workers and [unnamed] Mick Ashley's Sports Direct warehouse. As usual too there's a bit too much shoehorned in, with superfluous teaser snippets about the family lives of Cooper and Fry. The prose clunks and grinds a bit (as is usual) but the main plots are fascinating - one with a theme as old as the hills perhaps, the other bang up to date (although Booth himself has one of his characters point out slavery's long history, in these parts as well as the better known)
August 5, 2018
There's only one reason I gave this book only one star. There are whole sentences, and even paragraph's copied word for word from the previous book. Although I'm sure it's annoying giving background character and event information from previous books every time there is a new book in a series, it's up to the author to find new ways to do this. It's wrong that someone should pay good money for a book only to read many of the same sentences as were the previous book. That's just laziness. And shame on the editor for letting it pass.
September 16, 2018
Many thanks to Harper Collins Canada for an early e-copy of Dead in the Dark for review.
Dead in the Dark is the 17th book in the Cooper and Fry series. They are not in the same division anymore but they do have some story overlap. I kind of miss them working together because Ben Cooper’s nice manner and incredible local knowledge was such a good foil to Diane Fry’s street smart tough guy attitude. I am not sure I’d recommend this one as a stand-alone. With 16 books worth of personal and professional history between them, not everything can be rehashed or brought up. In fact, some things are mentioned throughout the book but no explanations attached so that would be frustrating to read if you haven’t read most of the series.
Dead in the Dark was pretty standard fare for this series though. All the novels are set in the Peak District and this is no exception. The atmosphere and history of the region is never skimmed over and that is my favourite part. Ben Cooper’s character was born and raised in the area and his cases are always infused with his love and respect for the history. In Dead in the Dark, he is now in charge of a more rural division but they have a rash of arsons, a string of robberies, and a missing person to deal with. Diane Fry and moved to a major crime unit and her story follows the death of a Polish man in an anti-immigrant area and some human trafficking cases.
This book has a lot going on but also keeps to the usual Cooper and Fry police procedural formula. Nothing super new but it’s jam packed with modern topics as well as Peak District history, community policing and family and personal drama.
Releases September 25, 2018
Dead in the Dark is the 17th book in the Cooper and Fry series. They are not in the same division anymore but they do have some story overlap. I kind of miss them working together because Ben Cooper’s nice manner and incredible local knowledge was such a good foil to Diane Fry’s street smart tough guy attitude. I am not sure I’d recommend this one as a stand-alone. With 16 books worth of personal and professional history between them, not everything can be rehashed or brought up. In fact, some things are mentioned throughout the book but no explanations attached so that would be frustrating to read if you haven’t read most of the series.
Dead in the Dark was pretty standard fare for this series though. All the novels are set in the Peak District and this is no exception. The atmosphere and history of the region is never skimmed over and that is my favourite part. Ben Cooper’s character was born and raised in the area and his cases are always infused with his love and respect for the history. In Dead in the Dark, he is now in charge of a more rural division but they have a rash of arsons, a string of robberies, and a missing person to deal with. Diane Fry and moved to a major crime unit and her story follows the death of a Polish man in an anti-immigrant area and some human trafficking cases.
This book has a lot going on but also keeps to the usual Cooper and Fry police procedural formula. Nothing super new but it’s jam packed with modern topics as well as Peak District history, community policing and family and personal drama.
Releases September 25, 2018
September 26, 2018
Ben Cooper has quite a case load, some arson fires, robberies, and a missing person. This all seems standard stuff until you learn that the missing person, Reece Bower was accused of his former wife’s disappearance ten years earlier. He maintained his innocence and without a body they really couldn’t prosecute him. Now he has disappeared the same way.
At the same time Diane Fry has moved on yet finds herself investigating the death of a Polish immigrant and some human trafficking cases. Although the cases are not related except that the investigators have a history, as the story progresses you find that they do link up. Although Ben and Diane clearly have issues, you can tell that they still complement each other with their cases.
This is only the second book in this series that I have read. I am still curious about the split between Ben and Diane but it’s clear that I’m going to have to start out from the beginning to find out what happened.
As for the story, this is a great procedural investigation. Ben clearly does his best looking for clues and following the book. I really enjoyed the history of the Peak District and think it adds that must more realism to the story. This is a great read but if you want to find out more between Ben and Diane you should read the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
At the same time Diane Fry has moved on yet finds herself investigating the death of a Polish immigrant and some human trafficking cases. Although the cases are not related except that the investigators have a history, as the story progresses you find that they do link up. Although Ben and Diane clearly have issues, you can tell that they still complement each other with their cases.
This is only the second book in this series that I have read. I am still curious about the split between Ben and Diane but it’s clear that I’m going to have to start out from the beginning to find out what happened.
As for the story, this is a great procedural investigation. Ben clearly does his best looking for clues and following the book. I really enjoyed the history of the Peak District and think it adds that must more realism to the story. This is a great read but if you want to find out more between Ben and Diane you should read the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
December 4, 2017
Another worthy addition to this highly original series which I've now been enjoying for a decade or more. It is the case of a couple of motorcycling burglars which this time connects DI Ben Cooper in Edendale and DS Diane Fry in Serious Crimes at Nottingham. At the same time Ben is investigating the disappearance of a man who who acquitted of murdering his wife 10 years before whilst Diane's main case involves the murder of a Polish man in a run-down former mining town. Her case also involves people-trafficking and the rise of far-right extremists. As in previous novels, there are also fascinating insights into the private lives of the central characters.
August 8, 2020
Starts off well with someone dying in the dark but the plot quickly becomes muddled and finally fizzles out with barely a whimper. Ben Cooper runs about like a headless chicken, never sopping to think until it is almost too late. Diane Fry is her distant and uncooperative self and I wondered the reason that she appeared in this book at all. At least the writing style was easily readable and the book was finished quickly.
Unfortunately, this feels like a series that has run its course and should be pensioned off. Just about 2 stars for me.
Unfortunately, this feels like a series that has run its course and should be pensioned off. Just about 2 stars for me.
October 2, 2018
A British tale of two English detectives, Ben Cooper & Diane Fry. Each of them is working on a different case but their paths occasionally cross and sometimes they sometimes work on the same case. The pace is slow at the beginning but will pick up as you dig deeper into the cases. As for me, I much more enjoyed the case that had fascinated Cooper for over 10 years. Reese Bower is accused of murdering his wife, Annette . Evidence seems to point to the husband but the body can not be found. Reece is tried and acquitted when Annette's father reports having seen his daughter alive but forgets where. This case remains unresolved for Cooper until Reese is reported missing now ten years later.His curiosity is tweeked because this case was never fully resolved. British mysteries can sometimes seem slow but the pace certainly picked up by the middle of the book. I think you will enjoy this book . Author Stephen Booth has written other ' Cooper & Fry ' mysteries.
March 1, 2020
It didn't hold my attention and felt myself just going along with the story to find out the ending. But this maybe just myself not able to visualise some of the scenes and actions taken. It was just an o.k book for me.
August 20, 2017
It is not unusual for Police Procedural mysteries to introduce a crime and then have the detective solve it. Like he or she has nothing else to do but focus on the single crime being solved. So what is fun and a bit unusual in Steven Booth’s 17 Cooper and Fry series is that Cooper is now in charge and has a missing person, a ten year old murder with no body, an arson, robberies and then Diane Fry (his former partner) is working a murder in Cooper’s district. Keeping all of these balls in the air is much of the fun.
It is interesting too that Booth steps right in the middle of the issues of immigration and racism and alt-right hate groups. The referendum vote apparently has opened some emotions on both sides of the issue in the Peak District.
I have read the last six books in this series and the very first two (leaving out 9 others). The recent arc of the stories focus more on Cooper character than Fry but that may change with the next book given some information provided in this story line. Cooper here has begun to date again.
Also, it appears that this latest book (which I ordered from the UK) has not yet found a US publisher beyond the e-book variety. And it has been said for a while that the series is to become a TV show but no update in quite some time. Booth has a fun email newsletter which I get and find entertaining. I am beginning to find his Cooper and Fry books are like comfort food.
It is interesting too that Booth steps right in the middle of the issues of immigration and racism and alt-right hate groups. The referendum vote apparently has opened some emotions on both sides of the issue in the Peak District.
I have read the last six books in this series and the very first two (leaving out 9 others). The recent arc of the stories focus more on Cooper character than Fry but that may change with the next book given some information provided in this story line. Cooper here has begun to date again.
Also, it appears that this latest book (which I ordered from the UK) has not yet found a US publisher beyond the e-book variety. And it has been said for a while that the series is to become a TV show but no update in quite some time. Booth has a fun email newsletter which I get and find entertaining. I am beginning to find his Cooper and Fry books are like comfort food.
June 28, 2021
This was not a good read at all. There are pages and pages of waffle. Just mind numbing nonsense that drags on for ages. At one point in the book, I felt like I was reading a travel guide for the Peak District and the dales. 5 pages describing a winding road and a hill side. If they cut out all the dribble, this book would probably be about 200 pages less. The ending was abrupt. At the end of one chapter the main character was conducting interviews and the start of the next chapter it was all revealed. The story line was a good idea but not well executed. I was just reading it to finish it in the end. There was also quite a few grammatical errors which makes you wonder why this book was published. Not a thrilling read. It was boring and mind numbing. Most of the book was about the scenery and pointless descriptions of people that held no relevance to the story what so ever. I would not recommend this book to anyone. There are books with a similar plot that are far better. There were even paragraphs describing what the characters were eating. I get you need to set the scene but the descriptions were pointless and did not aid the story at all. I wanted to like this book but you can’t win them all.
October 6, 2018
I enjoy reading British mysteries and this is a good one. It has a good balance of scene description, character development and police procedure. I like that we get to read about some of Cooper's private life as he develops a relationship. Fry is a cooler character, all business it seems. I had difficulty liking her. It was interesting to see how their separate cases overlap.
What I liked best about this novel was the setting. I liked learning about the caves and previous mining in the Peak District. Even more interesting was the immigration aspect of the plot. I did not know that there are nearly a million Poles in England and that Polish is the second most spoken language there. And then there was the topic of modern slave trade, something I knew nothing about.
I do recommend this novel to those who like British mysteries. You'll read of police procedure, get a taste of the detectives' private lives, be immersed in an interesting area of England, and like me, might just be surprised at the resolution of one of the mysteries.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
What I liked best about this novel was the setting. I liked learning about the caves and previous mining in the Peak District. Even more interesting was the immigration aspect of the plot. I did not know that there are nearly a million Poles in England and that Polish is the second most spoken language there. And then there was the topic of modern slave trade, something I knew nothing about.
I do recommend this novel to those who like British mysteries. You'll read of police procedure, get a taste of the detectives' private lives, be immersed in an interesting area of England, and like me, might just be surprised at the resolution of one of the mysteries.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
October 16, 2017
Unlike other crime series with two police protagonists, Booth writes about a "team" which is not a team. This is the 17th book of the Cooper and Fry series but Cooper and Fry no longer work together and Booth skilfully works the crimes that each is working into a satisfying and cohesive whole. This is a novel which examines the changes in British society from the miners' strike and Thatcher's era to Polish immigration and Brexit.
July 18, 2017
As a big fan of Stephen Booth I have read all the Ben Cooper & Diane Fry books. And this new one "Dead in the Dark" is just as amazing as all the others in this series. It's a fast paced page turner and pulled me in from the start. And the twist in the end was one more point in my score book for this author. A brilliant crime writer I can't wait to read much more of. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK!
February 18, 2021
I couldn’t get into this book. I started this book a year or so ago and just stopped reading it all together. Picked it back up this year to finish it and it was a struggle for me to get through it. There were multiple stories being told at once with random details, too many characters. It just felt confusing at times which story line you were following and only really became clear near the end. Also, I couldn’t get past the many spelling or grammatical errors in the book. It has been poorly edited and that really impacted how I felt about it.
Not a book I would recommend at all.
Not a book I would recommend at all.
April 24, 2019
Not really sure why the novel is presented as a "Cooper and Fry" duo. The two characters don't really have anything to do with being a team. The characters seem flat and uninteresting and the two separate investigations have nothing to do with each other, other than the author creates weak plotlines to join them.
I have read one other book in the series, though can't remember the title and found the same lackluster writing.
I have read one other book in the series, though can't remember the title and found the same lackluster writing.
December 7, 2022
Very interesting from the places it was set in as they are all known to me and close to where I live. I thought the book was perhaps a tad too long and as I read it in many sittings I tended to lose the thread but overall an enjoyable read
July 17, 2017
Such a fantastic book. Fast pace and gripping. I love the twist at the end. Stephen is such an incredible crime writer, and in places that I know so very well. Just brilliant.
August 25, 2017
Another great book
I can't wait for the next book ... what more can I say? I want to here more about the wonderful characters Stephen Booth has created.
I can't wait for the next book ... what more can I say? I want to here more about the wonderful characters Stephen Booth has created.
July 31, 2024
Last chapter could have been much better.. with worth it.
November 26, 2018
“No one wants to die in the dark. To lie alone in the blackness, feeling the chill of death creep slowly over you.”
If those opening lines don't chill you to the bone, I don't know what will. They kick off DEAD IN THE DARK, the 17th Cooper & Fry mystery from British author Stephen Booth. Being “in the dark” is a running motif throughout the story. You have detectives completely in the dark with murder cases that confound them, such as missing bodies and lack of clues. There is also a very creepy scene involving someone literally dying in the dark.
The landscape of detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry is the northern part of England, far from the hustle and bustle of London. Booth's descriptions of the area and knowledge of the local language and colloquialisms are what make his stories ring true, and DEAD IN THE DARK is no exception.
There are two cases taking place here, as Cooper and Fry are now serving in completely different districts. Ten years ago, Reece Bower was cleared of charges in the disappearance and alleged murder of his then-wife, Annette. Now, Reece is the one who has been reported missing. Cooper wants to reopen the case and consider anyone who still might be seeking to avenge Annette, but he has an uphill battle. In both the decade-old case and the present one, there is no body with which to work, making the presumption of murder difficult.
Meanwhile, Fry is looking into the murder of a young Polish man in the small town of Shirebrook. Her investigation into the area, which boasts many Polish immigrants living and working in it, speaks directly to the current issues the UK is facing with their open border policies. Just like in the US, this is a hotbed topic, and there are just as many people unhappy with the rising immigrant population as there are those seeking to welcome them in with open arms.
The young victim, Krystian Zalewski, was described as quiet and hardworking at the job he held with a car wash in town. Fry uncovers minimal suspects and motives along with an earful of resentment from residents who are not happy with the emerging Polish population. Cooper continues on with the Reece Bower disappearance and finds an unexpected ally in Detective Superintendent Hazel Branagh, who was unsuccessful 10 years earlier as the lead detective in the Annette Bower case.
Both cases are full of atmosphere and complex characters. All the while, Booth is steeping you in the tradition of these small towns, where the resentment and possible vigilantism is just leaping off the pages. It is quite easy to find yourself deeply immersed in these cases, and Booth does his part to throw some nice plot twists your way just to upset the balance, keeping you on your toes. It gets interesting, especially for longtime fans of the series, when Cooper and Fry get to team up again later on in the story.
I have always loved Booth's writing style and still cannot understand why his name and books are not bigger hits here in the US. Fortunately, you can jump right into DEAD IN THE DARK and fully enjoy it without having read any of the prior installments of the series.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
If those opening lines don't chill you to the bone, I don't know what will. They kick off DEAD IN THE DARK, the 17th Cooper & Fry mystery from British author Stephen Booth. Being “in the dark” is a running motif throughout the story. You have detectives completely in the dark with murder cases that confound them, such as missing bodies and lack of clues. There is also a very creepy scene involving someone literally dying in the dark.
The landscape of detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry is the northern part of England, far from the hustle and bustle of London. Booth's descriptions of the area and knowledge of the local language and colloquialisms are what make his stories ring true, and DEAD IN THE DARK is no exception.
There are two cases taking place here, as Cooper and Fry are now serving in completely different districts. Ten years ago, Reece Bower was cleared of charges in the disappearance and alleged murder of his then-wife, Annette. Now, Reece is the one who has been reported missing. Cooper wants to reopen the case and consider anyone who still might be seeking to avenge Annette, but he has an uphill battle. In both the decade-old case and the present one, there is no body with which to work, making the presumption of murder difficult.
Meanwhile, Fry is looking into the murder of a young Polish man in the small town of Shirebrook. Her investigation into the area, which boasts many Polish immigrants living and working in it, speaks directly to the current issues the UK is facing with their open border policies. Just like in the US, this is a hotbed topic, and there are just as many people unhappy with the rising immigrant population as there are those seeking to welcome them in with open arms.
The young victim, Krystian Zalewski, was described as quiet and hardworking at the job he held with a car wash in town. Fry uncovers minimal suspects and motives along with an earful of resentment from residents who are not happy with the emerging Polish population. Cooper continues on with the Reece Bower disappearance and finds an unexpected ally in Detective Superintendent Hazel Branagh, who was unsuccessful 10 years earlier as the lead detective in the Annette Bower case.
Both cases are full of atmosphere and complex characters. All the while, Booth is steeping you in the tradition of these small towns, where the resentment and possible vigilantism is just leaping off the pages. It is quite easy to find yourself deeply immersed in these cases, and Booth does his part to throw some nice plot twists your way just to upset the balance, keeping you on your toes. It gets interesting, especially for longtime fans of the series, when Cooper and Fry get to team up again later on in the story.
I have always loved Booth's writing style and still cannot understand why his name and books are not bigger hits here in the US. Fortunately, you can jump right into DEAD IN THE DARK and fully enjoy it without having read any of the prior installments of the series.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
March 30, 2019
A soliloquy on dying is really not the way to start a mystery. And another soliloquy on death is not really the way to end a mystery. Neither one adds anything to this book.
Booth continues his in-depth travelogues of the Peak District. I see this desire to describe everything around the characters in many books set in England and they always slow the pacing of the book to a crawl – or slower.
In the earlier books, Cooper and Fry worked side by side and their clashes as they tried to solve crimes (while immature at times) were integral to the stories. However, now that they no longer work together, it seems that they only cross paths solely to show readers that they still don’t get along. Either put them back on the same team, Mr. Booth, or kill one of them off. Because as you have them now, it isn’t working.
This book was loaded with production errors – wrong words, duplications – more than I have seen in any print book in recent memory.
So why do I continue to read Stephen Booth? Because complaints aside, he writes a darn good mystery.
Booth continues his in-depth travelogues of the Peak District. I see this desire to describe everything around the characters in many books set in England and they always slow the pacing of the book to a crawl – or slower.
In the earlier books, Cooper and Fry worked side by side and their clashes as they tried to solve crimes (while immature at times) were integral to the stories. However, now that they no longer work together, it seems that they only cross paths solely to show readers that they still don’t get along. Either put them back on the same team, Mr. Booth, or kill one of them off. Because as you have them now, it isn’t working.
This book was loaded with production errors – wrong words, duplications – more than I have seen in any print book in recent memory.
So why do I continue to read Stephen Booth? Because complaints aside, he writes a darn good mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews