tverley9's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
starsfan56's review
3.0
Good solid procedural
Enjoyed the telling of this story. Nice police procedural, told from all viewpoints of the main players. I would read further adventures of Nick and Grace but would like a little more of the urgency of not necessarily knowing it will turn out right in the end to be present in the telling.
Enjoyed the telling of this story. Nice police procedural, told from all viewpoints of the main players. I would read further adventures of Nick and Grace but would like a little more of the urgency of not necessarily knowing it will turn out right in the end to be present in the telling.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
I am ashamed to say that this is the first book I have read by this author. (Hangs my head in shame) I will certainly be reading more though, having read and loved this one.
Admittedly I did worry at the beginning when the police are called out to a shooting which involved a dead dog. Obviously as an animal lover, I was horrified that anyone could shoot an animal but was it really a case for the police? It certainly had me intrigued though as to where the author was going to take the readers from that point on wards.
Well I didn't have to worry as what follows is a complex and enthralling read that had me on the edge of my seat. If anything, I love how the author plays with the reader. Giving them a false sense of security that you believe you are in for a tame crime story only to literally have the rug pulled from under you, leaving you breathless as to what is happening.
I really enjoyed the working relationship between Grace and Nick. It takes a while for the pair to warm to each other but they eventually get there. Grace is quite stand offish, I think in a relatively male dominated area, Grace has had to put up a front giving the wrong impression to people that she is a bit of an ice queen. She is strong in her beliefs and I enjoyed seeing her stand up to her peers. It certainly makes for some entertaining reading.
Nick was someone I instantly took to. Yes he has issues in his family life, which detective in a crime book doesn't? He is quite laid back compared to Grace yet eager to get the job done. The differences between the two make for some compelling reading.
For me though, the shining star that topped the whole story off is the character Edith. I can't say to much about her but her journey had me pounding through the pages to see what was going to happen next.
Dancing On The Grave is a dark, tense read that caught me off guard. The author takes us on an exhilarating ride full of twists and turns that had me clinging on to every word. Brilliant book and highly recommend it.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Admittedly I did worry at the beginning when the police are called out to a shooting which involved a dead dog. Obviously as an animal lover, I was horrified that anyone could shoot an animal but was it really a case for the police? It certainly had me intrigued though as to where the author was going to take the readers from that point on wards.
Well I didn't have to worry as what follows is a complex and enthralling read that had me on the edge of my seat. If anything, I love how the author plays with the reader. Giving them a false sense of security that you believe you are in for a tame crime story only to literally have the rug pulled from under you, leaving you breathless as to what is happening.
I really enjoyed the working relationship between Grace and Nick. It takes a while for the pair to warm to each other but they eventually get there. Grace is quite stand offish, I think in a relatively male dominated area, Grace has had to put up a front giving the wrong impression to people that she is a bit of an ice queen. She is strong in her beliefs and I enjoyed seeing her stand up to her peers. It certainly makes for some entertaining reading.
Nick was someone I instantly took to. Yes he has issues in his family life, which detective in a crime book doesn't? He is quite laid back compared to Grace yet eager to get the job done. The differences between the two make for some compelling reading.
For me though, the shining star that topped the whole story off is the character Edith. I can't say to much about her but her journey had me pounding through the pages to see what was going to happen next.
Dancing On The Grave is a dark, tense read that caught me off guard. The author takes us on an exhilarating ride full of twists and turns that had me clinging on to every word. Brilliant book and highly recommend it.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
slc333's review
3.0
I couldn't help comparing it to this author's Charlie Fox series and it came up short. That is not to say that it is not a well written and interesting story in its own right. It definitely is. It just wasn't Charlie Fox good.
elvang's review
5.0
Loved this. Newly minted CSI Grace McColl and disgraced and disgruntled detective Nick Weston pair up to hunt down a killer with incredible sniper skills. I was riveted to this book (when I got the chance during holidays) from the start. I do hope this is the beginning of a series because I've already become quite attached to Grace and Nick. Secondary characters are well drawn and I do love a killer in plain site.
Great finish to my 2019 reads.
Great finish to my 2019 reads.
karlou's review
5.0
I loved Fox Hunter when I read it last year despite not having read any of the other books in Zoë Sharp's Charlie Fox series and so I was intrigued to read her latest standalone thriller, Dancing On The Grave. The book opens with a sniper about to take a shot; seconds later his intended victim has been killed - but he didn't pull the trigger. This quiet corner of England is about to be shattered by a murderous rampage but first Crime Scene Investigator, Grace McColl has been called to examine the scene of what at first appears to be a straightforward case when a German Shepherd Dog is shot after massacring a field of sheep. Farmers are well within their rights to shoot dogs which are worrying their animals but the owner of this flock claims it wasn't him and the evidence backs him up. Detective Constable Nick Weston is dispatched to the scene of the crime - and as the new face in the office, his colleagues omit to mention that the victim has four legs and a tail. This first meeting between Grace and Nick doesn't have an auspicious start; she is cool and detached, he is hungover and angry. However, the pair quickly grow to respect one another, they are both outsiders and though he relies on instinct while she prefers physical evidence, they are both determined characters with pasts which mean they have something to prove as others wait for them to slip up.
The clever plot is intricately woven with the narrative told from multiple points of view and each character brings something important to the proceedings, particularly the aforementioned McColl and Weston. Grace is methodical and resolute in a male dominated profession and Nick's integrity is never in doubt despite his traumatic past and current personal and professional problems. They becomes steadfast allies to one another and the sparks that fly between the two are almost palpable. The other most important characters are the sniper whose true target remains ambiguous for much of the book as he exacts a deadly revenge in the beautiful Lake District, and perhaps most poignantly Edith, who is hard to like but desperately needs to be loved. Some characters are easy to dislike; Nick's boss, Mercer is an arrogant case in point as is Grace's fellow CSI, the misogynistic Blenkinship, and Edith's father, Jim is a truly despicable individual who I desperately hoped would get his comeuppance. The sniper and Edith are both damaged by their pasts and though I was chilled to the bone by their inner voices as much as their actions, I felt some sympathy for them despite everything that happens.
Zoë Sharp considers some important themes as she examines the devastating impact of trauma on vulnerable individuals - how we can expect those who are trained to become ruthless killers to ever return to society and at a time when that society is perhaps more celebrity obsessed than ever, is it any wonder that those who are most dispossessed will do anything to feel loved? The atmospheric Lake District setting and the references to the mass killings in Hungerford, Dunblane and Cumbria is a poignant reminder that it's often been the small towns and communities which have suffered the paralysing fear of a shooter in their midst, their sense of peace violently shattered.
Dancing On The Grave is everything I'm looking for in an action thriller - the exhilarating pace is driven by the changing narrative perspectives with each voice clearly defined, the drama is compelling, characterisation superb and the perplexing mystery sits well alongside a thoughtful exploration into what drives people to commit such terrible acts. Zoë Sharp is now firmly on my list of must-read authors, I'd love it if this standalone becomes a series but I'll be devouring whatever she writes next.
The clever plot is intricately woven with the narrative told from multiple points of view and each character brings something important to the proceedings, particularly the aforementioned McColl and Weston. Grace is methodical and resolute in a male dominated profession and Nick's integrity is never in doubt despite his traumatic past and current personal and professional problems. They becomes steadfast allies to one another and the sparks that fly between the two are almost palpable. The other most important characters are the sniper whose true target remains ambiguous for much of the book as he exacts a deadly revenge in the beautiful Lake District, and perhaps most poignantly Edith, who is hard to like but desperately needs to be loved. Some characters are easy to dislike; Nick's boss, Mercer is an arrogant case in point as is Grace's fellow CSI, the misogynistic Blenkinship, and Edith's father, Jim is a truly despicable individual who I desperately hoped would get his comeuppance. The sniper and Edith are both damaged by their pasts and though I was chilled to the bone by their inner voices as much as their actions, I felt some sympathy for them despite everything that happens.
Zoë Sharp considers some important themes as she examines the devastating impact of trauma on vulnerable individuals - how we can expect those who are trained to become ruthless killers to ever return to society and at a time when that society is perhaps more celebrity obsessed than ever, is it any wonder that those who are most dispossessed will do anything to feel loved? The atmospheric Lake District setting and the references to the mass killings in Hungerford, Dunblane and Cumbria is a poignant reminder that it's often been the small towns and communities which have suffered the paralysing fear of a shooter in their midst, their sense of peace violently shattered.
Dancing On The Grave is everything I'm looking for in an action thriller - the exhilarating pace is driven by the changing narrative perspectives with each voice clearly defined, the drama is compelling, characterisation superb and the perplexing mystery sits well alongside a thoughtful exploration into what drives people to commit such terrible acts. Zoë Sharp is now firmly on my list of must-read authors, I'd love it if this standalone becomes a series but I'll be devouring whatever she writes next.
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