I am absolutely thrilled to have added a new author to my bookshelf! I didn’t find out until the end that this was actually the third in the series of DI Sam Clayton books. It works perfectly as a standalone but now I am intrigued as to what I missed (off to hunt for them…)
A woman is discovered murdered, impaled by her cello. Other members of the orchestra are targeted and an accidental death in the recent past is revealed to be murder too.
Musical politics are at the centre of the case that Clayton and his team need to investigate. There is also a personal worry as Clayton’s girlfriend is in the choir associated with the orchestra…
Play Dead was an excellent police procedural novel. The police team is at the heart of the book and their investigation takes place before our eyes. There is humour and banter as you would expect from a team and this gives a degree of realism without the hierarchical tensions that are often rife in police books.
The police characters are well developed and author Anne Penketh has made Clayton is particularly easy to like. The suspects are all acting suspiciously so I had no idea who was responsible for the murders. All of the investigation loose ends are tied up by the end of the book whcih I personally find more satisfying than open ended novels.
There is plenty of scope for more books as Clayton’s personal life has unfinished threads and Norwich is a big place, lots of potential crimes!
Play Dead (Detective Sam Clayton #3) by Anne Penketh
A SLEEPY ENGLISH CITY IS ROCKED BY A SERIES OF MURDERS TARGETING MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ORCHESTRA.
WHO IS KILLING OFF MUSICIANS WITH THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS?
Detective Inspector Sam Clayton is called in to investigate three victims with ties to the Norfolk Festival Orchestra.
Musician Kristina Manning is impaled by her cello spike.
The disgraced conductor is found with his head stuffed into a piano. He’s on the brink of death.
A trumpeter dies, poisoned by his mouthpiece.
Will Clayton’s new girlfriend, Melissa, a singer in the NFO, be next on the murderer’s list?
Is there a serial killer with a musical edge on the loose? And what does the disappearance of former orchestra member Lauren Garner have to do with it?
A MYSTERY WITH A STUNNING TWIST AND A RACE AGAINST TIME TO STOP A MURDER SPREE
PLAY DEAD is the third in a new series of page-turning crime thrillers set in an atmospheric part of Norfolk. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Mel Sherratt, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
What readers are saying about ANNE PENKETH
“Five out of five stars!” Michelle K
“I had a hard job putting this one down as it had me fully engaged and wanting more.” Dawn J
“This book was brilliant from start to finish, it was totally gripping from the first page. I read this book in one sitting, it was so good I didn’t want to put it down.” Lynn G
“Great book to read on holiday with a satisfyingly twisting storyline.” CH
“A real page turner.” Barb D
“It had many twists which kept me guessing. I would never have worked out the ending.” Shamiela A
“Riveting read.” Penny B
“Sam Clayton is not your average hard-boiled detective. He has problems of his own as he sets out to find a serial killer.” Meg B
THE TEAM
Detective Inspector Sam Clayton leads the investigation into the North Norfolk murders, joined the police straight from school as a beat bobby in Manchester before rising through the ranks of the CID. He was transferred to Norwich after being promoted to DI following a high-profile case investigated by Lancashire Constabulary.
Detective Sergeant Julie Everett is an intuitive officer who was promoted to detective sergeant from her home town of Ipswich where she had a background in child protection. She is discreet about her personal life among colleagues, particularly about the tragedy which haunts her. She has to deal with a high-pressure job while raising her child who moved with her to Norwich.
ALSO BY ANNE PENKETH
THE DI SAM CLAYTON SERIES
Book 1: MURDER ON THE MARSH
Book 2: THE BAD SISTER
Book 3: PLAY DEAD
Anne Penketh – Author Bio
I’m a Lancashire lass but for most of my career, I’ve been a foreign correspondent. I’ve reported from all over the world on some of the most cataclysmic events of our time, including the Egyptian revolution and the collapse of the Berlin wall.
While in London I was diplomatic editor of The Independent, but these days I’m based in Paris and concentrating on fiction writing. The third in a series of crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Sam Clayton, Play Dead, is out now. My first novel, Food Fight, was published in 2015.
I’ve reported from Paris mainly for The Independent and The Guardian, but I also contributed to France24 television and Monocle radio. As a freelancer, I’ve written for The New Zealand Herald and The National (Abu Dhabi), as well as the LA Times, the New York Times, the Radio Times, the Oldie, Monocle magazine, Quartz, and Spark News.
Between 2009 and 2012, I headed the Washington office of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), a trans-Atlantic NGO focused on nuclear disarmament.
During my ten-year stint on The Independent I was one of the few journalists to report from Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, I was a staff foreign correspondent with the French news agency, AFP, which posted me to Moscow during the incredible Gorbachev years. I also reported for AFP from France, and New York where I covered the United Nations.
I started my journalistic career in Canada, arriving with two suitcases to seek my fortune in Montreal, from where I reported for British newspapers before getting a job on the Montreal Gazette.
Before that, I was a postgraduate student at University College London whose French department nurtured my lifelong love of French literature and culture.
Lady Bea is at the royal family’s Scottish castle for a winter shooting party. Nowhere near the awful Detective Fitzwilliam. Or so she thinks…until a murder takes place among the guests and the only officer available is her nemesis…
Ben Rhodes has made plenty of enemies and has had to hire a bodyguard. But surely he is safe at a royal residence… NOPE! Ben is found dead in the bath as the royal family are snowed in on their estate. Luckily (or unluckily, judging by Bea’s response!) DCI Fitzwilliam is staying with friends on the estate and is able to visit the main house to try to track down the killer.
There is plenty of tension between Bea and Fitzwilliam as usual. They rub each other up the wrong way and take offence when none is meant. In contrast to this is the loving relationship between Perry and Simon who both have marriage on their minds. Daisy the dog continues to have a prominent role in finding clues and getting help for those in danger.
I love this series of books. There is a wonderful light hearted tone to the writing as well as humour in the dialogue. Once again there are several suspects to investigate with plenty of red herrings along the way. Bea finally finds out the truth about her brother’s work as well as extra information about her late husband. I did manage to guess the killer but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book at all.
A Dead Herring is a hugely enjoyable cosy murder mystery from a brilliant series.
A Dead Herring
BREAKING NEWS Urshall United FC Owner Dies at Drew Castle
Details are sketchy at this stage, but it is believed businessman Ben Rhodes (38) was found dead in his bathroom at the king’s Scottish home by his twin brother Max, where the pair were guests at a shooting party hosted by Lord Frederick Astley (39), brother of Lady Beatrice (36). The cause of Mr Rhodes’ death is not known, but he started receiving death threats from football fans after his controversial takeover of the club and had recently employed his own personal security.
How unlucky can a girl get? Is fate playing a cruel trick on her for boorish Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam to be the only person who can get to the snowed-in castle to investigate Ben Rhodes’s death? And with no other external resources available to him, he now needs her, her smart dog, and her best friends’ help to catch the killer. Can they put their issues behind them and work together to find the murderer before the weather improves and the perpetrator is free to leave?
Another page-turning cozy British whodunnit with a hint of humour from author Helen Golden.
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
Previusly, I worked in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
Retired detective Jack Lunn discovers a body floating in the river when he goes fishing. The murder case is quickly closed but Jack has doubts about the lead officer (who just happens to be in a relationship with Jack’s ex wife). He is convinced that the police have the wrong man and is determined to find out the truth for himself…
Dead Drift is the first book in a new series to feature Jack Lunn. He is a detective who was forced to retire on medical grounds but his mind works as fast as ever. Jack frequently quotes philosophers and wordsmiths, and even Yoda from Star Wars!
The murder victim is a cantankerous old lady who had disputes with family and others in the local community. Jack identifies several suspects but the officer in charge of the case just won’t listen to him. Luckily Jack has friends in the police force who take his concerns seriously and ensure a thorough investigation.
There are several personal strands to the plot as well. Jack is in a relationship with Sarah but she isn’t happy about his involvement in the cases especially as he drags her daughter into it. Meanwhile Jack’s ex lives with Geoff Cooke who is leading the murder investigation and sees Jack’s input as threatening.
Jack is trying to set up a fishing tackle business and this slows the pace of the book but adds a realism. He is a great lead character and has strong personal and professional relationships because he gets on with a whole range of people, except Cooke!
Dead Drift was a very enjoyable introduction to a new crime and police thriller series. I Iook forward to seeing what happens to Jack next (bit of a cliffhanger ending!)
Former Detective Inspector Jack Lunn is enjoying the quiet life.
Twenty years on from being medically retired from the job with Hampshire Police, he’s earned his quiet routine of long walks in the New Forest.
However, Jack’s peace is shattered when he discovers the body of a friend and local landowner while on a fishing trip.
Drawn into the investigation, he comes face to face with an old colleague, and the police investigation machine he thought he had left behind.
As family secrets are exposed and a reporter takes an interest, Jack and his partner’s eldest daughter Gemma, a former military intelligence officer set to work to uncover who killed his friend.
As the body count rises, can they both unravel the mystery before it’s too late, or will Jack’s life be sacrificed as just so much dead drift…?
Author Bio
Born in West London, the middle of three boys, Andy won a scholarship to Lord Wandsworth College. He represented the school at most sports and also played rugby for Hampshire at Under 18 level.
After university, working life began with H. M. Customs & Excise, mostly on Mobile Task Force Units and Rummage Crews out of Southampton. He then moved to the Police as a beat bobby in Dorset.
He now works in property and lives in the South Downs, West Sussex. Often found at crime writing festivals and an avid reader, Andy regularly files reviews with the renowned crime fiction eZine Shotsmag.
You can see Andy chatting about writing and Dead Drift with renowned crime writing interviewer, Jacky Gramosi Collins (Dr Noir) for Noir At The Bar – Edinburgh via the link below.
Cassie Gynne heads to Florida in 1883 following the death of her father. She meets her aunt in jail after an eventful arrival but this is just the beginning for the unconventional pair! Her aunt’s enemy is dicsovered dead at the bottom of a tower and Cassie is sure it is murder but regrets pressing for an investigation when her aunt becomes the prime suspect…
A Deception Most Deadly is an historical cosy murder mystery set in America in the 1880s.
Cassie and her aunt Flora are thoroughly modern women. Both are feisty and independent with a healthy splash of the eccentric as well. They find themselves embroiled in a murder investigation and Flore is quickly accused of being the prime suspect. Cassie begins her own search to clear her aunt’s name and uncovers awhole host of secrets and lies.
I found the pace of the plot varied with some patches where little happened, and others where the twists and turns occurred relentlessly fast. I was kept guessing as to the culprit and motive until the very end.
The tone of the book is gently humorous, witty rather than laugh out loud funny. However, there are some wonderful turns of phrase that the author uses that made me smile. There is an emotional side to the book as well as Cassie is dealing with her grief for her late father as well as having entanglements of the heart, but will she choose the right man…?
A Deception Most Deadly is quite a quirky book in terms of the style of writing as well as the lead characters.
A Deception Most Deadly: An utterly addictive historical cozy murder mystery (A Cassie Gwynne Mystery Book 1) by Genevieve Essig
Florida, 1883. Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start when she steps off the steamship at Fernandina harbor for the first time. She’s trying hard to be a proper lady, for once. She’s styled her unruly hair, shined her boots, and even purchased a whole new fashionable (or at least fashionably priced) wardrobe. However, she’s certain finding a body is not very ladylike behavior…
While out exploring the beautiful island with her Aunt Flora, Cassie stumbles across the body of Peanut Runkles, town grump and her aunt’s neighbor, lying at the foot of the harbor pilots’ lookout tower. To make matters worse, because Peanut and Flora have been quarreling for years over everything from Flora’s eccentric ideas to her pet pig’s fondness for Peanut’s vegetable patch, Flora is immediately arrested for murder.
Desperate to save the only family she has left, Cassie vows to prove Flora’s innocence and untangle the mystery herself, no matter how much the surly local sheriff disapproves. Cassie’s brilliant mind and nose for a clue lead her on an investigation that takes her all around the island, and even earns her a valiant furry friend in Esy the kitten.
But how does the mysterious ledger Cassie finds hidden in a secret drawer in Peanut’s desk connect to the crime? Cassie is determined to dig up the truth, but can she catch the killer before her time on the island comes to a deadly end?
This warm and witty cozy mystery will transport you to the island city of Fernandina and introduce you to a feisty heroine far before her time! Perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T E Kinsey and Deanna Raybourn.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense I’d eventually try to be a writer. One need only examine my childhood, as any therapist will tell you, and look for the signs: On family vacations my poor mother, already on her last nerve as my father, the Botany Professor, drove us around winding mountain roads with one eye on the ground vegetation, constantly screamed at me to “stop reading and look at the scenery.” I assigned my books call numbers and insisted my friends “check them out” from my “library” (the fines for late returns were steep but, as it turned out, largely unenforceable). I wrote plays about forest fairies and figures from classical mythology and petitioned for special dispensation so I could stage them on the playground during lunch. My favorite school task was diagramming sentences.
So, when, many years later, I scaled back my other work to spend more time writing, no one really should have been surprised. Concerned for my sanity and financial well-being, maybe, but not surprised. And am I ever glad I did. I am truly blessed, and I make an effort every day to remember that.
What else… I’m half-Chinese and Florida-raised, Yale- and UVA- educated, and Chicago…buffed and polished? In any case, I now proudly call New Orleans home, and when I’m not writing or getting lost down research rabbit holes, I spend my time practicing law, shooting pool, performing operas and musicals, ogling old buildings, acting for film and television, futzing with inventions that address highly specific and possibly only-annoying-to-me problems, traveling, ranting at bartenders about the evils of straws, riding horses, and petting strange cats (though, since we’ve recently welcomed home a new kitten friend, Musette, I might need to cut back on that last).
DI Bernie Noel is called upon to investigate a violent sexual assault that left the victim for dead. Meanwhile she is struggling to deal with issues in her personal life as she approaches her 20 week pregnancy scan whilst her lover and fellow officer is suspended from work.
Left For Dead is the third book to feature Bernie and her team. I have previously reviewed the second book in the series: Broken Girls.
Bernie is a workaholic, completely dedicated to finding justice for the victims of crime. But her own wellbeing is at the forefront of her mind during this case as she is forced to slow down and rely more upon her team. Her case is revealed to be inextricably linked to that of her partner Anderson which gives her extra incentive to find the truth and reverse his suspension.
The plot pace is quite fast during the first half of the book, with many twists and turns. It then slowed down as the complexity becomes apparent. Professional politics come into play as various teams get involved in the angles of the case.
I enjoyed the merging of the personal and the professional throughout the book and think Bernie is a great lead character. She has both strength and vulnerability, giving others the opportunity to be themselves.
Left For Dead is an enjoyable police procedural novel and I look forward to seeing what life holds for Bernie next.
The detective stared at the young woman lying on the bed. She almost looked peaceful, her face like porcelain. Despite everything she had been through, she was still beautiful.
When DI Bernie Noel hurries to Keira Howard’s hospital bedside, she knows that Keira has been lucky. Barely conscious and badly injured, at least she is alive. Convinced that Keira’s attack is the latest in a string of increasingly violent assaults on young women in the area, the next victim might not be so fortunate. So she vows to find the man who did this, and to stop him before anyone else gets hurt.
Spurring her team into action, she quickly hones in on a prime suspect. But then he suddenly dies while on police watch, and Bernie’s investigation goes into freefall. When Bernie’s superiors won’t let her take the case any further, her gut instinct tells her there’s much more to his death than meets the eye. If it was murder, who would want him dead, and why? So she determines to set out on her own to find out what happened.
But the closer Bernie comes to discovering the truth, the more she is putting her own life in danger. And with Keira finally strong enough to talk her about her attack, Bernie worries she may be at risk yet again. There’s someone out there who has killed to stay safe in the shadows; can Bernie stop another senseless death, and save Keira, before it’s too late?
An utterly compelling crime thriller full of twists and suspense, perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Angela Marsons and Cara Hunter.
Author Bio
Joy Kluver has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. More recently she’s been escaping the madness of motherhood by turning her hand to crime novels. A book blogger, she’s also part of the First Monday Crime team and if you’ve been to any of their events it’s likely you’ve eaten one of her cookies. She also organises author talks for her local library. Joy lives in SW London with her husband and three children. ‘Last Seen’ is her debut novel and the first book in the DI Bernadette Noel series.
Joy is represented by Anne Williams at the Kate Horden Literary Agency.
