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The Second Grave
Dan Calder is back. Back in his native England once again to help his best friend and ex-partner Nick Hetherington. Nick’s daughter has been arrested in connection with the death of a Nottingham prostitute. Back to face his darkest moment as old acquaintances and old enemies set his cupboard full of skeletons rattling once more.
‘The Second Grave’ has Calder facing the battle of his life to fulfil a solemn promise to his dearest friend. New foes including a local gangster are prepared to do anything to prevent the truth being revealed.Left at home in New Zealand, Calder’s girlfriend Tara senses he also views this return as an opportunity to settle old scores. Time and the odds are against him; incredibly so too the upholders of law itself, his beloved police force.
Rushing headlong towards the past; whoever coined the phrase you couldn’t even make this stuff up was very wrong.
‘The Second Grave’ has Calder facing the battle of his life to fulfil a solemn promise to his dearest friend. New foes including a local gangster are prepared to do anything to prevent the truth being revealed.Left at home in New Zealand, Calder’s girlfriend Tara senses he also views this return as an opportunity to settle old scores. Time and the odds are against him; incredibly so too the upholders of law itself, his beloved police force.
Rushing headlong towards the past; whoever coined the phrase you couldn’t even make this stuff up was very wrong.
- GenresCrime
347 pages, Paperback
Published March 23, 2018
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Ian Austin
6 books11 followersMy childhood was spectacularly normal. I came from a settled and happy home; one older sister, one younger brother. I obtained no qualifications at school and hated every minute of it. Looking back now it was because they could not teach the way I needed to learn, and I could not learn the way they taught. I thought I was stupid and did little to persuade anybody differently. I was good at sports which got me through.
After school I drifted between various jobs including hotel porter and photocopier salesman. Hampshire Police proved to be my salvation. I joined in 1985 and immediately found that ‘thing’ I’d been looking for, for my whole life.
I was a career policeman and if I hadn’t been I would probably have been a criminal. That poacher turned gamekeeper stood me in good stead. I gained a reputation as a thief-taker because I could put myself in the crim’s position; several times fleeing burglars literally ran into my arms because I guessed where they would try to escape.
During early writing of reports, statements and interviews etc I discovered I was talented in that direction and enjoyed that aspect. It got me known and trusted to provide high quality work.
I became a specialist public order and tactical firearms officer. Later I was selected as a detective.
On Christmas Eve 1991 I was almost beaten to death outside a pub in Southampton. My recovery included long spells of depression and a breakdown. My marriage failed too.
I was selected for a specialist surveillance team which led to undercover work and then onto operational work with Regional and National Crime Squads and Special Branch. I was necessarily bound by the Official Secrets Act which is still in force today.
My talents led me to be selected as the youngest ever (in terms of years’ service) National Crime Squad trainer for surveillance. It was here I developed my writing skills completing lesson plans, operational orders, multi-agency reports etc.
In 2003 I was selected to transfer to the New Zealand Police. I served in Auckland for 4 years before I left. In 2009, my partner Sallie gave me a year off to write a book which had a been an ambition for years. I loved the whole process and found a job satisfaction equal to what the police gave me.
That first book, The Ideas Man (2010) proved to me that I could do it. It received good reviews in New Zealand as well as selling over 3000 copies. I have been committed to becoming a successful author since then in the crime thriller genre.
One of my best traits is I know what my weaknesses are; therefore, I have used the best at what they do to assist me. Stephen Stratford has edited my books and been an awesome assistance to me. I have another great copy editor (Deborah Shaw) and the best media and public relations person in the country (Raewyn Davies.) Wickliffes of Auckland have printed my two Calder books and Nationwide Book Distributors have been able to place them around the whole country including a retail chain called Paper Plus who are NZ’s version of W.H. Smith. I pride myself on producing the best final product I can and understand this is very much a team effort.
I have created a character Dan Calder, he’s an ex- British detective based in New Zealand. He is not me, but I have used personal experiences as a template to create something new, different and according to the critics very good.
The Dan Calder series is a trilogy of crime novels featuring the uniquely talented but also uniquely flawed ex-detective. His struggles with depression and a cupboard bursting with skeletons vie for attention as he reluctantly travels from England to the other side of the world and back again, attempting to prevent or solve some of the darkest crimes imaginable, while trying to maintain his loose grip on sanity all at the same time. Causing trouble or falling headlong into it is more than a habit for Calder and it’s only the depth which ever seems to vary.
After school I drifted between various jobs including hotel porter and photocopier salesman. Hampshire Police proved to be my salvation. I joined in 1985 and immediately found that ‘thing’ I’d been looking for, for my whole life.
I was a career policeman and if I hadn’t been I would probably have been a criminal. That poacher turned gamekeeper stood me in good stead. I gained a reputation as a thief-taker because I could put myself in the crim’s position; several times fleeing burglars literally ran into my arms because I guessed where they would try to escape.
During early writing of reports, statements and interviews etc I discovered I was talented in that direction and enjoyed that aspect. It got me known and trusted to provide high quality work.
I became a specialist public order and tactical firearms officer. Later I was selected as a detective.
On Christmas Eve 1991 I was almost beaten to death outside a pub in Southampton. My recovery included long spells of depression and a breakdown. My marriage failed too.
I was selected for a specialist surveillance team which led to undercover work and then onto operational work with Regional and National Crime Squads and Special Branch. I was necessarily bound by the Official Secrets Act which is still in force today.
My talents led me to be selected as the youngest ever (in terms of years’ service) National Crime Squad trainer for surveillance. It was here I developed my writing skills completing lesson plans, operational orders, multi-agency reports etc.
In 2003 I was selected to transfer to the New Zealand Police. I served in Auckland for 4 years before I left. In 2009, my partner Sallie gave me a year off to write a book which had a been an ambition for years. I loved the whole process and found a job satisfaction equal to what the police gave me.
That first book, The Ideas Man (2010) proved to me that I could do it. It received good reviews in New Zealand as well as selling over 3000 copies. I have been committed to becoming a successful author since then in the crime thriller genre.
One of my best traits is I know what my weaknesses are; therefore, I have used the best at what they do to assist me. Stephen Stratford has edited my books and been an awesome assistance to me. I have another great copy editor (Deborah Shaw) and the best media and public relations person in the country (Raewyn Davies.) Wickliffes of Auckland have printed my two Calder books and Nationwide Book Distributors have been able to place them around the whole country including a retail chain called Paper Plus who are NZ’s version of W.H. Smith. I pride myself on producing the best final product I can and understand this is very much a team effort.
I have created a character Dan Calder, he’s an ex- British detective based in New Zealand. He is not me, but I have used personal experiences as a template to create something new, different and according to the critics very good.
The Dan Calder series is a trilogy of crime novels featuring the uniquely talented but also uniquely flawed ex-detective. His struggles with depression and a cupboard bursting with skeletons vie for attention as he reluctantly travels from England to the other side of the world and back again, attempting to prevent or solve some of the darkest crimes imaginable, while trying to maintain his loose grip on sanity all at the same time. Causing trouble or falling headlong into it is more than a habit for Calder and it’s only the depth which ever seems to vary.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 19, 2018
EXCERPT: 2007 - Twenty something years service done and dusted: two decades which came to define Dan Calder's life and made him the man he was. Good, bad, and everything in between.
"Do you feel it's rather an unsatisfactory ending?" the human resources rep asked, making it sound as unimportant as choosing the wrong coloured paint for the garden fence.
Dan just shrugged instead of telling the hook-nosed bastard what he really thought.
"However, your department supervisor, DCI Allen, has written a rather splendid exit report. If you'd like to see?"
Dan didn't. Although genuinely shocked, he let the revelation go without acknowledgement. Hook-nose immediately checked his watch and brought the salty meeting to an end.
Five minutes later, now ex-detective and newly appointed civilian 'Mr' Dan Calder stood astride the Force's emblem engraved into the cold grey concrete on the wrong side of Police HQ main entrance. He had no semblance of a plan about what to do next. He'd been wronged, but what was new there?
'Splendid exit report,' he thought, and his eyes narrowed. Surely this was Jim Allen's idea of a last laugh, but he didn't see the funny side at all and subconsciously made a mental note as was his way.
Another fact was also stored away. Other people had been hurt or worse, emotionally, psychologically and physically. Their wounds were still weeping within him and it was unlikely they could ever heal now.
The police, his family really, although dysfunctional and therefore why he felt so comfortable being part of it, would continue as if he and his collar number never existed. He was alone again, a second separation from dysfunctional circumstances.
He put one foot in front of another, every step carrying him further away from the police and towards an uncertain future.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: DAN CALDER IS BACK.
Just as Dan imagines himself to be settling into his new life in New Zealand, he finds himself back in his native England once again to help his best friend and ex-partner Nick Heatherington. Nick'sdaughter has been arrested in connection with the death of a Nottingham prostitute.
Dan is about to face his darkest moment as old acquaintances and old enemies set his cupboard full of skeletonsrattling once more. 'The Second Grave' has Calder facing the battle of his life to fulfill a promise to his dearest friend. New foes, including a local gangster, are prepared to do anything to prevent the truth being revealed. Left at home in New Zealand, Calder's girlfriend, Tara, senses he also views this return as an opportunity to settle old scores.
Rushing headlong towards the past, time and odds are against him; incredibly so too the upholders of the law itself, his beloved police force. Whoever coined the phrase 'you couldn'teven make this stuff up' was very wrong.
MY THOUGHTS: Last year I read Ian's first book, The Agency, which also features Dan Calder and was very impressed. But with 'The Second Grave' Austin has taken his writing to a whole new level. While it is a good idea to read The Agency prior to reading The Second Grave, this will work as a standalone. And after reading it, I imagine you will want to read the first book anyway.
There are not many people who, when they say I'll always have your back, actually mean it. Dan Calder is one of the few. He has a strong personality and injustices weigh heavily upon him. He takes the bonds of friendship seriously.
Nick has always been his friend. Take on Nick and you take on Dan, as some corrupt police and the gangsters in their employ are about to find out. Because Nick's family is Dan's family. Threaten that unit and you are faced with a formidable team who won't stop until their loved ones are safe.
I read The Second Grave non-stop. I was swept along by the need to know just where Austin was taking us, and the unpredictability of the ride. I admired the fortitude of Nick's teenage daughter, and Dan's ability to read her. Dan's character grows a great deal in this, the second book of the Dan Calder series. We learn more about demons from his past that both haunt and motivate him, just as Dan learns more about himself, not always things that he likes!
If you like a great crime thriller with plenty of suspense, I recommend Second Grave by Ian Austin.
Thank you to author Ian Austin for providing a copy of The Second Grave for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
"Do you feel it's rather an unsatisfactory ending?" the human resources rep asked, making it sound as unimportant as choosing the wrong coloured paint for the garden fence.
Dan just shrugged instead of telling the hook-nosed bastard what he really thought.
"However, your department supervisor, DCI Allen, has written a rather splendid exit report. If you'd like to see?"
Dan didn't. Although genuinely shocked, he let the revelation go without acknowledgement. Hook-nose immediately checked his watch and brought the salty meeting to an end.
Five minutes later, now ex-detective and newly appointed civilian 'Mr' Dan Calder stood astride the Force's emblem engraved into the cold grey concrete on the wrong side of Police HQ main entrance. He had no semblance of a plan about what to do next. He'd been wronged, but what was new there?
'Splendid exit report,' he thought, and his eyes narrowed. Surely this was Jim Allen's idea of a last laugh, but he didn't see the funny side at all and subconsciously made a mental note as was his way.
Another fact was also stored away. Other people had been hurt or worse, emotionally, psychologically and physically. Their wounds were still weeping within him and it was unlikely they could ever heal now.
The police, his family really, although dysfunctional and therefore why he felt so comfortable being part of it, would continue as if he and his collar number never existed. He was alone again, a second separation from dysfunctional circumstances.
He put one foot in front of another, every step carrying him further away from the police and towards an uncertain future.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: DAN CALDER IS BACK.
Just as Dan imagines himself to be settling into his new life in New Zealand, he finds himself back in his native England once again to help his best friend and ex-partner Nick Heatherington. Nick'sdaughter has been arrested in connection with the death of a Nottingham prostitute.
Dan is about to face his darkest moment as old acquaintances and old enemies set his cupboard full of skeletonsrattling once more. 'The Second Grave' has Calder facing the battle of his life to fulfill a promise to his dearest friend. New foes, including a local gangster, are prepared to do anything to prevent the truth being revealed. Left at home in New Zealand, Calder's girlfriend, Tara, senses he also views this return as an opportunity to settle old scores.
Rushing headlong towards the past, time and odds are against him; incredibly so too the upholders of the law itself, his beloved police force. Whoever coined the phrase 'you couldn'teven make this stuff up' was very wrong.
MY THOUGHTS: Last year I read Ian's first book, The Agency, which also features Dan Calder and was very impressed. But with 'The Second Grave' Austin has taken his writing to a whole new level. While it is a good idea to read The Agency prior to reading The Second Grave, this will work as a standalone. And after reading it, I imagine you will want to read the first book anyway.
There are not many people who, when they say I'll always have your back, actually mean it. Dan Calder is one of the few. He has a strong personality and injustices weigh heavily upon him. He takes the bonds of friendship seriously.
Nick has always been his friend. Take on Nick and you take on Dan, as some corrupt police and the gangsters in their employ are about to find out. Because Nick's family is Dan's family. Threaten that unit and you are faced with a formidable team who won't stop until their loved ones are safe.
I read The Second Grave non-stop. I was swept along by the need to know just where Austin was taking us, and the unpredictability of the ride. I admired the fortitude of Nick's teenage daughter, and Dan's ability to read her. Dan's character grows a great deal in this, the second book of the Dan Calder series. We learn more about demons from his past that both haunt and motivate him, just as Dan learns more about himself, not always things that he likes!
If you like a great crime thriller with plenty of suspense, I recommend Second Grave by Ian Austin.
Thank you to author Ian Austin for providing a copy of The Second Grave for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
April 5, 2018
Ian Austin is an ex detective in the Hampshire police, a former cop in New Zealand, and now runs a training and consultative business. Now you can add author to his resume. Not just an author, a darn good one , as is clearly demonstrated in "The Second Grave". It follows on from "The Agency" which, in 2016 , introduced the character Dan Calder.
Like his creator Dan is living in New Zealand when he receives a call from Nick, his best friend and former cop colleague with a cry for help. Nick's daughter has been arrested for murder and before you know Dan is on a plane heading back to the UK.
Nick and Dan had been a formidable team back in the day and it isn't long before they combine their knowledge and resources to unravel the trouble that Nick's daughter Amber is in. Only this time they are pitting their considerable skills against the law they have been used to upholding.
Austin has delivered a real gem of a cop drama in "The Second Grave", and it's well worth hunting down.
Like his creator Dan is living in New Zealand when he receives a call from Nick, his best friend and former cop colleague with a cry for help. Nick's daughter has been arrested for murder and before you know Dan is on a plane heading back to the UK.
Nick and Dan had been a formidable team back in the day and it isn't long before they combine their knowledge and resources to unravel the trouble that Nick's daughter Amber is in. Only this time they are pitting their considerable skills against the law they have been used to upholding.
Austin has delivered a real gem of a cop drama in "The Second Grave", and it's well worth hunting down.
June 19, 2019
Second in the Dan Calder series, THE SECOND GRAVE moves the action from being all in New Zealand, to England, when Dan returns home to help out his best friend and ex-colleague Nick Hetherington. Hetherington's daughter has been arrested in connection with a murder, and both men can't believe for a moment that she would have had anything to do with the death of a Nottingham based prostitute.
Whilst it's not absolutely essential that the earlier book in the series (THE AGENCY) must be read first, this is one of those occasions where it really wouldn't hurt. There's a lot of backstory to Dan Calder's life, personal and professional, and there are aspects of that referred to in this novel constantly - particularly the background to his relationship with New Zealand girlfriend Tara. Having said that this is a series in development and you may find that both books suffer from a tendency to heap on the police procedural elements, and there's still some scope to tweak the dialogue to get it flowing more freely and naturally. Oddly enough, given that THE SECOND GRAVE takes Dan Calder home, and potentially more comfortable territory, but especially given the slightly more way out there plot of the earlier novel, this one isn't quite as convincing as the first. It's possibly less action packed, slightly more inclined to drag in places than THE AGENCY, suffering perhaps a little from second novel syndrome and such a sudden change of circumstances in what seemed at the end of the first book, like a welcome change of lifestyle for Dan Calder.
Having said all of that, hopefully this is a series that will continue developing. Calder is an interesting character, and there's some unusual plot concepts at the heart of these novels.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Whilst it's not absolutely essential that the earlier book in the series (THE AGENCY) must be read first, this is one of those occasions where it really wouldn't hurt. There's a lot of backstory to Dan Calder's life, personal and professional, and there are aspects of that referred to in this novel constantly - particularly the background to his relationship with New Zealand girlfriend Tara. Having said that this is a series in development and you may find that both books suffer from a tendency to heap on the police procedural elements, and there's still some scope to tweak the dialogue to get it flowing more freely and naturally. Oddly enough, given that THE SECOND GRAVE takes Dan Calder home, and potentially more comfortable territory, but especially given the slightly more way out there plot of the earlier novel, this one isn't quite as convincing as the first. It's possibly less action packed, slightly more inclined to drag in places than THE AGENCY, suffering perhaps a little from second novel syndrome and such a sudden change of circumstances in what seemed at the end of the first book, like a welcome change of lifestyle for Dan Calder.
Having said all of that, hopefully this is a series that will continue developing. Calder is an interesting character, and there's some unusual plot concepts at the heart of these novels.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
June 17, 2018
If you are looking for a page turning thriller to fill in the cold winter evenings The Second Grave is worth seeking out.
Dan Calder receives a call from his friend Nick seeking his help as his daughter has been arrested in connection with the death of a Nottingham prostitute. Dan has retired from the British Police and is living in New Zealand but doesn’t hesitate to fly to the UK to work with Nick who was his partner while he was in the Police Service. The reader is taken on a hectic journey as Calder battles to sort out the truth and keep the family safe. Old memories haunt him as he meets up with past work mates and acquaintances and old enemies set his cupboard full of skeletons rattling once more. The author has cleverly drawn on his own background to mould the main characters in the book and it was a pleasure the meet Dan and Nick and their families. It is a stand alone page turning mystery which is well written with enough suspense to keep me interested to the very end. This is the second book in the Dan Calder trilogy but I did not feel disadvantaged by not having read the previous book, The Agency, although I will be keen to seek it out to read.
The author Ian Austin was born in 1963 in Southampton, England, drifting in and out of several jobs until he joined the Hampshire Police. He transferred to the New Zealand police in 2003 after falling in love with the Kiwi way of life while visiting the country.
He now lives in Auckland with his partner Sallie.
Anyone who enjoys a suspense /mystery set in England will enjoy this book and I will be eagerly awaiting the final in the series, Frozen Summer, which will be coming soon.
Dan Calder receives a call from his friend Nick seeking his help as his daughter has been arrested in connection with the death of a Nottingham prostitute. Dan has retired from the British Police and is living in New Zealand but doesn’t hesitate to fly to the UK to work with Nick who was his partner while he was in the Police Service. The reader is taken on a hectic journey as Calder battles to sort out the truth and keep the family safe. Old memories haunt him as he meets up with past work mates and acquaintances and old enemies set his cupboard full of skeletons rattling once more. The author has cleverly drawn on his own background to mould the main characters in the book and it was a pleasure the meet Dan and Nick and their families. It is a stand alone page turning mystery which is well written with enough suspense to keep me interested to the very end. This is the second book in the Dan Calder trilogy but I did not feel disadvantaged by not having read the previous book, The Agency, although I will be keen to seek it out to read.
The author Ian Austin was born in 1963 in Southampton, England, drifting in and out of several jobs until he joined the Hampshire Police. He transferred to the New Zealand police in 2003 after falling in love with the Kiwi way of life while visiting the country.
He now lives in Auckland with his partner Sallie.
Anyone who enjoys a suspense /mystery set in England will enjoy this book and I will be eagerly awaiting the final in the series, Frozen Summer, which will be coming soon.
May 14, 2018
Austin's book has a reasonable story but it's hindered by too much detail about things that aren't all that relevant. Sometimes it seems he wants to show us how much he knows about police procedure, with long stretches of dialogue where people are basically saying the equivalent of 'Copy that'.
There are some very intense scenes, and these are great, but there are also long stretches of stuff that I guess are intended to show Dan Carter's softer, caring side. The last chapters, in particular, seem to be bogged down on one hand with Carter's backstory, while the real story is going on elsewhere - without him.
Some of the conversations just didn't ring true, with characters having a change of heart that wasn't right for the person they were. The villain of the piece becomes disappointingly wimpy towards the end, for example.
Austin also has an odd way of using contractions (that is: 'I will' contracted to 'I'll', for example). Time and again his characters avoid contractions as though Strunk and White were looking over their shoulders, and then, within the same sentence they'll suddenly revert to using them without blinking an eye. It gives the dialogue a stiff, unnatural feel.
My copy of the book is very tightly bound, for some reason, with the result that it's impossible to open it without having to force the covers apart. To give it credit, the binding didn't collapse as a result, but it's a frustrating way of trying to read.
There are some very intense scenes, and these are great, but there are also long stretches of stuff that I guess are intended to show Dan Carter's softer, caring side. The last chapters, in particular, seem to be bogged down on one hand with Carter's backstory, while the real story is going on elsewhere - without him.
Some of the conversations just didn't ring true, with characters having a change of heart that wasn't right for the person they were. The villain of the piece becomes disappointingly wimpy towards the end, for example.
Austin also has an odd way of using contractions (that is: 'I will' contracted to 'I'll', for example). Time and again his characters avoid contractions as though Strunk and White were looking over their shoulders, and then, within the same sentence they'll suddenly revert to using them without blinking an eye. It gives the dialogue a stiff, unnatural feel.
My copy of the book is very tightly bound, for some reason, with the result that it's impossible to open it without having to force the covers apart. To give it credit, the binding didn't collapse as a result, but it's a frustrating way of trying to read.
December 16, 2024
The Second Grave is the much anticipated second book in the Dan Calder Series by Ian Austin.
I was very much looking forward to reading the next instalment in the series, and I’m pleased to say that this book did not disappoint on any level. Calder is settled into life in New Zealand when an ex colleague and best friend in England is desperate for help and reaches out. Back in the UK, Calder quickly gets thrown head first into the drama of old enemies and painful memories, which quickly gets out of hand.
Austin, an ex-police officer is the ultimate story teller, and has the reader on the edge of their seat. This is a fast paced page-turner, his characters are real and he makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the action. Another outstanding crime novel from this wonderful author !!
I was very much looking forward to reading the next instalment in the series, and I’m pleased to say that this book did not disappoint on any level. Calder is settled into life in New Zealand when an ex colleague and best friend in England is desperate for help and reaches out. Back in the UK, Calder quickly gets thrown head first into the drama of old enemies and painful memories, which quickly gets out of hand.
Austin, an ex-police officer is the ultimate story teller, and has the reader on the edge of their seat. This is a fast paced page-turner, his characters are real and he makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the action. Another outstanding crime novel from this wonderful author !!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews