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DS Alexandra Cupidi #2
Deadland
***The bestselling William Shaw returns with a thrilling investigation in the unmissable new series***
'One of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction' PETER JAMES
'If you're not a fan yet, why not?' VAL MCDERMID
'A superb storyteller' PETER MAY YOU CAN RUN The two boys never fitted in. Seventeen, the worst age, nothing to do but smoke weed; at least they have each other. The day they speed off on a moped with a stolen mobile, they're ready to celebrate their luck at last. Until their victim comes looking for what's his - and ready to kill for it. YOU CAN HIDE On the other side of Kent's wealth divide, DS Alexandra Cupidi faces the strangest murder investigation of her career. A severed limb, hidden inside a modern sculpture in Margate's Turner Contemporary. No one takes it seriously - not even the artwork's owners, celebrity dealers who act like they're above the law. YOU CAN DIE But as Cupidi's case becomes ever more sinister, as she wrangles with police politics and personal dilemmas, she can't help worrying about those runaway boys. Seventeen, the same age as her own headstrong daughter. Alone, on the marshes, they're pawns in someone else's game. Two worlds are about to collide. Kent and its social divisions are brilliantly captured in Deadland , a crime thriller that's as ingeniously unguessable as it is moving and powerful.
'One of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction' PETER JAMES
'If you're not a fan yet, why not?' VAL MCDERMID
'A superb storyteller' PETER MAY YOU CAN RUN The two boys never fitted in. Seventeen, the worst age, nothing to do but smoke weed; at least they have each other. The day they speed off on a moped with a stolen mobile, they're ready to celebrate their luck at last. Until their victim comes looking for what's his - and ready to kill for it. YOU CAN HIDE On the other side of Kent's wealth divide, DS Alexandra Cupidi faces the strangest murder investigation of her career. A severed limb, hidden inside a modern sculpture in Margate's Turner Contemporary. No one takes it seriously - not even the artwork's owners, celebrity dealers who act like they're above the law. YOU CAN DIE But as Cupidi's case becomes ever more sinister, as she wrangles with police politics and personal dilemmas, she can't help worrying about those runaway boys. Seventeen, the same age as her own headstrong daughter. Alone, on the marshes, they're pawns in someone else's game. Two worlds are about to collide. Kent and its social divisions are brilliantly captured in Deadland , a crime thriller that's as ingeniously unguessable as it is moving and powerful.
480 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2019
121 people are currently reading
686 people want to read
About the author
William Shaw
20 books533 followersI'm a crime writer and write the Eden Driscoll series set in South Devon, the Alex Cupidi series set in Dungeness, Kent and the Breen & Tozer series set in London in 1968-9.
My most recent book is The Red Shore, the first I the Eden Driscoll series, set in Teignmouth, Devon.
My non-fiction books include Westsiders , an account of several young would-be rappers struggling to establish themselves against a backdrop of poverty and violence in South Central Los Angeles, Superhero For Hire , a compilation and of the Small Ads columns I wrote for the Observer Magazine, and Spying In Guru Land , in which I joined several British religious cults to write about them.
A Song From Dead Lips was the first in a trilogy of books set in London in 1968, featuring DS Cathal Breen and WPC Helen Tozer. It was followed by A House of Knives and A Book of Scars .
I live in Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry.
My most recent book is The Red Shore, the first I the Eden Driscoll series, set in Teignmouth, Devon.
My non-fiction books include Westsiders , an account of several young would-be rappers struggling to establish themselves against a backdrop of poverty and violence in South Central Los Angeles, Superhero For Hire , a compilation and of the Small Ads columns I wrote for the Observer Magazine, and Spying In Guru Land , in which I joined several British religious cults to write about them.
A Song From Dead Lips was the first in a trilogy of books set in London in 1968, featuring DS Cathal Breen and WPC Helen Tozer. It was followed by A House of Knives and A Book of Scars .
I live in Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
June 29, 2025
*4.5 stars *
William Shaw has received rave reviews for his first novel featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi of the Kent Serious Crime Directorate, and this follow-up is another winner.
The opening chapter deals with the exploits of two delinquent local lads, who have decided it would be a good idea to snatch mobile phones with the aid of a stolen scooter. One white, one black; this duo have remained loyal friends throughout their chequered school careers. They find a good location for their planned thefts - outside a railway station, and wait for a train to come in. They soon see an ordinary-looking man with an expensive mobile to his ear. He puts the phone back in a small bag. They zoom into action, grab the bag, and make their escape. When they open the bag, they find two mobile phones, an expensive one, and also a very cheap one.
They think their Uncle Mikey, ex-Navy and a tad ‘shady’, might be able to sell it for them. When they give him the bag, a message comes up saying that if they give back everything they stole, there will be a £5,000 reward and no questions asked, followed by a return phone number. Uncle Mikey arranges a rendezvous, and goes off with the bag, promising to give the boys half the reward.
The story then switches to a local art gallery, where a member of staff (a dissatisfied local artist, Ross Clough) is complaining that none of the local fashionable galleries are interested in his work.
Then, at last, we meet DS Alexandra Cupidi in her home on the marshes at Dungeness. She is waiting for her neighbour (of sorts), William South a lifelong friend who nevertheless has been imprisoned for being a corrupt police officer and the manslaughter of his own father, to arrive at his home. She is also worrying about her daughter, Zoe, who has delinquent and mentally disturbed tendencies. Then she receives a work call about a dismembered arm being found in an urn which is an exhibit in an art exhibition which is about to open to the public, and so hangs this dark tale.
So, this extremely complicated plot takes off, and does so from a dark narrative, until finally all the threads are pulled together in some very exciting final chapters and a startling ending.
William Shaw has received rave reviews for his first novel featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi of the Kent Serious Crime Directorate, and this follow-up is another winner.
The opening chapter deals with the exploits of two delinquent local lads, who have decided it would be a good idea to snatch mobile phones with the aid of a stolen scooter. One white, one black; this duo have remained loyal friends throughout their chequered school careers. They find a good location for their planned thefts - outside a railway station, and wait for a train to come in. They soon see an ordinary-looking man with an expensive mobile to his ear. He puts the phone back in a small bag. They zoom into action, grab the bag, and make their escape. When they open the bag, they find two mobile phones, an expensive one, and also a very cheap one.
They think their Uncle Mikey, ex-Navy and a tad ‘shady’, might be able to sell it for them. When they give him the bag, a message comes up saying that if they give back everything they stole, there will be a £5,000 reward and no questions asked, followed by a return phone number. Uncle Mikey arranges a rendezvous, and goes off with the bag, promising to give the boys half the reward.
The story then switches to a local art gallery, where a member of staff (a dissatisfied local artist, Ross Clough) is complaining that none of the local fashionable galleries are interested in his work.
Then, at last, we meet DS Alexandra Cupidi in her home on the marshes at Dungeness. She is waiting for her neighbour (of sorts), William South a lifelong friend who nevertheless has been imprisoned for being a corrupt police officer and the manslaughter of his own father, to arrive at his home. She is also worrying about her daughter, Zoe, who has delinquent and mentally disturbed tendencies. Then she receives a work call about a dismembered arm being found in an urn which is an exhibit in an art exhibition which is about to open to the public, and so hangs this dark tale.
So, this extremely complicated plot takes off, and does so from a dark narrative, until finally all the threads are pulled together in some very exciting final chapters and a startling ending.
April 22, 2019
This series from William Shaw just goes from strength to strength, it is my favourite series from this author, and although it claims to be the 2nd in the series, in reality it is the 3rd, beginning with the excellent The Birdwatcher, featuring William South. To my delight, Bill South returns after serving two years in prison, convicted for murder thanks to DS Alex Cupidi with her need to stick to a rigid adherence to the law, something her 17 year old daughter, Zoe, does not agree with. Personally, I agree with Zoe, Bill should never have gone to prison, he is fundamentally a kind, decent and compassionate man who triggered Zoe's interest in birdwatching. One of the highlights of the series is the atmospheric setting, the Kent coastal location, which is evoked by Shaw so marvellously.
Two young and endearing 17 year old lads, one black, Sloth, the other white, Tap, have forged a strong friendship amidst their background of family problems, being bullied and failed by their school, and being part of the social underclass. They have just begun to embark on the road of petty crime, although they really are not very good at it. However, they manage to successfully grab a man's holdall with 2 mobile phones, an act they are going to live to regret as they become targets of a killer prepared to do anything to get his phones back, which brings danger to their nearest and dearest as well as themselves as they go on the run. Alex, along with Constable Jill Ferrier, is in charge of a curious case that brings her into the exclusive art world, with its wealthy and privileged movers and shakers, and celebrities. A human arm has been stuffed inside an art exhibit at a Margate art gallery, and while Alex treats this seriously, the rest of her police colleagues are more dismissive. The art world is notorious for the bizarre, the strange and stunts, all geared towards increasing the monetary value of a particular piece of art and raise the profile of the artist. In a tragic story of murder and bloodshed, Alex eventually begins to see the connections, but will she be able to save the vulnerable boys and hone in on the truth in time?
William Shaw's plotting is impeccable in this compulsive and riveting addition to the series. What really makes this series unmissable for me is the location, his wonderful characterisation and the depiction of social class, for example, the contrast between the challenging lives of Tap and Sloth, and Alex's daughter, Zoe, and the power of the art world's rich. There is Alex's close relationship and support of her colleague, Jill, endeavouring to face serious personal issues and dilemmas and so much more. There is plenty to like and admire in this crime novel, it is a series that I am sure so many crime fiction and thriller fans will enjoy. I am eagerly anticipating the next in the series, just hoping it comes out soon! Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
Two young and endearing 17 year old lads, one black, Sloth, the other white, Tap, have forged a strong friendship amidst their background of family problems, being bullied and failed by their school, and being part of the social underclass. They have just begun to embark on the road of petty crime, although they really are not very good at it. However, they manage to successfully grab a man's holdall with 2 mobile phones, an act they are going to live to regret as they become targets of a killer prepared to do anything to get his phones back, which brings danger to their nearest and dearest as well as themselves as they go on the run. Alex, along with Constable Jill Ferrier, is in charge of a curious case that brings her into the exclusive art world, with its wealthy and privileged movers and shakers, and celebrities. A human arm has been stuffed inside an art exhibit at a Margate art gallery, and while Alex treats this seriously, the rest of her police colleagues are more dismissive. The art world is notorious for the bizarre, the strange and stunts, all geared towards increasing the monetary value of a particular piece of art and raise the profile of the artist. In a tragic story of murder and bloodshed, Alex eventually begins to see the connections, but will she be able to save the vulnerable boys and hone in on the truth in time?
William Shaw's plotting is impeccable in this compulsive and riveting addition to the series. What really makes this series unmissable for me is the location, his wonderful characterisation and the depiction of social class, for example, the contrast between the challenging lives of Tap and Sloth, and Alex's daughter, Zoe, and the power of the art world's rich. There is Alex's close relationship and support of her colleague, Jill, endeavouring to face serious personal issues and dilemmas and so much more. There is plenty to like and admire in this crime novel, it is a series that I am sure so many crime fiction and thriller fans will enjoy. I am eagerly anticipating the next in the series, just hoping it comes out soon! Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
September 5, 2020
I loved the third book in the series, except for the violence. I'll never get used to that, so I skipped what I thought too gruesome. But the story kept me on the edge of my seat.
March 20, 2019
This is the second in the DS Alexandra Cupidi series, although really, I would suggest it is the third. Although, “Salt Lane,” is listed as the first book, “Birdwatcher,” acts as a prequel and, William South, the main character of that novel reappears in this novel.
When we meet up with Cupidi again, she is still worried about daughter, Zoe, now seventeen, and her colleague, Jill Ferriter. I was pleased that Jill had a larger role in this book, as she is a character that I really warm to and she is a useful ally for Cupidi.
This instalment in the series deals with two, very different, investigations. One involves two young boys, who snatch a man’s bag, with terrible consequences. Indeed, what begins as a seemingly minor crime, soon escalates out of all proportion and Shaw increases the tension quickly and hardly lets go for the entire book.
The other case centres on a very different world from teenagers indulging in petty crime. An arm is found in an exhibit at an art gallery. Soon, Cupidi and Jill Ferriter are investigating multi-millionaires, and negotiating the exclusive, privileged and private art world. Forced to tread carefully, around influential and wealthy suspects, Cupidi also has to convince her superiors that the arm, although not technically a body, did once belong to someone and that the crime needs to be taken seriously.
There are a lot of good crime novels, and authors, around at the moment, and so it needs something special to rise above the others. William Shaw is, in my opinion, one of the very best crime authors writing at the moment. He knows how to tell a story which will keep you gripped and creates characters that you care about. I am always excited when a new William Shaw novel appears and hope there will be many more to come.
When we meet up with Cupidi again, she is still worried about daughter, Zoe, now seventeen, and her colleague, Jill Ferriter. I was pleased that Jill had a larger role in this book, as she is a character that I really warm to and she is a useful ally for Cupidi.
This instalment in the series deals with two, very different, investigations. One involves two young boys, who snatch a man’s bag, with terrible consequences. Indeed, what begins as a seemingly minor crime, soon escalates out of all proportion and Shaw increases the tension quickly and hardly lets go for the entire book.
The other case centres on a very different world from teenagers indulging in petty crime. An arm is found in an exhibit at an art gallery. Soon, Cupidi and Jill Ferriter are investigating multi-millionaires, and negotiating the exclusive, privileged and private art world. Forced to tread carefully, around influential and wealthy suspects, Cupidi also has to convince her superiors that the arm, although not technically a body, did once belong to someone and that the crime needs to be taken seriously.
There are a lot of good crime novels, and authors, around at the moment, and so it needs something special to rise above the others. William Shaw is, in my opinion, one of the very best crime authors writing at the moment. He knows how to tell a story which will keep you gripped and creates characters that you care about. I am always excited when a new William Shaw novel appears and hope there will be many more to come.
September 23, 2019
I was a huge fan of Salt Lane so I was eager to revisit that world again and it didn’t disappoint.
The sense of place in William Shaw’s novels is pitch perfect and Cupidi is a highly engaging character to follow along with. In Deadland she has a severed arm to deal with as well as two truculunt teenagers on the run. It is a compelling and cleverly plotted story once again and I loved every minute of it.
Involving and addictive this could easily become one of my favourite crime series. Bring on the next one.
Recommended.
May 2, 2019
Deadland is an alarmingly great read. William Shaw may just be the best-kept secret in crime fiction. The second (or third if you count The Birdwatcher) in the DS Alex Cupidi series, this instalment is the most compulsive yet. My favourite feature has to be the evocative sense of place - the Kent coast is beautiful and Mr Shaw depicts it in all its glory here. It certainly adds to the immersive atmosphere of the story. But there are so many aspects that make this an intelligent, profound page-turner of a police procedural that it's difficult to emphasise exactly how all of the different facets work together to create a riveting narrative.
It's well written, impeccably paced with a cast of characters that deepen effortlessly over the course of the novel. The plot is so well thought through that the ample twists, turns and red herrings ensure all predictions as to where it's heading are proved to be way off the mark, and the depiction of central characters Tap and Sloth's impoverished way of life is vivid and emotive.
This is a tour de force and a masterclass in crafting an entertaining thriller; time and time again Shaw proves his masterful storytelling ability. In my opinion, this is a must-read for all crime enthusiasts as it's a refreshingly complex, challenging and original tale. I simply cannot wait to read the next instalment. Many thanks to riverrun for an ARC.
It's well written, impeccably paced with a cast of characters that deepen effortlessly over the course of the novel. The plot is so well thought through that the ample twists, turns and red herrings ensure all predictions as to where it's heading are proved to be way off the mark, and the depiction of central characters Tap and Sloth's impoverished way of life is vivid and emotive.
This is a tour de force and a masterclass in crafting an entertaining thriller; time and time again Shaw proves his masterful storytelling ability. In my opinion, this is a must-read for all crime enthusiasts as it's a refreshingly complex, challenging and original tale. I simply cannot wait to read the next instalment. Many thanks to riverrun for an ARC.
February 19, 2020
Deadland is the third book in the Kent Police Force series but it can be read as a stand-alone. The central character is DS Alexandra Cupidi but other characters from the first two books return to play their part in Deadland.
Deadland is all about connections, seeing connections between incidents. The plots are very complex and have nothing in common. I loved the way this story was told. On the one hand you had the professional investigative skills of the Kent Police Force. But on the other hand you had the tale from the point of view of two petty criminals who I nicknamed Dumb and Dumber.
I found Deadland a very entertaining read which ticked all the right boxes. Once again I loved the scenes that took place in remote locations and marshland. Great dialogue between the characters and I loved those brief snips of wisdom, like initial interview techniques and seeing in the dark.
I got a great buzz when I got to the end of this story. How things out of nowhere can become connected and how some people can get some things so very, very wrong. This was a great read and gets the top score of 5 stars from me.
Deadland is all about connections, seeing connections between incidents. The plots are very complex and have nothing in common. I loved the way this story was told. On the one hand you had the professional investigative skills of the Kent Police Force. But on the other hand you had the tale from the point of view of two petty criminals who I nicknamed Dumb and Dumber.
I found Deadland a very entertaining read which ticked all the right boxes. Once again I loved the scenes that took place in remote locations and marshland. Great dialogue between the characters and I loved those brief snips of wisdom, like initial interview techniques and seeing in the dark.
I got a great buzz when I got to the end of this story. How things out of nowhere can become connected and how some people can get some things so very, very wrong. This was a great read and gets the top score of 5 stars from me.
January 15, 2022
It's so difficult for me to rate this book!
The plot was good, had intriguing moments and up to some point kept me guessing until I figured out what's going on and afterwards despite being action packed I couldn't wait for the story to be over!
It would be much better if it had 100 pages less!
The side story of the two friends running and hiding to save their lives I enjoyed the most to be honest!
And since I'm a character driven reader I must say that both the lead Cupidi and her sidekick Ferriter are annoying me and I can't stand them!
Half of the book Cupidi spend it by harassing her neighbour who's life she ruined and Ferriter fangirling over a top model she admired when she was young and complaining about Peter Moon!
I also wonder why William Shaw has such a dislike for his male characters and only has the worst stored for them...
I felt really sorry for one of the characters and saddened that in the next installment I'll have much more to deal with Cupidi and Ferriter due his absence!
The plot was good, had intriguing moments and up to some point kept me guessing until I figured out what's going on and afterwards despite being action packed I couldn't wait for the story to be over!
It would be much better if it had 100 pages less!
The side story of the two friends running and hiding to save their lives I enjoyed the most to be honest!
And since I'm a character driven reader I must say that both the lead Cupidi and her sidekick Ferriter are annoying me and I can't stand them!
Half of the book Cupidi spend it by harassing her neighbour who's life she ruined and Ferriter fangirling over a top model she admired when she was young and complaining about Peter Moon!
I also wonder why William Shaw has such a dislike for his male characters and only has the worst stored for them...
I felt really sorry for one of the characters and saddened that in the next installment I'll have much more to deal with Cupidi and Ferriter due his absence!
March 27, 2020
I read the first one of these and enjoyed it. This one worked well enough for me. This is not "blown away" story stuff but good solid crime stuff with the usual "it would never happen like that" and the "pretty good pace and tension" too. The first half wasn't brilliant. I liked the story about Tap and Sloth a lot - two teenage chancers who get into trouble stealing a mobile phone. Good characters and well worked. The main story - arm found in art exhibit - did far less for me initially. However halfway through it picked up a lot and the last third or so was hard to put down. I like Cupidi as a character - no Helen Grace but nobody else is!! - but she is a well worked cop. The others (I guess mainly her daughter and neighbour (see first book) are good enough too. I'll read more of this series as and when.
August 24, 2020
It is good to see that the author is honing his writing skills in this new series set against the backdrop of Dungeness headland. Deadland, is partly focused on this surreal promontory of shingle, as the lead detective, DS Alexander Cupidi lives there with her daughter Zoë.
Now 17years old, Zoë is much more challenging, but Alex hopes that William South freshly released from prison can rekindle his mentoring relationship with Zoë over their shared interest of birdwatching.
All domestic considerations are shelved when a strange case is assigned to her when an arm is found within an exhibit in Margate.
This takes the action out and around the county of Kent. Initially Alex has to fight to keep her team as more pressing investigations arise.
The first part of the book is full of suspense as Shaw alternates between Alex’s investigation and a hapless pair of teenage criminals who, bang on trend, try to steal mobile phones while riding past on a stolen moped.
They think their luck is in when then get away with a state of the art phone and the owner is prepared to pay over the odds to get it back.
Meanwhile Alex is involved in the complicated and secretive world of art foundations and patronage.
The boys, known as Tap and Sloth quickly realise that the owner of the phone is more desperate than they could ever imagine to recover his property. To the point that their lives are in danger and they are not safe in their usual haunts and neighbourhood.
The stories cross over in alternating chapters with the police procedural having deeper links to a more serious crime while the lads are left on the run, vulnerable and without friends.
Shaw’s writing achieves both the steady building of plot as well as the terror associated with an old fashioned chase as the young men desperately try to avoid the phone man who they suspect has already killed someone close to them.
This is breathless stuff and the characterisation of these two youths, incompetent thieves but perhaps just streetwise enough to survive, is very realistic.
This is powerful writing and covers not just criminality but friendship, loyalty and personal discovery. Their relationship is stretched under the fear of being caught and the bond appears strong.
Meanwhile the police are having difficulties within their own ranks and when Alex takes Jill under her wing she finds out more as her senior officer than she wants to know. A conflict of interest arises that threatens to derail the wider investigation.
All absorbing stuff that ratchets up the tension and then Alex is further undermined by her daughters solitude, secretiveness and political activism.
With so much going on Part 2 arrives and Shaw now dwells on the police work while leaving Tap and Sloth in deadly jeopardy.
Breathless and increasingly violent. Alex finds out personal truths and when imaging perhaps two other guys of her daughters age, reported as missing and seen fleeing from a crime scene she becomes muddled in her own direction and thinking.
It all becomes a riveting high tension investigation as more victims are revealed, and like an artistic collage the cases seemingly converge but Alex just can’t see the bigger picture.
As in the previous book, Shaw has a heart stopping climax to this novel where those Alex cares for are placed at risk and she must push herself beyond her own safe place. Never confident that others can resolve what she feels instinctively drawn to sort out.
Inspiration comes from the location of this unique headline and Dungeness is again the star of this piece of literature. Long may that continue and hopefully readers will visit this place not in the hope to catch naked yoga but share in its serenity and delight in a bit of birding.
William Shaw is growing in stature, in his ability to write and identify issues in society. His works goes from strength to strength and Deadland cements his place as a must read author.
Now 17years old, Zoë is much more challenging, but Alex hopes that William South freshly released from prison can rekindle his mentoring relationship with Zoë over their shared interest of birdwatching.
All domestic considerations are shelved when a strange case is assigned to her when an arm is found within an exhibit in Margate.
This takes the action out and around the county of Kent. Initially Alex has to fight to keep her team as more pressing investigations arise.
The first part of the book is full of suspense as Shaw alternates between Alex’s investigation and a hapless pair of teenage criminals who, bang on trend, try to steal mobile phones while riding past on a stolen moped.
They think their luck is in when then get away with a state of the art phone and the owner is prepared to pay over the odds to get it back.
Meanwhile Alex is involved in the complicated and secretive world of art foundations and patronage.
The boys, known as Tap and Sloth quickly realise that the owner of the phone is more desperate than they could ever imagine to recover his property. To the point that their lives are in danger and they are not safe in their usual haunts and neighbourhood.
The stories cross over in alternating chapters with the police procedural having deeper links to a more serious crime while the lads are left on the run, vulnerable and without friends.
Shaw’s writing achieves both the steady building of plot as well as the terror associated with an old fashioned chase as the young men desperately try to avoid the phone man who they suspect has already killed someone close to them.
This is breathless stuff and the characterisation of these two youths, incompetent thieves but perhaps just streetwise enough to survive, is very realistic.
This is powerful writing and covers not just criminality but friendship, loyalty and personal discovery. Their relationship is stretched under the fear of being caught and the bond appears strong.
Meanwhile the police are having difficulties within their own ranks and when Alex takes Jill under her wing she finds out more as her senior officer than she wants to know. A conflict of interest arises that threatens to derail the wider investigation.
All absorbing stuff that ratchets up the tension and then Alex is further undermined by her daughters solitude, secretiveness and political activism.
With so much going on Part 2 arrives and Shaw now dwells on the police work while leaving Tap and Sloth in deadly jeopardy.
Breathless and increasingly violent. Alex finds out personal truths and when imaging perhaps two other guys of her daughters age, reported as missing and seen fleeing from a crime scene she becomes muddled in her own direction and thinking.
It all becomes a riveting high tension investigation as more victims are revealed, and like an artistic collage the cases seemingly converge but Alex just can’t see the bigger picture.
As in the previous book, Shaw has a heart stopping climax to this novel where those Alex cares for are placed at risk and she must push herself beyond her own safe place. Never confident that others can resolve what she feels instinctively drawn to sort out.
Inspiration comes from the location of this unique headline and Dungeness is again the star of this piece of literature. Long may that continue and hopefully readers will visit this place not in the hope to catch naked yoga but share in its serenity and delight in a bit of birding.
William Shaw is growing in stature, in his ability to write and identify issues in society. His works goes from strength to strength and Deadland cements his place as a must read author.
March 12, 2020
I'm always amazed by the way Mr. Shaw can take unlikeable characters and turn them into characters I truly care about. One of the main stories in Deadland told of two delinquent-type, 17-year-old boys, who became quite human by the end of the book. I wanted to take them home with me! There was a lot going on in this one, the best thing being the release of William South from prison. I also liked how Jill Ferriter's character is developing.
This was a gritty and atmospheric novel - and one where all of the divergent storylines came together in a believable and interesting manner!
This was a gritty and atmospheric novel - and one where all of the divergent storylines came together in a believable and interesting manner!
October 4, 2019
For my complete review of "Deadland" visit: https://fictionophile.com/2019/10/04/...
Alex Cupidi lives in the atmospheric locale of Dungeness in Kent. She works for the Kent Serious Crime Directorate.
A single mother of a seventeen year old daughter, Zoë, Alex faces challenges in both her work and her home life. At work, she is constantly battling to do justice to her many cases while the police are serious short-staffed. She still feels as though she is an 'outsider', having transferred to Kent after a personal, very awkward relationship in London.
Back on the scene is William South, former community policeman in Dungeness, who Cupidi helped to send to prison. Now released, he is once again Cupidi's neighbour and she is worried about him. She always held a deep respect for the man and though she stands by her earlier decision, she still feels regret about the events that transpired.
This latest case has her very concerned about two teenage boys who are on the run from some seriously scary and desperate criminals, at the same time as trying to discern the fate of the owner of a severed arm found in an art work on display in a gallery.
Another case, a murder, will link all three cases in a clever, almost ingenious way.
MY THOUGHTS
I was delighted to see the return of William South ('The Birdwatcher') in this latest installment. Though I was disappointed that he did not play a bigger part in the narrative, he did play an important part.
The characters in William Shaw's novels are always interesting and so fully developed that the reader comes to really care about them. I relished the references to Cupidi’s personal life. Her relationship with her enigmatic daughter especially, but also her growing rapport with her female constable, Jill Ferriter, who plays a big part in the plot of 'Deadland'.
The teenage boys, Tap and Sloth, were rendered with empathy. Though they were 'down and out ne'er do wells' they were boys - who through fate and circumstance, were impoverished in many ways, not just financially. My heart broke for them both.
The sense of place makes the reader immersed in the narrative as it is so well described. You can almost smell the marsh air...
Though advertised as the second in the Alexandra Cupidi crime series, for me this is number three. After reading "The Birdwatcher" and "Salt Lane" this is fast becoming one of my favourite police procedural series. Highly recommended!
Alex Cupidi lives in the atmospheric locale of Dungeness in Kent. She works for the Kent Serious Crime Directorate.
A single mother of a seventeen year old daughter, Zoë, Alex faces challenges in both her work and her home life. At work, she is constantly battling to do justice to her many cases while the police are serious short-staffed. She still feels as though she is an 'outsider', having transferred to Kent after a personal, very awkward relationship in London.
Back on the scene is William South, former community policeman in Dungeness, who Cupidi helped to send to prison. Now released, he is once again Cupidi's neighbour and she is worried about him. She always held a deep respect for the man and though she stands by her earlier decision, she still feels regret about the events that transpired.
This latest case has her very concerned about two teenage boys who are on the run from some seriously scary and desperate criminals, at the same time as trying to discern the fate of the owner of a severed arm found in an art work on display in a gallery.
Another case, a murder, will link all three cases in a clever, almost ingenious way.
MY THOUGHTS
I was delighted to see the return of William South ('The Birdwatcher') in this latest installment. Though I was disappointed that he did not play a bigger part in the narrative, he did play an important part.
The characters in William Shaw's novels are always interesting and so fully developed that the reader comes to really care about them. I relished the references to Cupidi’s personal life. Her relationship with her enigmatic daughter especially, but also her growing rapport with her female constable, Jill Ferriter, who plays a big part in the plot of 'Deadland'.
The teenage boys, Tap and Sloth, were rendered with empathy. Though they were 'down and out ne'er do wells' they were boys - who through fate and circumstance, were impoverished in many ways, not just financially. My heart broke for them both.
The sense of place makes the reader immersed in the narrative as it is so well described. You can almost smell the marsh air...
Though advertised as the second in the Alexandra Cupidi crime series, for me this is number three. After reading "The Birdwatcher" and "Salt Lane" this is fast becoming one of my favourite police procedural series. Highly recommended!
July 18, 2024
This novel kicks off with two seemingly unrelated crimes in north Kent. Two teenage tearaways on a moped steal a man’s mobile phone. It soon becomes obvious that their “victim” is prepared to kill to retrieve his property. Meanwhile, in a posh art gallery one of the exhibits is starting to emit an obnoxious smell which, upon investigation, turns out to be a severed arm.
When DS Alexandra Cupidi and DC Jill Ferriter begin investigating the latter crime they encounter a creepy and ambitious young artist called Ross Clogh whose works seem to suggest there is a link between the two crimes.
What follows is a clear indication of the wealth divide in the Home Counties: the two boys hiding out on the coast to escape a killer interspersed with the highly lucrative corrupt deals done in the contemporary art world.
Whilst both battling their numerous personal problems, Cupidi and Ferriter manage to make the connection which builds to a thrilling climax on the marshes near Dungeness.
This is the second novel in a series where I’ve already read the third and fourth. However, I didn’t find the achronological order spoilt my enjoyment of what is a well constructed and fast paced mystery thriller.
When DS Alexandra Cupidi and DC Jill Ferriter begin investigating the latter crime they encounter a creepy and ambitious young artist called Ross Clogh whose works seem to suggest there is a link between the two crimes.
What follows is a clear indication of the wealth divide in the Home Counties: the two boys hiding out on the coast to escape a killer interspersed with the highly lucrative corrupt deals done in the contemporary art world.
Whilst both battling their numerous personal problems, Cupidi and Ferriter manage to make the connection which builds to a thrilling climax on the marshes near Dungeness.
This is the second novel in a series where I’ve already read the third and fourth. However, I didn’t find the achronological order spoilt my enjoyment of what is a well constructed and fast paced mystery thriller.
May 20, 2019
First off, though this could be read as a standalone, I would recommend you read its two predecessors, The Birdwatcher and Salt Lane, before tackling this one. (This is called the second in the DS Alex Cupidi series, but she has a featured role in The Birdwatcher before taking over as protagonist in Salt Lane.) By reading the other books first, you get good background on Cupidi, her colleague DC Jill Ferriter, her daughter Zoë, and her neighbor and sort-of friend, William South (who is The Birdwatcher of the first novel). Knowing that background adds additional depth to the story.
This is a dual narrative story, which I like but is not to everyone’s taste. In one narrative, Cupidi and Ferriter are pursuing the case of a severed arm found inside an artwork. Is this a murder case or is the owner of the arm still alive and possibly in peril somewhere? These questions drive their work and take them into the world of art and the super wealthy.
The other narrative, which begins the book, is that of two 17-year-old tearabouts, nicknamed Tap and Sloth, who are taking a motorbike for a joyride and snatch a brand-new iPhone X from a man walking down the sidewalk with a commuter-train crowd. The boys think they’ll get quick money for the phone, but instead they are relentlessly pursued by the man, who doesn’t hesitate to kill in his Terminator-level determination to get back that phone.
The world of Tap and Sloth is one of poverty, single mothers, dope smoking and petty crime. But they’re still boys who just want their mums as they flee from the menacing stranger who seems to be able to find them no matter where they go.
William Shaw writes thrillingly, but also sensitively. This is a smart and intricately plotted police procedural with the emphasis on the real lives of the police and the other characters. Without being at all didactic, he illustrates the huge gulf between the lives of the wealthy and the barely-getting-by victims of austerity Britain. Shaw’s books are getting better and better. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves as a top-notch crime fiction writer.
This is a dual narrative story, which I like but is not to everyone’s taste. In one narrative, Cupidi and Ferriter are pursuing the case of a severed arm found inside an artwork. Is this a murder case or is the owner of the arm still alive and possibly in peril somewhere? These questions drive their work and take them into the world of art and the super wealthy.
The other narrative, which begins the book, is that of two 17-year-old tearabouts, nicknamed Tap and Sloth, who are taking a motorbike for a joyride and snatch a brand-new iPhone X from a man walking down the sidewalk with a commuter-train crowd. The boys think they’ll get quick money for the phone, but instead they are relentlessly pursued by the man, who doesn’t hesitate to kill in his Terminator-level determination to get back that phone.
The world of Tap and Sloth is one of poverty, single mothers, dope smoking and petty crime. But they’re still boys who just want their mums as they flee from the menacing stranger who seems to be able to find them no matter where they go.
William Shaw writes thrillingly, but also sensitively. This is a smart and intricately plotted police procedural with the emphasis on the real lives of the police and the other characters. Without being at all didactic, he illustrates the huge gulf between the lives of the wealthy and the barely-getting-by victims of austerity Britain. Shaw’s books are getting better and better. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves as a top-notch crime fiction writer.
November 20, 2020
Damn, this is just so good! William Shaw has written another blockbuster police procedural, the 2nd in the DS Alexandra Cupidi series, the first being Salt Lane, although Cupidi was introduced to the reader in The Birdwatcher. Two apparently unrelated plot-lines handled brilliantly, eventually brought together with breathtaking, sinister events.
Two teenage boys, a stolen mobile and a ruthless victim who wants back what is his with terrifying consequences. Someone who is prepared to kill for what is his. Two very frightened lads go on the run, whilst Cupidi has to attend a horrendous find - a severed limb hidden inside a modern sculpture in Margate's Turner Contemporary gallery.
The location is perfect and well known to me. Dungeness - Britain's only desert and one of Europe's largest expanses of shingle. I have gone birding here and Cupidi lives here amongst the rich wildlife and plant variety together with the many wooden fishing huts and lighthouses scattered all around. It is a desolate, windswept place that really adds to the atmosphere.
Deadland is a tautly constructed thriller, clever and thoughtful. I thoroughly recommend it.
Two teenage boys, a stolen mobile and a ruthless victim who wants back what is his with terrifying consequences. Someone who is prepared to kill for what is his. Two very frightened lads go on the run, whilst Cupidi has to attend a horrendous find - a severed limb hidden inside a modern sculpture in Margate's Turner Contemporary gallery.
The location is perfect and well known to me. Dungeness - Britain's only desert and one of Europe's largest expanses of shingle. I have gone birding here and Cupidi lives here amongst the rich wildlife and plant variety together with the many wooden fishing huts and lighthouses scattered all around. It is a desolate, windswept place that really adds to the atmosphere.
Deadland is a tautly constructed thriller, clever and thoughtful. I thoroughly recommend it.
March 16, 2025
This next book in the Alex Cupidi series had me hooked from the start.. great crime procedural that had so many twists and turns but with a lead protagonist that has flaws but ultimately credibility .
The story involves two young lads on the run after stealing a phone and not realising the recuperations whilst in an art gallery an arm is found within a ceramic art exhibit.. how could they be connected?
If you like good crime detective reads then this is a winner - devoured the book over three days. Do read the series in order for best impact and enjoyment
The story involves two young lads on the run after stealing a phone and not realising the recuperations whilst in an art gallery an arm is found within a ceramic art exhibit.. how could they be connected?
If you like good crime detective reads then this is a winner - devoured the book over three days. Do read the series in order for best impact and enjoyment
January 7, 2022
What a fantastic book to kick off the new year! Pulse-pounding ending, twisty mystery and more personal development of an excellent character- DS Cupidi. Loved it. Glad I bought the 3rd in the series at the same time, and will certainly be buying #4.
February 20, 2019
I’m a fan of William Shaw’s Crime Novels and this is an excellent follow up to the brilliant Salt Lane that launched Alex Cupidi as a new Crime series and closing the door on the most beloved but hard hitting Breen & Tozer series. Still in the wilds of Kent, the divide between the richest and the poorest is explored and crossed in this shocking and gritty cat and mouse tale.
Deadland is cleverly structured as a split seemingly unrelated narrative between two young lads Tap & Sloth who are on the run facing the deadly consequences of stealing a mans bag.
On the other is Cupidi and her team investigating whether an arm left in a art installation is a murder/torture scene or a sick attempt to raise its value in a twisted Banksy shredding his own work way.
Both stories unfold with burgers, sellotape, Supermodels, millionaire investors, East End warehouses and the murky shenanigans of the art world crash into the personal lives of Cupidi and her team with single parents, consent, guilt, through assaults, dangling at the Barbican all amidst ‘efficiency’ cuts stretching police resources to breaking point where there are just not enough officers to cope with the task in hand, especially when things escalate from ‘just’ an arm in a jar.
The second Alex Cupidi series but third appearance of the character heartens back to the events of her debut in The Birdwatcher of which the consequences of her actions there are now coming to hit home as without spoiling that book certain people are home and not exactly happy with the welcome wagon. The theme of this self doubt and questioning what is the right decision haunts Alex throughout the novel and considering the ending will do so traumatically for years hereafter.
As ever a moralistic but sympathetic look at the realities and challenges of modern policing, William Shaw manages to make us angry at the way Cupidi isn’t as free as US crime thrillers suggest their detectives are, and shines an uncomfortable light on the darker side of British society from its attitudes to disenfranchised youth, parolled sex offenders, migrant families, privilege and celebrity and how power or lack there affects how one is treated and perceived.
Whole heartedly recommended and I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing what comes next from this immensely talented author.
I received an ARC for free through a review scheme with no obligation or fee. Opinions my own.
Deadland is cleverly structured as a split seemingly unrelated narrative between two young lads Tap & Sloth who are on the run facing the deadly consequences of stealing a mans bag.
On the other is Cupidi and her team investigating whether an arm left in a art installation is a murder/torture scene or a sick attempt to raise its value in a twisted Banksy shredding his own work way.
Both stories unfold with burgers, sellotape, Supermodels, millionaire investors, East End warehouses and the murky shenanigans of the art world crash into the personal lives of Cupidi and her team with single parents, consent, guilt, through assaults, dangling at the Barbican all amidst ‘efficiency’ cuts stretching police resources to breaking point where there are just not enough officers to cope with the task in hand, especially when things escalate from ‘just’ an arm in a jar.
The second Alex Cupidi series but third appearance of the character heartens back to the events of her debut in The Birdwatcher of which the consequences of her actions there are now coming to hit home as without spoiling that book certain people are home and not exactly happy with the welcome wagon. The theme of this self doubt and questioning what is the right decision haunts Alex throughout the novel and considering the ending will do so traumatically for years hereafter.
As ever a moralistic but sympathetic look at the realities and challenges of modern policing, William Shaw manages to make us angry at the way Cupidi isn’t as free as US crime thrillers suggest their detectives are, and shines an uncomfortable light on the darker side of British society from its attitudes to disenfranchised youth, parolled sex offenders, migrant families, privilege and celebrity and how power or lack there affects how one is treated and perceived.
Whole heartedly recommended and I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing what comes next from this immensely talented author.
I received an ARC for free through a review scheme with no obligation or fee. Opinions my own.
April 28, 2019
Two young teenagers, Tap and Sloth decide to take the road to petty crime so they can forge a place for themselves in a rather bleak and uninspiring environment. Unfortunately they have more ambition than talent and they steal a holdall containing a rather expensive iPhone and a cheap Alcatel phone. But the owner is very serious about retrieving his possessions and the threats become very quickly life-threatening and deadly. Meanwhile DS Alexandra Cupidi and Constable Jill Ferriter are asked to look into a rather morbid incident. A severed arm is found in a modern art installation in the Turner Museum in Margate. It is their introduction to the hazy world of art collectors,foundations and financial Maecenases. Although at first sight both cases seem to have nothing in common, very slowly a connection is made between the two boys of a council estate and the glittering world of art with a capital A.
It is a good story,it is well written,the coastal location in Kent next to a nuclear power plant is very well chosen and it definitely keeps your attention until the end.
The why only three stars? Well,and I know this is personal,but I just couldn't connect with Cupidi and Ferriter. Sometimes they felt a bit contrived,then a bit bland and then over the top. I did not understand their reactions or attitudes on certain occasions and I therefore found it very hard to like (or dislike) them,to be moved by them or to be very interested in them...
Ah well ,it happens!
It is a good story,it is well written,the coastal location in Kent next to a nuclear power plant is very well chosen and it definitely keeps your attention until the end.
The why only three stars? Well,and I know this is personal,but I just couldn't connect with Cupidi and Ferriter. Sometimes they felt a bit contrived,then a bit bland and then over the top. I did not understand their reactions or attitudes on certain occasions and I therefore found it very hard to like (or dislike) them,to be moved by them or to be very interested in them...
Ah well ,it happens!
June 1, 2019
A fast-paced police procedural with themes of fine art swindle and juvenile delinquency. I enjoyed listening to this, it was a satisfactory story and I'm glad Bill South is back, but I can't say I was overawed. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.
June 3, 2019
Really good book in a series I have enjoyed greatly. This is again set in Dungeness and William South the policeman sent to prison at the end of the Birdwatcher is released from prison in Northern Ireland for killing his violent and abusive father when he was a child. The plot has two main strands which link together towards the end. The plotting is excellent and I did not guess much about what was going on until it was revealed. Some great characters too. Hope this series continues and prospers!
June 3, 2019
Ramping up the tension...
When a severed limb turns up inside an urn on loan to the local art gallery, DS Alex Cupidi and the team have a real mystery on their hands. First they have to try to work out to whom it belonged and if the owner is dead, and why it was left in a place where it was bound to be discovered, all before they can even begin to investigate who put it there. At the same time, two local lads, Sloth and Tap, are starting out on a life of petty crime. They decide to steal a mobile phone, but unfortunately for them they pick the wrong victim, and soon find themselves being hunted by someone who seems willing to go to any lengths to recover his property, so they run off into hiding. While Alex is tied up in the possible murder investigation, she can’t help being worried for the safety of the boys – criminals they may be, but they’re also victims, of difficult homes, of substandard schools, of a society that doesn’t seem to care. And they’re the same age as Alex’ own daughter, Zoe...
Alex Cupidi is a great detective. She isn’t an angst-ridden maverick, but there are enough complications in her personal life to make her interesting, and her relationship with her daughter is entirely credible. Zoe is seventeen, mostly adult but still part child, and Alex is finding it difficult to get the balance right between protecting her and letting her find her own way in life. The situation is complicated by Zoe’s zealous championing of causes which sometimes bring her into confrontation with the forces of law and order. Shaw handles this excellently, never taking it too far, and there’s plenty of love in the relationship to help smooth over any areas of conflict.
The police procedural aspect is just as good. Shaw lets us know about the painstaking detail that goes into an investigation without allowing the story to get bogged down in it. Alex’ colleague and friend, Jill, has got herself into a tricky personal situation, and this lets us see another side of Alex, trying to juggle loyalty to her friend with the professional demands of the job.
One thing I particularly loved was that Shaw includes people of different ethnicities and sexual orientations without making a big deal of it. I’m so tired of authors feeling they have to write “about” diversity – until we start treating diversity as normal, it never will be. So hurrah for an author who makes it unremarkable...
(This is the second time I’ve made a comment like this recently, the other being in relation to the entirely believable, positive background portrayal of racially diverse Birmingham in Lucie Whitehouse’s Critical Incidents. A new trend, perhaps? If so, a very welcome one.)
The plotting is great – complex and fast-paced, but never to a degree where the reader feels lost. It takes Alex and Jill into the rich and shady world of art-trading, where vast amounts of money changing hands provides opportunities for all kinds of dodgy dealing, and the wealthy shelter behind their security fences and sense of entitlement. But through Tap and Sloth we also see the other end of the social spectrum, where a meal in a burger bar can seem like a feast. There’s no faux “that day” suspense in this one. Instead, Shaw makes us care so deeply about the two boys that the tension level ramps ever higher as the story unfolds, with some real heart-thumping moments along the way. And there’s no cosiness about it, so that there’s a real feeling of fear that one or both of them may pay the ultimate price for their stupid crime. But equally their story is not too grim or gritty to be enjoyable. There’s a lot of warmth and humour in their friendship – two misfits who’ve each found someone they can rely on, even love.
Shaw makes excellent use of his Kent setting, both in town and out on the wild and forbidding marshland landscape of Dungeness. He lets us see all the contrasts in wealth in this area, the secluded and luxurious homes of the rich, while the old seaside hotels and boarding houses along the Kent coast are now hostels housing many of the refugees and migrants recently arrived on our shores.
This is one of those rare masterclasses in crime writing that should be made compulsory reading for all aspiring authors. I loved everything about it, especially the sections of the boys on the run, and raced through it because I needed to know whether they would make it. Did I come out of it smiling or sobbing though? I’m afraid you’ll have to read it for yourself to find the answer to that question. One thing I will tell you – I’ll be backtracking to read Shaw’s earlier books, and adding him to my read-on-publication-day list for future ones...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, riverrun at Quercus.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When a severed limb turns up inside an urn on loan to the local art gallery, DS Alex Cupidi and the team have a real mystery on their hands. First they have to try to work out to whom it belonged and if the owner is dead, and why it was left in a place where it was bound to be discovered, all before they can even begin to investigate who put it there. At the same time, two local lads, Sloth and Tap, are starting out on a life of petty crime. They decide to steal a mobile phone, but unfortunately for them they pick the wrong victim, and soon find themselves being hunted by someone who seems willing to go to any lengths to recover his property, so they run off into hiding. While Alex is tied up in the possible murder investigation, she can’t help being worried for the safety of the boys – criminals they may be, but they’re also victims, of difficult homes, of substandard schools, of a society that doesn’t seem to care. And they’re the same age as Alex’ own daughter, Zoe...
Alex Cupidi is a great detective. She isn’t an angst-ridden maverick, but there are enough complications in her personal life to make her interesting, and her relationship with her daughter is entirely credible. Zoe is seventeen, mostly adult but still part child, and Alex is finding it difficult to get the balance right between protecting her and letting her find her own way in life. The situation is complicated by Zoe’s zealous championing of causes which sometimes bring her into confrontation with the forces of law and order. Shaw handles this excellently, never taking it too far, and there’s plenty of love in the relationship to help smooth over any areas of conflict.
The police procedural aspect is just as good. Shaw lets us know about the painstaking detail that goes into an investigation without allowing the story to get bogged down in it. Alex’ colleague and friend, Jill, has got herself into a tricky personal situation, and this lets us see another side of Alex, trying to juggle loyalty to her friend with the professional demands of the job.
One thing I particularly loved was that Shaw includes people of different ethnicities and sexual orientations without making a big deal of it. I’m so tired of authors feeling they have to write “about” diversity – until we start treating diversity as normal, it never will be. So hurrah for an author who makes it unremarkable...
(This is the second time I’ve made a comment like this recently, the other being in relation to the entirely believable, positive background portrayal of racially diverse Birmingham in Lucie Whitehouse’s Critical Incidents. A new trend, perhaps? If so, a very welcome one.)
The plotting is great – complex and fast-paced, but never to a degree where the reader feels lost. It takes Alex and Jill into the rich and shady world of art-trading, where vast amounts of money changing hands provides opportunities for all kinds of dodgy dealing, and the wealthy shelter behind their security fences and sense of entitlement. But through Tap and Sloth we also see the other end of the social spectrum, where a meal in a burger bar can seem like a feast. There’s no faux “that day” suspense in this one. Instead, Shaw makes us care so deeply about the two boys that the tension level ramps ever higher as the story unfolds, with some real heart-thumping moments along the way. And there’s no cosiness about it, so that there’s a real feeling of fear that one or both of them may pay the ultimate price for their stupid crime. But equally their story is not too grim or gritty to be enjoyable. There’s a lot of warmth and humour in their friendship – two misfits who’ve each found someone they can rely on, even love.
Shaw makes excellent use of his Kent setting, both in town and out on the wild and forbidding marshland landscape of Dungeness. He lets us see all the contrasts in wealth in this area, the secluded and luxurious homes of the rich, while the old seaside hotels and boarding houses along the Kent coast are now hostels housing many of the refugees and migrants recently arrived on our shores.
This is one of those rare masterclasses in crime writing that should be made compulsory reading for all aspiring authors. I loved everything about it, especially the sections of the boys on the run, and raced through it because I needed to know whether they would make it. Did I come out of it smiling or sobbing though? I’m afraid you’ll have to read it for yourself to find the answer to that question. One thing I will tell you – I’ll be backtracking to read Shaw’s earlier books, and adding him to my read-on-publication-day list for future ones...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, riverrun at Quercus.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 2, 2019
Can’t wait for the next one in these series. I spent much of my childhood in Kent, and these books make me remember all the good times we spent with my grandparents and family.
April 17, 2020
This series just keeps getting better and better and better. Alexandra Cupidi made her first appearance in The Birdwatcher, and although I couldn't stand her character, the story was so good that I knew I'd read the next book, Salt Lane. Deadland is a wonderful addition. Cupidi has had some of her rough edges knocked off by now, and William South from The Birdwatcher returns.
This is a series that character-driven readers should love. In Deadland, we have the added bonus of learning more about DC Jill Ferriter and why her choice of career says so much about her as a person. We also get to laugh a bit at her expense when it comes to her choice of shoes and her hero worship. Cupidi's seventeen-year-old daughter, Zoë, is growing up, too-- and she's showing all the signs of turning into a wonderful, strong human being, even though Cupidi's nerves may not survive the metamorphosis.
How the two subplots featuring Sloth and Tap and the arm in the sculpture merge together is compelling and addictive. I didn't want to stop reading until I'd reached the end. Shaw really ratchets up the suspense as the two boys keep one-half step ahead of the man tracking them down, and the arm in the sculpture was a real puzzler until the plot threads finally began to be woven together.
Deadland is a masterful bit of storytelling. If you're a fan of police procedurals (especially British ones), get your hands on a copy. If you're a fan of strong, multi-faceted characters, get your hands on a copy. If you want to submerge yourself in a story and not think about anything else, get your hands on a copy. (And I haven't even mentioned the atmospheric setting of the marshlands!) You could skip reading The Birdwatcher and Salt Lane and jump right into Deadland, but I'd advise against it. Why deprive yourself of such wonderful reading?
This is a series that character-driven readers should love. In Deadland, we have the added bonus of learning more about DC Jill Ferriter and why her choice of career says so much about her as a person. We also get to laugh a bit at her expense when it comes to her choice of shoes and her hero worship. Cupidi's seventeen-year-old daughter, Zoë, is growing up, too-- and she's showing all the signs of turning into a wonderful, strong human being, even though Cupidi's nerves may not survive the metamorphosis.
How the two subplots featuring Sloth and Tap and the arm in the sculpture merge together is compelling and addictive. I didn't want to stop reading until I'd reached the end. Shaw really ratchets up the suspense as the two boys keep one-half step ahead of the man tracking them down, and the arm in the sculpture was a real puzzler until the plot threads finally began to be woven together.
Deadland is a masterful bit of storytelling. If you're a fan of police procedurals (especially British ones), get your hands on a copy. If you're a fan of strong, multi-faceted characters, get your hands on a copy. If you want to submerge yourself in a story and not think about anything else, get your hands on a copy. (And I haven't even mentioned the atmospheric setting of the marshlands!) You could skip reading The Birdwatcher and Salt Lane and jump right into Deadland, but I'd advise against it. Why deprive yourself of such wonderful reading?
June 10, 2019
Deadland by William Shaw is the second novel with DS Alexandra Cupidi of the Kent police as the main character (she was introduced in The Birdwatcher and it is suggested readers start there for the full knowledge of Shaw characters).
In Deadland, a rotting arm, from below the elbow down, is discovered concealed inside of a ritzy piece of art on display in an upscale art gallery. From there, Detective Sergeant Cupidi is tasked with discovering the origin of the arm and if it is an artistic statement or an actual crime. At the same time, Shaw introduces two, down-on-their-luck teens trying to make money by petty theft as they steal a cellular telephone from someone they will soon regret having done so.
During the investigation, Cupidi and her number two, Constable Ferriter, soon learn the work of art belongs to an artistic foundation overseen by a celebrity supermodel and others that seem unconcerned about the grisly discovery, while using the barricades of wealth, upper-class and celebrity to allow them to be less than cooperative in the investigation.
As writers like Shaw often do, the tale involves multiple seemingly unrelated plotlines readers know will eventually converge while wondering how the novel will do so. Shaw does not disappoint.
Additionally, with Deadland, Shaw continues to develop the characters in the novel which allows them to grow and expand without appearing to be contrived.
Deadland is a well crafted and assembled novel and is clearly among the higher tier of police procedurals.
In Deadland, a rotting arm, from below the elbow down, is discovered concealed inside of a ritzy piece of art on display in an upscale art gallery. From there, Detective Sergeant Cupidi is tasked with discovering the origin of the arm and if it is an artistic statement or an actual crime. At the same time, Shaw introduces two, down-on-their-luck teens trying to make money by petty theft as they steal a cellular telephone from someone they will soon regret having done so.
During the investigation, Cupidi and her number two, Constable Ferriter, soon learn the work of art belongs to an artistic foundation overseen by a celebrity supermodel and others that seem unconcerned about the grisly discovery, while using the barricades of wealth, upper-class and celebrity to allow them to be less than cooperative in the investigation.
As writers like Shaw often do, the tale involves multiple seemingly unrelated plotlines readers know will eventually converge while wondering how the novel will do so. Shaw does not disappoint.
Additionally, with Deadland, Shaw continues to develop the characters in the novel which allows them to grow and expand without appearing to be contrived.
Deadland is a well crafted and assembled novel and is clearly among the higher tier of police procedurals.
January 19, 2021
Oh yes! Another great read for the summer holidays! Not only is the backstory of the detectives and their lives fleshing out in a satisfying way but this time round I felt a lot of sympathy for the two young thieves who kick off the story. Keep this series coming....
May 28, 2019
Deadland – Proving you can run but not hide
Deadland, sees William Shaw, bring back Detective Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi, for a roller coast ride of a thriller. To me this is the best of the Cupidi thrillers so far, and with every outing, this series gets better.
Ds Cupidi has been given a strange case that is possibly a murder, as an arm has been found in an artwork at the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate. While everybody else seems to be on the case of a dead small time villain, she has the weird one. Nobody takes her seriously, not her colleagues not the owners of the artwork. It does not help that a celebrity’s art foundation owns the work and they are not taking the discovery seriously.
At the same time two seventeen year old boys, Tap and Sloth are looking for somebody to mug of their mobile phone. They snatch a bag off a man and ride away on their stolen moped. When the owner of the bag calls the stolen mobile phone in the bag and demands the phone, Tap sends his uncle to deliver the phone. He does not return. When the owner tracks them down, they go on the run, staying away for their own safety.
The more Cupidi investigates, the weirder the case seems to become, especially when nobody can find the art broker and the model wife and owner of the collection. As the case progresses, she has to deal with the internal police politics, along with her own daughter and the desolate Kent coast.
She is trying to find the owner of the arm, the owner of the art and her paths cross with the two runaway’s case, what she does not realise they are pawns in a bigger game. The closer she gets to solving the case little does she realise how close to her own front door things will come.
DS Alexander Cupidi is an excellent police heroine, forever fighting, never stops being a copper, even if it means arresting another copper. The unforgiving landscape, the unforgiving crimes merge into one and build up a brilliant thriller. Once again William Shaw is a master storyteller, who gives us a web of events that need unpicking to discover the truth. Deadland is a brilliant evocation of both Cupidi, her troubled life and the harsh Kent marshes around her.
This is a brilliant crime thriller and I cannot wait for Cupidi’s next outing.
Deadland, sees William Shaw, bring back Detective Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi, for a roller coast ride of a thriller. To me this is the best of the Cupidi thrillers so far, and with every outing, this series gets better.
Ds Cupidi has been given a strange case that is possibly a murder, as an arm has been found in an artwork at the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate. While everybody else seems to be on the case of a dead small time villain, she has the weird one. Nobody takes her seriously, not her colleagues not the owners of the artwork. It does not help that a celebrity’s art foundation owns the work and they are not taking the discovery seriously.
At the same time two seventeen year old boys, Tap and Sloth are looking for somebody to mug of their mobile phone. They snatch a bag off a man and ride away on their stolen moped. When the owner of the bag calls the stolen mobile phone in the bag and demands the phone, Tap sends his uncle to deliver the phone. He does not return. When the owner tracks them down, they go on the run, staying away for their own safety.
The more Cupidi investigates, the weirder the case seems to become, especially when nobody can find the art broker and the model wife and owner of the collection. As the case progresses, she has to deal with the internal police politics, along with her own daughter and the desolate Kent coast.
She is trying to find the owner of the arm, the owner of the art and her paths cross with the two runaway’s case, what she does not realise they are pawns in a bigger game. The closer she gets to solving the case little does she realise how close to her own front door things will come.
DS Alexander Cupidi is an excellent police heroine, forever fighting, never stops being a copper, even if it means arresting another copper. The unforgiving landscape, the unforgiving crimes merge into one and build up a brilliant thriller. Once again William Shaw is a master storyteller, who gives us a web of events that need unpicking to discover the truth. Deadland is a brilliant evocation of both Cupidi, her troubled life and the harsh Kent marshes around her.
This is a brilliant crime thriller and I cannot wait for Cupidi’s next outing.
February 4, 2020
Two jobless and broke seventeen year old boys, Tap and Sloth, are venturing into a life of crime, cruising on a ‘borrowed’ scooter looking for a likely person they can relieve of their mobile phone to get themselves some cash. Coming from a lower social class and being bullied at school hasn’t encouraged higher aspirations. After a failed attempt they spy a target and successfully snatch his bag with the mobile phone inside. A seemingly petty crime soon escalates into something else entirely and the consequences are shocking.
Alternating with the story of the two teenage boys is the strange case DS Alex Cupidi is involved in. What looked like a human arm in a state of decomposition has been discovered inside an art exhibit displayed in the Turner Contemporary gallery. Alex and Constable Jill Ferriter are drawn into the pretentious and moneyed art world where bizarre works of art are not unknown. Was this one such? Or something more sinister.
In this third outing for DS Alexandra Cupidi we’re treated to another superb example of crime fiction. William South, Dungeness’ former community policeman and one of my all time favourite characters, returns deeply affected by his time in prison for the manslaughter of his father—the compelling story told in The Birdwatcher. Alex hopes he and her daughter Zoë, now seventeen and going through a difficult phase, can rekindle their shared interest in birdwatching, hopefully helping to keep Zoë out of trouble.
The contrast between Tap and Sloth’s world and that of those connected to the gallery couldn’t be more marked and highlights the divide between the social classes. The tension and suspense is kept at a high level during the two perfectly balanced and absorbing story threads with a pace well suited to both. The connections between them are brought together seamlessly by William Shaw’s excellent storytelling.
There’s a wonderful mix of multilayered characters, all expertly drawn, particularly the two boys who you can’t help but feel sorry for and empathise with, despite their inclination towards petty crime. Their lives are challenging, to say the least. And, although the part he played was relatively small, it was great to see William South back where he belongs. The mentions of Alex Cupidi’s personal life as a working single mother to a headstrong teen rounds out her character, as does the emotionally troubled time Jill Ferriter is going through. The setting, as always, is atmospheric and evocative in its starkness and isolation, delivering a real sense of place. Deadland lived up to all expectations.
Alternating with the story of the two teenage boys is the strange case DS Alex Cupidi is involved in. What looked like a human arm in a state of decomposition has been discovered inside an art exhibit displayed in the Turner Contemporary gallery. Alex and Constable Jill Ferriter are drawn into the pretentious and moneyed art world where bizarre works of art are not unknown. Was this one such? Or something more sinister.
In this third outing for DS Alexandra Cupidi we’re treated to another superb example of crime fiction. William South, Dungeness’ former community policeman and one of my all time favourite characters, returns deeply affected by his time in prison for the manslaughter of his father—the compelling story told in The Birdwatcher. Alex hopes he and her daughter Zoë, now seventeen and going through a difficult phase, can rekindle their shared interest in birdwatching, hopefully helping to keep Zoë out of trouble.
The contrast between Tap and Sloth’s world and that of those connected to the gallery couldn’t be more marked and highlights the divide between the social classes. The tension and suspense is kept at a high level during the two perfectly balanced and absorbing story threads with a pace well suited to both. The connections between them are brought together seamlessly by William Shaw’s excellent storytelling.
There’s a wonderful mix of multilayered characters, all expertly drawn, particularly the two boys who you can’t help but feel sorry for and empathise with, despite their inclination towards petty crime. Their lives are challenging, to say the least. And, although the part he played was relatively small, it was great to see William South back where he belongs. The mentions of Alex Cupidi’s personal life as a working single mother to a headstrong teen rounds out her character, as does the emotionally troubled time Jill Ferriter is going through. The setting, as always, is atmospheric and evocative in its starkness and isolation, delivering a real sense of place. Deadland lived up to all expectations.
February 4, 2020
Excellent read. A real page turner. Will be looking for more by the same author.
January 4, 2024
This is the second book in a series. I very much enjoyed The Birdwatcher and was wondering whether this would disappoint, since The Birdwatcher was so good. I certainly wasn't disappointed. It is a great story, well written with well drawn characters. A great page-turner!
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