Status
Available
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Series
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Publication
Reinbek bei Hamburg Wunderlich Oktober 2016
Description
'Atmospheric . . . a tense, gripping read' Sunday Times It's not the dead we need to fear. . . Top forensics expert Dr David Hunter is facing an uncertain future - his career hangs in the balance and his personal life has taken a turn for the worse. So when he gets a call from Essex police, it comes at the perfect time. A badly decomposed body has been found in the mudflats and salt marshes of the Backwaters. Could it be linked to two unsolved missing-person cases? But as these desolate wetlands begin to give up their grisly secrets, more remains are discovered. With its eerie, claustrophobic sense of place, authentic forensics and explosive, heart-in-mouth moments, The Restless Deadis a masterclass in crime fiction.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This novel marks the return, after a break of seven years, of Dr David Hunter, accomplished forensic anthropologist and protagonist of four excellent previous crime novels. Hunter is an empathetic character, having suffered his own tragedies in addition to those which he has helped to
As this novel opens, Hunter is feeling unwell, but is preparing to travel to a friend’s house to pass a Bank Holiday weekend. Before he departs, however, he is called to attend the retrieval of a dead body from the saltmarshes on the Essex coast. Arriving at the scene he is advised that the body may be that of Leo Villiers, the missing son of a local bigwig. Villiers has always had a shady reputation, though his father has always been on hand to buy off any significant complaints. Leo Villiers has not been seen for a few weeks, and a woman with whom he was generally believed to have been having an affair has also gone missing. The local police and everyone in the neighbourhood suspect that Villiers had killed her, and may then either have committed suicide out of remorse, or, more probably, faked his own death with a view to
Having witnessed the recovery of the body, Hunter sets off to attend the formal autopsy but, owing to a bizarre set of circumstances, he finds himself marooned and carless in the middle of one of the more remote saltmarshes. Then more bodies are discovered
Beckett is masterful at building the tension. He is clearly very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of Hunter’s work, but he does not allow jargon to clutter the work. He is also adept at drawing characters. All the principal figures in this book are utterly plausible. Their reactions to the things that befall them, and their interactions with each other, are never less than entirely credible, and the effect is engaging and gripping. Beckett’s books really deserve to be better known.
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investigate.As this novel opens, Hunter is feeling unwell, but is preparing to travel to a friend’s house to pass a Bank Holiday weekend. Before he departs, however, he is called to attend the retrieval of a dead body from the saltmarshes on the Essex coast. Arriving at the scene he is advised that the body may be that of Leo Villiers, the missing son of a local bigwig. Villiers has always had a shady reputation, though his father has always been on hand to buy off any significant complaints. Leo Villiers has not been seen for a few weeks, and a woman with whom he was generally believed to have been having an affair has also gone missing. The local police and everyone in the neighbourhood suspect that Villiers had killed her, and may then either have committed suicide out of remorse, or, more probably, faked his own death with a view to
Having witnessed the recovery of the body, Hunter sets off to attend the formal autopsy but, owing to a bizarre set of circumstances, he finds himself marooned and carless in the middle of one of the more remote saltmarshes. Then more bodies are discovered
Beckett is masterful at building the tension. He is clearly very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of Hunter’s work, but he does not allow jargon to clutter the work. He is also adept at drawing characters. All the principal figures in this book are utterly plausible. Their reactions to the things that befall them, and their interactions with each other, are never less than entirely credible, and the effect is engaging and gripping. Beckett’s books really deserve to be better known.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
I became immersed in the story after the first chapter. Even though this is a series I believe that it's fair to say that the story works just as well as a standalone and will definitely leave you wanting to more. You will see right away that Dr. Hunter is more comfortable with the dead than the
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living and he usually finds himself in awkward situations without even trying. His deduction skills are as good as any detective and is always a key part in the resolution of any case. There are plenty of clues to the killer's identity along the way...the problem is about the time you think you have it...you don't...but you can bet that it was fun to try. A really great series that I highly recommend for any one that likes forensic mysteries. Show Less
LibraryThing member Obi2015
Marvellous setting, marshes and drowned land...absolutely stunning. What's more, the characters are well developed, the story is captivating and believable, it's highly suspenseful and it keeps the reader focused right until the end...
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9783805250016