I really wanted to like ‘The Chemical Detective’, but I really, really didn’t. It has a fun compromise and an engaging and refreshingly different heroine, but the prose completely failed to grab my attention.

Let’s start with the good stuff. It begins strongly, with protagonist Jaq suspecting something is fishy with a delivery at her work. Jaq works as a scientist at a company that monitors and tries to improve the quality of the snow at a ski resort. She has the makings of a great heroine, intelligent, passionate and determined. She also takes time out from her investigating to have lots of sex with a younger man. The fact that she is an older woman was refreshing, especially in a book with a straight up thriller plot, but it wasn’t enough to save the book for me.

I was gripped by the first few chapters, but as the plot developed I found myself less and less engaged by it. Part of the problem is that while Jaq is interesting, there are also loads of chapters dedicated to Frank Good, the ruthless CEO of a mysterious chemical company that is wrapped up in the shady goings on. Frank is a far less interesting to read than Jaq, and I found all the detail on corporate life in his chapters really dull. At 432 pages the book isn’t exactly short, and I can’t help feeling that a shorter edit that focussed much more on Jaq would have been more fun to read.

To be fair, things do pick up later on, with a fairly gripping section set in the ruins of Chernobyl, but by then I’d pretty much lost interest. On paper, an international investigation into chemical weapons sounds like a topical and promising plot. In reality I’m afraid I found it implausible and not at all gripping.

I think there’s a really good book in here somewhere, and I’ll be interested to see what author Fiona Erskine writes next. Unfortunately, ‘The Chemical Detective’ is too long, too slow and too bogged down in unnecessary detail to really thrill.

A good yarn, and interesting focus. As a PhD chemist, I found it really engaging to read about a subject I know well in a context of crime and intrenational business. A strong female protagonist made it even more engaging. She prevailed over a long series of challenges to satisying conclusion. Maybe tighten up some of the editing and make the plot tuend easier to follow. Also buttocks are "taut", not "taught"!

A rip-roaring tale of industrial espionage powered by Jaq Silver, the woman we'd all like to be. My God, she is amazing; a scientist, a linguist, skier, sailor and red-hot lover. Everyone feels safer when she is around and you 'd better believe this woman can save the world! She will take you on a completely gripping tour of Europe's lesser known industrial hot-spots; Slovenia, Crimea, Belarus and yes, Teesside.

Hello, Netflix? You need look no further than this book!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


Tired of all your thrillers starring the same slice of male Wonderbread? Look no further. MC Jacqueline Silver is not your average MC. As a chemical engineer working for a Slovenia science company, Jaq orchestrates controlled explosions around the ski slopes to prevent fatal avalanches. Fiercely independent, confident, intelligent and something if a loner, Jaq is a breath of mountain fresh air that just blows you through the entire book. When a shipment of explosive materials appears to be more than a little dicey, Jaq's enquiring mind and devotion to due dilligence set of a chain of events that will see her on the run and fighting for her life. From Slovenia to Teeside, from Chernobyl to Crimea, The Chemical Detective is a race against time using every bit of Jaq's competence and ingenuity.

It will come as no surprise to anyine who knows me when I say I'm a bit of a science nerd. I love chemistry and this book communicates the utter fascination the subject holds for me but presents it in a way that makes it accessible to all. Erskune somehow walks the invisibly fine line of being clear to the layman but not dumbing the science down for those in her audience in the know. But don't be fooled into thinking this reads like a textbook. It doesn't . There's plenty of action, twists and turns - at times it's incredibly stressful but in the best possible way. I don't say this lightly but it would make a great film. And I don't just mean 'here is a book I would like to see a film adaptation of'. I mean this would translate well to screen IMO. Reading it often felt like watching a film. It's incredibly fast paced without ever losing sense.

Jaq is a great character. Perhaps an unwitting action hero but all other action heroes can go home from here on out. It's great to see a female lead who's this dynamic and physically competent yet still a fully rounded character. James Bond, Jack Reacher and Jason Borne wish they were this cool.

All in all this was an epic read. I'd love to see more of Jaq's adventures in the future. Highly recommended to all thriller fans. I've already recommended to the library service that they buy copies because I can think of a list of my regulars who'll want to read it.