Drugs, sink estates and murder (Death in Dark Waters - Patricia Hall)

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	Death in Dark Waters - Patricia Hall
Date:	09/06/09 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Readable, competent

Disadvantages: Not particularly memorable

A teenage boy from a good home takes Ecstasy at a local club and is then hit by a car. Although he recovers, the police start to look carefully at the club, suspecting, as do many locals, that it is really a cover for a drug racket. His father insists that DCI Michael Thackeray finds out exactly who supplied the Ecstasy. At the same time, an ex-drug user falls to his death from a block of flats - apparently having committed suicide. His friends and family claim he was drug-free and had no need to commit suicide, and Thackeray's girlfriend, reporter Laura Ackroyd, begins to uncover something much more sinister that may be linked to the drug racket. Can Thackeray and Ackroyd work to piece together the details before there are more deaths? Or could Ackroyd's interference bring danger to herself and to the investigation?

Although not one of the most memorable writers of modern crime fiction, Patricia Hall is nevertheless a competent story-teller and I have already enjoyed two or three of her novels. Set in a place called Bradfield, which seems to be a barely veiled description of Bradford, she takes a number of modern social problems, such as racism and drug-use, as the basis for her stories. This is the ninth book in the Thackeray and Ackroyd series, although it is not at all vital that they are read in order.

Having a reporter working together with the police is not exactly new - Hilary Bonner and her work immediately springs to mind - both are investigators of sorts after all. However, the relationship between Michael Thackeray and Laura Ackroyd does add an interesting angle to the story. They live together, and yet their different occupations put a great deal of stress on their relationship - Laura is constantly putting herself in potentially life-threatening situations and Michael worries about her, while being unable to express his feelings out loud. There is also an issue with children - Laura would like some, but Michael has a past that makes him not too keen.

This is all very convincing, although having read about the problem in other books, I must admit I am becoming a bit impatient with their apparent inability to sort their relationship out and get it on a proper footing. Perhaps it is just a little bit too realistic; it's almost like getting a blow by blow account of close friends' marital difficulties. I don't think it will be a problem for newcomers to the series, but those who have read a few of the books may find it starts to irritate. As characters, Laura can be a little too tenacious and irritating, whereas Michael is just rather dull.

The story is an average one. It is perfectly readable; it just isn't anything particularly riveting or memorable. I read a lot of crime fiction and these days, it is hard to find a story that sticks in the memory for all that long - this certainly isn't a story that stands out at all. Nevertheless, it is perfectly competent and the way that the story is told, from the point of view of Thackeray, Ackroyd and one or two other key characters, does stop it from becoming boring. And although it looks at the grittier side of life, it isn't all that disturbing - I think other authors, such as Peter James, are much better at giving a warts-and-all approach to modern life.

The style of writing is, like the story-telling, very competent without being pretentious, which is exactly how I like my crime fiction to be. There is nothing worse than being bogged down by long words when something as visceral as murder and crime is being described. Descriptions of the dead and injured are perhaps not as clear as they could be though - that may please those who prefer their crime fiction to be as Agatha Christie-like as possible, but if you have a stronger stomach and would like more detail, you won't find it here.

On the whole, this was an enjoyable read and I will certainly read more of the series when I have the chance, although I will probably leave it for a few months just to avoid being annoyed by Michael and Laura's relationship. There are better authors of crime fiction out there; but there are certainly a lot worse. I'm not sure I would recommend a purchase, but it is definitely worth looking out for Patricia Hall's work in the library - and there is no real need to worry about reading them in order - this is as good a place to start as any. Three stars out of five.

The book is available from play.com for £5.49. Published by Allison & Busby, it has 278 pages. ISBN: 9780749006662

Summary: Readable, but not particularly memorable