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DS Alexandra Cupidi #4
The Trawlerman
A DOUBLE MURDER
The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.
AN ELABORATE SCAM
The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter's disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis's were not the only losers.
AN UNLIKELY KILLER
Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.
Pacey, intense and riddled with surprising twists, The Trawlerman shows that deceit can be found in the most unlikely places. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline offer an ominous backdrop for this lively page-turner of corruption, mental health and the complexities of human connection.
The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.
AN ELABORATE SCAM
The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter's disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis's were not the only losers.
AN UNLIKELY KILLER
Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.
Pacey, intense and riddled with surprising twists, The Trawlerman shows that deceit can be found in the most unlikely places. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline offer an ominous backdrop for this lively page-turner of corruption, mental health and the complexities of human connection.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2021
77 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
About the author
William Shaw
20 books534 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 132 reviews
December 11, 2022
This is a marvellous addition to what is a gem of a crime series by William Shaw, featuring some remarkable developments in the central protagonist, DS Alex Cupidi, set in the beautifully atmospheric location of the Kent coast, covering Dungeness and Folkestone. After previous traumatic events, Alex is off work, suffering from PTSD, which has her screaming at night in the midst of terrifying nightmares, and seeing a counsellor. Additionally, she is plagued by an overwhelming sense of terror, of things about to go wrong, which can play false, but is how she comes to prevent a deadly machete attack on Tina by her former mother in law, Tina is on her honeymoon with her new wife, Stella. The mother in law believes that Tina is responsible for the killing of her son, Tina's husband, which does not make sense, as officially Frank Hogben died at sea, after falling overboard off a fishing trawler.
DC Jill Ferriter is working on a brutally gruesome double murder of a couple, Ayman and Mary Younis, with its surprisingly forensically clean crime scene where the killer has left a message 'Kill them all. God will know his own.' On her return to work, Alex is to be assigned to light duties to ensure no trigger points, she is dreading this, and, despite her vulnerable state, she cannot stay away from the murders, and desperately misses not being part of the police team. Her relationship with her teenage daughter, Zoe, is typical, with Zoe being unforthcoming about what is going on in her life, but she is concerned, protective and supportive in looking after her mother with her alarming mental health issues. It emerges that Ayman had invested a large sum of money in a Guatemalan green forestry scheme, which turned out to be a con, he was not the only victim, Bill South too has incurred losses he simply could not afford.
A major strength of the series is that Shaw has created and developed a fascinating and believable cast of characters, and unlike so much in the crime and mystery genre, you barely have to suspend your sense of disbelief. There is sensitive and informative coverage of issues, such as the true impact of PTSD on a everyday basis, the deadly fallout of financial fraud, and domestic abuse, whilst Alex's relationship with Zoe feels all too real. This is a stellar read, with Alex becoming far less hung up on her black and white perspective, here she ventures into and becomes far more accepting of grey areas, and even entering, what for her, is shocking territory to ensure small measures of justice. A brilliantly gripping and immersive crime series that I have no hesitation recommending to other readers.
DC Jill Ferriter is working on a brutally gruesome double murder of a couple, Ayman and Mary Younis, with its surprisingly forensically clean crime scene where the killer has left a message 'Kill them all. God will know his own.' On her return to work, Alex is to be assigned to light duties to ensure no trigger points, she is dreading this, and, despite her vulnerable state, she cannot stay away from the murders, and desperately misses not being part of the police team. Her relationship with her teenage daughter, Zoe, is typical, with Zoe being unforthcoming about what is going on in her life, but she is concerned, protective and supportive in looking after her mother with her alarming mental health issues. It emerges that Ayman had invested a large sum of money in a Guatemalan green forestry scheme, which turned out to be a con, he was not the only victim, Bill South too has incurred losses he simply could not afford.
A major strength of the series is that Shaw has created and developed a fascinating and believable cast of characters, and unlike so much in the crime and mystery genre, you barely have to suspend your sense of disbelief. There is sensitive and informative coverage of issues, such as the true impact of PTSD on a everyday basis, the deadly fallout of financial fraud, and domestic abuse, whilst Alex's relationship with Zoe feels all too real. This is a stellar read, with Alex becoming far less hung up on her black and white perspective, here she ventures into and becomes far more accepting of grey areas, and even entering, what for her, is shocking territory to ensure small measures of justice. A brilliantly gripping and immersive crime series that I have no hesitation recommending to other readers.
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March 6, 2024Bought on a random whim because it's set in an area where I just set a couple of books and that seemed cool. An extremely competent and highly readable detective novel with well intertwined and ingenious plots, several elements of which I didn't see coming at all, and a nicely drawn cast. I will look out for more.
Also, extremely smoothly written and almost completely impeccably edited, as in I found one minuscule error in the entire book, and I can't remember when I last said that about a book from a publisher.
Also, extremely smoothly written and almost completely impeccably edited, as in I found one minuscule error in the entire book, and I can't remember when I last said that about a book from a publisher.
June 27, 2021
I could have finished this last night, but I didn't want to end it, so I saved a bit for today :)
I just loved it as I did the whole series.
I just loved it as I did the whole series.
August 28, 2021
“The Trawlerman” is William Shaw’s fourth book in the ‘DS Alexandra Cupidi’ popular crime fiction series and opens with an attempted knife assault and brutal double murder with a note found written in blood.
I found this book impossible to put down, nice short but concise chapters that didn’t waffle, didn’t over explain, just good quality narratives and a decent plot set in an atmospheric location.
Combining a murder mystery with a very clever financial scam and a historic fishing death, there was loads of intrigue to keep me invested in the plot and I enjoyed working out mentally who the culprit could be.
This was my first time with Alex Cupidi and in “The Trawlerman” she is currently on sick leave with PTSD, so its her colleague DC Jill Ferriter who leads the investigations. Learning that Alex is dedicated to her work, she refuses to stay out of all the events, even though she’s receiving counselling for stress and recurring nightmares. Her memories of talking to her councillor help the reader to understand the place she’s in emotionally. Her daughter Zoe is a lovely girl and at times adds some fun dialogue - I especially liked the scene with the dead starfish!
Although this is my first read in this series, I’m genuinely curious about Alex’s previous life and the scandal that saw her leave the London Met Police. Her character development is intriguing and I will certainly be reading the previous books for their plot enjoyment and character camaraderie.
I have no hesitation in recommending William Shaw and his books and I’m happy to give “The Trawlerman” a big thumbs up and 5 stars.
I found this book impossible to put down, nice short but concise chapters that didn’t waffle, didn’t over explain, just good quality narratives and a decent plot set in an atmospheric location.
Combining a murder mystery with a very clever financial scam and a historic fishing death, there was loads of intrigue to keep me invested in the plot and I enjoyed working out mentally who the culprit could be.
This was my first time with Alex Cupidi and in “The Trawlerman” she is currently on sick leave with PTSD, so its her colleague DC Jill Ferriter who leads the investigations. Learning that Alex is dedicated to her work, she refuses to stay out of all the events, even though she’s receiving counselling for stress and recurring nightmares. Her memories of talking to her councillor help the reader to understand the place she’s in emotionally. Her daughter Zoe is a lovely girl and at times adds some fun dialogue - I especially liked the scene with the dead starfish!
Although this is my first read in this series, I’m genuinely curious about Alex’s previous life and the scandal that saw her leave the London Met Police. Her character development is intriguing and I will certainly be reading the previous books for their plot enjoyment and character camaraderie.
I have no hesitation in recommending William Shaw and his books and I’m happy to give “The Trawlerman” a big thumbs up and 5 stars.
July 5, 2022
Interesting and I wasn't really expecting this but I think may be my favourite of the series so far. Don't get me wrong - I've enjoyed the others a fair bit too but this one took to a different level for me. Alex refers to herself as a "cop with a broom up her ar*s" - not really sure I agree with that but... The broom certainly comes out in this book!!
Alex is off work for medical reasons - PTSD. Some issues/cases come up. Obviously Alex can have nothing to do with them as she isn't working... She is also very reflective. It works for me. I'll look forward to book 5. 4.5/5
Alex is off work for medical reasons - PTSD. Some issues/cases come up. Obviously Alex can have nothing to do with them as she isn't working... She is also very reflective. It works for me. I'll look forward to book 5. 4.5/5
May 17, 2021
I’ve enjoyed this series right from its start, The Birdwatcher, through Salt Lane, Deadland and last year’s Grave’s End, so I was excited to hear about the release of this new title.
After the events of Grave’s End, it’s no surprise to learn that at the start of The Trawlerman, DS Alex Cupidi is suffering from PTSD. She’s on leave, in therapy, and going stir crazy. When she’s at a local pub sitting out in the sun one day, she sees a wedding party. Everyone seems happy, so why does she have a feeling of impending doom? Turns out she was right to feel that way. The good news: she is able to act to turn away the threat. The bad news: this hypervigilance and early warning system of hers aren’t doing her psyche any good, and her mental alarm sometimes goes off for the wrong reasons.
When her best friend, DC Jill Ferriter, tells her about a horrifically gruesome double murder she is investigating, Alex can’t help wanting to know more about it, especially when she learns that the murder victims were also victims of a financial scam that also entrapped Bill South, the neighbor and former cop with whom Alex has a complicated history.
I know we’re all familiar with the old gimmick of the detective off active duty who just can’t resist sleuthing a case anyway. Well, don’t worry, this is no trite old plot gimmick. This is one of the twistiest crime stories I’ve read in a long time. And as terrific as the plot is, the personal stories as equally engaging. Alex has always been a strictly by-the-rules cop, but will her judgment be swayed by her PTSD and personal relationships entangled with the crimes?
I could easily see this being dramatized and being a smash success. In fact, I could see the whole book series being turned into a TV series. I would just hope that the producers could come close to William Shaw’s brilliant characterizations, intelligent and well-paced plotting, depiction of the social divides in Cupidi’s coastal Kent village, and evocation of nature.
In an already strong series, this entry is a standout.
I listened to the audiobook version, read by Jasmine Blackborow, who is just great at character readings.
After the events of Grave’s End, it’s no surprise to learn that at the start of The Trawlerman, DS Alex Cupidi is suffering from PTSD. She’s on leave, in therapy, and going stir crazy. When she’s at a local pub sitting out in the sun one day, she sees a wedding party. Everyone seems happy, so why does she have a feeling of impending doom? Turns out she was right to feel that way. The good news: she is able to act to turn away the threat. The bad news: this hypervigilance and early warning system of hers aren’t doing her psyche any good, and her mental alarm sometimes goes off for the wrong reasons.
When her best friend, DC Jill Ferriter, tells her about a horrifically gruesome double murder she is investigating, Alex can’t help wanting to know more about it, especially when she learns that the murder victims were also victims of a financial scam that also entrapped Bill South, the neighbor and former cop with whom Alex has a complicated history.
I know we’re all familiar with the old gimmick of the detective off active duty who just can’t resist sleuthing a case anyway. Well, don’t worry, this is no trite old plot gimmick. This is one of the twistiest crime stories I’ve read in a long time. And as terrific as the plot is, the personal stories as equally engaging. Alex has always been a strictly by-the-rules cop, but will her judgment be swayed by her PTSD and personal relationships entangled with the crimes?
I could easily see this being dramatized and being a smash success. In fact, I could see the whole book series being turned into a TV series. I would just hope that the producers could come close to William Shaw’s brilliant characterizations, intelligent and well-paced plotting, depiction of the social divides in Cupidi’s coastal Kent village, and evocation of nature.
In an already strong series, this entry is a standout.
I listened to the audiobook version, read by Jasmine Blackborow, who is just great at character readings.
May 22, 2021
Regular readers of this blog will know that I have read pretty much every book William Shaw has written, and am always pleased to see another addition to his excellent DS Alexandra Cupidi series. So here we have The Trawlerman, again set on the Kent coast, with an emotionally battered and mentally bruised Cupidi, currently signed off work with PTSD, but once again finding it difficult to ignore the job completely, and finding herself lured into two intriguing cases...
What I like about Shaw's books, and this is meant as no criticism whatsoever, is that the very ordinariness of the crimes he weaves into his books, act as a really solid backdrop for him to branch out, and explore larger themes or interesting nuggets of history from Dungeness and its surrounds. The very fact that he sets the books in the ecologically diverse habit of this area, and wildlife and birding usually have a large part to play, is enough to draw me in as a complete nature nut, and his nuanced and authentic portrayal of the wildlife, the coastline and so on, is always pitch perfect. Consequently, having previously had little or no knowledge of say the eponymous world of fish trawling, and the inherent dangers and its essential part in the community, I found myself drawn into it through Shaw's research and depiction of this world. There is something extremely satisfying of having the dual experience of accruing new knowledge, but also being wholly sucked into a compelling and satisfying crime story.
Having had cause to think a lot about characterisation recently, William Shaw is one of the author's who springs to mind, when thinking about convincing and believable characters. I totally buy into Cupidi's world every time, as Shaw so effectively portrays her world of personal and professional triumphs and failures. Being a single parent and a full time police detective brings with it a whole host of challenges, and although her daughter, Zoe is an older teenager, this proves to be perhaps the most worrying and difficult time for Cupidi, drawn into the instantly recognisable world of stilted conversations, miscommunication or sudden and powerful moments of emotional reconciliation, beyond the bickering. This central relationship between Cupidi and her daughter adds a real emotional heft to the series, and small glimpses of acceptance and acknowledgement of each other's more annoying traits starts to solidify and change the bond between them. As the daughter of a single mum, much of this strikes a personal chord with me, as their relationship changes and develops in every book, and Shaw always impresses in how he manages to capture this particular dynamic of family life.
These moments of missteps are also replicated in Cupidi's relationship with her neighbour, and ex-police officer William South, with whom she shares a certain amount of difficult history, and once again poor old William is put through the emotional wringer, with Cupidi again having to make some choices between head and heart. I also love the character of Jill Ferriter, one of Cupidi's police colleagues, who achieves a wonderful balance of flighty and professional, and it was great to see her playing a more expansive role in this one too.
Perhaps the most powerful and affecting strand of this story is Shaw's depiction of Cupidi's battle with PTSD, which was incredibly well-realised, capturing the mental and physical effects of this condition, from moments of extreme portentous fear, to visceral hallucinations and traumatic dreams. Having read a good amount of fiction and non-fiction based on the subject, particularly of military personnel, Cupidi's personal struggles with the condition seemed authentic, and more affecting because of this. So once again in The Trawlerman, Shaw has produced another completely absorbing read, packed full of emotional tension and disrupted relationships, against the wonderfully rugged landscape of the Kent coastline. Not for nothing is he one of my favourite crime writers. Highly recommended.
What I like about Shaw's books, and this is meant as no criticism whatsoever, is that the very ordinariness of the crimes he weaves into his books, act as a really solid backdrop for him to branch out, and explore larger themes or interesting nuggets of history from Dungeness and its surrounds. The very fact that he sets the books in the ecologically diverse habit of this area, and wildlife and birding usually have a large part to play, is enough to draw me in as a complete nature nut, and his nuanced and authentic portrayal of the wildlife, the coastline and so on, is always pitch perfect. Consequently, having previously had little or no knowledge of say the eponymous world of fish trawling, and the inherent dangers and its essential part in the community, I found myself drawn into it through Shaw's research and depiction of this world. There is something extremely satisfying of having the dual experience of accruing new knowledge, but also being wholly sucked into a compelling and satisfying crime story.
Having had cause to think a lot about characterisation recently, William Shaw is one of the author's who springs to mind, when thinking about convincing and believable characters. I totally buy into Cupidi's world every time, as Shaw so effectively portrays her world of personal and professional triumphs and failures. Being a single parent and a full time police detective brings with it a whole host of challenges, and although her daughter, Zoe is an older teenager, this proves to be perhaps the most worrying and difficult time for Cupidi, drawn into the instantly recognisable world of stilted conversations, miscommunication or sudden and powerful moments of emotional reconciliation, beyond the bickering. This central relationship between Cupidi and her daughter adds a real emotional heft to the series, and small glimpses of acceptance and acknowledgement of each other's more annoying traits starts to solidify and change the bond between them. As the daughter of a single mum, much of this strikes a personal chord with me, as their relationship changes and develops in every book, and Shaw always impresses in how he manages to capture this particular dynamic of family life.
These moments of missteps are also replicated in Cupidi's relationship with her neighbour, and ex-police officer William South, with whom she shares a certain amount of difficult history, and once again poor old William is put through the emotional wringer, with Cupidi again having to make some choices between head and heart. I also love the character of Jill Ferriter, one of Cupidi's police colleagues, who achieves a wonderful balance of flighty and professional, and it was great to see her playing a more expansive role in this one too.
Perhaps the most powerful and affecting strand of this story is Shaw's depiction of Cupidi's battle with PTSD, which was incredibly well-realised, capturing the mental and physical effects of this condition, from moments of extreme portentous fear, to visceral hallucinations and traumatic dreams. Having read a good amount of fiction and non-fiction based on the subject, particularly of military personnel, Cupidi's personal struggles with the condition seemed authentic, and more affecting because of this. So once again in The Trawlerman, Shaw has produced another completely absorbing read, packed full of emotional tension and disrupted relationships, against the wonderfully rugged landscape of the Kent coastline. Not for nothing is he one of my favourite crime writers. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2021
In this latest instalment Alex Cupidi is on 'sick' leave following the traumatic events at the end of the last book. Having apprehended and arrested women with the knife while she's sat having a glass of wine, she also learns of a gruesome double murder. Can she leave things alone and let her colleagues do the work..... of course not. Having devoured this book in a day I now can't wait for the next one, hoping of course that there is a 'next one'.
June 27, 2021
In The Trawlerman by William Shaw, DS Alexandra Cupidi returns for her fourth novel as the main character in the series.
The novel opens with Cupidi placed upon leave for post-traumatic stress and finds her troubled with nightmares and ominous premonitions. While at a local cafe, suddenly sensing something terrible is about to happen, Cupidi intercedes when a newlywed couple is confronted by a knife-wielding woman claiming one of the pair murdered her son. After restraining the woman for the police, Cupidi’s interest is piqued and she tries to learn more of why a distraught mother would arm herself and confront a couple over her missing, presumed murdered, son.
At the same time, an older married couple is found murdered with their nude corpses left behind and posed in a strange manner. With only a bizarre inscription in blood upon the walls, the lack of clues and forensic evidence point to a true whodunit.
Officer Jill Ferriter, a close friend, and colleague of Cupidi’s is part of the investigation and tight-lipped around Cupidi due to her leave status. Though Cupidi has been repeatedly cautioned from participating in any sort of investigation, such warnings and leave status do not impede Cupidi’s interest, ending with her own under-the-radar investigation of both the double murder and the mysterious missing man claimed by his mother to have been a victim of murder.
During all of the turmoil in Cupidi’s life, including her strained relationship with her daughter Zoe and her continued guilt over her past with former detective Bill South, Cupidi also embarks on a cat and mouse flirtatious encounter with a psychologist she learns is the best friend of the murdered husband and someone who may not be what he claims to be.
When it comes to the novels of William Shaw, one thing he is adept at is allowing his characters to breathe and realistically develop. The crimes are also solved in a logical and methodical way while avoiding great leaps of implausibility. His novels also unfold smoothly and like that of dining on fine food or beverages. One of the worse things about his novels is knowing after completing the most recent one, the reader knows patience will be needed before his next novel appears.
William Shaw’s Det. Cupidi novels are highly recommended and readers are encouraged to start with the initial novel The Birdwatcher featuring Bill South.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.
The novel opens with Cupidi placed upon leave for post-traumatic stress and finds her troubled with nightmares and ominous premonitions. While at a local cafe, suddenly sensing something terrible is about to happen, Cupidi intercedes when a newlywed couple is confronted by a knife-wielding woman claiming one of the pair murdered her son. After restraining the woman for the police, Cupidi’s interest is piqued and she tries to learn more of why a distraught mother would arm herself and confront a couple over her missing, presumed murdered, son.
At the same time, an older married couple is found murdered with their nude corpses left behind and posed in a strange manner. With only a bizarre inscription in blood upon the walls, the lack of clues and forensic evidence point to a true whodunit.
Officer Jill Ferriter, a close friend, and colleague of Cupidi’s is part of the investigation and tight-lipped around Cupidi due to her leave status. Though Cupidi has been repeatedly cautioned from participating in any sort of investigation, such warnings and leave status do not impede Cupidi’s interest, ending with her own under-the-radar investigation of both the double murder and the mysterious missing man claimed by his mother to have been a victim of murder.
During all of the turmoil in Cupidi’s life, including her strained relationship with her daughter Zoe and her continued guilt over her past with former detective Bill South, Cupidi also embarks on a cat and mouse flirtatious encounter with a psychologist she learns is the best friend of the murdered husband and someone who may not be what he claims to be.
When it comes to the novels of William Shaw, one thing he is adept at is allowing his characters to breathe and realistically develop. The crimes are also solved in a logical and methodical way while avoiding great leaps of implausibility. His novels also unfold smoothly and like that of dining on fine food or beverages. One of the worse things about his novels is knowing after completing the most recent one, the reader knows patience will be needed before his next novel appears.
William Shaw’s Det. Cupidi novels are highly recommended and readers are encouraged to start with the initial novel The Birdwatcher featuring Bill South.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.
June 27, 2024
The fourth novel in this series sees Detective Inspector Alex Cupidi off on sick leave owing to post-traumatic stress. However, she still finds herself drawn into recent crimes and manages to solve them before her working colleagues, including her best friend Jill Ferriter.
First off is the double murder of Ayman and Mary Younis in their New Romney home. The only clues being a note written in blood and a spectral figure rising above the crime scene. The Younis’s deaths are somehow linked to investments he had made into a bogus reforestry scheme in Guatemala, thereby losing all their savings which paid for the best care for their son who suffers from cerebral palsy. Several other members of the local golf club were also taken in by the scheme, including Cupidi’s friend Bill South.
Because of suspicions about her daughter Zoe’s two new friends, she also finds herself drawn into the disappearance, seven years ago, of Folkestone gangster and drug smuggler Frank Hogben.
Once again, William Shaw has managed to devise a complex plot with surprising twists. Add to that the cast of memorable characters and evocative descriptions of the brooding Kent coastline and we get yet another highly rewarding read.
First off is the double murder of Ayman and Mary Younis in their New Romney home. The only clues being a note written in blood and a spectral figure rising above the crime scene. The Younis’s deaths are somehow linked to investments he had made into a bogus reforestry scheme in Guatemala, thereby losing all their savings which paid for the best care for their son who suffers from cerebral palsy. Several other members of the local golf club were also taken in by the scheme, including Cupidi’s friend Bill South.
Because of suspicions about her daughter Zoe’s two new friends, she also finds herself drawn into the disappearance, seven years ago, of Folkestone gangster and drug smuggler Frank Hogben.
Once again, William Shaw has managed to devise a complex plot with surprising twists. Add to that the cast of memorable characters and evocative descriptions of the brooding Kent coastline and we get yet another highly rewarding read.
November 14, 2022
Another excellent DS Cupidi instalment. I really do love this series!
June 25, 2021
William Shaw's novels just keepon getting better. So many twists and turns I found it hard to put down.
April 28, 2024
A wonderful example of how in a crowded genre like murder mysteries, crime thrillers can still have a distinct voice. Furthermore, despite being an established location and set of characters; being part of a series, an author doesn’t need to just rehash and dwell on that successful formula.
In DS Alexandra Cupidi William Shaw has created a wonderfully imagined and flawed lead detective and in Dungeness he has found an intriguing and challenging location to set these books.
William Shaw is a generous storyteller. A ready ear for dialogue and an eye for real life situations which ensures his characters sit comfortably within his reader’s imaginations. Their normality and acceptance to us makes the threat and danger when it comes so much more real. His writing brings life to this landscape and the routine of police work. His characters grow and develop in ways we can grasp immediately; this is a fictional environment we feel we could step into and be comfortable in its surroundings.
What I loved here the most is the author’s willingness to engage once more in difficult and controversial subjects. PTSD, difficulties overcoming such trauma covering work related stress, combat fatigue and relationship based violence. To attach this journey to his main character was very brave indeed and for me this is the heart of the novel and makes it a gem and a must read.
I find his writing truthful and reflective of people’s aspirations for loved ones as much as for themselves. However, sometimes as he demonstrates here, we can only survive with a supportive family and circle of friends. Taking too much upon ourselves and trying to stay strong may just break us.
All this is conveyed within the pages of an engaging thriller full of humour and implied threat. Sometimes imagined but often real. An horrendous crime scene, similar to those cases that have left Alex on sick leave is the trigger for our detective with time off work to explore her own traumas and address historical events of a lost fisherman at sea.
A remarkable book and another example of the skill and craft of author, William Shaw.
In DS Alexandra Cupidi William Shaw has created a wonderfully imagined and flawed lead detective and in Dungeness he has found an intriguing and challenging location to set these books.
William Shaw is a generous storyteller. A ready ear for dialogue and an eye for real life situations which ensures his characters sit comfortably within his reader’s imaginations. Their normality and acceptance to us makes the threat and danger when it comes so much more real. His writing brings life to this landscape and the routine of police work. His characters grow and develop in ways we can grasp immediately; this is a fictional environment we feel we could step into and be comfortable in its surroundings.
What I loved here the most is the author’s willingness to engage once more in difficult and controversial subjects. PTSD, difficulties overcoming such trauma covering work related stress, combat fatigue and relationship based violence. To attach this journey to his main character was very brave indeed and for me this is the heart of the novel and makes it a gem and a must read.
I find his writing truthful and reflective of people’s aspirations for loved ones as much as for themselves. However, sometimes as he demonstrates here, we can only survive with a supportive family and circle of friends. Taking too much upon ourselves and trying to stay strong may just break us.
All this is conveyed within the pages of an engaging thriller full of humour and implied threat. Sometimes imagined but often real. An horrendous crime scene, similar to those cases that have left Alex on sick leave is the trigger for our detective with time off work to explore her own traumas and address historical events of a lost fisherman at sea.
A remarkable book and another example of the skill and craft of author, William Shaw.
July 16, 2021
Yet again I find myself as The Odd Man Out. I found this implausible, unbelievable and ever so slightly predictable. This is way off William Shaw's best, in fact it feels contrived. Unfortunately Alex Cupidi becomes less likeable as the story progresses, and her daughter is just plain irritating ( as teenagers are supposed to be).
To new devotees...read The Birdwatcher. Don't start here because it doesn't reflect the author's ability. Sad to say, I found myself flicking the pages towards the end...
To new devotees...read The Birdwatcher. Don't start here because it doesn't reflect the author's ability. Sad to say, I found myself flicking the pages towards the end...
June 3, 2021
I would have rated this higher if I had read it independently of the preceding books in the series. However, this narrative changes one significant character's ethos 180 degrees and that and actions taken left me feeling wronged, that it is unbelievable in a number of points. I ultimately felt this was a lower level pastiche of the books Shaw has written previously in this series.
November 14, 2023
This is probably my favourite in this series
May 21, 2021
DS Alexandra Cupidi was introduced to the reader towards the end of The Birdwatcher and I have always considered that to be the first in the series. I certainly recommend reading these books in order - Salt Lane, Deadland, Grave's End and now The Trawlerman, as there is a back story that has a significant impact on the series.
DS Alex Cupidi is suffering from PTSD and experiencing horrific nightmares. Understandable with what she experienced in Grave's End. She is undergoing therapy with a counsellor and is only allowed back to work on "light duties". She has been told in no uncertain terms to stay away from police work. In Alex's absence, DC Jill Ferriter has to investigate what appears to be a brutal double-murder. Jill is a close friend of Alex who finds herself unable to stay away from the case, despite several warnings from Jill.
The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala. They lost everything as did Bill South, their disgraced former colleague (and you will need to read The Birdwatcher to know why).
There are other threads in the plot, in particular the disappearance of a trawlerman seven years ago, believed to have been lost overboard. Nothing, however, is as it seems...
I love the location for these wonderful books - the shingle desert of Dungeness and environs, where Alex lives with her teenage daughter Zoe. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline play a significant part in The Trawlerman, for me, the best in the series so far.
A writer at the top of his game SUN. And so say I !
DS Alex Cupidi is suffering from PTSD and experiencing horrific nightmares. Understandable with what she experienced in Grave's End. She is undergoing therapy with a counsellor and is only allowed back to work on "light duties". She has been told in no uncertain terms to stay away from police work. In Alex's absence, DC Jill Ferriter has to investigate what appears to be a brutal double-murder. Jill is a close friend of Alex who finds herself unable to stay away from the case, despite several warnings from Jill.
The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala. They lost everything as did Bill South, their disgraced former colleague (and you will need to read The Birdwatcher to know why).
There are other threads in the plot, in particular the disappearance of a trawlerman seven years ago, believed to have been lost overboard. Nothing, however, is as it seems...
I love the location for these wonderful books - the shingle desert of Dungeness and environs, where Alex lives with her teenage daughter Zoe. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline play a significant part in The Trawlerman, for me, the best in the series so far.
A writer at the top of his game SUN. And so say I !
July 6, 2021
DS Alex Cupidi, suffering from metal and emotional burnout, is in counselling for PTSD. She experiences bad dreams and premonitions that something bad is about to happen. She is under strict orders to stay clear of any sort of active police work. Her life revolves around work and her daughter Zoë. Their relationship is challenging most of the time and Zoë is often out so, combined with the two, Alex is finding it very difficult to fill in the time.
While Alex is having a drink with one of the locals an incident occurs which brings DC Jill Ferriter to the scene. She was nearby attending a gruesome crime scene. Alex and Jill are close friends as well as colleagues and despite Jill’s attempts to keep Alex away from the case, Alex can’t help herself.
There are several threads woven together seamlessly, including that of a trawlerman lost at sea several years ago. Bill South also becomes embroiled in the case and Alex’s lingering feelings of guilt about Bill make her desperately hope it’s not in a bad way.
The Trawlerman is not only a compellingly twisty police procedural which showcases the area with it’s diversity of wildlife, coastline and, in this case, the hard life of trawlermen. It is also peopled with realistic characters that develop in believable ways. Alex is mellowing slightly in that she is beginning to realise that not all situations demand complete openness when the result would be detrimental.
For me, this is one of the best series around. The plot unfolds gradually and naturally, despite all not being as it seems, and always with that wonderfully rugged coastal backdrop.
Alex and Zoë’s relationship is captured perfectly as they learn to be more tolerant towards each other while still having those fraught mother daughter moments. It’s not easy to juggle single parenthood with a demanding job, coupled with mental health issues and a teenager beginning to find her own way in the world. An excellent crime drama.
While Alex is having a drink with one of the locals an incident occurs which brings DC Jill Ferriter to the scene. She was nearby attending a gruesome crime scene. Alex and Jill are close friends as well as colleagues and despite Jill’s attempts to keep Alex away from the case, Alex can’t help herself.
There are several threads woven together seamlessly, including that of a trawlerman lost at sea several years ago. Bill South also becomes embroiled in the case and Alex’s lingering feelings of guilt about Bill make her desperately hope it’s not in a bad way.
The Trawlerman is not only a compellingly twisty police procedural which showcases the area with it’s diversity of wildlife, coastline and, in this case, the hard life of trawlermen. It is also peopled with realistic characters that develop in believable ways. Alex is mellowing slightly in that she is beginning to realise that not all situations demand complete openness when the result would be detrimental.
For me, this is one of the best series around. The plot unfolds gradually and naturally, despite all not being as it seems, and always with that wonderfully rugged coastal backdrop.
Alex and Zoë’s relationship is captured perfectly as they learn to be more tolerant towards each other while still having those fraught mother daughter moments. It’s not easy to juggle single parenthood with a demanding job, coupled with mental health issues and a teenager beginning to find her own way in the world. An excellent crime drama.
August 12, 2022
I love this series. Alex Cupidi is on leave from the police for PTSD. Her nightmares are horrific. She often wakes to find her 17-year old daughter at her bedside trying to calm her down. As stressed out as she may be, she is growing bored with sitting home. When her pal Jill investigates the brutal murder of a local couple, she cannot resist the urge to get involved.
This one was slow-moving but in a way that made her emotional state seem more real. She isn’t cured by chapter three. Alex evolves into a human being with this novel. She is no longer the cold, logical, rules-following detective without a heart. She is not a superhero. The connection to Shaw’s other series featuring Breen and Tozer is uncovered.
I recommend new readers starting with the Breen and Tozer books. Read them in order. You’re in for a treat.
This one was slow-moving but in a way that made her emotional state seem more real. She isn’t cured by chapter three. Alex evolves into a human being with this novel. She is no longer the cold, logical, rules-following detective without a heart. She is not a superhero. The connection to Shaw’s other series featuring Breen and Tozer is uncovered.
I recommend new readers starting with the Breen and Tozer books. Read them in order. You’re in for a treat.
July 6, 2021
Brilliantly written 4th in the Alex Cupudi series. This time Alex is on the sick suffering from stress and PTSD however it doesn't stop her from investigating a double murder not far from her home on the Dungeness coastline. I love the easy read if this series, funny, gripping, thrilling and twisty, I'm so glad we are finding out mire if how Alex ticks! No spoilers here but thus is the best book in the series so far in my opinion! ❤
August 15, 2021
I love all Alex Cupidi investigation installments and this one has been no different! Can’t for the next one already!
May 27, 2021
Even off sick, Alex is busy!
I took part in a Reading Party for this book as I love William's books. Although I don't remember much of the first 3 chapters as I was so nervous reading, I was interested in it straight away. I love his characters (especially Alex, Zoe and Bill) and he has the ability to make readers become interested in whatever the background topic is. I haven't been able to sleep the last few nights so I took it as extra time to read!
I took part in a Reading Party for this book as I love William's books. Although I don't remember much of the first 3 chapters as I was so nervous reading, I was interested in it straight away. I love his characters (especially Alex, Zoe and Bill) and he has the ability to make readers become interested in whatever the background topic is. I haven't been able to sleep the last few nights so I took it as extra time to read!
April 5, 2022
The Trawlerman is another clever and thoughtful book by William Shaw which like the earlier ones in the series is well worth a read if you like intelligent crime fiction. My favourite in this series to date is Salt Lane, which sets the murder story against the plight of migrants scattered through the Kent back lanes and back waters and warns of the mistake of blaming the stranger for being ‘strange’.
This series of books uses the Kent coast around the Dungeness nuclear power station as a back drop - think Derek Jarman - and makes good use of atmosphere and local character.
The heroine is detective Alex Cupidi who is on sick leave suffering PTSD - the result of earlier investigations. She has both time on her hands and demons to battle.
An apparent double murder close to her home is too tempting for her to leave alone. The supporting cast are also very nicely written, particularly Alex’s teenage daughter Zoe.
An excellent read with twists and turns right to the final page.
This series of books uses the Kent coast around the Dungeness nuclear power station as a back drop - think Derek Jarman - and makes good use of atmosphere and local character.
The heroine is detective Alex Cupidi who is on sick leave suffering PTSD - the result of earlier investigations. She has both time on her hands and demons to battle.
An apparent double murder close to her home is too tempting for her to leave alone. The supporting cast are also very nicely written, particularly Alex’s teenage daughter Zoe.
An excellent read with twists and turns right to the final page.
July 18, 2023
I found the plotline very slow and ponderous.
The main character Alex has been signed off work as a police detective as she has some mental health problems - we were never told if this was due to a case she worked on or not.
One day she is in cafe where their is a wedding, she has a premonition that something bad is going to happen and she does stop someone being attacked.
Her friend Jill and fellow dectective arrives on scene but won't talk about where she has been but there are tell tale signs that she has been at a crime scene. As Alex learns more about the lady in the incident at the cafe and the double murder Jill had been too, she starts asking her own questions.
This is hte 4th book in this series and I don't think I will be reading any of the others. It juast wasn't a book for me.
The main character Alex has been signed off work as a police detective as she has some mental health problems - we were never told if this was due to a case she worked on or not.
One day she is in cafe where their is a wedding, she has a premonition that something bad is going to happen and she does stop someone being attacked.
Her friend Jill and fellow dectective arrives on scene but won't talk about where she has been but there are tell tale signs that she has been at a crime scene. As Alex learns more about the lady in the incident at the cafe and the double murder Jill had been too, she starts asking her own questions.
This is hte 4th book in this series and I don't think I will be reading any of the others. It juast wasn't a book for me.
October 24, 2025
I loved this; the series is great, and I hope that author William Shaw continues to write beyond the next (fifth) book in the series, The Wild Swimmers. In this one, Alex is on leave, basically for PTSD from the last case, when two apparent murders take place nearby. At loose ends, she can't stand not being involved, especially since Jill is on the case. As she unofficially investigates, she also talks to a therapist, and we get a sense of all of the trauma she is trying to avoid dealing with. Then, it becomes clear that this crime might be linked to one that took place near Dungeness in the distant past, one that her neighbor Bill South (one of my all-time favorite characters) was aware of when he was a policeman. From there, it's fascinating to see the twists and turns that tie up all of the threads. I love everything about Alex; her relationship with her friend Jill at work, her relationship with Bill, and her relationship with her daugher Zoë (who is in many ways mature beyond her years and maybe even her mother's years) are all complex and interesting. She's vulnerable in intriguing, realistic, appealing ways, and Shaw does a great job of developing both her character and, through her actions, his plots. Plus, the novels are always atmospheric; you can always almost smell and feel the weather in Dungeness. I had forgotten that the late artist Derek Jarman's famous garden was near there, but I have a book about the garden, and in my memory the visuals of the moody and somewhat barren but beautiful landscape are exactly what he describes.
I've loved everything I've read of Shaw's (his 1960's Breen and Tozer series is also excellent) and this is one of the best, shortlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold Dagger. The series was top-notch to begin with, but it keeps getting better, and I can't wait to read The Wild Swimmers (although I'm pacing myself since that is the last one to date). Highly recommended for fans of British crime fiction and police procedurals. 4 1/2 stars.
I've loved everything I've read of Shaw's (his 1960's Breen and Tozer series is also excellent) and this is one of the best, shortlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold Dagger. The series was top-notch to begin with, but it keeps getting better, and I can't wait to read The Wild Swimmers (although I'm pacing myself since that is the last one to date). Highly recommended for fans of British crime fiction and police procedurals. 4 1/2 stars.
November 17, 2021
Fabulous! Aside from being another super crime story, the characters of Alex, Zoe and Bill continue to grow. I wonder if things might take a different direction if there’s a sequel in the offing. Also, nicely linked to the Breen and Tozer series, which I hadn’t previously noticed! 🤦🏻♀️
May 23, 2021
This is another wonderful book in the Alex Cupidi series.
She is signed off from work because she suffers from PTSD. But of course she cannot help herself when she happens to witness a woman with a knife trying to attack a couple of newlyweds. She gets curious and then ...
Wonderful plot twists, also to a point that I started wondering how she could do the things she does.
But there is more to the story than meets the eye. The author really gets into the matter of PTSD and has done his research (as far as I can tell).
Highly recommended.
She is signed off from work because she suffers from PTSD. But of course she cannot help herself when she happens to witness a woman with a knife trying to attack a couple of newlyweds. She gets curious and then ...
Wonderful plot twists, also to a point that I started wondering how she could do the things she does.
But there is more to the story than meets the eye. The author really gets into the matter of PTSD and has done his research (as far as I can tell).
Highly recommended.
May 22, 2021
Can't remember how I came across William Shaw but so glad I did. Every book gets better and better. The Trawlerman has to be the best so far. Great story lines that changed as more details are revealed until a brilliant climax that I didn't see coming...now the wait for the next installment.
November 4, 2021
This was quite bitty, with three separate murder cases and a fraud investigation in the mix. Alex was on stress leave (I thought her PTSD and counselling sessions were well done) so she was having to insert herself into investigations unofficially. The ending involved Alex behaving in a manner completely inconsistent with her character as established from the first book in this series, which was a bit odd...
April 20, 2025
Raced through this fourth instalment of this great police procedural crime series.
Another excellently plotted story with Alex Cupidi taking centre stage as she “ unofficially “ investigates the death of a married couple and the disappearance of a fishermen seven years earlier .
As ever the Dungeness location is as much a part of the plot and the atmosphere of the books.
What was fascinating in this latest book was our key protagonist dealing with PTSD and the emotions and counselling she was receiving and how this impacted upon events.
Superb characterisation.
Read the series in order for maximum enjoyment
Another excellently plotted story with Alex Cupidi taking centre stage as she “ unofficially “ investigates the death of a married couple and the disappearance of a fishermen seven years earlier .
As ever the Dungeness location is as much a part of the plot and the atmosphere of the books.
What was fascinating in this latest book was our key protagonist dealing with PTSD and the emotions and counselling she was receiving and how this impacted upon events.
Superb characterisation.
Read the series in order for maximum enjoyment
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