On Eden Street

Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 2

By: Peter Grainger

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

"He might be a nobody, but he was their nobody and their first case." 

The new Kings Lake Central murder squad is about to spend its first morning on team-building exercises and reviewing cold cases when the call comes in that the body of one of the city's rough sleepers has been found in a shop doorway. It happens, someone says, he isn't the first to die on the streets and he won't be the last, but the story the new team begins to uncover is far from routine.  

New characters appear and new relationships form as the pressure grows on Detective Chief Inspector Cara Freeman to deliver a result and show that Kings Lake's first specialist team is worth the money. Detective Sergeant Christopher Waters discovers links to a previous investigation, learns that there is more than one way to run a successful squad and finds flower arranging more interesting than he would ever have imagined.

©2020 Peter Grainger (P)2020 Tantor

Detective Sargent DC Smith series continued!

ON EDEN STREET is Book 2 in the Kings Lake Investigation Series by British author Peter Grainger but it could just as well be Book 10 in the DC Smith series. There is no better police procedural author than Peter Grainger. At the end of A Private Investigation which was Book 8 in the marvelous DC Smith series Smith retired. The three members of Smith's old squad headed by newly promoted Detective Sargent Christopher Waters are now the Kings Lake Central murder squad. Even the boss Detective Chief Inspector Cara Freeman remains in place. The narrator is still English actor Gildart Jackson. It's almost as though DC Smith did not retire. He also makes an appearance in this novel.

And so the wait begins...

I listened to this title on the day it was released. Having just now finished it, I'm more than a little bit sad that it is likely that there will be a year or two before Book Three of the Kings Lake Investigation Series is avaiable. It's a wonderful series, so far.

On Eden Street is another expertly written crime novel, which is what I've come to expect from Peter Grainger. It's an ensemble piece, of course, but now that Detective Sargeant Waters and the other members of the murder squad have been assembled under the leadership of Chief Detective Investigator Cara Freeman, they are somewhate insulated from the politics of the Lake City Office, and we get to watch them (old members and new ones) do their stuff without the petty interference they've suffered in the past. They, and we, are able to concentrate on the murder at hand, that of a "rough sleeper" in a less fashionable part of town.

I would anticipate that there will be some griping about the very abrupt ending of the book. I was brought up short by it, myself. I guess I'd thought that we'd be moving on into another phase of the investigation, but given a minute to get over the shock, I realized that it was a masterful place to stop. The investigation into the mysteries surrounding the murder was complete. Further investigation into the surrounding crimes would be handled by another branch. Given a moment for reflection, I was more than impressed by Grainger's masterful (and courageous) decision to end this book the way he did.

Narration was stellar, too. Highly recommended.

Loved It!!!

I enjoyed every book in series one. I mourned the loss of DC and his crew. I was thrilled to learn the new series was really the next chapter, including traces of DC now and then. Gildart Jackson is fabulous. He gives each new character a unique voice. Perhaps the negative reviews are a result of the this book setting the scene of a new cast of characters. I enjoyed learning about the new officers, really looking forward to Book 3.

Book stopped half-way.

Good story, I liked the characters and the plot, but for me it is totally unacceptable to stop a story at the halfway mark. For that reason I am returning the book.

Oh Dear (SPOILER ALERT)

I can’t think why you did this, Mr Grainger. As always your excellent prose and crafting of characters, new and old, together with the wonderful delivery of Gildart Jackson, made the story a delightful “read”. Until...
What happened, did you run out of puff?
I find it hard to imagine that you planned this from the moment you picked up your figurative pen.
Are we all really now expected to wait another 12 months?
In a word - disappointed.

What Happened to the Ending?!?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Songbird, so was eager to hear the second. As before, the narrator did a good job, and the story was a good one. The writing was consistent with the quality of the first book... until the abrupt out of nowhere end....I was in open-mouthed shock when the ending was suddenly announced..."we hope that you have enjoyed listening...." WHAT?!? I know that this is a series and the author wants to sell another book, but the issues in this one were not at all successfully resolved. It was left with so many parts of the plot unfinished. It's as though a timer went off and the author put down his pen very prematurely. Ten hours of my life spent listening to a story with no ending... I probably will give up on the series after this disappointment.

The book just stops without wrapping up the story

Like some others have said I was shocked when the book ended abruptly. None of the others in the DC Smith series of the first of this new one did that. Very bizarre and disappointing.

Question: Does a Murder Squad = DS Smith?

Answer: Maybe.

Det. Sgt. Smith (DS) has retired and a Murder Squad is formed with three of Smith's protégées, DS Chris Waters, Det. Constable Serena Butler, Det. Constable John Murray and five others handling all murders in the country. Eight of the best of the best. (At least with Smith retired, they are.) Their first day they are handed a tricky murder and follow the clues in a by-the-book fashion. When they stop following the book -- Catastrophe !!??? and DS Waters has his worst day ever. No spoilers, but what happens next is the whole point.

The question for the reader familiar with the DS Smith mysteries is whether this ensemble of characters (the Murder Squad) can equal the instincts, subtlety, humor, and cheer of the old master, DS Smith who has recently recovered from catastrophic injuries. (See the last book.) And the question even Det. Chief Inspector Freeman asks at one point is, "What would Smith do?"

But how can they match the old rascal? They stumble along, with a couple of walk-on assists from Smith. They develop their skills and characters and the reader continues to like them. But. There is something missing without the old dog that is made more poignant when he steps in briefly to tidy something up.

A good police procedural. An interesting plot. Characters who promise more to come in future stories. Well worth reading. But. Let the old dog teach the young-uns some more new tricks.

Not his best

I waited so long for this new book but there is no story. What a disappointment

Sleepy time

Somehow I found this story very wordy and the narration so hushed that I had a very hard time paying attention to it.

Every bit as good as the rest of the series

And by series I mean Kings Lake and the D C Smith books. This is a superb series, well written and read - with a great cast of characters who I for one have got extremely fond of. Just looking forward to the next instalment.

Really enjoying this series

I am really enjoying the follow on to the DC Smith series Chris Waters is turning in to a Smith with his humour and I like this the story line is great and I love all the characters, my only slight disappointment is there wasn't much from Smith in this book and please Peter don't spoil the love story. I am looking forward to the next book and as for the narrator he is very good and for me its Smith narrating the book just wouldn't be the same with another narrator so please carry on Gildart

Just outstanding

Narration superb. Characters superb. Story superb. Whole series even better. Can’t wait for the next one

Peter Grainger’s winning series!

Detective Sergeant DC Smith has exited the series (almost?) but his team survives to fight crime in King’s Lake Central. All the books in the series from the first ( with DCSmith) to the last (Eden Street) are a great success! I have loved them all - fast paced, thoughtful, great plots and characters. I highly recommend them to all crime fiction fans and can’t wait for the next one!

A most enjoyable listen

Still missing Smith
Peter's books are exceedingly well written and a joy to listen to the narration is also excellent awaiting the next one

On Eden Street

Brilliant book!! Can't wait for the 3rd one in the series. Please let it be soon. Can't wait for the next one!!!😊😊