Shooting Season

DCI Harry Grimm #4

by David J. Gatward

If fame goes to your head, don't lose it.When thriller writer Charlie Baker disappears after launching his latest novel, it looks to DCI Harry Grimm like the fame went to his head-and the booze, too.Until Charlie turns up dead, a post-mortem reveals something more sinister than suicide, and Harry is faced with too many suspects and not enough answers.With shocking secrets to expose, unthinkable pasts to uncover, and his own darkness to final put to rest, revealing the killer's identity could well turn out to be the most challenging case of Harry's career.Assuming that he still has one once's he's dealt with his own murderous father . . .Shooting Season is the fourth book in the DCI Harry Grimm crime thriller series, set in the Yorkshire Dales, and perfect for fans of L. J. Ross, J.R. Ellis, Margaret Mayhew, Jeanne M. Dams, J. M. Dalgliesh, Roger Silverwood, J. D. Kirk, Adam Croft, and Simon McCleave

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

322 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2021

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just bought the whole series up to number 15. Great books, great stories, great characters and dialogue.

Im addicted!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shooting Season is book four in the DCI Harry Grimm series by David J. Gatward. It was a quiet time in the Yorkshire Dales for Detective Chief Inspector Harry Grimm and his team, allowing Harry time to think about his brother, father and if he should commit to staying in the Yorkshire Dales after the previous DCI committed suicide. However, he had to put that aside when he caught the case of the disappearance of famous author Charlie Baker. Detective Chief Inspector Harry Grimm and his team had too many suspects but no evidence to link any of the suspects. The readers of Shooting Season will continue to follow Detective Chief Inspector Harry Grimm and his team to discover what happens.

The Shooting Season is another fantastic addition to this excellent series by David J. Gatward. I enjoy that he highlights PTSD and the consequences of war to help his readers to understand and support the suffering. I love David J. Gatward's portrayal of his characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. The Shooting Season is well-written and researched by David J. Gatward. I like David J. Gatward's description of the settings of The Shooting Season, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

The readers of Shooting Season will learn about the Yorkshire Dales's beauty from the fantastic walks and the many caves found around the Dales.

I recommend this book.

[Keith Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Books Here

“Shooting Season” is two books. One book, the first half, was dull, repetitive and lacked any real urgency (by design). Tempted to skim, I didn’t. The second book, the second half, was exciting, revealing, and was driven by a truly complex urgency. Unfortunately, that said, Mr. Gartward loves ending his books with a sudden, freely given, plausible and official confession. No one is really “caught” in Mr. Gatward’s Grimm books. They just “Give up”. There was some clever police work that inspired this book’s sudden (literally within the last few pages) confession, but I do think it’s the easy way out and hope this device is abandoned in Mr. Gatward’s future books. And, please, let there be MANY future books! Back to First book/half: When a completely abhorrent arsehole is murdered, the police work is of little interest, not merely to those closest to the dead, who hate him, anyway, but to the reader. And, the police work initially is uninspired; rote. Add to that the obvious fact that this, perhaps even commendable, murder was a one-off. There is no essential need to find the killer in order to stop him/her from killing again. In other words, the stakes here were incredibly low. Plus, there were only five people close to, who even knew the murdered, and who thusly naturally became the (only) suspected suspects. Not because of forensics, but because they were all together as a group of outsiders, traveling the country with the murdered. The suspects were suspected, not due to any evidence (as always with the Grimm books, there wasn’t any), but due entirely to proximity and familiarity (all very Agatha Christy - “Then the killer must be… one of US!”). The welcome urgency that arrived in book two/the second half, was driven by the fact that the suspects, London based, were, as a group, moving on, and the reader coming to actually care about two of the suspects, as well as some some truly interesting late plot developments (the actress, the daughter, the love affair gone bad — I must also add, however, that someone (an adult) saying they don’t know how to drive does not me that they don’t know how to drive). Mr. Gatward is a terrifically talented, thorough writer, I just think his concept this time was a non-starter. It’s why serial killers come in so handy, there are plenty of future murders that need preventing. All told, this is a book(s) you should read. It does indeed become well worth it.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding.

Each book just gets better and better. I have read all the Harry Grimm novels and they are a literary treat. The characters are interesting and their interaction with each other is funny and at times poignant. The dales are beautifully described as are the other settings. Great murder mystery with numerous suspects. Highly recommend all the books but suggest you should start with the first one as each successive novel builds from the previous ones.

[Jilrene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

I still love all the supporting characters. Harry is growing on me. Very slowly.

[Becca Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to the Author & Random T Tours for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

If fame goes to your head, don’t lose it.When thriller writer Charlie Baker disappears after launching his latest novel, it looks to DCI Harry Grimm like the fame went to his head—and the booze, too.Until Charlie turns up dead, a post-mortem reveals something more sinister than suicide, and Harry is faced with too many suspects and not enough answers.With shocking secrets to expose, unthinkable pasts to uncover, and his own darkness to final put to rest, revealing the killer’s identity could well turn out to be the most challenging case of Harry’s career.Assuming that he still has one once’s he’s dealt with his own murderous father . . . Shooting Season is the fourth book in the DCI Harry Grimm crime thriller series, set in the Yorkshire Dales, and perfect for fans of L. J. Ross, J.R. Ellis, Margaret Mayhew, Jeanne M. Dams, J. M. Dalgliesh, Roger Silverwood, J. D. Kirk, Adam Croft, and Simon McCleave

Thoughts: This is the second book in the series I’ve read by the author of the DCI Harry Grimm series. I loved this book, just as I did with The Corpse Road the other book I read. One thing the author does that draws you in is, he starts off with one story and slips into another one and back again. You can’t put the book down, you need to know what’s going to happen. The author describes Wensleydale so well, it sounds beautiful. The way he describes the characters you can really visualise them. They all seem to bounce of each other and really get along which is nice. This story really reminded me of Agatha Christie the way it played out. So clever, you could have never of guessed who the murderer was! I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

[Mrs Maureen A Folarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Grimm

David J Gatward 's love of Wensleydale is plain to see and has rubbed off on Grim faced Harry in a big way. Having taken over from the previous DCI, whilst struggling with his own daemons he still manages to solve the mystery of the apparent suicide of the world famous author and deal with his dangerous and vengeful father

[Joseph Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the first part of the book tedious but the pace picks up in the second part and it develops into a cracking mystery. As usual great characters, great dialogue and wonderful descriptions of Yorkshire.

[Macky · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5⭐️

[Richard Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Harry Grimm mystery. Someone make a TV series of these excellent books.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow and a bit too much stuff that just wasn’t necessary for the mystery part of the story, in my opinion anyway. So this was more of a 2.5 than a 3 star read.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read in a wonderful engaging series

Easy to get into series great descriptions of Yorkshire and relatable well fleshed out characters. Enjoyable imaginative and engaging settings

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++ ⭐️

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to new Grimm books in the series

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know SCI Harry Grimm and his staff of local law enforcement folks. This is a terrific series with such imaginative plot lines, brilliant characters to accompany Harry on this sojourn and even more brilliant local flavor woven seamlessly into the story. I want to visit the sales now. This book foreshadows an additional book or two just based on how it ended. I am delighted. You really just pick this up, start with book 1_and move forward chronologically. If this genre is your cup of tea, or slice of cake, you will not be disappointed. The Author's writing style truly is engaging and so descriptive. Kudos to you David , you do what you love, you write what you know, and the results are books that a reader can truly lose themselves in. I particularly enjoy the little bibliography included at the end by this talented Author. He explains his association to the location and some of his personal life experiences that sprinkles throughout each book. Using creative license, of course. I am really looking forward to book 5. I am very judicious with giving 5 star review, as I have a bunch of criteria book must meet or exceed. This series, each book has batted it out of the park. I love British crime, when it's done well. This series sets a standard. No, I have nothing personal to gain from this glowing review except the possibility of persuading a fellow reader to take a trip with Harry Grimm.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid mystery/police procedural by a new-to-me author

Mystery author Charlie Baker—a trying man at the very least—is dragged out of London by his agent and finds himself in the scenic Yorkshire Dales to begin a book tour. The literary agent invites Charlie’s coterie to help keep the surly author entertained. Here’s the school of red herrings: a young, recently hired personal-assistant; a leech-like groupie; the stalwart editor; an older accountant/lawyer, and a rumpled aristo with gambling problems.

There are several contretemps over Charlie’s boorish behavior; some sexual advances; refusal to lend money; too much drinking; etc. Then, during Charlie’s event at the book shop, a strange woman accuses him of being a fake and that he has a ghostwriter.

This quick-read book reminds me of classic mysteries of Christie, Sayers, and Allingham, because of the various tropes—including setting the story in a large country house/lodge which showcases taxidermy animals. The grisly murder is staged in the woods, where gamekeepers pen and feed pheasants for upcoming shoots. There are several twists to confound DCI Harry Grimm and his team, but as a crime fiction fan, I found the storyline quotidian; the red herrings ineffective; and I chose the villain very early in the book.

3.5 stars, bumped up to 4 stars, because I enjoyed following DCI Grimm & team during their investigation.

[Lisa Lambert Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I plow my way through these very enjoyable books I can smell the good Yorkshire air and feel the wonderful camaraderie of the Grimm team as they work and relate to each other. There is a humor and warmth and wit that I am drawn to. The plots move in interesting ways- occasionally I can guess the culprit as I’ve learned to pay attention to any small anomalies that intrude into the stories after reading so many. So I can’t blame an author for not deceiving me!
I suppose my only complaint is too much is made of Harry’s face perhaps? I understand that this is essential to the character but everyone meeting the man commenting on it the same way is a bit much for me. And, as with all of these small town procedurals, I wonder at each new crime how such rural areas have so many murders :). But they sure do make for good settings.
Anyway,it’s the getting there that is fun not just the finale in these books. And so I am strung along and headed to the next visit to the dales.

[Bullet Prooffool · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, this book just has the most torrid format. We spend the first half of the book (which I’m reading because I already know the majority of characters), getting to new a whole host of new characters. The plot is drowned in drivelling snobbery from a pretentious writer (a character in the book) and his hanger-ons having a jolly up north(ish) - and only in the second start some police work (which amounts to nothing), with the case getting wrapped up by a confession.
Now, the biggest impact this book had on me is that I now need to find a new series to read.
Abject disappointment.

[Liz Davenport · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor. Murder Mystery writing by numbers

I love Wensleydale but this fourth outing of DCI Grimm should be consigned to the bowels of the pothole he goes down. The story is thin and of very little interest. The rest is padding. We do get a sense of the camaraderie of the team and the beauty of the dale but it is overdone. And the cheese and cake running gag has finally run out of steam. Very disappointing. I shan’t read any more.

[Helen Kl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Currently reading this one and struggling a bit. The others have been excellent but this feels as if it’s been written by someone’s. Hope it gets better but it’s spending too much time setting the scene and introducing the victim and possible suspects.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

We first read about Grimm catching up with the two thugs who left him a “message" from his estranged father recently. Leaving them a little bruised and tied up for the police to find, he learns that his father wants to see him. Will the situation with the man who killed his mother and attacked his brother years ago ever be resolved? Charlie Baker, a hugely successful thriller author, is driving up from London to Yorkshire to promote his latest book, The Hunt, which is partly set in the dales. He is meeting up with his editor, PA and literary agent, and they are all staying at an old shooting lodge together with three of Charlie’s friends. DI Gordanian “Gordy" Haig is a big fan and a lucky winner of the competition for a talk and free signed book by the author in Leyton but things don’t go quite according to plan. A woman heckles Charlie, accusing him of using a ghostwriter and has to be thrown out. Later, after a drunken night with friends, Charlie is seen driving off in the early hours and next day is reported missing to the police. It's not long before Charlie’s corpse is discovered near his abandoned car and it's not a pretty sight. A shotgun lies next to him. The post mortem brings with it some surprises, and then it’s up to Grimm and the team to unravel all the many secrets being held by the party at the lodge in order to find the real truth about Charlie’s untimely death.
DCI Harry Grimm is a relative newcomer to Wensleydale, temporarily transferred from Bristol to cover another DCI's absence. It says a lot about Grimm that this team has taken to him so quickly, and despite his somewhat blunt manner at times they recognise a good boss when they see one. He has started to realise that this is where he now wants to be, working with a group of people he feels a real affinity with, just like his old days in the Paras. All the usual faces are there, DS Matthew Dinsdale, DC Jenny Blades, DC Jayden Okri and Detective Supt Swift together with PCSO's Liz Coates and Jim Metcalf, who comes complete with border collie pup Fly (who quite honestly steals the show at times!), based at their office in Hawes Community Centre. They all bring different skills to the team and it's great to see the PCSOs are given proper credit for the work they do, being fully involved in the investigation.
Although this is the fourth book in the series, all of which I can thoroughly recommend as superb crime novels, it can be enjoyed perfectly well as a stand alone. The characters are well introduced and easy to take to, the plot is excellent and draws the reader along skilfully to a smashing conclusion. It's definitely one of those books you pick up and don’t put down again until the final page. I don’t think Grimm will ever love the cheese though!! 5*

[Cherry Mischievous · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts:
David J. Gatward has painted the author character in the book, Charlie Baker, a right wanker. I wondered if this is David poking fun at himself as a writer himself...

It also made me think about my going to author book signing events. Made me wonder if some of the authors I met then are as jerks as Charlie Baker...? Could be... Though I don't like to think so. I would rather very much prefer to keep my fantasy of lovely authors and all that jazz.

And then there is also the fun fact that Harry is getting more and more entrenched into his temporary post at Wensleydale... And I love the fact that we get a significant tidbit about that thread in the story arc about Harry's family!

I guessed who the perpetrator was from a mile away. But I was in denial because I didn't want it to be true! So, there was an element of predictability which I don't think is a good thing in a crime fiction. However, it was not the plot that is all and be all in a story, though. There is also the thing about how the story is told and the journey from the beginning until the end and not just the end that made reading enjoyable.

I wouldn't exactly call this book slow, but, there were no dead bodies until chapter 14. That is a lot of preliminaries to go through even before the story really started...

Aubrey Parsons is being his wonderful self, as usual! Bringing the characters to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 49 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shooting Season has the feel of an old school “whodunnit” crime mystery. Reading this book brought to mind childhood memories of watching Murder She Wrote. This is a wonderfully colourful story filled with the most amazing views along the way.
I have unfortunately not read any of the other books in the Harry Grimm series, but this did not stop me from enjoying this one. The author takes his time describing scenery that leaves you wishing you could travel to this beautiful part of the world. I loved the views he described and found myself closing my eye imagining every detail.
Charlie Baker, a famous author arrives in town to launch his new book. After a fan accuses him of using a ghostwriter, Charlie is distraught, drinks too much and disappears. When his body is found, and the autopsy reveals that he was murdered, Harry and his team have their hands full. Dealing with the eccentric group of people who travelled with Charlie, Harry soon discovers that they are not as truthful as they should be. Can Harry and the team get to the bottom of what really happened to Charlie, or will his group of friends manage to keep their secrets hidden?
Shooting Season was a light, easy read that left me wanting to plan a trip to the dales. The author did a marvellous job of describing the scenery making the book all the more enjoyable. I liked the characters and found myself eager to discover who was behind Charlie’s death. There were so many little secrets along the way I could not put the book down.
DCI Harry Grimm, with his damaged face and abrupt nature, quickly turns into a favourite. This character carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and as the pieces of his past are revealed, he crawls into your heart. DCI Harry Grimm is a complex character which I think the author did a wonderful job creating.
I lost myself in the scenery described in this book, sometimes so deeply that I battled to focus on the story. Towards the end, when Harry is finally fitting the pieces of the puzzle together, I could not help think about Jessica Fletcher, the Murder She Wrote character created by Angela Lansbury. (Wow, that is a blast from the past). Shooting Season is a wonderful mix of old and new making it a delightful read. I loved the time I spend with Harry Grimm and his team and look forward to reading more of the books in this series.
Crime/Mystery fans need to add this title to their to be read pile. Shooting Season is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages as you try to figure out “whodunnit”!
Visit the blog for more: https://featzreviews.com

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best in the series, as far as the crime novel part is concerned. Yes, it is still entirely possible to guess who the murderer is very early on in the novel. But this time, there is actually more than one suspect and Gatward at least tries to lead us around by the nose a bit. In fact, everyone who knew the victim has some sort of motive, seeing as how the victim was a massive jerk.

And there is an actual investigation where it doesn't feel like all difficulties just derive from the team being particularly dense and failing to ask the right questions. Admittedly, it takes an unnecessary amount of convincing until they believe that they are dealing with a murder and not with suicide, but in comparison to previous lapses, it's a minor fault. This might still not be a great crime story, but it is at least a good one and the author is definately improving.

The setting and the characters are as wonderful as always, what I didn't like was the implementation of the overarching plot. The whole thing just feels shoehorned in there to give the series a gritty metalevel it simply doesn't need and on top of that, it feels like the author just skipped through it and left out the parts that might actually have made it interesting.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these stories about Harry Grimm, a police DCI whose name matches face and disposition extremely well. Whilst each book can be read as standalone, it really helps to know Harry's history to understand him, his situation and his interactions with the team at the police department at Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. Grimm is from Bristol and was posted to his current position to get him away from the very violent and volatile situation he found his family in when returned from Afghanistan, where he was terribly scared by an IED. In this episode, a famous, successful but prima donna of an author has come to the sales to do an author event and book signing at a book shop. His agent has booked him and his retinue of employees and hangers on to stay at an old shooting lodge and spend the weekend doing activities that will earn money making publicity. Things go horribly wrong during the book event however, and Harry and his team face a group of self serving hangers on and have to were through lies and secrets to try and find out why the volatile author drove off into the night drunk.
Always interesting, fascinating characters, wonderful interactions between Harry and his dales born team, and always a surprising conclusion. I thoroughly recommend this serues

[Claire (c.isfor.claire_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read by David J Gatward and the 4th in the DCI Grimn Series. They work well as standalone reads and this was easy to pick up and become reacquainted with DCI Harry Grimm.

In this book Grimm seems more settled in Wensleydale with his team around him and is even half embracing cake with cheese - although he'll never admit to liking it!

This book immediately grabbed my attention. The plot and characters really drew me in. I love how Gatward introduces each character making them feel real and easy to visualise. I love Grimm's character especially.
The author gives a lot of background information setting the scene and making the plot interesting. There are twists and turns but I also love the humour running through the storyline. An entertaining and definitely enjoyable read, and as I've said before I really MUST read books 1 & 2 in the series. Another great Grimm read.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the best plot of the series so far but it still needs polishing. I find the series jokes a bit tiring and over used, every book so far we've had the same jokes. I also can't quite believe people are so blunt and rude that they CONSTANTLY point out Grimm's face. It's like they're all children with no impulse control and just say what they think. I find it hard to believe that every adult recoils in horror and outright asks about or mocks his looks.


There was some.progression of the Father/Son plot but it was anticlimactic to be honest.

I liked the main plot and I actually kept picking the book up to delve into it despite the fact that the killer was evident from each on. Moreover I liked that we actually got to see the team performing and investigation in this book, as vague and as wandering as it turned out to be.

There were a few editorial errors throughout such as the wrong character names being used etc.

I think the series is getting better.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing first: I hope that with this book, the arc about Harry's dad is over because that part has been my least favorite in the series. I was always like, yeah, yeah, fine, now get back to the team and the village life! So, this gives me hope. Still, there's the thing with Harry's brother which I'm rather iffy about. We will see.

The story this time was a real cozy mystery with a small pool of suspects who all knew each other, an Agatha Christie type of a story. And after the crazy mass murderer from the previous installment, it was a nice change. I prefer this type of story to the nutjob killers, those always feel to me like they're actually glorifying brutality, reveling in it, especially in the parts written from the POV of the victim or the murderer himself. So, this was nice. Also, the side-story of Matt and his wife, their anniversary? That was so incredibly sweet and mushy it gave me warm fuzzies. Nice!

[Christine Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shooting Season by David J Gatward

This is a DCI Harry Grimm crime novel set in Wensleydale and like the others before and hopefully many more after, these are all an entertaining read. There is a story to Harry Grimm’s childhood and early adulthood which concerns the death of his mother and violent assault of his brother, Ben. Harry was in the army when he discovered their bodies and his father who was responsible was nowhere to be found. Having served in the army and been injured by an explosive device which has distorted his face, Harry goes on to serve as a police officer.
He has been moved to Wensleydale temporarily, although he may be there to stay. He manages to solve cases and works well with his new police team.
I look forward to the next read.
Highly recommended

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is one of my favourite finds of the year. To say that I am invested is a severe understatement. Harry Grimm is one of those characters that you cannot help but fall in love with. Despite his spiky, ornery demeanour, he is just misunderstood. He believes that he is Grimm by name and grim by nature, but that could not be further from the truth. An army veteran (medical discharge) he joins the force in Bristol, however, his maverick attitude and lack of rule abiding soon has him sent to "coventry" out of sight, out of mind. He is seconded to the Dales, as far from his comfort zone as possible. However, the Dales are magical, and Harry soon becomes to love it there, including the Wensleydale on fruit cake. Each book is fabulously written, the characters are amazing and you cannot help but fall in love with them and the Dales. One of my favourite series.

[Claire Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than ever!

Well Harry and the team are back and to say they are really starting to become properly characterised is an understatement. Dave Gatward continues his foray into crime writing like a duck to water, giving us really likeable people who you can really feel the warmth between. I genuinely look forward to seeing how their friendships and camaraderie develops.

The story rattles along at a great pace, a bit like Harry’s driving now that he knows the roads a bit better. Genuinely you can’t get bored reading these stories and putting each book down proves harder than ever. Definitely give the series a try. You’ll not regret it. A word of warning though, you might find yourself thinking about buying a puppy.