Songbird

Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 1

By: Peter Grainger

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

"He saw a bare arm first, the hand palm up with fingers curled inwards. Then he stopped and took a few breaths. He could hear the two constables making arrangements before they separated, one saying he'd bring the other some tape from the car, and then it was just the summer morning quiet again."

Detective Sergeant Chris Waters got the call at 05.29 that July morning. This is it, said DCI Reeve, you'll be first there, it's all yours, you're the crime scene manager. Suddenly, after months of waiting and wondering, Waters finds himself in at the deep end, and alone at the scene of a puzzling murder.

As the investigation proceeds, the detectives at Kings Lake Central find themselves visiting familiar places and talking to some familiar faces, while old enmities reappear in the incident room. Before this is over, Chris Waters will need to make a career-changing decision, and another member of the CID team will find herself facing an unexpected challenge. And Smith? Gone but not forgotten? Surely, he would say, you cannot write me off with a worn-out cliche like that....

©2019 Peter Grainger (P)2019 Tantor

How to transmute gold into soap

Spoilers
So disappointed that the fine promise of the DC Smith series, Books 1&3 at least, has now faded into not very well plotted touchie-feelie soap opera.
Highlights:
-feminist police woman has to suppress her anger that two MEN perform post mortem on dead FEMALE victim (are you serious?)
- whole chapter consumed by quasi sociological claptrap nonsense of why people feel sad when a close relative dies. (This is a scientific discovery??)
- police more involved in preserving each other’s sensitive feelings at job encroachment than actually investigating causes.
- whole chapters filled with tedious romantic subplots copied from a million tedious romantic subplots that were copied from...
- suspect with Down’s syndrome. (Because ?)
- police woman diagnosed with cancer (Of course)
- more psychobabble
- even DC Smith or pale shadow thereof is here having a totally dismaying domestic subplot
And the actual story is somewhere under all this dross and it isn’t very interesting when it manages to come up for air.
Looks like the author has fathered a tv soap opera. Continue with the series only if you don’t mind having your intelligence and sense of reality insulted.

Another Masterwork

Peter Grainger has written another essential entry in the world of police and crime novels. This book has a reveal so well orchestrated that I actually fist pumped when he brought it off. As usual, Gildart Jackson’s narration is perfectly suited to the story and characters. In short, this audiobook is an example of a couple of pros at the top of their game.

Fascinating Unfolding of an Investigation

I'm normally not a fan of procedurals, which can often be gory. I usually prefer cozies. But this completely fascinated me and didn't include a lot of gory details. I really enjoyed the insights into police work, as well as human nature, with a generous dose of humor thrown in. I will definitely be reading future books in the series.

An excellent continuation of the series

I’ve read all of the DS Smith books and then bought the Audible recordings enjoyed them as well. Songbird continues the stellar series, and although DS Smith is retired, he makes an appearance. I am hopeful this will continue. All the members of his team are present(John Murray is on holiday but referred to numerous times), and the groundwork is laid for them to forge ahead, business as usual.

I really enjoyed Songbird. I bounced back and forth between reading and listening and now look forward to enjoying the next book in the series.

A-1 Mystery.

Loved it. Loved the narrative. Loved the story. Will read more of Peter Graingers books!

Great book

If you like English procedurals this is a good one. Look forward to listening to more from this author.

Be careful what you sow

This was a slow burn. You had to accept the first third was going to be laying the foundation and get your head around numerous characters and several sub plots and then the book took off. I am unsure if some of the slow burn was also owing to the narrator Gildart Jackson's style of storytelling which I never fully came to terms with but the storyline kept me going. I would like to meet the investigative team again.

Almost as good as a DC Smith

Very interesting listen. Well read, held my interest throughout. Looked forward to the next installment.

struggled with this one

I think in the beginning I wasn't interested enough in the story and I couldn't keep up with all of the characters. by the second half I was more into and would probably listen to another in the series.

The ’tantric’ take on a murder mystery.

If slow and steady wins the murder mystery race, this is a clear winner. My first in this well loved and widely read series. Very enjoyable.