Deadland by William Shaw.

Deadland is the third book in the Kent Police Force series but it can be read as a stand-alone. The central character is DS Alexandra Cupidi but other characters from the first two books return to play their part in Deadland.

Deadland is all about connections, seeing connections between incidents. The plots are very complex and have nothing in common. I loved the way this story was told. On the one hand you had the professional investigative skills of the Kent Police Force. But on the other hand you had the tale from the point of view of two petty criminals who I nicknamed Dumb and Dumber.

I found Deadland a very entertaining read which ticked all the right boxes. Once again I loved the scenes that took place in remote locations and marshland. Great dialogue between the characters and I loved those brief snips of wisdom, like initial interview techniques and seeing in the dark.

I got a great buzz when I got to the end of this story. How things out of nowhere can become connected and how some people can get some things so very, very wrong. This was a great read and gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Deadland was written in 2019 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Salt Lane by William Shaw.

Salt Lane follows on from William’s previous novel The Birdwatcher but this can clearly be read as a stand-alone. Salt Lane continues in the same remote landscapes near Dungeness along the Kent coast. Many characters return from The Birdwatcher to play vital parts in Salt Lane. William’s writing style continues in this new story where bodies are found in very unexpected places. Follow Detective Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi of the Kent Police as she solves these murders and so much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Salt Lane. I found the characters great and very easy to relate to. I loved the rural settings and the descriptions of living in a remote area. I liked how the characters had colourful and very interesting pasts. I liked how William described lifestyles that were outside the public eye, playing in the background yet hidden in plain sight. It was nice to read how some characters had moved on from the peace convoy/new age traveller scene of the 1980’s to a whole range of different lifestyles.

I thought the plot was great and loved all the extra details and attitudes thrown into the story. I liked how Salt Lane was not just a police procedural but also focused on the family life of DS Alexandra Cupidi, her daughter Zoe and her mother Helen. I also liked her relationships with other police officers and the banter they shared between them.

I found Salt Lane to be a great reading experience and a great story to run with, day after day. The pace was good and steady, with no boring bits to wade through. I can find nothing wrong with this book, so it gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Salt Lane was written in 2018 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.