Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Blind to the Bones by Stephen Booth

First Line: As soon as he opened the door, he could hear the screaming.

Crime is on the rise in the small village of Withens, tucked away in a tiny corner of the Peak District. Emma Renshaw disappeared two years ago, and her body's never been found. There has been a rash of burglaries targeting antiques in the area, and now one of Emma's housemates has been bludgeoned to death and his body left near an abandoned railway tunnel.

Detective Sergeant Diane Fry and Detective Constable Ben Cooper have their hands full. Fry is concentrating on the Renshaw disappearance while Cooper is working on the burglaries. Only one family in the Withens area seems to be untouched: the Oxleys, a very insular clan who behave as though they're a law unto themselves-- and they definitely do not believe in helping the police with their inquiries.

 

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I love the way Stephen Booth has woven area history into his fourth Cooper & Fry mystery, Blind to the Bones. England's Peak District is incredibly beautiful, but the tiny village of Withens, tucked away in a fold of the landscape, seems to have been tarred with the ugly brush, and it's got everything to do with the building of the railway, its tunnels, and how the workers were treated. Withens is a place that's isolated by history and topography, and the Oxley family takes that isolation to the furthest extreme possible. Reading about Withens gave me the creeps.

The setting, the history, and the mystery are first-rate. Booth really had me scratching my head, trying to figure out what was going on and who was responsible. Front and center are police officers Diane Fry and Ben Cooper. Diane is the outsider. You've heard of Type A people? Well, Diane Cooper is Type AAA, and she and DC Ben Cooper, an easy-going local lad, are like chalk and cheese. Every time Cooper has to deal with Fry, he feels like he's barely survived a life-threatening situation. Fry's concentration on the missing Emma Renshaw dredges up painful memories of the disappearance of her own sister while Cooper's attempts at solving the string of thefts has him being sent time after time after time to try to wrest any tidbit of information from the Oxleys, something that becomes a running joke in the book.

There is a lot to like about this book and this series, and it's a favorite of several of my friends. However, for some strange reason that I cannot put my finger on, I just can't warm up to Diane Fry and Ben Cooper. I love the Peak District, but I've given it four books for me to warm up to these characters, and it's not working. It's time to move on. But don't let that keep you from meeting Cooper and Fry. As I said, several of my friends love it, and there's no reason why you can't, too.

Blind to the Bones by Stephen Booth
ISBN: 0440242908
Bantam Books © 2006
Paperback, 608 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Cooper & Fry mystery
Rating: B-
Source: Paperback Swap

12 comments:

  1. I like this series, Cathy, although I'll admit I've not read each novel in it. I like the sense of place and local culture in the stories.

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    1. That's the one thing that I enjoy about the books, but I need something more for me to continue. I think giving it four books is enough.

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  2. I liked the first two books (Black Dog and Dancing with the Virgins)in this series. I missed the next 3 books, but read #5 The Dead Place and didn't care for it, but liked #6 Scared to Live better. Whew, I didn't realize that there are now 19 books in this series! I agree that Diane is hard (impossible?) to really like, but I learned some cool stuff from the books I read: Schengen countries, homity pie, crantsies, and the fascinating Peak District. I may see if I can go back and pick up some of the ones I missed early in the series. Or read one of the more recent ones and see if Diane Fry has changed any!

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    1. I think I'd opt for one of the later ones just to see if Diane has changed any of her spots.

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  3. This is a series that was on my list a while back and I don't think I ever tried any of the books. I might in the future or I might not. So many books to try and I'm enjoying seeing what my new library has available. And I've figured out the way to get on the hold list when they order a lot of books. Am I excited to claim that 'first to read' slot - yep, I am. There are a lot of things that are easier at this small town library and also not as much competition for the books. I feel a little greedy, but not too much. LOL

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    1. It would be hard not to give into temptation!

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  4. Sorry the series isn't working for you but it does sound like something I might enjoy. I think I'll give it a try.

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    1. Go for it! I know plenty of people who love the series.

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  5. It's impossible for me to read a series in which the central, recurring characters don't work well. If they aren't fleshed out, and if they don't continue to evolve over time, the whole process becomes stiff and formal and even the best of plots can't save the series for me.

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    1. Same here. I can also remember two series I stopped reading because I loathed one of the characters. Evidently these tossers became fan favorites because their parts of the series kept getting bigger, and I finally had to say NO MORE.

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  6. It sounds like there is a real sense of place in this one. Just your description gave me the creeps. Too bad it isn't working for you, but I have not doubt you will find plenty to read! 🙂

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    1. LOL-- You're right. That's never been a problem!

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