A Body in the Lakes

By: Graham Smith

Narrated by: Madeleine Gould

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

The woman’s limbs were so thin; the skin on her arms as translucent as tracing paper. Around her neck lay a faint string of purple bruises. In one so frail, darker, angrier marks might be expected, but Beth knew the bruising would have stopped the moment her heart stopped beating.

When a walker finds the body of a woman by the shores of Lake Ullswater, the police are put on high alert. Felicia Evans was known to be a tough character, but who would have strangled her?

Detective Beth Young quickly spots the links to three cold cases. Three women strangled and discarded in the stunning, wild hills of the Lake District.

As Beth begins tracking down witnesses, the team receives an anonymous letter claiming the charming mayor of Carlisle is behind the murders. There’s pressure from the top to clear his name. But Beth is determined to find the truth no matter whose feathers she ruffles in the process.

Beth knows the clock is ticking. The killer is hunting again. And it’s down to her to find who’s responsible before another woman becomes his prey....

A gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller from best-selling author Graham Smith, perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, LJ Ross, and J.R. Ellis. 

©2019 Graham Smith (P)2019 Bookouture

Just ok

The storyline itself isn’t bad. But there are too many musings, too much angst in the main character, too much explaining of the obvious. It doesn’t flow.

My first and last DC Beth Young book

The story might have been okay, if the central character hadn't been such a twit. Everyone kept referring to her fine mind but I didn't see it at work. The DC had far more involvement and recognition than any Detective Constable would have. Then she leapt to totally wrong conclusions, made life miserable for her suspects, and moved on when it became apparent she was wrong - again. Several people touted her "linear thinking," which was nowhere in evidence. She relied almost totally on her (poor) intuition. I don't think Beth will make it to DS.

Not the best thriller I've read

Having read thousands of British crime novels and watched many films and TV dramas, I found it incredible that the heroine, Beth, was a detective always working alone - never had a partner to watch her back, to run ideas off or to give general support. This spoiled the book for me and I never got to the end. I also didn't like the way one of the main characters was always referred to as 'The Mayor' instead of by his name - when, very infrequently, he was referred to by name, you wondered who the character was. Also, the narrator had a really annoying habit of referring to him as 'The Mayer' instead of the normal pronunciation of 'The Mare' - it really grated after a while. Can't comment on the 'Heart-stopping Twist' - because I gave up before the end.

excellent story

very enjoyable for my first book on audible....I would recommend this book.....will download next in series

Excellent read

Wow fast paced & twists & turns throughout. Excellent narrator. Highly recommended. Really enjoyed it.

A body in the lakes

I enjoyed this book wanted to listen to the whole book in one go. Narrator was good

Awful. Clichéd, repetitive & full of stereotypes.

One of the worst books I've listened to. The narration was poor but the story was utterly riduculous, full of dreadful dialogue and appallingly drawn characters. I have no idea how the other reviewers have given it 4 or 5 stars...either they haven't read any other books or they have very low expectations. I persevered with it as I'm local to the area it was set in otherwise I would have binned it very early on. I'm astonished any editor didn't reduce it by a third as it repeated itself so much.... Altho I would have reduced it to nothing. Dreadful.