Death by Dark Waters

DCI Satterthwaite #1

by Jo Allen

The charred remains of a child are discovered - a child no one seems to have missed... It's high summer, and the lakes are in the midst of an unrelenting heatwave. Uncontrollable fell fires are breaking out across the moors faster than they can be extinguished. When firefighters uncover the body of a dead child at the heart of the latest blaze, Detective Chief Inspector Jude Satterthwaite's arson investigation turns to one of murder. Jude was born and bred in the Lake District. He knows everyone... and everyone knows him. Except his intriguing new Detective Sergeant, Ashleigh O'Halloran, who is running from a dangerous past and has secrets of her own to hide... Temperatures - and tension - in the village are rising, and with the body count rising Jude and his team race against the clock to catch the killer before it's too late... The first in the gripping, Lake District-set, DCI Jude Satterthwaite series.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Procedural, Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 2019

About the author

Jo Allen is the alter ego of Jennifer Young.

Jennifer Young is an Edinburgh-based author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her books are rich in a sense of place -- visit Majorca for a romantic adventure, Italy for some new adult romance, or Edinburgh for dark deeds and romance in Scotland's capital.

https://www.facebook.com/JoAllenAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferyoun...

Reviews

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

Aware of her inability to leave him be, she nevertheless couldn’t help herself, so that sometimes she thought she spent all her time watching out for him, not so that she could avoid him, but so she could give him grief. Sometimes when she looked at Jude, with his cool determination to stay civil, she realised she didn’t like herself very much, that there was a bitterness within her heart that surfaced only when she was with him. Three years after they’d split, she should have been over it.

She preferred someone a little less tempestuous and with a slightly sweeter nature, though experience and the wreckage of her marriage had taught her circumspection. Scott, her estranged husband, was living proof that sweetness and calm didn’t preclude a man being a two-timing bastard.

Laurie might, if called upon, prove a match for a baton-wielding thug or two, but it was evident that he had no weapons sufficient to repel a woman in her fifties who didn’t understand the meaning of the word no.

Clever, compassionate and mostly silent, his best friend was a bunch of contradictions. A vegetarian, teetotal, chain smoking gay churchgoer, he was the model of common sense, the man who showed the importance of balance and sometimes, he felt, kept him sane.

… still staring out at the tiny garden in the house he’d bought just to be free of all his memories of her. But it didn’t work like that. Memories weren’t something you packed into boxes, unpacked when you were ready, or sorted into piles for keeping or reusing or recycling, or simply throwing away. They clung to you with the tenacity of the devil, and ambushed you when you least expected them to.


My Review:

Jo Allen’s clever debut was a well-crafted and slow-building tale of abduction, arson, and murder. The narrative was loaded with insightfully keen observations of human nature at both ends of the ethical and moral spectrum, as such, we were privy to the light and dark sides of Ms. Allen’s flawed, oddly compelling, and complex characters. As a new transfer to the team, Detective Sergeant Ashleigh was forced to hit the ground running and she quickly proved herself to be not only up for the task but a major asset, despite her uncanny tendency to annoy her new boss while doing so. The case was complicated and compounded by difficult personalities on both sides of the law, and I found the characters’ backstories to be as compelling as the current case they were working. I am chomping at the bit to start the next in the series, Death At Eden’s End, which is already locked and loaded on my beloved Kindle.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m relieved to have finished reading this. It’s a fairly average whodunnit, not too difficult to solve and not too complicated a storyline. For me, there is far too much information on the characters’ personal lives. There are whole chapters devoted to people wondering how they feel about their ex or whether the new detective on the block will be the new romantic interest for the fusty, grumpy lead investigator. I didn’t care! Take all this out and you’re left with a short story. It didn’t strike the right balance for me at all. The setting is the Lake District and that was the only highlight for me.

With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for a review copy.

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty-five year old DCI Jude Satterthwaite is on a hike with his brother when he spies smoke in the distance. Another fell fire… But this time, in addition to the fire services, his own team will be called in. A body has been found in a burned-out abandoned barn…

When forensic examination determines that the body is that of a child, Jude thinks that identification will prove easy. A child will be missed… This is not the case. When the body is identified, Jude and his team begin a weeks long murder case.

The Team works out of the Penrith Police Station

DCI Jude Satterthwaite – Professional, brusque, attractive, and three years out of a romantic relationship that he just can’t seem to let go of. Becca, his ex, just couldn’t understand how his job had to take precedence over his personal life. He is much respected by his team and he knows how to play to their strengths on the job.

DI Chris Dodd – Jude’s, second-in-command. Clever, quiet, gay, religious, and a chain smoker. Doddsy is the model of common sense.

DS Ashleigh O’Halloran – new to the team, intelligent, beautiful, and a copper who works on intuition and instinct. Newly separated from her husband, she has moved from Cheshire to Cumbria to make a fresh start.

DC Aditi Desai – Hard-working, intelligent working mother.

DC Chris Marshall – single, young, enthusiastic, and very talented at data mining and doing the other mundane office-centered chores the others would find boring.

Tammy – CSI investigator.

MY THOUGHTS

The scenic setting of the Lake District is what initially tempted me to read this novel. That and the fact that I love police procedurals and I’m always keen to discover new series.

The characterization of this novel was strong. The personalities were prominent to the narrative and were a welcome foil to the distressing murder(s).

This is a promising start to a crime fiction series. It is a novel about deceit, revenge, infidelity, and psychological power-plays. With just a hint of romance, this novel will be sure to be enjoyed by many readers. This is a series I will more than likely pursue.

Rated 3.5 stars – rounded up to 4 stars for NetGalley, Amazon and Goodreads.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A debut by author Jo Allen, the book started with a raging fire and the firefighters struggling to put it off. When one of them entered the barn to check for residual fires, he stumbled over something. It was a charred dead body!! A child at that!! A child which no one reported missing. With this startling discovery of the murder, DCI Jude and his team including newcomer Ashleigh start investigating...

A good police procedural with hardly any clues to work on, the team started its legwork. It was grueling, to say the least, hoping to get witnesses, watching hours of CCTV footage, door to door questions on minimal sleep. The team was cohesive, and with a newcomer, they didn't find their rhythm till the mid half of the book. Enough backstory had been given about the cops to personalize them and get to know them.

They talk about cop instinct in books. In this, Ashleigh had the woman's instinct along with her tarot reading. I found it fascinating. The cards predicted what would unfurl. Quite a different take on a police procedural.

The niggles would niggle and I couldn't stop their niggling... The book was extremely slow in the first half, though it did pick up pace. There was a lot of backstory of the cops, I didn't need to know what the ex's thoughts and feelings were. Writing was slightly dry at places, so it took time to get into the flow.

A good beginning to a series. Overall, a fun read with some well planned murders.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life)]

2019; Aria
DNF @ 45%

I found this police procedural novel completely slow moving. I would find myself put the eBook down and day dreaming. When I would pick it back up, I would forget where I was. Finally, after two days I just gave up as I was no longer interested in seeing how it all ended. I did like the description of Lake District and was starting to like Jude, but not enough to continue the novel.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know the feeling. You open a book by a new author and there is always that worry that you'll get no further than a few pages in and the plot will be trite or formulaic or the writing will be tacky and you decide not to carry on.

This book is NOT like that! I read the first couple of pages and thought - this is going to be GOOD.

And it was. Seriously.

Too many crime novels begin with the actual murderer gleefully committing the crime, or the victim being taken etc, or there is a plethora of characters all introduced within the space of two pages - all soulless and flat and merging together into one amorphous mass. Not here.

I LOVED the writing. I loved the setting, (I'm from the area) the characters, the way the crime was 'linear' with no pointless flashbacks or voyeuristic torture (so beloved by many crime writers). This was a clean-cut, straight forward crime novel which was actually believable. (Heavens above!)

As were the police.

I love good crime novels. Sadly it's hard to find good ones now, but this was a cracker!! On to the next in the series!

[Jo Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 star read. Great start to a new series. The writing is very dense, if that makes any sense. I expected it to be at least 100 pages longer than it actually is. There's lots of detail about the lives of the characters, which is something I enjoy in a police procedural. Others may find it too slow at times. Really looking forward to the release of b2 next week!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in the DCI Satterthwaite series set in the county of Cumbria. Jude Satterthwaite is an interesting character, his team are varied characters who I hope will develop over the series, whilst the murder kept me guessing right until the end.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the Cumbrian Lake District ‘Death By Dark Waters’ features a troubled Detective Chief Inspector – Jude Satterthwaite and his team as they investigate a death on the hills close to Haweswater. Forensically there is little to go on and the team have to rely on their detection skills to solve the crime.

Jude’s personal life is challenging, he is driven and seeks the control he needs, through his career, which is so lacking in his emotional life. Ashleigh O’Halloran, newly transferred from Cheshire, presents as a confident professional, not afraid to challenge her colleagues. She is a distraction for Jude who shies away from emotional ties.

There is a considerable amount of introspection and emotional angst, in this story, it is an unusual style for a crime novel but does give the story an original angle. The police procedural is believable and, the plot has enough suspects and twists to hold your attention. The pacing is slow but this is to be expected in a new series when characters have to be introduced and their motivations and flaws explored. The crime is grizzly but the descriptions aren’t overly explicit. Instead, the reader is allowed to imagine the scene.

The action really takes off halfway through the story, when a significant plot twist occurs. I thought I’d solved it, and I did guess who, but the motivation for the crime is sinister and twisted and not revealed until the end.

On balance, I empathise with the troubled detective and look forward to more crime solving.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad book but parts of it kind of made me cringe. The one character is into tarot and while I understand tarot and don't dismiss it but I found it took away a bit from a good story.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engaging and appealing read, this is one I just raced through!

Jade Satterthwaite is the DCI of a small team in the Lake District; Ashleigh O'Halloran has moved from Carlise to join the team as DS. What couldn't be foreseen was that a murder case would land on their laps on Ash's very first day. Baptism of fire - in more ways than one . . .

This is a well-researched, suspenseful read which flows beautifully and has some really memorable characters; I'm hoping that author Jo Allen develops this into a long-running series. The investigative team is an interesting mix, all with their own strengths. The suspects are of varied character and the results are a damn good read! It's an observant piece of writing, and the result is a fascinating and detailed mystery in a wonderful setting. I love the twists and turns, and it's a very satisfying read which I'm absolutely positive is well worth five sparkly stars!

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Lake District crime series and its good to be in at the beginning. It had all the ingredients of a good read - a setting in which the reader can visualise the crime and activity, characters who behave like people we know, police with integrity and intelligence and a crime to puzzle over. I liked the author’s control of the plot and the relationships. It could have tipped easily into romance but didn’t. I’m hoping it stays that way as the series progresses.

[Lucii Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this ended up being a great, emotional read, it did start off really slow and a little bit confusing in places. I don't think I really got into it until about 40% if not a little later.

The characters were great, though I found Jude to be quite ignorant, but I loved Ashleigh and her compassionate nature as well as great investigative skills. She was a fabulous character to follow. As was Dawn.

I've read thriller's set in the Lake District before and they were amazing, but this one was just off, which was disappointing. This author definitely likes going into super fine details about places and it could be quite repetitive. I wanted the story, not more of the same layout. And we do get that in the end.

The storyline was really good though, definitely a 'who dunnit' book, but it's a little predictable. But that didn't deflect from the story and following the detectives working it. It was a great read and I loved the ending a lot.

There were a lot of things that could have been made a bit tighter and some things I'm sure have been overlooked by editors. There were a couple of places that were contradicting and made me raise a brow in question. Some of the things in the investigation itself were wrong or not possible and could have done with some more research.

But overall, the start of slow but the second half of the book is mind blowing and addictive.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a grass fire, the charred body of a pre-teen boy is found in a barn in the Lake District. Detective Chief Inspector Jude Satterthwaite leads the investigation. His team includes Detective Sergeant Ashleigh O’Halloran who has just joined the police force in the area. They soon determine that his death was not accidental. But who is the boy? Why was he not reported missing? As the investigators search for the murderer, they take some wrong turns and another death occurs. Of course, eventually all secrets are uncovered.

The mystery is not difficult to solve; in fact, it is rather predictable. Because there are not that many characters, the suspect pool is small. And the clues tend to be too obvious. The only real mystery is the motive and exactly how the murderer carried out the crimes.

What detracts from the case is Jude and Ashleigh’s personal lives. Both are recovering from relationships that ended recently, but they have not moved on. As a result, they spend a lot of time thinking about their previous partners. As expected, there is an immediate attraction between Jude and Ashleigh when they meet so it is not difficult to predict what will happen. This is supposedly the first book of a series so, undoubtedly, subsequent books will develop the romance. I’d definitely have preferred less focus on romance.

I did not find that I warmed to either of the two main characters. Jude is handsome and intelligent but he just doesn’t come across as a warm person. We are told that he has “too strong a conscience” and is “too uncompromising on too many fronts.” He is certainly driven by duty. Ashleigh is supposedly the strong female lead but some of her behaviour, especially towards the victim’s mother, is unprofessional. Members of the police team like her almost immediately, but I don’t understand the appeal other than the fact that she is attractive.

There are some needless repetitions in the book. Over and over we are told that Jude’s romantic relationship suffered because “there had always been a part of his soul that he’d held back”: “Sometimes the bleakness of his chosen path was too great for comfort, some of the things he saw too grim to share.” Ashleigh’s interest in tarot cards comes up again and again. Some judicious editing would be useful.

Mediocre is the adjective that best describes the book. It is not terrible, but there is really nothing to differentiate it from so many other similar books.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Chief Inspector Jude Satterthwaite is just about to tuck into a pub meal with his brother Mikey when he gets a call. One of the firefighters tackling fell fires near his home in the Lake District has literally stumbled over the remains of a badly charred body in a derelict barn. Jude rushes to the scene, the body is indistinguishable, but after a post mortem is carried out it becomes apparent that it was the body of a boy aged between eleven and twelve years old. Detective Sargeant Ashleigh O'Halloran has been transferred to the Lake District from Cheshire Police. It's her first day on her new job and she finds herself thrust into investigating the suspicious death of a child.

We hear a lot about the backgrounds of the DCI and his Sergeant which is understandable as this is the first book in the series. The descriptions of the Lake District are extremely accurate and atmospheric, which gives a chilling feel to the story. Although the book deals with the death of a child, I was glad that the details surrounding his death were not too graphic. The steady pace leads to a satisfying conclusion with plenty of twists along the way.

I think there is great potential for a series and I warmed to the main characters and would like to see more from them in the future.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 stars, but it' worth more than that, just maybe not a full 4 stars for me.

On the whole it was a good mystery and well written. The plot was complex enough to be interesting but not so complicated as to be confusing. It's a hot summer in the Lake District and the body of a young boy is found in a barn burned in a wild fire -- which might have been arson. But it's a couple of days before anyone reports the young boy missing. The family in question is apparently close but there also seems to be a lot of behavior that feels like 'this is how we're supposed to act so we will'. Working out what's genuine is key to figuring out what happened. And what solid clues the team finds seems to just confuse the issue more.

As to the team -- I think it will grow on me. I didn't really much care for the lead investigator, who we learn the most about, but I didn't actively dislike him either -- which, apparently, many in the local community do. For the others, there is some basic character info provided, but it's not overdone. I look forward to learning a bit more about each of them as the series goes on.

[Shell · Rating 1 out of 5]

A young boy's body is found burned in a deliberately set hill fire in Cumbria. Several days later a couple arrive at the police station wondering if it could be their child, who was kidnapped from the garden of their exclusive country home.
I don't often like to talk a book down, but this is hands down, one of the worst crime books I've read in years. After the body is discovered, it is a third of the book later before anything else in the case actually happens. All women characters that are physically described are drop dead gorgeous, skinny and spend their time flicking their long hair about. How unoriginal. The amount of time spent going into everyone's past relationships is so tedious. The characters are completely unrealistic and the way they behave after tragedies beggars belief. I worked the whole plot out really early on but kept reading because it was so obvious I was waiting for the twist which never came. Now to the ending, which was as predictable, formulaic and cheesy as any I've ever read. The book did have a nice cat, which is the only tiny thing I could recommend about it.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After a wildfire is extinguished, the burned body of a young boy is found inside of a small building, which was also badly burned. The local police are called in and they must determine who the child is, if it was an accident or a deliberate act of murder, and how the fire started. As the investigation plays out, secrets are revealed, suspects are identified, and the backgrounds of the investigators are filled in. Eventually, the investigative team gathers the information needed to solve the case, but not until there is a second gruesome murder, which sends the team of police into overdrive, and the expected plot twist is revealed.

This book is a fine example of the procedures used by a talented investigative team, as they must dig through clues and secrets, while dealing with personal issues, that keep them from functioning at full capacity.

[Elite Group · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange murder investigation with many twists.

DCI Jude Satterthwaite is out walking with his younger brother Mikey when he spots a fire in the distance. He thinks its just another heath fire, unfortunately, when the fire brigade checks the barn the fire's raged through, they discover the body of a young boy.

Jude and his team must try to discover who this boy is. Why no one comes forward to claim him and why he was murdered.

The storyline deserves five stars, thanks to the plot’s uniqueness. However, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. They're either too sweet or so over-the-top nasty that neither gave me any will to engage with them.

Bluebell

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is often difficult to develop a liking for a new detective series. This book is described as a first DCI Satterthwaite mystery.

For an author, you have to create a group of believable detectives, whilst trying to keep the narrative developing.

I liked the use of real geographical locations in the Lake District.

As the book progressed I found that I was growing to like the main detective characters.

I found the storyline less convincing, there are a few twists and turns which maintained my interest.

On the strength of this story I will look out for future books by Jo Allen featuring Jude Satterthwaite.

My thanks to Netgalley and Aria for a copy in exchange for this review.

[Em-Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to a new crime series set in the Lake District. An unidentified body of a child is found in a burned out derelict barn, previously unreported missing. It's up to DCI Slatterthwaite and his partner Ashleigh to figure out what happened.

I have to agree with what other readers have said, in that Jude as a main character isn't easy to warm to, there's not that usual troubled personality or past that hooks you in. But that being said, there's loads of twists and a great plot line to keep you entertained throughout this. And the setting of the Lake District really attracts me in too.

I'll happily read the next in the series.

[Shirley Hartman-Rozee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the Lake District and the Peat district settings and have read many books based in this area. My problems with this book are the characters and the writing style. Almost all the characters are unlikeable. I couldn’t relate or respond to them at all. They didn’t seem real. Mikey was the most annoying, and Becca was not much better. Jude and Ashleigh were a bit better, but I hated the tarot cards, foo foo moments and paged past them just to get to the end of the book. And for heaven’s sakes hire a copywriter to clear out the commas. They are annoying.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been looking for a new police procedural series. I'm loving Shetland, the tv show, and I thought the Satterthwaite series might have the same vibes. But this novel never got off the ground for me. I didn't find the characters believable. I didn't find the case to be believable. And the numerous gender stereotypes struck me as odd. I don't think I'll be reading the next one.

The story involves the discovery of a dead child in a brush fire. The detectives (an unpleasant sergeant and a beautiful, sexy, "intuitive" rookie) discover that the child's family has secrets. Trouble ensues.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A burnt body, that of a child, is discovered near the shore of Haweswater on a Sunday, near the village of Burnbanks.
D.C.I. Satterwaite is joined by his team and new arrival D.S. Ashleigh O'Halloran to investigate.
It seems Satterwaite and his team all have their personal problems to deal with during the case, and I didn't take to O'Halloram's character. Unfortunately I did find the plot predictable and not all that exciting, so a like and not a love rating.
A NetGalley Book

[Anna]

As a member of the Women's Institute myself I was really looking forward to reading this book. I am extremely glad that I did as I enjoyed it very much indeed. The murder takes place during a meeting of a village WI, and the author did a great job of creating the atmosphere and sometimes confined feeling of a small village.

For my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...

[Ros Rendle · Rating 5 out of 5]

a twisty thriller

This is the first book I’ve read by Ms Allen but it won’t be the last. The characters were complicated enough to be interesting and I’d like to know what happens next to them.
The plot had a few twists, too.
The scene is clearly well-known and well-drawn by the author and makes a different venue for this genre.
Congratulations on the success if this book, it’s well- deserved.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ this book took a while to get going and for me to warm to the lead detective. However as the book went on I did start to like Jude and Ashleigh seems a good addition. A lot of the book was based on the characters rather than the crime but this enabled a solid base to be formed for the rest of the series. I can see this series getting stronger and they’re nicely written - I look forward to the next one

[Lee Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so impressed with this book!!! The storyline is solid and intriguing and a roller coaster ride! I really couldn't make up my mind who is doing what for a long time because this book is very well written! Some people are just plain stupid crazy and I hope I never meet any of them!! I can't wait to read the next book!!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved the characters. It was an easy but engaging read and I’m so looking forward to the next one in the series
Oh the joy of getting into a new series from the start

[Julie Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't want to put this down!

Jo brings a definite female touch to this Crime thriller. The characters are fresh and intriguing, I just want more! Cleverly entwined stories within stories, destined to be a fantastic series.