Reviews

Salt Lane by William Shaw

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I’m sorry, I’m so bored. I don’t think I’ve ever been this bored reading a book, especially a MURDER MYSTERY, which is supposed to keep you entertained. All of the characters are boring, the plot is so dry and confusing, and I just can’t do it anymore. I was trying my best to cram in some books before the end of the year so I could complete my challenge, but I just have too much going on that I can’t do it. Oh well, I tried my best. I hope I can do better next year.

robert_vardill's review

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

booklady100's review

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Love this author - I just discoverd his work due to a recent #bookriot post and am looking forward to more. These all take place on the southern coast of England near the town of Dungeness. Very atmospheric and I require well-written, complex characters in my mysteries and Shaw delivers.

kelbi's review

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3.0

I enjoyed this. Kept my attention throughout and am going to look for more by this author

strawberrymivvy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I do love a flawed female detective (hence my current obsession with Jane Casey's books) and I could grow to love Alex Cupidi. Alex has moved to a small town in Kent, she's a single Mum with a difficult relationship with both her slightly odd teenage daughter and her own Mum. A prickly character, she wants to be likes but seems to often say the wrong thing.

A long-lost mother turns up in London, then vanishes just as quickly. The next day her body is found in the marshes of Kent - though she seems to have been there for days. What's going on? The body count rises and Alex and her team get drawn into the underside of UK life.

A few surprises but for me the main draw is the characters, rather than the mystery itself. Not as enjoyable as Maeve Kerrigan for me just yet, but I will try the next in the series

afox98's review

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4.0

DS Alex Cupidi and her daughter Zoe have moved to Kent after a scandal in London. As she acclimates herself to the police force there, Cupidi gets involved in the case of a dead migrant worker. Along the way, a long lost mother shows up at her son’s house unexpectedly and Cupidi checks out that story on the side. And through all of it, the author explores how Alex is dealing with the upheaval in her life, her isolated teenager, and her distant mother. Suspenseful and well-written.

jmatkinson1's review

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4.0

DS Alex Cupidi has relocated to the Kent Constabulary and the eerie Dungeness coast. Whilst Cupidi is settling in with her team she worries about her teenage daughter Zoe whose only interest seems to be obsessive birdwatching. However when Cupidi gets her first murder investigation she finds her hands full. A woman's body is found in a drainage ditch on Romney Marsh however the same woman apparently visited her longest son a week after she died, mistaken identity of foul play. Then another body is found close by, an illegal immigrant, are the two linked?
Shaw is making a name for himself writing excellent police procedurals, firstly with the retro Breen and Tozier series and now , hopefully, a series about DS Cupidi. The setting is very atmospheric, East Kent is rural and isolated where sea meets land meets marsh, and Shaw uses this to great effect. The plot line is suitably complex and satisfying, the theme of outsiders being exploited is clever and the links to 1980s counter culture well played. I did find the Jill Ferriter character slightly irritating unlike many readers but that is a minor quibble in what was a very good book.

thebooktrail88's review

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5.0

Visit the locations in the novel here

A very fine read. Social commentary mixed with the evocation of a landscape which seeps into the story so that it becomes the story. Great characters too with backstories I can' wait to find out more about. There's something very eerie and ethereal about the marshes and this book brings them out and shines a light on them. An immersive way of writing and keen observations complete with killer dialogue makes this a real reading treat.

The land is inhospitable in places and this is reflected on the poor illegal immigrants forced to work for peanuts in back breacking work on farms and marshland. The story built slowly but each piece fell into place and created a jigsaw of emotions. Romney Marsh holds many secrets it would seem and the story revealed them one by one.

This novel really shone for me as it weaves social commentary, great writing and unique observation of landscape into one neatly tied package. It’s grim in parts but there’s a raw quality in its brutal honesty and I found myself slowing down to appreciate it even more.

A great first in a series. I’m definitely on board for book two although I will have to stop thinking that the main character is called Cupid.

Next book now Mr Shaw please!

didactylos's review

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5.0

A little bit of fortuitous plotting but that aside this was a really good read. Good characters, rounded and sympathetic. Very clever writing at times. Again lovely sense of location and Mood.