An exciting read from beginning to end. It was thought provoking to try to guess the outcome and who done it. A character we would want on our side if we were in trouble adds to the enjoyment.

An excellent introduction to an interesting protagonist. I had some concern for how Beth Young's character might be established, a possible old trope using her appearance, but it was mostly avoided. There was good development of her colleagues, although there was a little too much reliance on Beth as the wise old soul advising the others.

Overall a good read and a detective I look forward to seeing again.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It may be because I read a lot of police/crime procedural series that thisbone had a lot to live up to, but I couldn't get on with it.

This new police procedural series featuring DC Beth Young is the first book I have read by this author, and I'm now searching out his previous books.
Although gruesome in parts, this book had suspense, tension and a lovely setting in Cumbria. Thoroughly enjoyable.
With thank to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

The murders are pretty gruesome and I almost stopped reading at one point. I'm not usually squeamish and read a lot of quite gorey crime books but there's quite a bit of detail on these ones so a strong stomach is useful when reading! That aside, I liked Beth's character and the plot is action packed. Barely time to catch your breath before the next bodies are found. As a gripping crime book, it's right up there.

This is the first book featuring a new female hero cop, Detective Beth Young. She is still young, still learning, but very quickly feel that the death of a man might just be that of a serial killer. This sets the pace of a gripping novel, that doesn't let you go from its clutches until the very last page. I really enjoyed Beth as a character and can't wait to read more of her!

What a book! I’d advise you to read only if you have a strong stomach as the detail of the murders is very graphic, but the book itself is just exquisite.
Beth Young is a police officer starting out in a new team and her first case is a gruesome murder. A man is found at a stately home ruin. He has feathers attached to his back and has been forced to breathe fire. Soon more bodies are found and a serial killer in on the loose.
The description of the injuries is horrific and detailed but described in a factual way by the pathologist so it does not seem gratuitous or excessive. We get the emotional reaction from Beth as she struggles to comprehend how one human could do that to another.
We follow the police investigation but also see the preparation as the killer stalks his next victim. The danger is almost palpable as the reader waits for him to make his move…
I really really loved this book. It is interesting to read about a new police officer finding her feet on the job, negotiating office politics and developing working relationships with colleagues.
The book is fast paced and never loses momentum. It is fascinating to see inside the killer’s mind through the parts of narrative that focus on his life and experiences. The psychological impact of the past cannot be underestimated.
Beth has a past that haunts her as well: she has a significant facial injury caused by being stabbed with a broken bottle and the perpetrator was never brought to justice. This book is the first to feature Beth and I look forward to following her career in its sequels.

Great start to a new series featuring Detective Beth Young. This was a great crime thriller with many twists. Sometimes I felt that the book had to much gore for me but otherwise a very captivated thriller . Don't love the cover it does nothing for the book.

3.5 Stars

Beth Young has just joined the major crime division and a gruesome murder becomes her first case. A pair of wings are attached to the body and Beth knows that if she can figure out the significance of the wings, then she can find the killer. The body count rises as Beth races to find the answers.

I had a hard time getting invested in this story for some reason until I hit the half way point. Then it seemed like the story ramped up and caught my attention. The book was redeemed in my eyes by a fantastic second half. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received this ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Bookouture, and to Graham Smith for this opportunity.

I did enjoy this book but I have a few niggles that I can't get past. I think it was a case of me being oversensitive and not in the best place when I read this book so out of respect to the author (it's not his fault I'm a grump!) I won't be sharing this review anywhere else.

I should also add that I am a fan of Smith's writing and have read both his Harry Evans and Jake Boulder series. However, in Death in the Lakes Smith gives voice to a new young female detective in the form of Beth Young. Beth is undeniably gifted in her intellect and problem-solving skills. But she's also stunningly beautiful and had a promising career as a model before an incident left her with facial scarring. Other females characters in this book are stunningly beautiful. Where are the normal women? I know this author can write 'normal' women as two spring to mind in his Boulder series (Boulder's mother and a journalist he, unfortunately, killed off). It just grated a little as I have never warmed to the only female detective in his Evans series who flaunts her womanly wiles to get people to talk.

The other thing which bothered me slightly was with the addition of, I assume, a red herring character. Someone there to throw readers off the scent. But it was a little too obvious he wasn't anything to do with the murders (which were beautifully grisly). He felt sort of plonked in the story without a real purpose to me.

I love the way Smith writes and I WILL be reading more of his novels. I just can't be sure I'll return to the Beth Young series.

Truly wonderful kept saying eh what all the way through it due to thinking it was one person then the other then back to the first without actually knowing who they were. Gripped all the way through

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
Originally titled The Darling Dead this will be my first Graham Smith book and first read of 2019 and what a good read it was.
We follow Detective Constable Beth Young in her first week with the Force Major Investigation Team based in Cumbria in the Lake District.
I wont give any spoilers away here but the story zips along at a fantastic pace.
The book is well written and all the main Characters are well fleshed out you really get to know them so some very good world building.

The killer is well thought out and we really get a good insight to why he has taking this path the lake District is well described and you feel as if you were there.
For a new series its a very strong start and look forward to the next book.

Well worth your time and money.

Enjoyed this thrilling read and the well-written main character, Beth Young. Twisty storyline that kept me turning the pages.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Oh my goodness! Where to start? Well, this is my first Graham Smith book, but it definitely won't be my last! The Silent Dead is twisted and gruesome. And brilliant.

We are thrust straight into the case, along with Beth Young, the newest recruit to the Cumbrian Force Major Investigation Team. A bride 's special day is ruined when she discovers a dead body - a man who has died in a grotesque, ritualistic manner. Beth is young, enthusiastic and as she investigates the death, she is keen to show her new colleagues that she deserves her place on the team.

The book is interspersed with chapters told from the viewpoints of two unnamed, unknown men, and they are suitably creepy. This is a stroke of genius by the writer as we see both men fix their sights on the same woman. But why, and for what purpose?

I adored Beth. She's dedicated, determined and keen to learn. And she looks at things differently from her colleagues, enabling her to see things they don't. Her determination to see justice done is due to her own experiences following an assault. I loved seeing her relationships build with her colleagues, particularly her boss Zoe O'Dowd. I also enjoyed her dynamic with Hewson, the pathologist.

This is a hugely atmospheric book full of countryside and crumbling old buildings. The action is full on, and the story is full of tension - my nerves were shredded! The crimes are gruesome (not overly so), but highly original, and I found myself fascinated by the detail. It's a fabulous beginning to what promises to be an awesome series. I can't wait for Beth's next case! And in the meantime, those Jake Boulder books will be making their way up my TBR pile!

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I realize I'm in the minority here--and I do hate to give a negative review of a book--but this just didn't work for me at all. Despite an interesting concept, the writing style wasn't convincing to me and the 23-year-old protagonist, brand new to her position, who seemed to have all the answers that her older and more seasoned colleagues couldn't discover on their own was just too contrived. However, most wearing on me was the view of and on women. It felt very much to me like a man trying unsuccessfully to pretend he knew what it was like to be a woman and how she would think. At best, the author relied on stereotypes; at worst, the stereotypes and many conclusions were downright sexist.

I was so bothered by many things, but at the top of that list is the protagonist's female boss who is supposedly great at her job, but breaks down more than once blubbering over a "domestic" issue with her daughter in the middle of the investigation. Repeatedly our young protagonist--with her 3 or 4 days of experience--has to be the glue that holds everyone together. She has to make sure the fragile emotional state of her boss (and other colleagues as well) doesn't impede the investigation. And don't get me started about the high-risk lives "attractive women" lead or the strange, unneeded brief subplot about abortion. As the book progressed, my patience became more and more frayed.

I'm sorry I can't give this one a better review. I would not recommend it to others.

The Silent Dead is a mystery, suspense police procedural novel set in modern day Cumbria. It follows our heroine, Beth Young. She is a bright, ambitious detective who has promoted to the elite FMIT team. FMIT is a specialized group of investigators who specialize in murders that are considered strange, or unusual. Beth catches her first case when the body of Angus Keane turns up posed in a ritualistic manner. Angus has bird wings surgically fused to his back, and his body shows signs or internal burns. The odd nature of the murder lands it squarely in the wheelhouse of FMIT. Beth is looking to make a good impression on her boss, and prove that she is a worthwhile member of the team. She throws herself behind solving the case. The ante is upped when 3 more bodies are discovered in the cellar of a long abandoned older building on the coast. When it becomes clear the bodies are the work of the same killer, the pressure is ramped up on Beth and FMIT to catch the psychopath newspapers have deemed The Dragon Master. The story is told from the perspective of Beth, the killer known as the Dragon Master, and an odd duck called Harry Quirke. He is a disabled war veteran who uses his time to quietly stalk beautiful women, even if it is only from a distance. It is not immediately clear the role that Harry the perv has to play. As the reader we are privy to his inner monologue, and is evident that he is an individual who is unnaturally obsessed with the opposite sex, especially when they are very attractive. Beth is a clever, driven character who is young and ambitious, but also flawed. She has inner struggles and is also physically damaged by a scar she received when a bar fight got out of control, and Beth ended up with a broken bottle in her cheek. Despite her physical defect, she soon attracts the attention of the Dragon Master, and he sets his sights on making her his crowing achievement in his mission. Beth is a relatable heroine who has a genuine gift for puzzles and dissecting a problem. The story is engaging and fun to read. I look forward to future novels in this series.

Graham Smith is a force to be reckoned with. When I learned he was working on a new series, I was quite excited. I had discovered his writing through the Jake Boulder books and greatly enjoyed them. A new project meant getting to know Graham Smith better.

DC Beth Young is new to the major crime team. Scarred unlike any other police officer, she has this little thing that makes her different. Her mind is wired in a way that explores crimes like puzzles and she sees things even seasoned detectives could miss. Actually, her behavior and train of thoughts could easily be those of a DI! Now, she’s is no super hero and from the start, she gets the treatment newbies have to endure to prove they belong to the top team of the police force. This balance is what makes Beth an easy character to appreciate. She’s not cocky, but she’s not a tiny innocent lamb either.

While being a woman officer is more common now than it was years ago, Beth still has a lot to do to find her place in the team. I liked the fact Graham Smith chose to let us follow a new member instead of throwing us into a world already set with personalities and dynamics fixed and ready to roll. It was refreshing to get to know everyone, from the big boss to her colleagues, through cracks coming from personal lives as well as the case they’re working on and the new eyes of a woman who may be new but is also kind and observant.

I was eager to see what the author would come up with in terms of plot. I have devoured the fast-paced Boulder series and I know he weaves intricate webs but police procedurals are made of a different skin. Graham Smith took up the challenge and this new series has everything I like in my favourite genre! The sometimes gruesome (for my fragile heart) descriptions of the dead bodies had a big impact on me, and the details put into the killer’s rituals had me so repulsively intrigued!!! I just wanted to dissect every piece of information and find my way into the culprit’s mind. Well, Beth had similar goals! The investigation was twice as intense as we both played the game, although Beth is much smarter than I am. There was a rush to find who was behind the murders, but as real life wants it, the case takes time, effort, and lots of paperwork. I loved the awful feeling coming from the urgency to protect civilians and find answers and the realistic pace used by the team to solve this massive bloody puzzle.

Cleverly scattered among the case’s days are chapters from two unnamed men related to the occurring events. They made me uncomfortable, they puzzled me, they left me feeling unsettled. Talk about an evil killer and a race against time. They sent shivers down my spine and made my blood pressure rocket!

As always, characterization is another of Graham Smith’s strong suits. Some moments took me by surprise, but I think they were essential to show Beth’s human side, as well as to remind us that having spent many years in the force doesn’t make you a cold monster, and that the shell police officers often have to use to protect themselves from the horrors they see is not as hard as they seem.
Death in the Lakes is the gripping start of a new series and I am dying to meet DC Beth Young again!

Not so very long ago, I read Graham’s series featuring DI Harry Evans and I really, really enjoyed it. When I heard that he was not only due to release a new book but that it would be the first book in a new series, I just knew that I had to read it as soon as I could. Before I even started reading, I just knew that I would thoroughly enjoy ‘The Silent Dead’. I was not to be disappointed either because I totally flipping well loved ‘The Silent Dead’ but more about that in a bit.
In Detective Constable Beth Young, Cumbria Police has one of the brightest and most promising female detectives I have come across in a very long time. Beth is a dedicated police officer and she seems to have a keen gut instinct or ‘copper’s nose’ as some might call it. She is given the opportunity to join a high profile team and she is determined that she is going to make a success of it. However, she gets off to a bit of a bumpy start but I knew that once she found her feet and felt a bit more sure of herself, she would be a huge asset to the team. There are a couple of people who rub her up the wrong way but she tries not to let it show. I couldn’t help but take to Beth from the first moment I met her. She’s feisty, kind, patient, tough, strong, determined, compassionate, tactful and the kind of person that you would want fighting your corner. She’s ready with a cup of tea and a shoulder to cry on should you need it and if ever you need something or help then Beth would be one of the first to come to your aid. If I had one teeny criticism of her (it is only teensy) it would be the fact that she doesn’t speak up for herself to start with but I was sure that as time went on and she found her feet in the team, Beth would grow in confidence and she would feel more able to speak up for herself. Beth has a lot to learn but she also has a lot to offer the team.
Oh my giddy aunt, I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the synopsis, never mind when I started to read the book. The author has a canny writing style, which grabs your attention from the beginning and he reels you in much as a fisherman would do with a catch. Before you realise what is happening, you are hooked on the story and you can’t stop reading. That’s what happened to me anyway. For me ‘The Silent Dead’ is simply unputdownable. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book because I was so hooked on the story, the investigation and the characters. I tried to ration how much I read in one stint but that attempt was futile because I couldn’t stop reading. The pages turned over with increasing speed and at one point the pages were a blur as I desperately raced to the finish.
‘The Silent Dead’ is one very well written book. The author describes the investigation so vividly and realistically that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. I even found myself interacting with the book and I would randomly throw in the odd comment and opinion on how to progress the investigation as if the characters could hear me. Get me I watch all the Law & Order franchises and I think I know it all. Ha ha.
Reading ‘The Silent Dead’ is much like being on a very scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. There were also several unexpected moments that felt like a punch to the gut and left me stunned.
In short, I absolutely loved ‘The Silent Dead’. DC Beth Young has to be one of my favourite lead female detectives of all time. I can’t wait to read more in this series. I would definitely recommend this series to other readers. I thought that the DI Harry Evans series was good but in my opinion, the DC Beth Young series is even better. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Great premise, poor execution.

I just finished and I’m still not sure exactly what happened?!? It was just so strange. There are two odd and very creepy men presented. Then there is Beth, the detective, also a weird character and smarter than anyone else, ever... She read as though she was on the spectrum to me - emotionally detached and lacking empathy. She was a former model because she is also unbelievably beautiful (even with a scar across he face from a broken bottle wielded in a bar fight (wrong place, wrong time). There are a couple of abortions, a missing set of genitals and a breakup to muddle through.

There was such a delay in the reveal of the killer that even when we get his actual name I’m still not sure exactly who he was and at this point I don’t even care enough to go back and see. But Beth (of course) single handedly figures out who he is and the takes him down while handcuffed to another victim and partially drugged. He was also super smart, like Beth. Gag.

Most (all perhaps??) of the character are weird, repulsive or irritating. This got great reviews so it obviously worked for others so please give it a shot. It wasn’t for me.

Thanks for NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

Originally titled The Darling Dead, this is the first in a new series about a new Detective Constable called Beth Young, set in England’s Lake District, by an author who is new to me. With so many police procedural series out there, you need a point of difference, and this has two: instead of a seasoned middle aged detective, we have a young woman at the start of her career, and instead of the omnipresent emotional scars, Beth’s are physical, her damaged face the result of an injury that left her determined to seek justice for others.

In her first week on the Force Major Investigation Team, DC Young and her boss, the fierce DI O’Dowd, land the case of a body found in the cellar of a disintegrating stately home, whose bizarre staging suggests that this is not the first victim. As more “tributes” are found, the team are under pressure from above, and the media, to catch the “Dragon Master”, before he kills again, but what links the different victims and who will be next?

In some ways a classic serial killer thriller, this is certainly not for the squeamish, as the villain uses one of the most horrific methods I have ever read about to murder his victims, and there is also an incredibly gory autopsy scene. I liked the way Beth is shown to be smart but not infallible, and how the other team members, each struggling with their own problems, come to accept and respect her out of the box thinking.

The writing is brilliant, with some excellent turns of phrase and descriptions of people and places. In hindsight I think the killer was revealed a little early, although the obfuscation by introducing another stalker confused me just enough for it to still be a surprise. I like this traditional third person past narration with multiple POVs as it doesn’t distract from the plot. I also enjoyed the relationship between Beth and her DI.

My main criticism is with the title and the cover image - I think the publisher has missed an opportunity to make this really stand out by not featuring a dragon or fire motif on the cover, instead of the pleasant but bland blue lake scene, and the book would also benefit from a more dramatic name. While I’m sick of the shadowed or back view figure seen on so many covers nowadays, a winged figure against a backdrop of fire could look brilliant.

Still, I highly recommend this and look forward to reading more of Beth’s adventures. 4.5 rounded up for effective writing and an original heroine.
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. The Silent Dead is available now.