Emergency Drill

Danny Verity, PI #1

by Chris Blackwater

Newly qualified offshore medic, Danny Verity, arrives on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system, severing the crew's only mode of communication to the mainland.
It isn't long before he is forced to carry out emergency surgery on an injured crewmate, whose accident he suspects was a result of sabotage, when another member of the crew disappears and yet another is attacked.
Then his casualty dies, and a sinister voice claiming to be that of the Pied Piper makes a threatening announcement on the PA system before Danny finds it damaged.
While the North Atlantic sea rages around them, Danny must find and stop the saboteur before anyone else gets hurt. But with no way of calling for help and unable to risk escaping on the lifeboats, it seems the crew are trapped aboard the platform with a killer.

Genres: Scotland

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2022

Reviews

[Loree · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, a confession: crime writing isn’t my go-to genre. I prefer books that are character driven, with big landscapes, philosophical themes and lyrical writing. But I’d heard a lot of very good things about this novel, and I wanted to see what it was like for myself. And from the first page, I was hooked.

A storm is brewing as medic Danny Verity lands on the deck of the Cuillin Alpha, a North Sea oil rig, and soon he is fighting to save the life of a co-worker, apparently the victim of a freak accident. But as the storm builds and the communication systems go down, it becomes clear that something more sinister is going on. As the casualties mount, Danny leads us into the labyrinthine bowels of the oil rig in search of a saboteur, and the tension continues to rise.

The writing is muscular—clean, spare, and packed with action and suspense. The book had me gripped throughout and was a hugely enjoyable read.

Declaration of interest: I am personally acquainted with Chris Blackwater and purchased a copy of Emergency Drill direct from the author. My comments here are an unbiased response to his novel.

[Book_Worm_Jim.83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of this debut novel to read and review. Sadly a death in the family then covid got in the way and I didn’t manage to review this book on time. However, after reading it I think Chris Blackwater has produced a stunning debut novel.

Danny Verity, arrives on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system, severing the crew's only mode of communication to the mainland.

Danny is an ex squaddie who’s trying to run away from his problems, Danny also like to drink to block out his problems. An ex military police officer, retrained as army medic, Danny keeps running. Divorce is Danny’s latest problem that he’s running from.

Danny soon meets Gemma, a mini but mighty Scottish woman that has few friends but commands respect fro the guys around her in the male dominated environment of the Cuillin Oil Fields of the North Sea.

The storm brings down and damages the satellite system, a crew member is badly hurt and Danny is forced to carry out emergency surgery on the injured crewmate, whose accident he suspects was a result of sabotage.

When another member of the crew disappears and yet another is attacked and his only his casualty dies. Dannys military training starts to kick in, he was not much of a copper in the army but he’s the best chance the Cuillin Alpha to work out what’s going on.

Danny soon finds the radio systems damaged but it looks like the damage was not the result of the storm, the saboteur has stuck again.

While the North Atlantic sea rages Danny must find and stop the saboteur before anyone else gets hurt. But with no way of calling for help and unable to risk escaping on the lifeboats, it seems the crew are trapped aboard the platform with a killer.

Danny needs friend to help him work out what’s going on and why the saboteur is, Gemma goes into hiding, can he trust her to help him if he can find her? Who can he trust and will he survive the killer on the loose?

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in an exciting new series, Danny Verity, PI.

After a storm damages the satellite system at Cuillin Alpha oil rig, Danny, newly qualified offshore medic, arrives to total chaos.
He needs to operate on a crewmate whose injuries look suspicious and he and the crew soon realise that they're trapped on the rig with a sabateur and killer!

This was such an unusual setting, but a great one. The atmosphere created by knowing that they were all trapped out at sea, with no way of communicating and calling for help, just set me on edge straight away.

It's not something I've ever really thought too much about - but this really described life and work on the rigs in such good detail. It's tough and you definitely have to be a certain sort of person to be able to cope with the normal everyday rigours.

The plot was well thought out and this was packed with tension and mistrust, but also infused with some humour too which broke it up a little.
I loved the use of the weather and sea to create a vivid image - it was both beautiful and powerfully dangerous - it definitely didn't make me want to visit any time soon!

A great debut and start to this series - I'm keen to see where book 2 takes us.

[LJ (ljwritesandreviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emergency Drill was an atmospheric and intense thriller with a gripping and original concept.

The setting of an oil rig was a new one for me, I've honestly never read an entire book set on one. It was vividly described and the addition of the storm gave it that extra tension and an edge of your seat quality.

The staff of Cullen Alpha weren't likeable and for most of the book were downright awful, apart from both Gemma and Danny. Gemma was prickly, but direct and not to be taken for a fool. Danny was a bit wet behind the ears and, frankly, his investigation skills could do with some work, but he had that dogged determination I like in a sleuth.

While the setting was very creative, the actual mystery could have been stronger. I figured out the 'whodunnit' fairly early on, although the why wasn't entirely clear until the end.

A must if you love a fast-paced, and action packed thriller. I will definitely read more from this author in the future!

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced thriller set on an oil rig in the North Sea. Emergency Drill is Chris Blackwater's debut thriller, and I loved every second of it! The sense of place is so strong throughout. The author's vivid details placed me right there, with Danny, the newly qualified medic.

He has just arrived fresh to the rig when a storm hits. As the rig takes damage from the storm, they find themselves cut off when the satelite system goes down. Danny finds himself having to perform emergency surgery when a crewmate has an accident, which Danny is sure could be sabotage. As the weather grows wilder and the isolation hits home, one of the crew goes missing, and threats begin to be announced over the tannoy. Can Danny find the culprit, and will the crew trust the new medic?

The first book in the Danny Verity PI series. It's definitely a wild, rollercoaster ride. The sense of imminent danger prevails throughout as the tension ramps up. Alongside the danger, Chris Blackwater even manages to inject humour into this adrenaline pumped book. I couldn't put it down for one minute!

The characters are well fleshed out and had me invested. Bad news at times, but I cared about what happened and was cheering Danny on all the way. This is an action-packed, adrenaline pumping rollercoaster of a read, and I can't wait to catch up with Danny in the next book... I hope!
Thanks to ZooLoo's Book Tours and Chris Blackwater for the gifted copy of the book.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emergency Drill is a good crime fiction that has elements of ‘lock room’ crime in the sense that the cast is stuck on the Cuilin Alpha Oil platform in the North Sea. We follow Danny Verity, a newly qualified offshore medic who arrives on the platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system meaning the crew’s only mode of communication to the mainland is lost. It isn’t long after this that Danny’s skills are put to the test when he is forced to carry out emergency surgery on an injured crewmate. Danny quickly suspects the injuries are due to sabotage when a crew member disappears and another is attacked.

Danny’s casualty dies and a sinister voice claiming to be the Pied Piper makes a threatening broadcast over the PA system before breaking it. While the storm and North Atlantic ocean rages around them Danny must find and stop this saboteur before anyone else gets hurt. But with no way to contact help and unable to risk using lifeboats it seems the crew are trapped with a killer on board.

I have recently been getting more into crime fiction and for me I have to say Emergency Drill is a good 4 star read for me. The story is generally paced well and I enjoyed the cut off element of the cast being stuck on the oil rig with no way to contact the outside world. I have to say I found the number of people helped keep the mystery, making it harder to find who was the murderer and who was innocent. In terms of characters I did find a few fell into stereotypical tropes but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the novel much.

The writing fits the genre well and the pace works as well. While I did find occasionally the dialogue felt a little stilted, again I still enjoyed it. I personally enjoyed this one. I liked the tension of the storm and murderer being on the loose and seeing the crew becoming more suspicious of each other etc. While this is a crime novel it is more of a lighter one I think, in the sense that you can read it rather quickly due to the writing style etc and it will scratch that crime writing itch. If you enjoy crime fiction I think you will like this one. It’s certainly an interesting premise.

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[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts; this one had me captivated throughout, it made me feel constantly uneasy and unsure, doubting myself and my thoughts on where the story was going..

The setting didn’t help, stuck in the middle of the sea on an oil rig people are dying, you don’t know who the killer is.. all you know is that it’s someone on the boat and there’s no escape.. no thank you 🤣🤮

That being said, everything I would’ve hated if I’d been in that situation is everything I loved about the book!

There’s a lot of characters, every single one of them could have been the pied piper.. including Danny himself.. I didn’t know which threads to follow and which ones were a red herring.

There was also a lot of humour in this book which helped to lighten the subject matter & made it easier for you to lose yourself in the story without getting overwhelmed.

A brilliant start to a brand new series, I cannot wait to read more!

[Dee Groocock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being a newly qualified offshore medic, who has landed on the Cuillian Alpha platform as a storm is hitting.

As the storm gets worse, an injured crewmate’s wounds look to have been deliberate.

As an ex RMP, Danny Verity starts looking into the incident. As communication is cut off and more incidents occur, Danny wonders how much is storm damage and how much is sabotage.

This was an interesting plot as I’ve never read crime genre based on an oil rig and it certainly ticked some boxes for me.

The story had me feeling quite claustrophobic at times, but it was also action packed and intense.

My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sam “My Cosy Book Nook” · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope you're in the right mood to enjoy this. I was

Last Sunday morning, I finished a book that had been on my TBR pile for longer than I care to think: A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin. This is the 24th and most recent instalment in the series featuring Detective Inspector John Rebus and, as I may have mentioned once or twice, I’m a huge fan of these books and their main character. But I knew immediately after putting this latest one down that I had a problem.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t liked the book. Quite the opposite. I’d enjoyed it enormously. But I was struggling to work out why.

As I started to attempt a review, everything that I had to say sounded negative. Rebus is no longer a police officer and, with ongoing health issues too, is a shadow of his former self. So it’s getting increasingly difficult for Rankin to write him into police cases. Perhaps more significantly, I felt bewildered by the number of other characters and lost track of the main storyline completely. And yet, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to rate it highly. What’s more, if a new book was to appear in the shops tomorrow, I’d be first in the queue at the till.

By the afternoon, I was still unsure. So I decided to stop wondering about it and go to the pub instead. Taking with me my kindle containing a digital copy of Emergency Drill by Chris Blackwater. This turned out to be an inspired decision because the next hour or so disappeared – together with a couple of pints and some crisps, naturally – in a blur of contentment. By the time I finally put the book down in the evening, I had devoured more than half of it and looked forward to being able to pick it up again the next evening with eager anticipation.

The trouble was that the next day was Monday. And with it came a tortuous training session at work on how to use a new IT system. After the first hour, my brain felt like it had become detached from my body and by the end of the day, my head was pounding to the point where I feared it might explode. And yet – after a brief spell in a darkened room and some strong painkillers – I had no problem at all picking the book up again and rushing to the finish.

The opening chapters do a wonderful job of setting the scene. Former military police officer, Danny Verity is about to start his first shift as a newly-qualified medic on an off-shore oil rig. A storm is forecast. The helicopter flight out the the rig is uneasy and the landing perilous. And you, the reader, just know that things are going to get a whole lot worse …

In that respect, the book doesn’t disappoint. First the storm knocks out the satellite system, and with it the only means of communication to the outside world. Then Danny’s first piece of medical assistance is a piece of emergency brain surgery. Which turns out to be just the first in a whole host of events in a manic tale of sabotage, disappearance, murder and manhunt, that somehow also manages to be a cleverly-written whodunnit.

Perhaps it was due to a stronger-than-normal need for some light relief, but I enjoyed Emergency Drill hugely. However, even I have to admit that the book does have its problems. I get that it’s realistic that an oil rig will have quite a large crew, but I still found the number of different characters so baffling that I soon gave up trying to remember who was who. And whilst I have never been on an oil rig – nor do I want to, after reading this – the roles that at least one character played seemed somewhat incredible.

In another book – or perhaps in this one, on another day – these points would have been problematic. But here, if anything, they just added to the fun.

A perhaps more significant point, however, is that I, together with just about any other fan can’t pick up a murder mystery novel in a remote off-shore setting and not immediately think of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. That book too is a classic whodunnit murder mystery. But it’s remarkable for being that whilst featuring only a small number of diverse – so easily memorable – characters and convincingly portraying the psychology of each one of them. By comparison, Emergency Drill only manages to do the first of these things.

It’s hard to know how to rate this book, then, because it does rather depend on your mood at the time of reading. As a piece of sheer entertainment, it’s wonderful. But if you’re looking for a detailed plot, or any form of psychological thrill, it’s fair to say you’ll find faults.

What I suggest, therefore, is that you save this book for the end of a hard day. Tell your wife that it’s been even harder, and you’re going to be stuck at work for an extra hour. Then sneak off to the pub round the corner, get a pint of their finest inside you, open this book and feel the pressures of the outside world simply disappear as you escape it. Everyone wins, because I’d like to bet that when you do get home, you have a smile on your face.

My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours for my inclusion on the blog tour for this book, which was published by City Stone Publishing in September 2023. I will post my review on my blog at www.mycosybooknook.wordpress.com and my social media pages.

[Peter Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart stopping and jaw dropping – pass me the defibrillator.

If you like action packed claustrophobia, an unfathomable fear of deep water excites you, love clever and mysterious murder plots, of serial killers in small spaces, with nowhere to hide, then this book that was shortlisted for CWA award, is for you. It is, Agatha Christie in a hard hat, metal toe caps and dirty overalls, this book is all of this and written at such a pace, with so many twists and dark alleys, it is heart stopping.
The book at the beginning is economic in phrasing, not quite Dashiell Hammett, but close enough; dialogue driven. This tightness does fade as the book progresses and that I found a little disappointing, but the hectic storyline more than compensates.
Danny Verity (I at first thought this was a suggestion of truth-teller) is ex-military police, retrained as a medic and his first posting is on a North Sea oil rig, with a not particularly auspicious start; a hair raising helicopter ride in a fierce storm that was expected to get stronger and last (seemingly) forever. With no means to now get off the rig, a murder occurs, accident happen, equipment is sabotaged; you name it, it happens – Danny puts to good use his detective skills, even if his medical expertise is, questionable.
I thought the setting of this murder thriller on an oil rig with no escape was a brilliant idea and the writing doesn’t disappoint for adventure, shocks and fear. Lacking somewhat in light to the darkness, the rough banter is how I would imagine these roughty toughty people behaving; not my cup of tea and quite repetitive, but, realistic, if a tad over macho denial.
However, what is undeniable is that this is a captivating, un-put-downable, exciting and scary book; not for the faint-hearted. 5 stars a recommended read.

[Karolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s my review for Emergency Drill :
I really enjoyed this story, it’s gritty and has amazing scenes. Who's the pied piper? How safe would you feel stuck out on an oil rig so many miles out to sea, in the middle of the storm, completely cut off from any rescue attempts until the storm and high winds die down? Staff are being killed or attacked, snakey is out of control. Who can the staff trust? It’s the first time the new medic, Danny, has worked offshore or on an oil rig but he used to be an Army MP, not many know so he wants to investigate what is going on. It makes for good reading with some interesting characters and a really fascinating plot. I have never read a book set on an oil rig before so a first time for everything and this is definitely worth it.
Blurb
Newly qualified offshore medic, Danny Verity, arrives on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system, severing the crew’s only mode of communication to the mainland.
Storm or sabotage?
Danny is forced to perform emergency surgery on an injured crewmate, whose accident he suspects was the result of sabotage. The man dies, a member of the crew disappears, and yet another is attacked.
Enter the Pied Piper, whose sinister announcements carry his threats through the entire platform.
While the North Sea rages around them, emotions and suspicions run high.
Danny knows he’s the only one who can stop the saboteur. But will the crew trust him?
With no way of calling in help and unable to risk escaping on the lifeboats, everyone aboard the oil platform is trapped. So is the killer… and Danny is determined to smoke him out.

[Richard Salsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must be difficult for a crime writer these days – the proliferation of mobile phones and cameras makes it mighty hard for a criminal to get away with their plans. A murder in a remote country house just doesn’t cut it any more.

Chris Blackwater has come up with a great solution, setting his novel on an oil rig in the middle of a storm. And he really knows his way round an oil rig, having spent years working on them. This is the sort of experience that can’t be bluffed on the page, and you get a great sense of the isolation, the cold, the steel and the rivets and the grease.

An array of colourful characters inhabit this place, many only just holding on to their frustrations and resentments. Into this tinderbox comes Danny Verity, one-time military policeman, and he’s soon required to resurrect his criminal investigation skills, despite having no backup, no forensics, no communication with the mainland, and very little support from the crew ...

Nominated for the CWA Debut Dagger award, this is a novel for the crime reader who appreciates an unusual setting and the unique ways that crime might be committed there.

And one thing’s for certain: I’m never taking a job that involves working off-shore.

[Steve Sheppard]

If you ever thought that working on a North Sea Oil Rig might be fun, this book will quickly disabuse you of the notion. Even without the series of catastrophes, both nature-driven and man-made, that hit our engaging medic-turned-investigator, Danny Verity as soon as he sets foot aboard, the picture painted of life stuck in close proximity to 90 others on an isolated, underfunded, decidedly careworn lump of metal in the middle of the sea is not a pleasant one. The author, Chris Blackwater, has done his shift on at least one and it sounds very much like he’s in no hurry to return. The story itself hits you face on right from page 1 and continues without let-up to page 299, ratcheting up the tension chapter by chapter as Danny attempts to find out who the Pied Piper is and why he (or she) is so intent on destroying the rig and making life as miserable as it can get for the poor souls marooned on it in the teeth of a vicious storm. There is a multitude of well written supporting characters and the plot is original and gripping. I also liked the joke contained in the name of the platform. Highly recommended.

[Pauline Render · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Danny Verity, a newly qualified medic lands on the Cuillin Alpha oil rig, it isn’t long before he begins to wonder if he’s made a huge mistake. After all , it’s not the first job he’s had which hasn’t turned out the way he expected. Right from the off, this book was full of action. A storm, a massive loss in communications with the mainland and murder all conspire against Danny as he tries to uncover the saboteur calling himself the Pied Piper. Danny is a great character as he has his own personal issues to deal with as well as trying to contain the mistrustful and often hostile crew. And I just loved Gemma who pulls no punches when it comes to handling the men. My suspicions fell on a few of the men which I enjoyed as it kept me guessing throughout. This is a fast paced, action packed read and by the time I finished it, I could easily imagine it being turned into a great movie.

[Louis Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The worst place to be in during a murder mystery is definitely one without escape. Although it could be worse than that, you could be in the middle of the sea, a storm constantly brewing, the power going out, the internet dead, the resources dropping like crew members, you know, the absolute worst situation to be in.

And that is what this book entails. A mysterious killer lurking on an oil platform with only one medic left to help and solve this crime while everyone seems to point fingers with a nice flavouring of profanities. Take people you don't trust and have a murder and it's not exactly going to be sunshine and roses, not in this weather.

I was hooked on the story here. A brilliant place to have a whodunnit story, and I was kept guessing until the big reveal.
You won't catch me on an oil rig anytime soon... not in a storm at least.

[Max Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique setting for a crime novel, an offshore oil rig, had me hooked from the off.
The new Medic, Danny Verity, to the Cuillin Alpha offshore oil rig is immersed in a campaign of sabotage and murder. His MP background makes him the natural choice, for some, to investigate the crimes taking place on this isolated platform during a North Sea Storm.
The author's graphic explanations of the dangerous situations kept me on the edge of my seat. And, then he draws us into the realistic characters who must survive in this hard environment.
I loved the well-positioned snippets of humour giving the reader a perfect balance of narrative.
Danny struggles against the clock in this action-packed story, as he tries to discover the cause of this mayhem before other deaths.
Loved the spin at the end - and that's all I'm saying.
A well-deserved 5* read.

[Morag Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crime novel set on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform in the North Sea. Part of the appeal of the book was that it starts off in my hometown of Aberdeen (which is known as the oil capital of Europe). The lead character is Danny, a medic and former military police officer. Not long after their arrival on the platform mysterious things start to happen and a storm rolls in. Soon the first death occurs and the mysterious Pied Piper makes their first announcement. Trapped on the platform out at sea the drama mounts. The quality of writing wasn’t the best in this book and the characters were a bit stereotypical but I loved the setting and the plot was quite gripping.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am highly impressed by this outstanding book! Danny a newly qualified offshore medic has arrived just as a storm is coming and it isn't long before he is attending a injured crew mate. Then more sinister things start happening and who is behind all the sabotage? Well I think I need to be resuscitated because my heart stopped several times while reading this jaw dropping, action packed story. The plot is unbelievably gripping and that doesn't even scratch the surface. I could not get enough and while I didn't feel anything for the characters I would still love Danny to become part of a series of books. With storylines like this who needs movies!

[Onia Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adventure is so personal to me and many of my life experiences! An opening scene of Emergency Drill by Chris Blackwater has our hero, Danny, too close to a flare stack - a deadly situation - one of many I was exposed to during my time in the petro-chem industry.
This novel is so many many things - intriguing, mysterious, and outright frightening. We have reluctant heroes with imposter syndrome, and totally convincing daily-have-ago-heroes that really do litter heavy industry. And I really love Gemma.
I loved this book (and Gemma) and hope Chris publishes again soon.

[Helen Salsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting for this was incredibly well drawn and I feel like I know so much more about what it's like to live and work on an oil rig. Fast paced action and a plot that made full use of its setting, with a wonderful use of storm, sea and other explosive and hazardous elements to build the tension; a perfect setting for a compelling thriller. Add to this a well drawn cast of characters, and a touch of humour, and the result is an impressive debut from a talented writer.

[Derek Nudd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Chris Blackwater's 'Emergency Drill', and am seriously impressed. From the nail-biting helicopter put down on a creaky rig in a gathering storm through a series of catastrophes gradually revealing a malignant guiding hand to the final plot twist the author shows himself familiar with the claustrophobic environment and on top of the crime writing game. Solidly recommended.

[Bryony Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat.

It is not my usual read, but I was drawn into the story quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story follows the MC Danny as he boards an oil rig in Scotland, and from the start, things begin to go wrong.

The story is fast-paced and action-packed, as Danny struggles against the clock to discover who the sabatier is who keeps causing mayhem.

[David Wilson]

An excellent whodunnit thriller, in an unusual setting. A great read, I couldn’t put it down.

[Jane Middis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great action thriller, kept moving at a fast pace. Gave an insight into life on an oil rig. Highly recommend!