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Jaqueline Silver Adventures #1
The Chemical Detective
Dr Jaq Silver. Skier, scientist, international jet-setter, explosives expert. She blows things up to keep people safe.
Working on avalanche control in Slovenia, Jaq stumbles across a problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, a multinational chemical company, her evidence disappears and she is framed for murder. Jaq must find the key to the mystery.
But can she uncover the truth before her time runs out?
Working on avalanche control in Slovenia, Jaq stumbles across a problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, a multinational chemical company, her evidence disappears and she is framed for murder. Jaq must find the key to the mystery.
But can she uncover the truth before her time runs out?
426 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2019
11 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 4, 2019
This is an unusual high octane thriller from Fiona Erskine, it has an all action scientist heroine in Dr Jacqueline 'Jaq' Silver with a complicated background professionally and with her family, and chemistry, and chemical elements, are a central thread throughout the book. Jaq left Teeside with her reputation under a cloud after a local incident involving the company Zagrovyl, who took over ICI, who originally hired her. Jaq had actually done nothing wrong but she now works for a research centre, Snow Science, in Kransjakabel in Slovenia amidst the Julian Alps. She is a chemical engineer, an explosives expert, working to keep people safe using technical expertise in managing avalanches. Jaq is a strong, fit and determined independent woman with a will of her own that makes her difficult to control. She gets caught up in a delivery with a mix up in the consignment, she takes samples but finds herself in a world of trouble, facing forces that question her competence, mental stability, have her in the frame for more than one murder, are willing to kill her to ensure her silence and threaten her friends.
Jaq moves through various locations including Teeside where she still has her flat, as she tries to find out more about a Dr Camilla Hatton, and meets the slippery Zagrovyl CEO, Frank Good. Jaq finds herself being followed, including a dangerous delivery driver, Boris, with a sideline in eliminating individuals for a strange and shadowy organisation. Jaq finds herself wanted by the British and Slovenian police, as she flees to Portugal and her complicated relationship with her mother. Given a key by a woman who knew her predecessor at Snow Science, Sergei Koval, a man who mysteriously disappeared, Jaq visits the site of the notorious Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine, and finds herself drawn into the zone of alienation, a huge area that frankly will be unfit for human habitation for centuries, and which just happens to harbour other continuing hidden threats. With all the odds against her, disbelieved by everyone, Jaq is nevertheless determined to prevent an illegal global trade in chemical weapons and targets the spider that heads a deadly organisation.
Fiona Erskine writes an intelligent and compelling thriller with a charismatic central protagonist in the kick ass Jaq, a academic and a highly knowledgeable woman when it comes to her area of expertise. The scientific knowledge dripped into the narrative is authentic and done with a light touch courtesy of the author's background in chemical engineering. This brilliant thriller is for those looking for an intelligent and different take on the genre, and looking for a credible female protagonist in a field normally crowded with men. I am not sure whether Erskine in planning to give Jaq other outings, I certainly hope so. A wonderfully entertaining read, with plenty of suspense and tension, and I really appreciated the fascinating locations, particularly that of Chernobyl. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.
Jaq moves through various locations including Teeside where she still has her flat, as she tries to find out more about a Dr Camilla Hatton, and meets the slippery Zagrovyl CEO, Frank Good. Jaq finds herself being followed, including a dangerous delivery driver, Boris, with a sideline in eliminating individuals for a strange and shadowy organisation. Jaq finds herself wanted by the British and Slovenian police, as she flees to Portugal and her complicated relationship with her mother. Given a key by a woman who knew her predecessor at Snow Science, Sergei Koval, a man who mysteriously disappeared, Jaq visits the site of the notorious Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine, and finds herself drawn into the zone of alienation, a huge area that frankly will be unfit for human habitation for centuries, and which just happens to harbour other continuing hidden threats. With all the odds against her, disbelieved by everyone, Jaq is nevertheless determined to prevent an illegal global trade in chemical weapons and targets the spider that heads a deadly organisation.
Fiona Erskine writes an intelligent and compelling thriller with a charismatic central protagonist in the kick ass Jaq, a academic and a highly knowledgeable woman when it comes to her area of expertise. The scientific knowledge dripped into the narrative is authentic and done with a light touch courtesy of the author's background in chemical engineering. This brilliant thriller is for those looking for an intelligent and different take on the genre, and looking for a credible female protagonist in a field normally crowded with men. I am not sure whether Erskine in planning to give Jaq other outings, I certainly hope so. A wonderfully entertaining read, with plenty of suspense and tension, and I really appreciated the fascinating locations, particularly that of Chernobyl. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.
April 2, 2019
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Tired of all your thrillers starring the same slice of male Wonderbread? Look no further. MC Jacqueline Silver is not your average MC. As a chemical engineer working for a Slovenian science company, Jaq orchestrates controlled explosions around the ski slopes to prevent fatal avalanches. Fiercely independent, confident, intelligent and something of a loner, Jaq is a breath of mountain fresh air that just blows you through the entire book. When a shipment of explosive materials appears to be more than a little dicey, Jaq's enquiring mind and devotion to due dilligence set off a chain of events that will see her on the run and fighting for her life. From Slovenia to Teeside, from Chernobyl to Crimea, The Chemical Detective is a race against time using every bit of Jaq's competence and ingenuity.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me when I say I'm a bit of a science nerd. I love chemistry, and this book communicates the utter fascination the subject holds for me but presents it in a way that makes it accessible to all. Erskine somehow walks the invisibly fine line of being clear to the layman but not dumbing the science down for those in her audience in the know. But don't be fooled into thinking this reads like a textbook. It doesn't . There's plenty of action, twists and turns - at times it's incredibly stressful but in the best possible way. I don't say this lightly but it would make a great film. And I don't just mean 'here is a book I would like to see a film adaptation of'. I mean, this would translate well to screen IMO. Reading it often felt like watching a film. It's incredibly fast paced without ever losing sense.
Jaq is a great character. Perhaps an unwitting action hero but all other action heroes can go home from here on out. It's great to see a female lead who's this dynamic and physically competent yet still a fully rounded character. James Bond, Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne wish they were this cool.
All in all, this was an epic read. I'd love to see more of Jaq's adventures in the future. Highly recommended to all thriller fans. I've already recommended to the library service that they buy copies because I can think of a list of my regulars who'll want to read it.
Tired of all your thrillers starring the same slice of male Wonderbread? Look no further. MC Jacqueline Silver is not your average MC. As a chemical engineer working for a Slovenian science company, Jaq orchestrates controlled explosions around the ski slopes to prevent fatal avalanches. Fiercely independent, confident, intelligent and something of a loner, Jaq is a breath of mountain fresh air that just blows you through the entire book. When a shipment of explosive materials appears to be more than a little dicey, Jaq's enquiring mind and devotion to due dilligence set off a chain of events that will see her on the run and fighting for her life. From Slovenia to Teeside, from Chernobyl to Crimea, The Chemical Detective is a race against time using every bit of Jaq's competence and ingenuity.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me when I say I'm a bit of a science nerd. I love chemistry, and this book communicates the utter fascination the subject holds for me but presents it in a way that makes it accessible to all. Erskine somehow walks the invisibly fine line of being clear to the layman but not dumbing the science down for those in her audience in the know. But don't be fooled into thinking this reads like a textbook. It doesn't . There's plenty of action, twists and turns - at times it's incredibly stressful but in the best possible way. I don't say this lightly but it would make a great film. And I don't just mean 'here is a book I would like to see a film adaptation of'. I mean, this would translate well to screen IMO. Reading it often felt like watching a film. It's incredibly fast paced without ever losing sense.
Jaq is a great character. Perhaps an unwitting action hero but all other action heroes can go home from here on out. It's great to see a female lead who's this dynamic and physically competent yet still a fully rounded character. James Bond, Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne wish they were this cool.
All in all, this was an epic read. I'd love to see more of Jaq's adventures in the future. Highly recommended to all thriller fans. I've already recommended to the library service that they buy copies because I can think of a list of my regulars who'll want to read it.
March 2, 2019
I really wanted to like ‘The Chemical Detective’, but I really, really didn’t. It has a fun compromise and an engaging and refreshingly different heroine, but the prose completely failed to grab my attention.
Let’s start with the good stuff. It begins strongly, with protagonist Jaq suspecting something is fishy with a delivery at her work. Jaq works as a scientist at a company that monitors and tries to improve the quality of the snow at a ski resort. She has the makings of a great heroine, intelligent, passionate and determined. She also takes time out from her investigating to have lots of sex with a younger man. The fact that she is an older woman was refreshing, especially in a book with a straight up thriller plot, but it wasn’t enough to save the book for me.
I was gripped by the first few chapters, but as the plot developed I found myself less and less engaged by it. Part of the problem is that while Jaq is interesting, there are also loads of chapters dedicated to Frank Good, the ruthless CEO of a mysterious chemical company that is wrapped up in the shady goings on. Frank is a far less interesting to read than Jaq, and I found all the detail on corporate life in his chapters really dull. At 432 pages the book isn’t exactly short, and I can’t help feeling that a shorter edit that focussed much more on Jaq would have been more fun to read.
To be fair, things do pick up later on, with a fairly gripping section set in the ruins of Chernobyl, but by then I’d pretty much lost interest. On paper, an international investigation into chemical weapons sounds like a topical and promising plot. In reality I’m afraid I found it implausible and not at all gripping.
I think there’s a really good book in here somewhere, and I’ll be interested to see what author Fiona Erskine writes next. Unfortunately, ‘The Chemical Detective’ is too long, too slow and too bogged down in unnecessary detail to really thrill.
See more of my crime and thriller reviews on CriminOlly.wordpress.com
Let’s start with the good stuff. It begins strongly, with protagonist Jaq suspecting something is fishy with a delivery at her work. Jaq works as a scientist at a company that monitors and tries to improve the quality of the snow at a ski resort. She has the makings of a great heroine, intelligent, passionate and determined. She also takes time out from her investigating to have lots of sex with a younger man. The fact that she is an older woman was refreshing, especially in a book with a straight up thriller plot, but it wasn’t enough to save the book for me.
I was gripped by the first few chapters, but as the plot developed I found myself less and less engaged by it. Part of the problem is that while Jaq is interesting, there are also loads of chapters dedicated to Frank Good, the ruthless CEO of a mysterious chemical company that is wrapped up in the shady goings on. Frank is a far less interesting to read than Jaq, and I found all the detail on corporate life in his chapters really dull. At 432 pages the book isn’t exactly short, and I can’t help feeling that a shorter edit that focussed much more on Jaq would have been more fun to read.
To be fair, things do pick up later on, with a fairly gripping section set in the ruins of Chernobyl, but by then I’d pretty much lost interest. On paper, an international investigation into chemical weapons sounds like a topical and promising plot. In reality I’m afraid I found it implausible and not at all gripping.
I think there’s a really good book in here somewhere, and I’ll be interested to see what author Fiona Erskine writes next. Unfortunately, ‘The Chemical Detective’ is too long, too slow and too bogged down in unnecessary detail to really thrill.
See more of my crime and thriller reviews on CriminOlly.wordpress.com
March 11, 2019
Smart, sexy and utterly compelling
There’s a scene near the beginning of Fiona Erskine’s thriller The Chemical Detective shortly after we meet the titular character, Dr Jaq Silver, that tells you what kind of book you’re holding. It’s the morning after the night before, during which Jaq met an attractive stranger, when we catch up with her, in the flat of the now naked, now-not-so-stranger. It’s a Hollywood-sexy introduction to an independent, dynamic character who knows what she wants and goes for it. But Jaq needs something from her bag, and when we’re introduced to the bag – almost a character in its own right – and the contents, which include, among the things you’d usually expect, sandpaper, Allen keys, duct tape, a fold-up kite, a packet of dried apricots and a green marble. That’s Jaq. Practical, fun, human... real.
Jaq is an explosives expert at an Alpine research centre studying artificial glaciers. She knows her stuff, and while a facet of her character that gets her into trouble is her propensity to regard rules as guidelines, she’s definitely no identikit maverick. This being a thriller, it isn’t long before we start to get into explosions, chases, fights and a sequence of glamorous and not-so-glamorous settings, but two things set The Chemical Detective apart. One is Jaq, who is instantly engaging with all her foibles and unique knowledge, and the other is the science. That’s right – it’s science that makes this book sparkle. While Jaq knows her stuff, author Fiona Erskine really knows her stuff, having worked in chemical engineering since she graduated from university. But more than that, she knows how to take real, practical science and weave it into a pulse-pounding story. A lot of people I meet seem to think of facts as something that get in the way of good fiction. This is a perennial debate in genres such as crime and science fiction, where there are those with the notion that getting the detail right must lead to inherently boring books. In the hands of an author with Erskine’s skill, subjects like chemical engineering can provide fertile ground for compelling fiction – and The Chemical Detective is utterly compelling. If you need proof of how chemical formulae, radioactive half-lives and the safety processes that led to a real life nuclear disaster can weave into an absorbing novel, look no further than the Chemical Detective.
The book centres around a shadowy group moving illegal chemicals internationally, by means and for reasons unknown, but which involves a brutal chemist-cum-trucker-cum-hitman and a genuinely scary puppetmaster. At the centre is a multinational chemicals company, Zagrovyl, with boss Frank Good at the helm, whose involvement in it all is as murky as the caper itself. Jaq stumbles across the plot and is soon drawn into a world even more dangerous than her day job, which is saying something, given the latter involves explosives and deliberately triggering avalanches. From the moment Jaq is snared, the pace doesn’t let up for a moment. To call The Chemical Detective page-turning would be an understatement. At times my proof resembled a flickbook. The narrative twists and turns will keep even the most clued-in reader guessing, and the cast of characters are so individual and true to life you’ll feel you’ve really met them. Some of them you’ll be glad you haven’t, for which special mention goes to the über-creep Frank Good and the chilling Spider.
I tore through The Chemical Detective, enjoyed every moment and was sorry when it was over. Can’t wait for Jaq’s return in the next installment.
There’s a scene near the beginning of Fiona Erskine’s thriller The Chemical Detective shortly after we meet the titular character, Dr Jaq Silver, that tells you what kind of book you’re holding. It’s the morning after the night before, during which Jaq met an attractive stranger, when we catch up with her, in the flat of the now naked, now-not-so-stranger. It’s a Hollywood-sexy introduction to an independent, dynamic character who knows what she wants and goes for it. But Jaq needs something from her bag, and when we’re introduced to the bag – almost a character in its own right – and the contents, which include, among the things you’d usually expect, sandpaper, Allen keys, duct tape, a fold-up kite, a packet of dried apricots and a green marble. That’s Jaq. Practical, fun, human... real.
Jaq is an explosives expert at an Alpine research centre studying artificial glaciers. She knows her stuff, and while a facet of her character that gets her into trouble is her propensity to regard rules as guidelines, she’s definitely no identikit maverick. This being a thriller, it isn’t long before we start to get into explosions, chases, fights and a sequence of glamorous and not-so-glamorous settings, but two things set The Chemical Detective apart. One is Jaq, who is instantly engaging with all her foibles and unique knowledge, and the other is the science. That’s right – it’s science that makes this book sparkle. While Jaq knows her stuff, author Fiona Erskine really knows her stuff, having worked in chemical engineering since she graduated from university. But more than that, she knows how to take real, practical science and weave it into a pulse-pounding story. A lot of people I meet seem to think of facts as something that get in the way of good fiction. This is a perennial debate in genres such as crime and science fiction, where there are those with the notion that getting the detail right must lead to inherently boring books. In the hands of an author with Erskine’s skill, subjects like chemical engineering can provide fertile ground for compelling fiction – and The Chemical Detective is utterly compelling. If you need proof of how chemical formulae, radioactive half-lives and the safety processes that led to a real life nuclear disaster can weave into an absorbing novel, look no further than the Chemical Detective.
The book centres around a shadowy group moving illegal chemicals internationally, by means and for reasons unknown, but which involves a brutal chemist-cum-trucker-cum-hitman and a genuinely scary puppetmaster. At the centre is a multinational chemicals company, Zagrovyl, with boss Frank Good at the helm, whose involvement in it all is as murky as the caper itself. Jaq stumbles across the plot and is soon drawn into a world even more dangerous than her day job, which is saying something, given the latter involves explosives and deliberately triggering avalanches. From the moment Jaq is snared, the pace doesn’t let up for a moment. To call The Chemical Detective page-turning would be an understatement. At times my proof resembled a flickbook. The narrative twists and turns will keep even the most clued-in reader guessing, and the cast of characters are so individual and true to life you’ll feel you’ve really met them. Some of them you’ll be glad you haven’t, for which special mention goes to the über-creep Frank Good and the chilling Spider.
I tore through The Chemical Detective, enjoyed every moment and was sorry when it was over. Can’t wait for Jaq’s return in the next installment.
March 14, 2019
Imagine the Da Vinci Code with explosives instead of artwork and an industrial chemist replacing the academic art historian. Or think of any of the Ludlum thrillers in which the professional protagonist discovers a nefarious global conspiracy; is neatly framed by the nefarious bad guys, and goes on the run to reveal the nefarious truth and save his professional ass. That’s pretty much what you’ve got here…
…except that he is a she, and a pretty convincing polymath she certainly is. Dr Silver is smart, assertive, a little short on people skills and very long on accomplishment. She’s multilingual, an excellent skier, published research scientist, superb swimmer and a skilled motorcyclist with a sharp eye for a well-filled pair of ski pants. Author Fiona Erskine wisely steers Dr Silver away from improbable feats of physical prowess in the hand to hand combat dept.
Instead we get a very clever expose of an all too plausible situation, one which rings big bells in today’s unstable geopolitical situation. Silver is bounced back and forth from Slovenia to Teeside, from the Lake District to Belarus, following a deadly chemical trail. She uncovers corporate corruption, board-level complicity, bad guys called Boris who inevitably attempt to kill her, handsome ski instructors who might just be too good to be true – and multiple missing people who asked too many awkward questions.
I massively enjoyed the minor detours – actually pivotal to the plot – into the world of explosives, isotopes and physical chemistry. Erskine makes the science a central strand of the story, and the scene in which Silver calculates the physics of falling from a cliff immediately became one of my all-time faves.
The nefarious dudes were a little less convincing. The corporate slimeball rang every single sleazebag bell in the male chauvinist pig handbook and he would have been more credible, to me, if he were a little less obviously awful. Bad boy Boris was a bit overplayed, too.
A couple of the setbacks and switch backs felt surplus to requirements; there was a bit of Bourne-esque running on the spot when I was keen to cut the chase and get to the rewarding bit of the reveal.
The ending was entirely satisfying, however, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dr Silver. She should probably be recruited to some WMD-seeking NATO or UN taskforce for a future adventure – and if she is then I’ll definitely hit the download button.
7/10
There are more reviews of crime / thrillers over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
…except that he is a she, and a pretty convincing polymath she certainly is. Dr Silver is smart, assertive, a little short on people skills and very long on accomplishment. She’s multilingual, an excellent skier, published research scientist, superb swimmer and a skilled motorcyclist with a sharp eye for a well-filled pair of ski pants. Author Fiona Erskine wisely steers Dr Silver away from improbable feats of physical prowess in the hand to hand combat dept.
Instead we get a very clever expose of an all too plausible situation, one which rings big bells in today’s unstable geopolitical situation. Silver is bounced back and forth from Slovenia to Teeside, from the Lake District to Belarus, following a deadly chemical trail. She uncovers corporate corruption, board-level complicity, bad guys called Boris who inevitably attempt to kill her, handsome ski instructors who might just be too good to be true – and multiple missing people who asked too many awkward questions.
I massively enjoyed the minor detours – actually pivotal to the plot – into the world of explosives, isotopes and physical chemistry. Erskine makes the science a central strand of the story, and the scene in which Silver calculates the physics of falling from a cliff immediately became one of my all-time faves.
The nefarious dudes were a little less convincing. The corporate slimeball rang every single sleazebag bell in the male chauvinist pig handbook and he would have been more credible, to me, if he were a little less obviously awful. Bad boy Boris was a bit overplayed, too.
A couple of the setbacks and switch backs felt surplus to requirements; there was a bit of Bourne-esque running on the spot when I was keen to cut the chase and get to the rewarding bit of the reveal.
The ending was entirely satisfying, however, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dr Silver. She should probably be recruited to some WMD-seeking NATO or UN taskforce for a future adventure – and if she is then I’ll definitely hit the download button.
7/10
There are more reviews of crime / thrillers over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
July 2, 2019
Jaq Silver is a scientist, a chemist working with explosives. She accidentally becomes involved with some dangerous people when she finds something in a delivery to her lab that she was never supposed to find. Jaq soon finds herself up to her eyeballs in danger with no way out, and doesn't know who she can trust.
The Chemical Detective is not a detective story. I thought when I started reading the book that Jaq would be a sassy scientist turned detective, but actually she has no idea what she's doing, other than being a good scientist. When trouble comes looking for Jaq, she does what any normal person would do and runs away. But, her scientific mind must find out what is going on and so she does all she can to uncover the truth.
The story is fast-paced at times and keeps going despite there being quite a few times it seems like the end of the road for Jaq. Although it is very far-fetched it is entertaining, and Jaq is an amazingly tenacious character who you want to stick with until the very end. She is a good protagonist because she was completely unprepared for what happened in the book and just did her best to make it through; she wasn't suddenly some superwoman with martial arts skills, it was a lot more subtle than that.
I enjoyed the book because it was unpredictable and inventive. It was certainly a good story even though it is not a detective story! I enjoyed the scientific aspects of the story as they added a bit of extra interest and I always like to learn something I didn't know before.
I would say that this is more of an action thriller than a detective story, but I still enjoyed it.
The Chemical Detective is not a detective story. I thought when I started reading the book that Jaq would be a sassy scientist turned detective, but actually she has no idea what she's doing, other than being a good scientist. When trouble comes looking for Jaq, she does what any normal person would do and runs away. But, her scientific mind must find out what is going on and so she does all she can to uncover the truth.
The story is fast-paced at times and keeps going despite there being quite a few times it seems like the end of the road for Jaq. Although it is very far-fetched it is entertaining, and Jaq is an amazingly tenacious character who you want to stick with until the very end. She is a good protagonist because she was completely unprepared for what happened in the book and just did her best to make it through; she wasn't suddenly some superwoman with martial arts skills, it was a lot more subtle than that.
I enjoyed the book because it was unpredictable and inventive. It was certainly a good story even though it is not a detective story! I enjoyed the scientific aspects of the story as they added a bit of extra interest and I always like to learn something I didn't know before.
I would say that this is more of an action thriller than a detective story, but I still enjoyed it.
February 28, 2019
Review to follow for the tour.
April 12, 2019
4.5*
Chemical thriller set across EUROPE and more...
The Chemical Detective is a great debut thriller by Fiona Erskine – a talent to watch out for. It opens in Slovenia where Dr Jaqueline Silver (Jaq) is working for Snow Science as an explosives expert – keeping the pistes clear of avalanche threats.
But something is wrong in the paperwork for the explosives that arrive with her from Teesside in the UK. The paperwork does not match the quantity or quality of explosives that are delivered. She reports the discrepancy to her line boss, but her concerns are dismissed. She is then falsely blamed for an explosion in a store at Snow Science and is fired. She decides to investigate just what is going on.
She visits Teesside and is nearly killed. Someone does not like what she is doing. She returns to Slovenia and the trail then leads her on to Belarus and Ukraine – and to the Chernobyl exclusion zone. An area where strange and unexplained things happen… She is in great danger.
The story moves to an action packed and breath-taking finale on the coast of Crimea.
The Chemical Detective is a far ranging and well informed piece of work. It is pretty technical at times in its chemistry but this is expertly handled by Fiona Erskine. Fiona is a chemical engineer by training – and many of the locations in the book are places where she has worked. She is at pains to point out that the organisations and events she mentions are not real, but they read as if they could be. Moving chemicals (especially explosives) around Europe is a business that could very well be abused by the unscrupulous. The opportunities for fraud and worse are certainly there…
In TripFiction terms the locations are well and convincingly described – ranging from the bleakness of the North East of England (Teesside is especially depressing…) through the snow covered slopes of Slovenia to the ‘delights’ of Minsk and the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
The Chemical Detective is a book well worth reading, and Fiona Erskine is an author well worth looking out for in the future.
Chemical thriller set across EUROPE and more...
The Chemical Detective is a great debut thriller by Fiona Erskine – a talent to watch out for. It opens in Slovenia where Dr Jaqueline Silver (Jaq) is working for Snow Science as an explosives expert – keeping the pistes clear of avalanche threats.
But something is wrong in the paperwork for the explosives that arrive with her from Teesside in the UK. The paperwork does not match the quantity or quality of explosives that are delivered. She reports the discrepancy to her line boss, but her concerns are dismissed. She is then falsely blamed for an explosion in a store at Snow Science and is fired. She decides to investigate just what is going on.
She visits Teesside and is nearly killed. Someone does not like what she is doing. She returns to Slovenia and the trail then leads her on to Belarus and Ukraine – and to the Chernobyl exclusion zone. An area where strange and unexplained things happen… She is in great danger.
The story moves to an action packed and breath-taking finale on the coast of Crimea.
The Chemical Detective is a far ranging and well informed piece of work. It is pretty technical at times in its chemistry but this is expertly handled by Fiona Erskine. Fiona is a chemical engineer by training – and many of the locations in the book are places where she has worked. She is at pains to point out that the organisations and events she mentions are not real, but they read as if they could be. Moving chemicals (especially explosives) around Europe is a business that could very well be abused by the unscrupulous. The opportunities for fraud and worse are certainly there…
In TripFiction terms the locations are well and convincingly described – ranging from the bleakness of the North East of England (Teesside is especially depressing…) through the snow covered slopes of Slovenia to the ‘delights’ of Minsk and the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
The Chemical Detective is a book well worth reading, and Fiona Erskine is an author well worth looking out for in the future.
February 25, 2022
An extraordinary debut. The author has mastered the craft of building tension, of forging an effective narrative structure, of developing character - so much so it seems to be the work of a veteran crime thriller writer with a dozen books under her belt already. She plants enough questions in the reader's mind to force the pace ever onwards. Who are these people? Why are they doing this? What is this material being lugged across Europe in hauliers' trucks? What are they hiding? The heroine is tough and intelligent with ample self-awareness and emotional depth but by no means invulnerable - thankfully, a far cry from the Jack Reachers of this fictional world. There's plenty of risk, with the innocent in grave danger that had me biting my nails. The author has also dug deep into her own experience as a professional chemical engineer to provide authenticity and fascinating scientific detail. This compelling and unusual tale really is hard to stop reading once begun.
March 3, 2019
A unique novel this one! Talk about some random locations! This has places from Teeside all the way to the nuclear power plant site of Chernobyl. The author has experience of working in the industry so it's all very authentic and realistic. There's a sense of a road trip as well as the lorries deliver supplies across the Balkans. You get a real insight into the nuclear power and engineering industries. More than that., it's a rip roaring ride of a plot...
Visit the locations in the novel here
April 9, 2019
This, a story made-up by the writer, initially for her own enjoyment and the pleasure then generously shared, is a tumultuous hurtle of a tale, racing from Teesside which I know and recognised, to many other places that I've never visited (but now feel a little more familiar with).
Jaq is a hands-on (in several ways) ballsy lady and the supporting cast numerous and potentially double-sided, double-crossing. That the chemistry is beyond me (less so the nuclear physics) is my loss but I was especially enchanted to learn about the Russian derivation for engineer.
I'll no doubt have recovered my breath by the time Jaq begins her next adventure.
Jaq is a hands-on (in several ways) ballsy lady and the supporting cast numerous and potentially double-sided, double-crossing. That the chemistry is beyond me (less so the nuclear physics) is my loss but I was especially enchanted to learn about the Russian derivation for engineer.
I'll no doubt have recovered my breath by the time Jaq begins her next adventure.
February 19, 2020
Brilliant x cant wait for book 2
April 2, 2020
Action packed thriller with a modern heroine....sometimes a little over-the-top but entertaining read nonetheless.
Read
December 18, 2025No, not for me anymore, couldn't connect with the characters.
February 3, 2024
A female ChemE written book about a female ChemE?! What’s better than that! Haha! The plot was good & def ramped up in the 2nd half. The best part though was that every time something engineering came up & I’d think “hmm I’ll have to look that up after I finish reading to know more”, The author would explain it on the next page in character! My nerdy self loved it haha!
Some of the Frank Good chapters were tough to get through due to his disgustingness, but I think that was the point. So well done.
Some of the Frank Good chapters were tough to get through due to his disgustingness, but I think that was the point. So well done.
January 1, 2022
A really clever spy/murder thriller. A chemical engineer protagonist solves mysterious trans-Europe coming and goings with a sprinkling of science and shovel-fulls of twists and turns. Fun, puzzling, and ultimately satisfying.
I loved the descriptions of all the locations around East and West Europe, and especially the exclusion zone around Chernobyl. Brilliant characterisation.
I loved the descriptions of all the locations around East and West Europe, and especially the exclusion zone around Chernobyl. Brilliant characterisation.
February 21, 2022
A cross between James Bond & Jack Reacher, female version.
Certainly action-packed. An enjoyable, fast moving story, especially as some of the North Yorkshire towns are familiar!
Certainly action-packed. An enjoyable, fast moving story, especially as some of the North Yorkshire towns are familiar!
October 13, 2021
I enjoyed quite a lot about this - the interesting use of a chemical engineer as the main protagonist, a variety of settings for the action (some very familiar, some much less so) and a plot and pace which kept me involved throughout a complex set of twists and turns. Certainly giving the novel a unique slant in the genre.
I did however find it a little over descriptive in places (not so much the length to which things were described, more that everything seemed to be described at times) and also - for all that I appreciated the ‘female character in a man’s world’ idea did offer a lot of insightful opportunities, the heroine was instilled with far too many resources of luck, strength, expertise, foresight and motivation to be somewhat unbelievable (as male protagonists in other thrillers often tend to be). I struggle to ‘buy’ all these characters who faced with barrier after barrier, and bad guy after bad guy, don’t just realise it’s a bad idea to stick your nose in any further and therefore just give up.
I did however find it a little over descriptive in places (not so much the length to which things were described, more that everything seemed to be described at times) and also - for all that I appreciated the ‘female character in a man’s world’ idea did offer a lot of insightful opportunities, the heroine was instilled with far too many resources of luck, strength, expertise, foresight and motivation to be somewhat unbelievable (as male protagonists in other thrillers often tend to be). I struggle to ‘buy’ all these characters who faced with barrier after barrier, and bad guy after bad guy, don’t just realise it’s a bad idea to stick your nose in any further and therefore just give up.
September 15, 2019
The science part is good but the mini plots and twists are very silly and overly convoluted (the main plot is very good though). And the writing didn't help either, it read like a rough draft.
January 16, 2020
This read takes us through what Dr Jaq Silver an explosive expert who works on the control of avalanches has to go through to solve a frame up against her from the wrong dispatch of explosives from her company’s supplier. A thriller-science mix which takes me back to high school chemistry class but with updated knowledge as well as an insight into chemical compounds which are hazardous for humans.
The book did a good one by showing us how she solved the case which she was framed up for apart from the extensive chemical names which is used in the book it is written in a form which is easy to understand the writing is very descriptive well detailed,a read i would recommend to lovers of science fiction and also for readers who want to know more about explosives also about harmful radioactive compounds.
Thank you One World Publication or #gifting me this in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2019
"Forget about the past. Forget about the future. Focus on the moment. Focus on the pleasure."
DR Jar Silver, skier, scientist, international jet-setter, explosives expert.
Working on an avalanche control in Slovenia, Jaq stumbles across a problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, a multinational chemical company, her evidence disappears. Jaq is warned, threatened, accused of professional incompetence and suspended. Taking her complaint further, she narrowly escapes death only to be framed for murder. Escaping from police custody, she sets out to find the key to the mystery.
Racing between the snowy slopes of Slovenia and the ghostly ruins of Chernobyl, can she uncover the truth before her time runs out?
I was kindly sent an ARC of this book by Point Blank at One World Publications and asked to be part of their blog tour on Wednesday 3rd April 2019. Firstly I want to say thank you to Point Blank and the wonderful author Fiona Erskine for giving me an early opportunity to read this book.
From the moment I was sent the synopsis of this book I knew it was something that I had to read. It sounded as if it would be full of mystery and definitely a book that was going to pull me in from start to finish. This book did exactly that and did not disappoint.
The Chemical Detective is very slow burning in relation to the plot and its general development, but for me that is not a criticism. Instead of giving me everything that I wanted straight away, Fiona constantly left me wanting more and more which made me struggle to put the book down. It is worth noting that I devoured this book in one sitting, not because I wanted to get it over and done with but because I just could not put it down. At the end of each chapter I found myself wanting to continue. Not many books can do that to me, so bravo Fiona! The slow burn in particular really sets you up for an explosive plot twist that you do not see coming. Fiona's writing style can really lead you up one path, expecting to know what is coming next and then BAM theres a completely different path in a completely different direction ... didn't see that coming did you?
The novel itself is so beautifully written, I found it so easy to imagine what Fiona was describing, whether that be a situation, character or particular location .. even the food that a character was eating.
"He served the scrambled eggs on toasted crumpets, a thin sliver of pink salmon sandwiched above the little craters of butter, turning opaque where it touched the hot egg piled in a pyramid and topped with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and sprig of parsley"
I dare you to tell me that the wonderful descriptive writing above has not made you think about salmon and eggs on crumpets and made you particularly hungry. You would be lying if you said it didn't. I digress .. I know what the protagonist had for breakfast is not what you look for in a review but I just couldn't help myself, it is such a beautiful writing style. You can expect that kind of visually descriptive writing throughout the book which I feel like really adds to the experience of the reader.
The book is described as a high-octane feminist thriller and that could not be more accurate. Our main protagonist is a sassy female, a strong, intelligent and independent character who is like a breath of fresh air to read about. I really liked her character she grew on me as the plot thickened and even more likeable traits came to light throughout. Honestly, she might be one of my favourite characters in a thriller that I have read. I find that characters in thrillers tend to be arrogant and unlikeable however Jaq was the complete opposite and I really enjoyed reading about her.
I was kindly sent a press release with this book which told me a little bit about the author. Fiona is a profession chemical engineer and that really is apparent in her writing. She is clearly a very intelligent female, one of which I admire. Some part of this book can be very science heavy and I found myself having to concentrate more than I would have liked in order to understand it in parts. Please don't let this put you off, I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of science so it seemed to go over my head but this does not have a negative impact on the story. It certainly didn't put me off finishing and enjoying the book.
The Chemical Detective is Fiona's debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I definitely believe that someone with a scientific background would enjoy this book even more. Thank you Fiona for bringing this book into the world, I cannot wait to read the next instalment.
Again, thank you to One World Publications for giving me this fantastic opportunity.
DR Jar Silver, skier, scientist, international jet-setter, explosives expert.
Working on an avalanche control in Slovenia, Jaq stumbles across a problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, a multinational chemical company, her evidence disappears. Jaq is warned, threatened, accused of professional incompetence and suspended. Taking her complaint further, she narrowly escapes death only to be framed for murder. Escaping from police custody, she sets out to find the key to the mystery.
Racing between the snowy slopes of Slovenia and the ghostly ruins of Chernobyl, can she uncover the truth before her time runs out?
I was kindly sent an ARC of this book by Point Blank at One World Publications and asked to be part of their blog tour on Wednesday 3rd April 2019. Firstly I want to say thank you to Point Blank and the wonderful author Fiona Erskine for giving me an early opportunity to read this book.
From the moment I was sent the synopsis of this book I knew it was something that I had to read. It sounded as if it would be full of mystery and definitely a book that was going to pull me in from start to finish. This book did exactly that and did not disappoint.
The Chemical Detective is very slow burning in relation to the plot and its general development, but for me that is not a criticism. Instead of giving me everything that I wanted straight away, Fiona constantly left me wanting more and more which made me struggle to put the book down. It is worth noting that I devoured this book in one sitting, not because I wanted to get it over and done with but because I just could not put it down. At the end of each chapter I found myself wanting to continue. Not many books can do that to me, so bravo Fiona! The slow burn in particular really sets you up for an explosive plot twist that you do not see coming. Fiona's writing style can really lead you up one path, expecting to know what is coming next and then BAM theres a completely different path in a completely different direction ... didn't see that coming did you?
The novel itself is so beautifully written, I found it so easy to imagine what Fiona was describing, whether that be a situation, character or particular location .. even the food that a character was eating.
"He served the scrambled eggs on toasted crumpets, a thin sliver of pink salmon sandwiched above the little craters of butter, turning opaque where it touched the hot egg piled in a pyramid and topped with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and sprig of parsley"
I dare you to tell me that the wonderful descriptive writing above has not made you think about salmon and eggs on crumpets and made you particularly hungry. You would be lying if you said it didn't. I digress .. I know what the protagonist had for breakfast is not what you look for in a review but I just couldn't help myself, it is such a beautiful writing style. You can expect that kind of visually descriptive writing throughout the book which I feel like really adds to the experience of the reader.
The book is described as a high-octane feminist thriller and that could not be more accurate. Our main protagonist is a sassy female, a strong, intelligent and independent character who is like a breath of fresh air to read about. I really liked her character she grew on me as the plot thickened and even more likeable traits came to light throughout. Honestly, she might be one of my favourite characters in a thriller that I have read. I find that characters in thrillers tend to be arrogant and unlikeable however Jaq was the complete opposite and I really enjoyed reading about her.
I was kindly sent a press release with this book which told me a little bit about the author. Fiona is a profession chemical engineer and that really is apparent in her writing. She is clearly a very intelligent female, one of which I admire. Some part of this book can be very science heavy and I found myself having to concentrate more than I would have liked in order to understand it in parts. Please don't let this put you off, I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of science so it seemed to go over my head but this does not have a negative impact on the story. It certainly didn't put me off finishing and enjoying the book.
The Chemical Detective is Fiona's debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I definitely believe that someone with a scientific background would enjoy this book even more. Thank you Fiona for bringing this book into the world, I cannot wait to read the next instalment.
Again, thank you to One World Publications for giving me this fantastic opportunity.
February 11, 2022
Picked this up at Newcastle Noir Book Festival.
Interesting premise from a writer based on Teesside, so mentions of places I know.
This lady knows her stuff....
I did find it a bit chemically wordy at times but quite like the character & want more of the back story.
Having watched the mini series & documentary about Chernobyl, it was interesting to have this in the book too.
Interesting premise from a writer based on Teesside, so mentions of places I know.
This lady knows her stuff....
I did find it a bit chemically wordy at times but quite like the character & want more of the back story.
Having watched the mini series & documentary about Chernobyl, it was interesting to have this in the book too.
September 16, 2022
This is a fascinating book, I loved the scientific basis to the story and the global aspect was fascinating, at times the heroine annoyed me with just how trusting she was of random people for a smart lady. The side characters in the novel are also excellent, a great read especially if you’re a fan of thrillers, I’ll definitely read more from this author 4.5* from me
October 9, 2024
MY THOUGHTS -
Well that was exciting!
Now this is the kind of book that should be made into a movie! This was so good!
I swear I literally felt like I was reading about a superhero! Loved Jaq! “Too smart for her own good, that one.” ~ my new favorite female character!
Halfway through the book... I was reading as fast as I could, flipping the pages of my Kindle faster and faster. My heart was racing just like Jaq’s was. I was right there with her.
Of course, not being proficient in chemical engineering, or even science for that matter, lol there were parts of this book in the beginning that went over my head. The beginning, for me was very technical, a lot of details, but I think it was all totally necessary. All this information will be used later in the book.
The author does a great job with the flow. The more I read, the more I understood. And the more I read, the more I loved Jaq, explosives expert/rockstar/superhero! About 30% into it I really started to love it. About 50% into it - I started to put the pieces together. It all started making sense.
With its jaw dropping action, this was kind of like reading a female James Bond book. So much Fun!
Oh my gosh... I'm so ready for book two! Bring it on.
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours - Thank You!!
Well that was exciting!
Now this is the kind of book that should be made into a movie! This was so good!
I swear I literally felt like I was reading about a superhero! Loved Jaq! “Too smart for her own good, that one.” ~ my new favorite female character!
Halfway through the book... I was reading as fast as I could, flipping the pages of my Kindle faster and faster. My heart was racing just like Jaq’s was. I was right there with her.
Of course, not being proficient in chemical engineering, or even science for that matter, lol there were parts of this book in the beginning that went over my head. The beginning, for me was very technical, a lot of details, but I think it was all totally necessary. All this information will be used later in the book.
The author does a great job with the flow. The more I read, the more I understood. And the more I read, the more I loved Jaq, explosives expert/rockstar/superhero! About 30% into it I really started to love it. About 50% into it - I started to put the pieces together. It all started making sense.
With its jaw dropping action, this was kind of like reading a female James Bond book. So much Fun!
Oh my gosh... I'm so ready for book two! Bring it on.
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours - Thank You!!
July 31, 2020
Wouldn’t you like to read an action thriller that features a strong yet credible female scientist as its protagonist? Well, look no further because Fiona Erskine’s debut novel,
The Chemical Detective
(Point Blank; 2019) delivers.
The central character, Jacqueline Silver, is a chemical engineer who works for a research center, Snow Science, in Slovenia. She studies artificial glaciers and works to keep people safe using her expertise with explosives to manage avalanches. So when a consignment of explosives is delivered with inaccurate paperwork, Jaq reports this to her boss, who dismisses her concerns. Confused and suspicious, Jaq does what any competent professional would do: she takes samples and investigates. After the shipment mysteriously disappears, she takes her concerns to corporate headquarters in Britain. But instead of rewarding her diligence, she is attacked by her employer who openly questions her mental health, accuses her of professional incompetence and then falsely blames her for an explosion at the research center before suspending her from her job. But even after all that pushback, Jaq continues to investigate the matter, and ends up narrowly escaping death before she is framed for murder.
Jaq ends up on the run from the Slovenian and British police. She travels from the snowy Slovenian Alps to the bleakness of England’s Lake District, to other locations in Europe — and even to the devastation of the Chernobyl exclusion zone — all places where the author has lived and worked so you feel like you are right there alongside Jaq as she searches for clues into the illegal global trade in chemical weapons.
Science is woven throughout the novel, and the explanations of explosives, isotopes, and gravity provide the reader with important insights into the satisfyingly convoluted plot. The author, Fiona Erskine, is a chemical engineer herself so she writes about these science-y topics with an easy authority that makes them accessible to anyone.
Jaq is a charismatic and multi-faceted character with a complicated personal and professional background and a weakness for younger men. She is tenacious and intelligent, and despite being completely unprepared for what happens in the book, and being disbelieved by everyone, she simply does her best to make things right. In short, she’s likeable and real instead being portrayed as some sort of invincible action superhero.
In contrast, I didn’t much like the villains. In my opinion, they were too perfectly evil, and too one-dimensional. I also found the chapters devoted to following the CEO of a shady chemical company, Frank Good, and his shenanigans as a ruthless corporate player to be rather tedious.
Shortlisted for the Best Debut Crime Novel of 2020 by SpecSavers, this novel is entertaining and engaging. Although this fast-paced action thriller is rather far-fetched in places, it has a realistic premise and it untangles the story with just the right blend of suspense and tension, and with the added bonus of fascinating locations that will especially satisfy those suffering from cabin-fever. You’ll also learn a little about chemistry, chemical weapons, Chernobyl, the Russian derivation for engineer, and what makes the sea smell like, well, the sea.
I recommend this original and compelling debut novel for fans of mysteries and thrillers, as well as for those looking for a credible female protagonist in a genre dominated by male superheroes. Already, I am looking forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
NOTE: Originally published at Forbes on 23 July 2020.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
The central character, Jacqueline Silver, is a chemical engineer who works for a research center, Snow Science, in Slovenia. She studies artificial glaciers and works to keep people safe using her expertise with explosives to manage avalanches. So when a consignment of explosives is delivered with inaccurate paperwork, Jaq reports this to her boss, who dismisses her concerns. Confused and suspicious, Jaq does what any competent professional would do: she takes samples and investigates. After the shipment mysteriously disappears, she takes her concerns to corporate headquarters in Britain. But instead of rewarding her diligence, she is attacked by her employer who openly questions her mental health, accuses her of professional incompetence and then falsely blames her for an explosion at the research center before suspending her from her job. But even after all that pushback, Jaq continues to investigate the matter, and ends up narrowly escaping death before she is framed for murder.
Jaq ends up on the run from the Slovenian and British police. She travels from the snowy Slovenian Alps to the bleakness of England’s Lake District, to other locations in Europe — and even to the devastation of the Chernobyl exclusion zone — all places where the author has lived and worked so you feel like you are right there alongside Jaq as she searches for clues into the illegal global trade in chemical weapons.
Science is woven throughout the novel, and the explanations of explosives, isotopes, and gravity provide the reader with important insights into the satisfyingly convoluted plot. The author, Fiona Erskine, is a chemical engineer herself so she writes about these science-y topics with an easy authority that makes them accessible to anyone.
Jaq is a charismatic and multi-faceted character with a complicated personal and professional background and a weakness for younger men. She is tenacious and intelligent, and despite being completely unprepared for what happens in the book, and being disbelieved by everyone, she simply does her best to make things right. In short, she’s likeable and real instead being portrayed as some sort of invincible action superhero.
In contrast, I didn’t much like the villains. In my opinion, they were too perfectly evil, and too one-dimensional. I also found the chapters devoted to following the CEO of a shady chemical company, Frank Good, and his shenanigans as a ruthless corporate player to be rather tedious.
Shortlisted for the Best Debut Crime Novel of 2020 by SpecSavers, this novel is entertaining and engaging. Although this fast-paced action thriller is rather far-fetched in places, it has a realistic premise and it untangles the story with just the right blend of suspense and tension, and with the added bonus of fascinating locations that will especially satisfy those suffering from cabin-fever. You’ll also learn a little about chemistry, chemical weapons, Chernobyl, the Russian derivation for engineer, and what makes the sea smell like, well, the sea.
I recommend this original and compelling debut novel for fans of mysteries and thrillers, as well as for those looking for a credible female protagonist in a genre dominated by male superheroes. Already, I am looking forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
NOTE: Originally published at Forbes on 23 July 2020.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
April 4, 2023
Fiona Erskine is an author that I had not come across before until I saw someone I follow talking about how she was just about to start reading this book. The title grabbed me as it seemed to suggest a genre that I had never read about before. So off I went to go and see if I could dig myself up some more information about it. It was not long before what I was reading grabbed my attention and I knew I would have to get myself a copy and see if it was going to be worth it. So for the first time in a very long time, I got myself a copy the next day and was reading it before it had time to nearly graze my to-be-read pile.
Dr. Jaq is one of those characters that I pretty much clicked with really quickly. This is someone who seems to be very comfortable in her place in life and her job. It's a testament to Erskine for delivering to us a hero that genuinely seems well round and to be honest it makes for a pleasant surprise. Maybe I've just been reading far too many crime thrillers with broken heroes. But back to the matter at hand, I think it's also an interesting skill set that she has chosen to give to her hero. It pushes the story into some truly interesting place that a straight-up detective story might not be able to go without some massive mental gymnastics. Here however it's played to great effect, our hero gets to use her brain to work her way out of some more than tricky situations. This withstanding does not mean that when the situation calls for it that she isn't willing to go all-out action hero on us. It's this combination that I think has created a brilliant hero for the series going forward. You kinda know that she will get out of whatever situation she gets herself into, it's just a matter of whichever of her skills she will apply to do this.
The Chemical Detective is one of those books that aims to take the reader on some grand big-screen adventure. The author does not hang about in some sort of slow-burning thriller, instead, she lets off the handbrake in the first couple of chapters and we are sent speeding off hanging on by the skin of our teeth. I loved how much she manages to ramp up the tension all the while keeping the story within the realms of possibility. And that I guess is one of the major things about this book, Whilst the series of events that take place here can at times seem a little out there, there are definitely elements where you find yourself thinking well I'm sure that could happen. It is after all what makes great thrillers work. And when you consider this was her first book it becomes all the more impressive. The Chemical Detective comes across as a very polished narrative and had I not known would have thought this was an author who had been at it for a good few years.
It has to be said that I found it really hard to pull myself away from this book and would go back to it as soon as possible. I think it gives you everything you could want in a solid thriller. There's plenty of great action, a solid mystery to wrap your brain around, and characters that you want to come back to. I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for some great entertainment.
Dr. Jaq is one of those characters that I pretty much clicked with really quickly. This is someone who seems to be very comfortable in her place in life and her job. It's a testament to Erskine for delivering to us a hero that genuinely seems well round and to be honest it makes for a pleasant surprise. Maybe I've just been reading far too many crime thrillers with broken heroes. But back to the matter at hand, I think it's also an interesting skill set that she has chosen to give to her hero. It pushes the story into some truly interesting place that a straight-up detective story might not be able to go without some massive mental gymnastics. Here however it's played to great effect, our hero gets to use her brain to work her way out of some more than tricky situations. This withstanding does not mean that when the situation calls for it that she isn't willing to go all-out action hero on us. It's this combination that I think has created a brilliant hero for the series going forward. You kinda know that she will get out of whatever situation she gets herself into, it's just a matter of whichever of her skills she will apply to do this.
The Chemical Detective is one of those books that aims to take the reader on some grand big-screen adventure. The author does not hang about in some sort of slow-burning thriller, instead, she lets off the handbrake in the first couple of chapters and we are sent speeding off hanging on by the skin of our teeth. I loved how much she manages to ramp up the tension all the while keeping the story within the realms of possibility. And that I guess is one of the major things about this book, Whilst the series of events that take place here can at times seem a little out there, there are definitely elements where you find yourself thinking well I'm sure that could happen. It is after all what makes great thrillers work. And when you consider this was her first book it becomes all the more impressive. The Chemical Detective comes across as a very polished narrative and had I not known would have thought this was an author who had been at it for a good few years.
It has to be said that I found it really hard to pull myself away from this book and would go back to it as soon as possible. I think it gives you everything you could want in a solid thriller. There's plenty of great action, a solid mystery to wrap your brain around, and characters that you want to come back to. I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for some great entertainment.
April 17, 2019
Publishing, like television and film, likes a trend. Psychological thrillers are the big thing at the moment in crime fiction, following the success of books like The Girl on the Train. But a smaller, though no less vibrant, trend of high-octane, global spanning and high-concept thrillers was sparked by Terry Hayes novel I Am Pilgrim. This continues to bubble away with authors James Swallow and Greg Hurwitz writing novels of this sub-genre. Joining them now come’s Fiona Erskine, with her novel The Chemical Detective.
Dr Jaq Silver is a chemical engineer working in Slovenia for Snow Science, a research institute that amongst other things does avalanche control. She’s an explosives expert and a daredevil, as comfortable blowing things up as she is skiing and jumping into bed with men half her age. She came to Snow Science under something of a cloud however, having previously worked for a chemical plant in Teeside, England, where a number of workers died. She got the blame and while was never charged has faced civil action form the workers’ families.
Jaq is trying to forget this and knuckle down in her new career, but she stumbles upon an odd consignment of explosives sent to Snow Science from her old company. When she starts to investigate, samples go missing and her boss obstructs her. It isn’t long before things go pear shaped and she’s framed with murder with no choice but to go on the run. So sparks an international game of cat and mouse as Jaq tries to clear her name, investigate the conspiracy she’s stumbled upon, avoid the bad guys intent on killing her, all the while unsure as to who she can trust.
There’s much to like about The Chemical Detective. The author herself is a chemical engineer and imbues her novel with her expertise. This is all down adroitly and reading this book I learnt a thing or two about explosives, chemical weapons, radiation and nuclear energy. The plot is current dealing as it does with Weapons of Mass Destruction and proliferation, a big bogeyman for the international community and law enforcement. Jaq Silver is a compelling character, a female protagonist not without her faults, but likeable and capable without being an unrealistic superhero. Much of the supporting cast is equally well developed. The antagonists were equally good, the character known as The Spider being particularly chilling.
At the end of the novel the author discusses how long it took her to write the novel - a first draft relatively quickly followed by years of editing - which mirrors my own experiences and her candour in this regard made me warm to her and her writing even more. She hints that this is the first outing for Dr Jaq Silver and that she has further tales for her protagonist. I hope so as it will be good to see how the character develops.
An intelligent yet fast moving and exciting thriller, The Chemical Detective is a compelling debut.
Dr Jaq Silver is a chemical engineer working in Slovenia for Snow Science, a research institute that amongst other things does avalanche control. She’s an explosives expert and a daredevil, as comfortable blowing things up as she is skiing and jumping into bed with men half her age. She came to Snow Science under something of a cloud however, having previously worked for a chemical plant in Teeside, England, where a number of workers died. She got the blame and while was never charged has faced civil action form the workers’ families.
Jaq is trying to forget this and knuckle down in her new career, but she stumbles upon an odd consignment of explosives sent to Snow Science from her old company. When she starts to investigate, samples go missing and her boss obstructs her. It isn’t long before things go pear shaped and she’s framed with murder with no choice but to go on the run. So sparks an international game of cat and mouse as Jaq tries to clear her name, investigate the conspiracy she’s stumbled upon, avoid the bad guys intent on killing her, all the while unsure as to who she can trust.
There’s much to like about The Chemical Detective. The author herself is a chemical engineer and imbues her novel with her expertise. This is all down adroitly and reading this book I learnt a thing or two about explosives, chemical weapons, radiation and nuclear energy. The plot is current dealing as it does with Weapons of Mass Destruction and proliferation, a big bogeyman for the international community and law enforcement. Jaq Silver is a compelling character, a female protagonist not without her faults, but likeable and capable without being an unrealistic superhero. Much of the supporting cast is equally well developed. The antagonists were equally good, the character known as The Spider being particularly chilling.
At the end of the novel the author discusses how long it took her to write the novel - a first draft relatively quickly followed by years of editing - which mirrors my own experiences and her candour in this regard made me warm to her and her writing even more. She hints that this is the first outing for Dr Jaq Silver and that she has further tales for her protagonist. I hope so as it will be good to see how the character develops.
An intelligent yet fast moving and exciting thriller, The Chemical Detective is a compelling debut.
October 27, 2024
Intrigue galore with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing.
The Chemical Detective is the first book in the Jaq Silver Thriller series by Fiona Erskine and features a female chemical engineer who specializes in the research of explosives. The story unfolds from multiple viewpoints as shady characters scramble across Europe to hide what they’re doing with one determined woman on their trail.
The main character is Dr. Jacqueline ‘Jaq’ Silver, a chemical engineer working in Kranjskabel, Slovenia, for Snow Science, a company researching the means to reduce the number and severity of avalanches in areas devoted to the skiing tourist industry. She’s got a complicated backstory that the author subtly weaves into the current narrative that includes an unpleasant history with the Zagrovyl company, one of Snow Science’s suppliers and a critical player in the shady goings-on that Jaq inadvertently uncovers. Jaq is an outlier in the latest trend of more mature detectives in that she legitimately has the chops to investigate what she’s discovered, and technically, while she is a grandmother, she’s younger, more youthful, and in peak physical condition than what we normally expect of these older female amateur sleuths. She’s immediately determined to find out what Snow Science and Zagrovyl are involved in despite being gaslighted from all sides, and that’s before she becomes a person of interest to the police in a murder investigation.After establishing the scenario, the plot moves quickly as characters pursue their plans across Europe, with Jaq on their heels. I loved that there was more than one set of bad actors out to stop Jaq, which really threw a wrench into her figuring out what was going on at first. The action is tight and suspenseful and kept me completely engaged, and some interesting twists really took me by surprise, adding another layer of complications. The descriptions of the settings are often just enough to give a sense of place, but the author chooses what is highlighted well, and there is always an evocative feeling of recognition.
This title was originally published in 2019, but the edition I read for this review is a recent re-release, so three subsequent books in this series are already available to continue Jaq’s journeys. I recommend THE CHEMICAL DETECTIVE to readers of action and adventure, thrillers, mystery, and suspense who are looking for a strong, capable, and intelligent female protagonist.
April 8, 2019
The Chemical Detective is a slow burning thriller, I know many of you may think that is a negative but it's really not, it provides you with more pieces of the puzzle that increases your BP at a safe rate in preparation for explosive twists. The way that Fiona weaves a tale of suspicion and conspiracy has you edging towards the edge of your seat with anticipation.... she does not disappoint! I'm constantly surprised at the brilliance of debuts this year, this is Fiona's, the way the storyline and characterizations are written is brilliantly.
I loved that the main protagonist is Jaq a female kick-ass chemical scientist who is an intelligent and independent woman. It is always a breathe of fresh air when the main is a strong female, rather that a male with a less superior sidekick or vulnerably weak victim. Not only is she the best kind of character but she is brave, she clocks what's going to happen and is always one step ahead of the law AND the bad guys.
Fiona was able to produce vivid scenic scenes from across the world, as well as being able to flip the storyline from one point of view to another with ease and no confusion. The chapters are also dated so you can follow the sequence of events. I prefer these type of dual / multiple narratives because you get more for your buck. I carried the book EVERYWHERE with me, even squeezing in a few chapters in the car while travelling and I get super car sick; it was worth it!
Fiona herself is a chemical engineer, and I must say her unboxing of her book delivery is my favourite, you can check it out on her twitter page (link here) she also used a lot of that knowledge within this book to increase the authenticity (always a plus). She injected scientific information into the storyline, obviously because Jaq was a scientist BUT I've learnt about things like chemical weaponry and Chernobyl. It's always nice for that to happen..... learning from a novel, not nuclear disasters!
I loved that the main protagonist is Jaq a female kick-ass chemical scientist who is an intelligent and independent woman. It is always a breathe of fresh air when the main is a strong female, rather that a male with a less superior sidekick or vulnerably weak victim. Not only is she the best kind of character but she is brave, she clocks what's going to happen and is always one step ahead of the law AND the bad guys.
Fiona was able to produce vivid scenic scenes from across the world, as well as being able to flip the storyline from one point of view to another with ease and no confusion. The chapters are also dated so you can follow the sequence of events. I prefer these type of dual / multiple narratives because you get more for your buck. I carried the book EVERYWHERE with me, even squeezing in a few chapters in the car while travelling and I get super car sick; it was worth it!
Fiona herself is a chemical engineer, and I must say her unboxing of her book delivery is my favourite, you can check it out on her twitter page (link here) she also used a lot of that knowledge within this book to increase the authenticity (always a plus). She injected scientific information into the storyline, obviously because Jaq was a scientist BUT I've learnt about things like chemical weaponry and Chernobyl. It's always nice for that to happen..... learning from a novel, not nuclear disasters!
October 14, 2024
I think that the author wrote an interesting thriller about the main character who is named Jaq. It has to do with science and also there is a mystery that needs to be solved. I love how the author takes us to new and unusual places for the setting like Slovenia and then England as well also to the Ukraine and Portugal and even Poland, it’s a huge romp around Europe as a reader. I quite enjoyed the travel as I have not traveled Europe before and found it interesting to hear about. Our story opens with Jaq in a room with a man who is on the young side for her.
Jaq is a scientist in Slovenia and she goes to work one day and finds a special delivery of explosives that were delivered to her but is not what she expects. The readers also head to England and follow the story of a man named Frank who is a bit suspicious. Jaq is very suspicious of the delivery she doesn’t know what was in it and then she finds out what it is give or take but is told by a outside source to not look any further into the problem. The man named Karel, who is from the beginning of the book steps into Jaq's life in the rest of the book as well, which brings a little bit of romance to a very compelling thriller. We even head to Chernobyl in the Ukraine as well. I find the book well written and the author blending her knowledge of scientific chemicals and the locations, into this book makes it even more of an interesting read.
Jaq is a scientist in Slovenia and she goes to work one day and finds a special delivery of explosives that were delivered to her but is not what she expects. The readers also head to England and follow the story of a man named Frank who is a bit suspicious. Jaq is very suspicious of the delivery she doesn’t know what was in it and then she finds out what it is give or take but is told by a outside source to not look any further into the problem. The man named Karel, who is from the beginning of the book steps into Jaq's life in the rest of the book as well, which brings a little bit of romance to a very compelling thriller. We even head to Chernobyl in the Ukraine as well. I find the book well written and the author blending her knowledge of scientific chemicals and the locations, into this book makes it even more of an interesting read.
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