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“So I thought I might take up para-gliding. You know, buy one on eBay and just jump off the cliff one morning.” Emily Willows is middle-aged, widowed, wealthy and bored. When she makes those flippant remarks to her son over coffee one Friday, she has no inkling that within a few hours she will be facing the most terrifying situation of her life. Nor could she have guessed that she will be confronting it with the enigmatic young woman who moved in next door a few months ago and who has hardly spoken a word to her since. And neither of them has realised yet that after this meeting, their lives will never be the same again.
“So I thought I might take up para-gliding. You know, buy one on eBay and just jump off the cliff one morning.” Emily Willows is middle-aged, widowed, wealthy and bored. When she makes those flippant remarks to her son over coffee one Friday, she has no inkling that within a few hours she will be facing the most terrifying situation of her life. Nor could she have guessed that she will be confronting it with the enigmatic young woman who moved in next door a few months ago and who has hardly spoken a word to her since. And neither of them has realised yet that after this meeting, their lives will never be the same again.
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First published January 30, 2017
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About the author
Peter Grainger
70 books868 followersA British author, the writer Peter Grainger is a well known novelist of mystery fiction, largely focused on detective lead investigations. This his been the prime focus for much of his career, as he takes much of his inspiration from that of other infamous British detectives, such as Inspector Morse. The influence is clearly evident here, as he brings his own detective, DC Smith, to life, along with other books as well. Setting his mysteries firmly within the world of British detective fiction it is clear where his tastes lie as an author of his increasingly popular stories, stories that only increase in popularity as time goes on.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
September 7, 2023
As a huge fan of Grainger’s DC Smith series, I decided to try Lane, the start of another of his series. Well, what a change of pace it was! This is not your staid police procedural. It is truly a thriller, with full out action from almost start to finish.
Lane was a well thought out female action character, a rarity in itself. A former police officer, she lost her job after a bad leg break. Now, she’s “retired” to Cornwall, living next to Emily Smith, a middle aged widow who just that morning was complaining to her son about how bored she was. Little did she know that within hours she would be held hostage by bad folks trying to pressure her son to help them.
This is a short book and as I said, it goes full bore. Fun entertainment and I’ll definitely be checking out to see where the series goes next.
Henrietta Meire did her normal great job as the narrator.
Lane was a well thought out female action character, a rarity in itself. A former police officer, she lost her job after a bad leg break. Now, she’s “retired” to Cornwall, living next to Emily Smith, a middle aged widow who just that morning was complaining to her son about how bored she was. Little did she know that within hours she would be held hostage by bad folks trying to pressure her son to help them.
This is a short book and as I said, it goes full bore. Fun entertainment and I’ll definitely be checking out to see where the series goes next.
Henrietta Meire did her normal great job as the narrator.
April 9, 2017
I am delighted to begin a new series by Grainger. I enjoyed the DC Smith books and probably would not have heard of this author without doing countless searches on Amazon, sifting through their abominable choice of Kindle Unlimited books. As a side note, here on goodreads he is not linked up with all of his books on one profile page for some reason.
This one introduces us to interesting Lane, the mysterious new neighbor. She runs like clockwork, finishes with stretching, and beyond that there is little to know. Emily Willows does her best to elicit information from her, but without success. Emily is the mother of a police detective and knows a little something about the important case he is working on but is taken by surprise when two thugs decide to kidnap her in her own house. Lane had noticed the car they arrived in on surveillance previously and became concerned when she saw these men enter her neighbor's house. She inserts herself into the situation and engineers possible scenarios for escape. It is quite a ride, and I hope the wait will not be long for the second edition.
This one introduces us to interesting Lane, the mysterious new neighbor. She runs like clockwork, finishes with stretching, and beyond that there is little to know. Emily Willows does her best to elicit information from her, but without success. Emily is the mother of a police detective and knows a little something about the important case he is working on but is taken by surprise when two thugs decide to kidnap her in her own house. Lane had noticed the car they arrived in on surveillance previously and became concerned when she saw these men enter her neighbor's house. She inserts herself into the situation and engineers possible scenarios for escape. It is quite a ride, and I hope the wait will not be long for the second edition.
February 9, 2017
I'd love to see this group again!
I have been a big fan of Grainger's DC Smith, and hope he is continuing that series, but this new set of characters is just as wonderful in a completely different way. The action begins immediately and doesn't stop until the reader crashes breathlessly to the end. A whole bunch of interesting threads remain unraveled and it would be great to have sequels with this cast.
I have been a big fan of Grainger's DC Smith, and hope he is continuing that series, but this new set of characters is just as wonderful in a completely different way. The action begins immediately and doesn't stop until the reader crashes breathlessly to the end. A whole bunch of interesting threads remain unraveled and it would be great to have sequels with this cast.
May 11, 2024
I probably should not have read this so soon after the DC Smith series, but I just could not connect with the two main characters unfortunately.
A totally subjective opinion.
A totally subjective opinion.
May 18, 2021
Well, 'Lane' was a pleasant surprise. An action-packed, what's-going-on, how-will-they-get-out-of-this page-turner short enough to be consumed in one sitting and too intriguing to be put down before I knew how it all worked out.
I'd come to 'Lane' after reading the first two of Peter Grainger's DC Smith books, 'An Accidental Death' and 'But For The Grace' which are both atmospheric and thoughtful police procedural novels with a strong DCI as the lead. I'd expected 'Lane' to be something similar, By the time I'd reached the second chapter, I knew I'd found something quite different. This is a story of a crime in progress, not the investigation of a murder and the main character, Lane, is a bit of a mystery from the beginning.
The story starts with a bored widow and mother of a local police detective, Emily Willows, who has lived in her Cornish village for many years, being intrigued by her new, uncommunicative, runs-every-day-despite-having-a-slight-limp neighbour, who bought the cottage next door for cash, is in her thirties and yet claims to be retired. I was just settling down for a cosy mystery with Willows playing amateur sleuth and investigating Lane when something quite unexpected happened: Emily Willows suddenly finds herself in danger in her own home and her only hope of escape comes when her mysterious neighbour inserts herself into the situation. What follows is a fast-paced, action-packed drama in which Lane and Willows live off their wits while the reader tries to figure out what's going on and who Lane is.
It was a thoroughly entertaining ride, that never lagged and often surprised me. My only regret was that the book is a novella, only 163 pages long, so it was over quite quickly. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, there are no loose ends, but it ended just at the point where Willows is about to find out more about Lane. Still, that just means I need to read the second novella in the series, 'One Way Ticket' as soon as possible.
I recommend the audiobook version, narrated by Henrietta Meire. Click on the SoundCloud link below to hear a sample.
https://soundcloud.com/audiolibrary-a...
I'd come to 'Lane' after reading the first two of Peter Grainger's DC Smith books, 'An Accidental Death' and 'But For The Grace' which are both atmospheric and thoughtful police procedural novels with a strong DCI as the lead. I'd expected 'Lane' to be something similar, By the time I'd reached the second chapter, I knew I'd found something quite different. This is a story of a crime in progress, not the investigation of a murder and the main character, Lane, is a bit of a mystery from the beginning.
The story starts with a bored widow and mother of a local police detective, Emily Willows, who has lived in her Cornish village for many years, being intrigued by her new, uncommunicative, runs-every-day-despite-having-a-slight-limp neighbour, who bought the cottage next door for cash, is in her thirties and yet claims to be retired. I was just settling down for a cosy mystery with Willows playing amateur sleuth and investigating Lane when something quite unexpected happened: Emily Willows suddenly finds herself in danger in her own home and her only hope of escape comes when her mysterious neighbour inserts herself into the situation. What follows is a fast-paced, action-packed drama in which Lane and Willows live off their wits while the reader tries to figure out what's going on and who Lane is.
It was a thoroughly entertaining ride, that never lagged and often surprised me. My only regret was that the book is a novella, only 163 pages long, so it was over quite quickly. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, there are no loose ends, but it ended just at the point where Willows is about to find out more about Lane. Still, that just means I need to read the second novella in the series, 'One Way Ticket' as soon as possible.
I recommend the audiobook version, narrated by Henrietta Meire. Click on the SoundCloud link below to hear a sample.
https://soundcloud.com/audiolibrary-a...
June 19, 2021
Enjoyed this more than I expected from the reviews. Peter Grainger is one of my favorite modern writers of fun reading.
June 29, 2024
A lot more action-packed than I expected. A lot more intriguing loose ends, too. PG’s excellent procedural eye (with which I am very familiar from the superb DC Smith series) keeps the cops in line, and all the misadventures are very plausible. Short, sharp and solid.
August 16, 2021
I have read all of the DC Smith mysteries and the King's Lake mysteries that followed. Desperate for more by the author, I found this one from a few years ago. It was wonderful. I loved the two women characters, one Emily Willows the mother of a young policeman and Summer Lane Emily's young next door neighbor, a "retired" cop (because of physical injuries she received on the job). An amazing story involving an attempted kidnapping, a car chase, and hand-to-hand combat (Summer is awe-inspiring!). There must be more books in this possible series...I may go into withdrawal if not!
Beautiful, intelligent writing, well-realized characters, humor, and on the edge of one's seat excitement, I highly recommend this book!
Beautiful, intelligent writing, well-realized characters, humor, and on the edge of one's seat excitement, I highly recommend this book!
June 2, 2025
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I'm always ready for a good chase novel, and this one fit the bill, with the added bonus of putting two very intelligent women in the center of the action. Moving on to book 2.
March 6, 2017
This is a fine read, bit of a thriller in its own way. Mind the first few pages are, unfathomably, dull as ditch water. I started this book 3 times before I could steel myself to get beyond the opening: buying the Friday night chops from the butcher's shop, and the other super dull business that follows. It's as if Grainger was trying to discourage you from reading it. You might want to just cut to the chase.
July 16, 2020
I didn’t much care for this book. After having read several of the DC Smith books, I turned to the Willows and Lane series to try that out. It lacks the warmth, humor and depth of character I’ve come to expect from Mr. Grainger’s books. After hundreds of pages of DC’s wry humor, intelligence, and wisdom, these characters felt flat. The story was rather flat, too, as was the narration by Henrietta Meier.
Disappointing all the way around. I’m glad I have more DC Smith to read!
Disappointing all the way around. I’m glad I have more DC Smith to read!
June 5, 2021
In a big fan of Grainer's DC Smith books but this one was a big disappointment--not very realistic, especially compared to previous ones. I skimmed through a most of it to get to the conclusion. Very much 'Father Brown' instead of 'Morse'. Hopefully, Ms. Lane will turn into a DS again and this series will turn out as good (and realistic as possible) as the Smith and Kings Lake books.
June 3, 2019
While readable, this and the next book in the series are not good introductions to Peter Grainger whose DC Smith series is far better.
February 20, 2020
Is there another? Great characters!
August 23, 2023
Good, sparingly written crime thriller
I truly enjoyed this book, read it in one day. It’s very tightly written. Although set in Cornwall there are no rhapsodies of its beauty, all scenery is described for its usefulness to the plot. The story centers on two characters, Emily Willows a “middle aged” (someone older than 50, perhaps less than 70?) widow living a quiet life in a Cornish village. Her son is a detective, involved in a wide ranging and difficult case to do with people smuggling. Emily acquires a new next door neighbor, a youngish, secretive woman that no amount of charm on Emily’s part can win over.
And then something awful happens to Emily and the only person who can save her is the mysterious young woman. I won’t say more about the plot because, like a good BritBox series, the strength of the book lies in how the story unfolds, details given, details withheld.
I am glad that this is a series, I look forward with great anticipation to reading the next one!
I truly enjoyed this book, read it in one day. It’s very tightly written. Although set in Cornwall there are no rhapsodies of its beauty, all scenery is described for its usefulness to the plot. The story centers on two characters, Emily Willows a “middle aged” (someone older than 50, perhaps less than 70?) widow living a quiet life in a Cornish village. Her son is a detective, involved in a wide ranging and difficult case to do with people smuggling. Emily acquires a new next door neighbor, a youngish, secretive woman that no amount of charm on Emily’s part can win over.
And then something awful happens to Emily and the only person who can save her is the mysterious young woman. I won’t say more about the plot because, like a good BritBox series, the strength of the book lies in how the story unfolds, details given, details withheld.
I am glad that this is a series, I look forward with great anticipation to reading the next one!
April 30, 2024
Well, it’s not DCI Smith and it’s not Norfolk, but it’s possible this could be the start of a female version of Smith, in the shape of a lady called Emily Willow. Peter Grainger has managed to create a new character with dry wit. “So I thought I might take up para-gliding. You know, buy one on eBay and just jump off the cliff one morning” says it all.
I am determined to not give up and see what will happen with a new partnership of a bored middle aged widow, considering para-gliding and her neighbour, Summer Lane, a former detective inspector with a past looking to set up their own detective agency.
Book 2 awaits… and so does my final judgement!
I am determined to not give up and see what will happen with a new partnership of a bored middle aged widow, considering para-gliding and her neighbour, Summer Lane, a former detective inspector with a past looking to set up their own detective agency.
Book 2 awaits… and so does my final judgement!
May 2, 2024
This was quite the thrilling ride, which I was not expecting at all.
The story centres around a middle aged, bored, widow caught up in the plans of a dangerous criminal gang, and her mysterious and very capable neighbour who comes to her rescue. What ensued was really rather good fun. The story is full of action and trots along at quite a pace, with the less exciting bits kept to a minimum in between, and really just there to make sense of the rest of the story.
I listened to this on audible, the narration was very good, the different voices brought the story to life and kept a sense of tension throughout.
I listened to this on a whim really, it isn’t my usual book but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I will definitely read/listen to more by this author and will look out for further books in the series. I highly recommend it.
In short an excellent bit of fun, I could happily have listened to the entire thing in one sitting, it is short and fast paced, hard to fault really.
The story centres around a middle aged, bored, widow caught up in the plans of a dangerous criminal gang, and her mysterious and very capable neighbour who comes to her rescue. What ensued was really rather good fun. The story is full of action and trots along at quite a pace, with the less exciting bits kept to a minimum in between, and really just there to make sense of the rest of the story.
I listened to this on audible, the narration was very good, the different voices brought the story to life and kept a sense of tension throughout.
I listened to this on a whim really, it isn’t my usual book but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I will definitely read/listen to more by this author and will look out for further books in the series. I highly recommend it.
In short an excellent bit of fun, I could happily have listened to the entire thing in one sitting, it is short and fast paced, hard to fault really.
May 12, 2025
Although there was no DC Smith in sight, I enjoyed being glued to this new series, well, not new, they were written before DC, and are not much like them, being thrillers. I have just finished the third, and am sad there are not more. The characters are the main thing, just like the later books, and thrillers or not, are well worth reading because of that fact.
November 14, 2025
Highly enjoyable!
September 2, 2019
Entertaining but too much of the chase.
May 2, 2024
Audio book. Free download.
The first part of this was a bit different and engrossing. An elderly widow, Emily Willows, is held hostage in her own home. She is ‘rescued’ by Summer Lane, an ex policewoman, forced into early retirement through an injury. Both woman are resourceful in their own ways and their escape is a tribute to both of them. However the car chase in the second half was much too long and got a bit boring. I found the police part rather confusing and was not always sure who was who. Partly this was the narrator who sounded bored herself at times. Nevertheless Lane and Willows are an intriguing partnership and I might listen to another one about them.
The first part of this was a bit different and engrossing. An elderly widow, Emily Willows, is held hostage in her own home. She is ‘rescued’ by Summer Lane, an ex policewoman, forced into early retirement through an injury. Both woman are resourceful in their own ways and their escape is a tribute to both of them. However the car chase in the second half was much too long and got a bit boring. I found the police part rather confusing and was not always sure who was who. Partly this was the narrator who sounded bored herself at times. Nevertheless Lane and Willows are an intriguing partnership and I might listen to another one about them.
August 30, 2024
Please, please continue this series after book 3. I loved the characters and the storyline as an introduction. Fast paced exciting different a great author.
August 21, 2025
I have been trying to find a book that got my attention right away. This book satisfied this. The two women in the book were very engaging. Most of the police department were the typical stereotype but in this case a fun counterpoint to the women. Lookin forward to additional books in the series
May 31, 2019
This book had a leisurely start, then took off with a boom. I felt it bogged down some in the middle, but I enjoyed it & liked the 2 main characters. I would probably read the next book.
September 3, 2017
Summer is Coming In
Lane is an interesting character struggling to overcome the physical and mental challenges of her past. The characters are diverse enough which holds promise for this series if that is what happens. Ma Willows needs a tad more depth if she is going to contribute. Good start
Lane is an interesting character struggling to overcome the physical and mental challenges of her past. The characters are diverse enough which holds promise for this series if that is what happens. Ma Willows needs a tad more depth if she is going to contribute. Good start
February 5, 2017
Oh my!
What can I say, I want to know more! Love Lane but Willows takes the cake. Can't wait till the continuation, please hurry.
What can I say, I want to know more! Love Lane but Willows takes the cake. Can't wait till the continuation, please hurry.
December 1, 2019
The narrator of the audiobook is the reason why I could not listen to more than 45 min.
This narration is the most boring, uninspired, tedious I ever heard. The voice is so limp and slap and liveless with allways the same intonation, I could not go on. It was awful.
This narration is the most boring, uninspired, tedious I ever heard. The voice is so limp and slap and liveless with allways the same intonation, I could not go on. It was awful.
August 6, 2017
I think I would enjoy reading anything written by Mr. Grainger but I much prefer the more understated DC Smith to the, might I say, overstated Summer Lane.
October 2, 2017
If Peter Grainger writes it, it's a given that I will read it. He's an excellent author and creates compelling characters in believable mysteries. The D.C. Smith series is a favorite. The books have depth and I loved the reveals over the series.
Here we are introduced to Mrs. Willows and her mysterious neighbor, Ms. Lane. Though lacking the grit and darkness we see in the D.C. Smith characters, Lane is interesting and Willows is marvelous comic relief. I'm looking forward to the next book to see how these two can continue to work together. Summer is coming!
Here we are introduced to Mrs. Willows and her mysterious neighbor, Ms. Lane. Though lacking the grit and darkness we see in the D.C. Smith characters, Lane is interesting and Willows is marvelous comic relief. I'm looking forward to the next book to see how these two can continue to work together. Summer is coming!
October 11, 2018
Not bad at all
Summer Lane, (I hate that name) is one tough ex-cop, who really just wants to be a cop again. Emily Willows is her next door neighbor, and is very curious about the mysterious Ms Lane.
When unexpected trouble arrives at Emily's home, it's the redoubtable Ms Lane to the rescue. Fighting off would-be kidnappers, driving like a race car champion, and thinking fast on her feet, Summer Lane is a force to be reckoned with.
Results: I really enjoyed reading this. It's nice to have a kick butt heroine for a change.
Summer Lane, (I hate that name) is one tough ex-cop, who really just wants to be a cop again. Emily Willows is her next door neighbor, and is very curious about the mysterious Ms Lane.
When unexpected trouble arrives at Emily's home, it's the redoubtable Ms Lane to the rescue. Fighting off would-be kidnappers, driving like a race car champion, and thinking fast on her feet, Summer Lane is a force to be reckoned with.
Results: I really enjoyed reading this. It's nice to have a kick butt heroine for a change.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews