Fall Down Dead by Stephen Booth is part of the successful Cooper & Fry crime thriller series. And in this instalment Kinder Scout mountain is the scene of a tragedy.
A Peak District walking party led by the enigmatic Darius Roth sets out on a dreary day to commemorate The Mass Trespass. However, when thick mist descends the New Trespassers Walking Club become disorientated and start to squabble. With one of the thirteen members injured the group decides to split up and go for help. Hours later when the dishevelled and soaking wet party is reunited they realise one of them is missing. And then a grisly discovery is made at Dead Woman’s Drop.
From the opening line Stephen Booth delivers a fast-paced tale of murder, suspense and intrigue. Added to the main DI Ben Cooper storyline is an internal affairs investigation into his prickly former colleague DC Diane Fry.
As you’d expect from this best-selling author there’s an array of suspects with plenty of twists and turns. And throughout lurks the sinister and moody Kinder Scout mountain. A landscape that continues to claim the lives of unwary walkers.
Overall, Fall Down Dead is a good solid crime thriller. Booth skilfully keeps the reader on their toes as we dive into the lives of the suspects, the victim and the lives of DI Cooper and DS Fry. This is the third Cooper and Fry novel I’ve enjoyed. And for all crime lovers out there, it’s well worth your time.