Dr David Hunter really is back on fine form... (Whispers of the Dead - Simon Beckett)

Member Name: sparkymarky1973

Product:	Whispers of the Dead - Simon Beckett
Date:	22/07/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent thriller with plenty of descriptive, gruesome detail!

Disadvantages: Not for the squeamish...

After the slightly disappointing Written In Bone, that followed hot on the heels from the cracking debut that was Chemistry Of Death, comes this third entry in the relatively new David Hunter series. Fans might have suspected that Chemistry was a one-trick-pony after it's sequel and that they had already seen the best that Beckett had to offer, but I am happy to report that this is actually an error and that Whispers Of The Dead is a very good return to form from a writer who really impressed with his first ever novel.

Forensic scientist David Hunter has not had much luck in his life the last few years; first his wife and daughter were killed in a traffic accident, then his attempt to rebuild his life as a G.P came to naught when violence and brutality once more intercepted his life, his last case saw him being viciously attacked in his own home and now his relationship with school teacher, Jenni, has irretreivably broken down. Unsure whether or not he can still cut it, Hunter has travelled to America for an extended vacation doing research at the facility known as The Body Farm. It will give him time away from familiar surroundings to gather his thoughts and give him a chance to catch up with his old mentor; now Director of the institute.

For those not in the know (and where have you been?), The Body Farm is a research facility where scientists can examine the effects that nature has on a dead body in different enviroments. This can help scientists better consider time-of-death in crime scenes and allows them to observe the results that natural weather conditions, insects and animals over a period of time can have on a corpse. All bodies are there by exact permission of their former owners. It is an institute that has gathered a very grisly and well-deserved reputation and has even now been imitated in other locations to better help Law Enforcement Officers all across the world.

Unfortunately, Hunter is once more thrown into the mix when his mentor asks him to assist at a local crime scene. A body has been found set-up in a cabin and there are indications that indicate the body has been dead longer than the circumstantial evidence would suggest. It appears as though a murderer is abroad who has significant knowledge of Forensic Science and the ability to manipulate and confuse a crime scene and, before long, Hunter and his old mentor find themselves caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse that could well be a race against time....for Hunter, it's a trial-by-fire as he is forced to confront his own personal demons. And then there is the fact that his presence is less than welcomed by the local authorities...

Simon Beckett is an author who doesn't scrimp on grisly details; anyone even slightly squeamish should very likely avoid this. But his knowledge of the human body and it's behaviour after death is both astounding and at the same time educational and the level of depth of the information that he imparts on the reader only serves to make his work even more believably realistic in it's approach. I don't often quote passages when reviewing a paticular author or novel, but from the opening page, Beckett sums up entirely the sort of material you know you can expect from the rest of the novel when he writes...

"When the body dies, the enzymes that life has held in check run amok. They devour cell walls, causing the liquid contents to escape. The fluid rises to the surface, gathering below the dermal layers and causing them to loosen. Skin and body, until now two integral parts of the whole, begin to seperate. Blisters form. Whole swathes begin to slip, sloughing off the body like an unwanted coat on a summer's day."

Nice heh? But Beckett's prose is almost like poetry with it's symmetry and imagery that burn deep into his readers' minds and that is why he will always rank highly in my top list of favourite writers. Jeffrey Deaver, another writer who favours cat and mouse themes in his work, could do worse than take note of how Beckett carries a plot. Dr.David Hunter is a very strong and likeable character who is not afraid to show his human frailty and expose his personal flaws and this is another lesson that other authors in this field would do well to imitate. Too often we are introduced to characters who see themselves as the world's greatest detective and it is nice to see someone for a change who is no better than you or I but simply has more technical information at his disposal which better alllows him to formulate his judgement.

Overall then, it is suffice for me to say that this is a very excellent and accomplished Forensic thriller that more than makes up for any of the flaws or slight imperfections of the novel before it. And, best of all, you don't have to have read any of the previous titles to enjoy it! David Hunter and Simon Beckett make a fine team and I look forward to further experiences with them in the future! Currently in hardback and available from Tesco online for around the £9 mark!.

Summary: A killer seems to have more than just a passing knowledge of forensics..