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David Hunter #1
The Chemistry of Death
Three years ago, David Hunter moved to rural Norfolk to escape his life in London, his gritty work in forensics, and a tragedy that nearly destroyed him. Working as a simple country doctor, seeing his lost wife and daughter only in his dreams, David struggles to remain uninvolved when the corpse of a woman is found in the woods, a macabre sign from her killer decorating her body. In one horrifying instant, the quiet summer countryside that had been David’s refuge has turned malevolent—and suddenly there is no place to hide.
The village of Manham is tight-knit, far from the beaten path. As a newcomer, Dr. Hunter is immediately a suspect. Once an expert in analyzing human remains, he reluctantly joins the police investigation—and when another woman disappears, it soon becomes personal. Because this time she is someone David knows, someone who has managed to penetrate the icy barrier around his heart. With a killer’s bizarre and twisted methods screaming out to him, with a brooding countryside beset with suspicion, David can feel the darkness gathering around him. For as the clock ticks down on a young woman’s life, David must follow a macabre trail of clues—all the way to its final, horrifying conclusion.
The village of Manham is tight-knit, far from the beaten path. As a newcomer, Dr. Hunter is immediately a suspect. Once an expert in analyzing human remains, he reluctantly joins the police investigation—and when another woman disappears, it soon becomes personal. Because this time she is someone David knows, someone who has managed to penetrate the icy barrier around his heart. With a killer’s bizarre and twisted methods screaming out to him, with a brooding countryside beset with suspicion, David can feel the darkness gathering around him. For as the clock ticks down on a young woman’s life, David must follow a macabre trail of clues—all the way to its final, horrifying conclusion.
313 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2006
About the author
Simon Beckett
32 books1,948 followersAfter an MA in English, Simon Beckett spent several years as a property repairer before a stint teaching in Spain. Back in the UK, he played percussion in several bands. He has been a freelance journalist since 1992, writing for The Times, The Independent on Sunday Review, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer and other major British publications. In 2002, as part of an article on the National Forensic Academy, he visited the Body Farm in Tennessee. This last commission was the inspiration behind the internationally bestselling The Chemistry of Death, which was shortlisted for the CWA's Duncan Lawrie Dagger and has been translated into 21 languages. Simon Beckett is married and lives in Sheffield. The author of six novels, his second David Hunter thriller, Written in Bone, is published as a Bantam paperback in April 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,005 reviews
November 8, 2017
4,5 Sterne
Ein wirklich guter Thriller! Ich muss ja schon wirklich Lust auf einen Thriller haben und selbst dann ist das bei mir immer so ne Sache, aber Simon Beckett konnte mich hier total mit seinem Protagonisten David Hunter und einer durchweg spannenden Story überzeugen. Ich wusste wirklich bis zuletzt nicht wer der Mörder ist und habe während dem lesen auch zigtausendmal meine Theorie geändert. Auch mit den Plottwists am Ende hatte ich nicht mehr gerechnet, da wurde noch das ein oder andere mal die Fahrtrichtung geändert. Auch lobend erwähnen will ich noch kurz Becketts Schreibstil: der gefiel mir wahnsinnig gut, die Art wie er also beschreibt ohne zu viele unnütze Details zu beschreiben, einfach klasse und total atmosphärisch! Auch gut: es wurden am Ende alle Indizien/Handlungen logisch zusammengeführt und das Ende leitet wie bei einer Folge einer Serie in die nächste über, wenn ihr versteht was ich damit meine 🙈😅
Ein wirklich guter Thriller! Ich muss ja schon wirklich Lust auf einen Thriller haben und selbst dann ist das bei mir immer so ne Sache, aber Simon Beckett konnte mich hier total mit seinem Protagonisten David Hunter und einer durchweg spannenden Story überzeugen. Ich wusste wirklich bis zuletzt nicht wer der Mörder ist und habe während dem lesen auch zigtausendmal meine Theorie geändert. Auch mit den Plottwists am Ende hatte ich nicht mehr gerechnet, da wurde noch das ein oder andere mal die Fahrtrichtung geändert. Auch lobend erwähnen will ich noch kurz Becketts Schreibstil: der gefiel mir wahnsinnig gut, die Art wie er also beschreibt ohne zu viele unnütze Details zu beschreiben, einfach klasse und total atmosphärisch! Auch gut: es wurden am Ende alle Indizien/Handlungen logisch zusammengeführt und das Ende leitet wie bei einer Folge einer Serie in die nächste über, wenn ihr versteht was ich damit meine 🙈😅
September 14, 2016
This book kept me guessing until the very end, it was simply amazing!
I instantly fell in love with the main character, he was charismatic and realistic the whole way through.
All the side characters were lovable in their own ways, too. Every one of them had a purpose and added to the story.
The writing style was extremely easy and relaxing to read.
It was very suspenseful without being over the top.
One of my new favorites and a definite recommendation!
I instantly fell in love with the main character, he was charismatic and realistic the whole way through.
All the side characters were lovable in their own ways, too. Every one of them had a purpose and added to the story.
The writing style was extremely easy and relaxing to read.
It was very suspenseful without being over the top.
One of my new favorites and a definite recommendation!
Read
February 15, 2021
Today I found my limit. Please don't laugh. DNF because of maggots.
(I really wanted to add a maggot gif, but then I thought : googling that shit? Fuck no. Cats are safer)
See, I have a problem with maggots - and every fucking thing hovering around a dead body - I won't jump crying if I see one, but plural? I can't deal with this shit. Flies, larvae, chrysalis. Welcome to my nightmare.
No matter how good and compelling the writing is.
No matter how daunting and oppressive the atmosphere is.
None of these exceptional qualities matter.
Because maggots and flies. I. Can't. Deal. With. These. Descriptions.
"The larvae here are mainly blowfly. Bluebottles and greenbottles. With the open wounds on the body we can expect insects to have been attracted straight away. They'll have started laying eggs within an hour if it was daylight.'
I poked about in the soil and picked up an unmoving maggot. I held it out on my palm. "This is about to pupate. The older they are the darker they get. By the look of this I'd say it was seven or eight days old. I can't see any husk fragments lying about, which mean no pupae have hatched yet."
Apparently I'm okay (in love, I'd say) with serial killers and other dark shit but there's where I draw the line. Now, if you don't mind that kind of descriptions, I'm sure you'll find an incredible book here. Just not for me. Undoubtedly.
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April 24, 2010
Given the unadulterated dreck that's so often foisted on fans of thriller/detective/murder mysteries - especially in the case of POD and self-published novels whose authors often have barely enough talent to write a check - *The Chemistry of Death* has one very important thing going for it: Beckett actually understands how to craft a decent English sentence. Unfortunately, two faults bog it down and keep it from being a star in the genre. First, no one has ever taught Beckett to murder his darlings, and no editor, whose job it would have been to have done so, evidently stepped in to fill the gap. That means that overwritten and purple passages crop up when you least expect them and are even more jarring because the rest of the writing is so clean. He's already got his hero copying Scarpetta's least proud moments with comments about how his job is to "make the dead tell their stories." Been there, slept through it. There's also the heavy-handed (heavy like a-teaspoonful-of-Pluto's-soil-weighs-a-squllion-tons-on-earth heavy) device of the protagonist's dreams, which are trite and soap-operaish and could have been cut without the slightest damage to the novel. Basically, dreams are a cheap, amateurish trick for revealing motivation or character; they can only mean one thing (exactly what the author tells you they mean) and, as such, they're a "cheat." If you want me to know something about the character, show it to me; don't make me sit through scenes in which the protagonist wakes up in a cold sweat trying to remember what's real and what's a dream and ... barf. In addition, *The Chemistry of Death* contains way (way) too many moments that remind one of another century's penny dreadfuls (the following are my inventions: "If I had only known what lay waiting for me in the garden, I would never have agreed to water Postman Abercrombie's prize-winning squash while he was away on holiday"; "As I watched the embers dying in the hearth, I could not have predicted that the next twenty-four hours would change the course of my life forever." That sort of thing. Ick. There's foreshadowing and then there's beating the reader over the head with the inkstand. Second, the "reveal" of this serial-killer mystery is such a hack job that it rather spoils what had been a great story up until then. It's literally one of those denouements in which, just as the hero finally confronts the killer in a life-or-death moment, the two of them stop and chat for 15 pages while the bad guy tediously explains why he did what he did and what everything meant and how he kept his crimes hidden and blah blah blah, revealing (in this case) a psychological motivation so superficial that you can feel Beckett grasping at straws to find an explanation that's halfway credible. And not quite getting there. That's a major problem: Beckett's the writer, he gets to choose which character to turn into a killer, and it's his job to make the reader believe it. Obviously, in every similar novel there's necessarily a moment in which the writer tells the reader whodunit, but Beckett wrote this ending with a rake. It's a shame, too, because the pacing of the book, which is rather leisurely at times, is betrayed by this paint-by-numbers ending. All in all, a good effort and an enjoyable read with several irritating flaws.
June 28, 2024
Дуже-дуже добре! 4.5 ⭐️ В стилі серіалів, які я обожнювала дивитися років 10 тому 😍 якби не челендж, в якому зараз приймаю участь, взялася б за наступну частину! П.С. Книжка для тих, кого не лякають детальні описи фізіологічних процесів, що стаються після смерті людини.
December 11, 2020
Novela finalista del Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award y primera de la saga protagonizada por el antropólogo forense David Hunter.
Manham es un pueblo aislado, cuya gente cerrada y desconfiada es incapaz de aceptar a un forastero, por mucho tiempo que lleve viviendo entre ellos. Nuestro protagonista, a pesar de su reticencia, deberá enfrentarse a un experto asesino al que sólo otro experto podrá ayudar a detener.
Una novela negra con un desarrollo un poco lento, pero con buenos giros y un final inesperado, que hacen que este libro sea un buen comienzo para la serie.
Manham es un pueblo aislado, cuya gente cerrada y desconfiada es incapaz de aceptar a un forastero, por mucho tiempo que lleve viviendo entre ellos. Nuestro protagonista, a pesar de su reticencia, deberá enfrentarse a un experto asesino al que sólo otro experto podrá ayudar a detener.
Una novela negra con un desarrollo un poco lento, pero con buenos giros y un final inesperado, que hacen que este libro sea un buen comienzo para la serie.
July 29, 2018
David Hunter verlässt London nach einem schlimmen Schicksalsschlag, um in einem kleinen englischen Dorf als Arzt zu arbeiten. Eigentlich ist er forensischer Anthropologe. Als eine Leiche entdeckt wird und die Todesumstände geklärt werden müssen, gerät David Hunter wieder hinein in seinen früheren Beruf. Immer weiter wird er in den Fall hineingezogen...
Mein Leseeindruck:
Von Simon Beckett habe ich bisher eigentlich nur Gutes gehört, daher wurde es nun endlich einmal Zeit, ein Buch von ihm zu lesen! "Die Chemie des Todes" hat mich begeistert! Genau so müssen gute Thriller für mich sein!
Von der ersten Seite an hatte mich die Geschichte gefesselt. Die Spannung ist eigentlich sofort da und wird aber mit jeder Seite noch gesteigert. Ich habe das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen können.
Auch hat es Wendungen in der Geschichte gegeben, die mich überraschen konnten. Ich habe mitraten und rätseln können und musste meine Ideen immer wieder überdenken. Genau das mag ich an Thrillern und Krimis besonders gerne!
Ich freue mich, dass ich mit Simon Beckett einen neuen Autor für mich entdecken konnte, von dem ich hoffentlich noch sehr vieles lesen werde!
Mein Leseeindruck:
Von Simon Beckett habe ich bisher eigentlich nur Gutes gehört, daher wurde es nun endlich einmal Zeit, ein Buch von ihm zu lesen! "Die Chemie des Todes" hat mich begeistert! Genau so müssen gute Thriller für mich sein!
Von der ersten Seite an hatte mich die Geschichte gefesselt. Die Spannung ist eigentlich sofort da und wird aber mit jeder Seite noch gesteigert. Ich habe das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen können.
Auch hat es Wendungen in der Geschichte gegeben, die mich überraschen konnten. Ich habe mitraten und rätseln können und musste meine Ideen immer wieder überdenken. Genau das mag ich an Thrillern und Krimis besonders gerne!
Ich freue mich, dass ich mit Simon Beckett einen neuen Autor für mich entdecken konnte, von dem ich hoffentlich noch sehr vieles lesen werde!
March 7, 2017
Okay Simon Beckett, you win. I just adored this book!
The setting, the characters all brought it to a grand conclusion. Will read more from this author.
The setting, the characters all brought it to a grand conclusion. Will read more from this author.
November 3, 2024
Чудесна кримка, която с удоволствие препрочетох.
Саймън Бекет ни дава интересни факти от работата на патолозите-антрополози и ми беше любопитно да науча, какво и как се случва с човешки труп оставен в природата.
Криминалната интрига е на висота, не е ясно до самия край какво ще стане и напрежението расте.
Ценителите на жанра няма да искат да пропуснат цялата серия за Дейвид Хънтър!!!
Саймън Бекет ни дава интересни факти от работата на патолозите-антрополози и ми беше любопитно да науча, какво и как се случва с човешки труп оставен в природата.
Криминалната интрига е на висота, не е ясно до самия край какво ще стане и напрежението расте.
Ценителите на жанра няма да искат да пропуснат цялата серия за Дейвид Хънтър!!!
February 17, 2023
3.25 Stars — "The Chemistry of Death" by Simon Beckett is indeed an intensely gripping crime thriller that delves into the world of forensic science & the subsequent investigation of a series of murders in a rural English village (Manham). Beckett does a great job painting a picture of this quiet, delicate town and it’s surrounding forestry in a manner that helps the town become a character in-and-of-itself.
The novel features Dr. David Hunter, a former forensic pathologist who has retreated from the profession after a traumatic event. He returns to his former profession in order to assist in the investigation of a set of gruesome killings.
One of the strengths of this book is its accurate portrayal of the scientific aspects of forensic pathology. Beckett has done an excellent job of researching the subject matter and presents it in a manner that is accessible to readers without compromising its scientific accuracy. The chemistry of the decomposition of the human body, as well as the use of forensic tools such as DNA analysis and chromatography, are all explained in detail.
In addition to the scientific aspects, Beckett also develops a complex and suspenseful plot. The novel is well-paced, with a gradual build-up of tension that keeps the reader engaged throughout. The author also successfully builds the character of Dr. Hunter, making him a flawed but relatable protagonist with a tragic backstory.
Beckett writes with succinct, thoughtful prose and the suspense is gripping, the novel does however have some subtle and also not so subtle opportunities. Some of the plot twists do feel somewhat predictable, and the writing somewhat formulaic at times, that’s the subtle! The not-so is in regards to the portrayal of the female characters, which is — I’d say — somewhat problematic, as they are often portrayed in a stereotypical and objectified manner.
Overall, "The Chemistry of Death" is an engaging and well-written crime novel that will appeal to fans of the genre, particularly those interested in the scientific aspects of forensic pathology. While it may not be without flaws, the novel is a strong debut for Beckett and a promising start to the David Hunter series.
This isn’t one for the faint of heart. The chemistry of death contains quite the catalogue of.. well, death chemistry, ergo — maggots and gasses and all the yummy decomposition breakdown that comes for an dove into forensic pathology.
This is a good book, but like 99.97% of all Literature, it’s just not a perfect one.
The novel features Dr. David Hunter, a former forensic pathologist who has retreated from the profession after a traumatic event. He returns to his former profession in order to assist in the investigation of a set of gruesome killings.
One of the strengths of this book is its accurate portrayal of the scientific aspects of forensic pathology. Beckett has done an excellent job of researching the subject matter and presents it in a manner that is accessible to readers without compromising its scientific accuracy. The chemistry of the decomposition of the human body, as well as the use of forensic tools such as DNA analysis and chromatography, are all explained in detail.
In addition to the scientific aspects, Beckett also develops a complex and suspenseful plot. The novel is well-paced, with a gradual build-up of tension that keeps the reader engaged throughout. The author also successfully builds the character of Dr. Hunter, making him a flawed but relatable protagonist with a tragic backstory.
Beckett writes with succinct, thoughtful prose and the suspense is gripping, the novel does however have some subtle and also not so subtle opportunities. Some of the plot twists do feel somewhat predictable, and the writing somewhat formulaic at times, that’s the subtle! The not-so is in regards to the portrayal of the female characters, which is — I’d say — somewhat problematic, as they are often portrayed in a stereotypical and objectified manner.
Overall, "The Chemistry of Death" is an engaging and well-written crime novel that will appeal to fans of the genre, particularly those interested in the scientific aspects of forensic pathology. While it may not be without flaws, the novel is a strong debut for Beckett and a promising start to the David Hunter series.
This isn’t one for the faint of heart. The chemistry of death contains quite the catalogue of.. well, death chemistry, ergo — maggots and gasses and all the yummy decomposition breakdown that comes for an dove into forensic pathology.
This is a good book, but like 99.97% of all Literature, it’s just not a perfect one.
October 10, 2023
A solid, enjoyable forensic procedural
Seeking to escape sad memories of his life in London, Dr David Hunter joins a small practice in Manham, a village in Norfolk. The owner of the practice, Dr Henry Maitland, is the survivor of a car accident in which his wife was killed. Confined to a wheelchair, Maitland hopes that Hunter will relieve him of a considerable portion of the burden and stress of running a small one-man rural general medical practice.
Three years later, just as life for both men seems to be settling into a comfortable routine, the corpse of a woman identified as Sally Palmer, a local writer, is found by two young children playing in the woods.
Having discovered that David had considerable experience as a forensic anthropologist from his prior work in London, the local constabulary ask for his help in the investigation of the case. When a second woman is abducted, the village, in the age old fashion of a parochial close-knit small town community, look at David as a newcomer and place him high on the list of possible suspects.
It would be wrong to categorize THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH as a serial killer suspense thriller but it certainly isn't a small town British cozy mystery either. Author Simon Beckett cashes in on his real life anthropological experience working with Bill Bass of Tennessee's world famous Body Farm and writes a solid forensic procedural with plenty of interesting scientific details on such minutiae as the rate of decay of human bodies under a variety of conditions and the use of insect populations as part of a model to determine reasonably accurate estimates of the time of death. In short, THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH is an entirely realistic police investigation with plenty of scientific material to chew on that is very nicely balanced with the bloody bits and the actual action. The whole story ends suitably and quite satisfactorily with an unforeseen twist worthy of any of the more typical thrillers out in the market today.
Given Beckett's relationship to anthropologist Bill Bass, it will come as no surprise to discover that the scientific components of THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH bear a very strong resemblance to those in Jefferson Bass's BODY FARM novels.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Seeking to escape sad memories of his life in London, Dr David Hunter joins a small practice in Manham, a village in Norfolk. The owner of the practice, Dr Henry Maitland, is the survivor of a car accident in which his wife was killed. Confined to a wheelchair, Maitland hopes that Hunter will relieve him of a considerable portion of the burden and stress of running a small one-man rural general medical practice.
Three years later, just as life for both men seems to be settling into a comfortable routine, the corpse of a woman identified as Sally Palmer, a local writer, is found by two young children playing in the woods.
Having discovered that David had considerable experience as a forensic anthropologist from his prior work in London, the local constabulary ask for his help in the investigation of the case. When a second woman is abducted, the village, in the age old fashion of a parochial close-knit small town community, look at David as a newcomer and place him high on the list of possible suspects.
It would be wrong to categorize THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH as a serial killer suspense thriller but it certainly isn't a small town British cozy mystery either. Author Simon Beckett cashes in on his real life anthropological experience working with Bill Bass of Tennessee's world famous Body Farm and writes a solid forensic procedural with plenty of interesting scientific details on such minutiae as the rate of decay of human bodies under a variety of conditions and the use of insect populations as part of a model to determine reasonably accurate estimates of the time of death. In short, THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH is an entirely realistic police investigation with plenty of scientific material to chew on that is very nicely balanced with the bloody bits and the actual action. The whole story ends suitably and quite satisfactorily with an unforeseen twist worthy of any of the more typical thrillers out in the market today.
Given Beckett's relationship to anthropologist Bill Bass, it will come as no surprise to discover that the scientific components of THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH bear a very strong resemblance to those in Jefferson Bass's BODY FARM novels.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
April 7, 2022
4/5
Aš jau rašiau, kad su detektyvais kadenciją baigiau, bet kai tiek plepi, jau esi įpratęs prisipažint, kai klysti. Tai vat tą darau ir šį kartą, kai labai atsargiai paėmiau skaitytojų labai pamėgtą ir deficitu tapusį reikalą. Visada smalsu patikrinti iš kur kyla didelė meilė bet, jei atvirai, maniau, bus kaip koks Carteris. Nebuvo visais aspektais, kurie man pastarajame nepatiko. Beckettas rašo gražiai, literatūriškai, knyga išversta kokybiškai, siužetas, nors ir gana klasikinis, įtraukia, o pagrindinis veikėjas iš tiesų daugiau dirba kartu su policija, nei kad vykdo asmenines vendettas, kas mane dažniausiai erzina naujuose detektyvuose. Šis Hanteris (aha, žinau) nedurnas, per daug negeria ir šiaip netrunka ilgai, kol imi dėl jo likimo rūpintis. Aplink vyksta gana klasikiniam detektyvui būdingi reikalai, o kuriama aplinka man šiek tiek priminė Hanibalo serialo kinematografiją. Yra šlykštumų, yra nemalonių detalių, bet jos neperspaudžiamos, akcentai sudėti ten, kur reikia. Man nekliuvo.
Nors žudiką atspėjau maždaug knygai įpusėjus, buvo posūkių, kurie vis tiek nustebino. O ir galiausiai skaityti buvo tiesiog įdomu. Puslapiai vertėsi greitai ir nors mano skoniui galėjo kokie -50 psl ir nubyrėti, esantys 370 neprailgo. Ar skaitysiu kitas dalis? Įtariu, kad tikrai pamėginsiu – man patiko ir autoriaus temos išmanymas, ir Hanterio darbo smulkmeniškumas, ir tikrai detektyvams nebūdinga graži kalba, teksto nestatant vien ant dialogų ir įsigilinant į pagrindinio veikėjo psichologiją. Sakyčiau, kad iš šiemet skaitytų detektyvų – geriausias, drąsiai stojantis šalia kokio Ahnhemo.
Aš jau rašiau, kad su detektyvais kadenciją baigiau, bet kai tiek plepi, jau esi įpratęs prisipažint, kai klysti. Tai vat tą darau ir šį kartą, kai labai atsargiai paėmiau skaitytojų labai pamėgtą ir deficitu tapusį reikalą. Visada smalsu patikrinti iš kur kyla didelė meilė bet, jei atvirai, maniau, bus kaip koks Carteris. Nebuvo visais aspektais, kurie man pastarajame nepatiko. Beckettas rašo gražiai, literatūriškai, knyga išversta kokybiškai, siužetas, nors ir gana klasikinis, įtraukia, o pagrindinis veikėjas iš tiesų daugiau dirba kartu su policija, nei kad vykdo asmenines vendettas, kas mane dažniausiai erzina naujuose detektyvuose. Šis Hanteris (aha, žinau) nedurnas, per daug negeria ir šiaip netrunka ilgai, kol imi dėl jo likimo rūpintis. Aplink vyksta gana klasikiniam detektyvui būdingi reikalai, o kuriama aplinka man šiek tiek priminė Hanibalo serialo kinematografiją. Yra šlykštumų, yra nemalonių detalių, bet jos neperspaudžiamos, akcentai sudėti ten, kur reikia. Man nekliuvo.
Nors žudiką atspėjau maždaug knygai įpusėjus, buvo posūkių, kurie vis tiek nustebino. O ir galiausiai skaityti buvo tiesiog įdomu. Puslapiai vertėsi greitai ir nors mano skoniui galėjo kokie -50 psl ir nubyrėti, esantys 370 neprailgo. Ar skaitysiu kitas dalis? Įtariu, kad tikrai pamėginsiu – man patiko ir autoriaus temos išmanymas, ir Hanterio darbo smulkmeniškumas, ir tikrai detektyvams nebūdinga graži kalba, teksto nestatant vien ant dialogų ir įsigilinant į pagrindinio veikėjo psichologiją. Sakyčiau, kad iš šiemet skaitytų detektyvų – geriausias, drąsiai stojantis šalia kokio Ahnhemo.
August 11, 2014
Rating: 4.5 stars
This book grabbed me from the first page and never released its hold. Full of suspense, forensics and macabre rituals, it kept me guessing right till the end - I actually gasped at the reveal! It’s gory in places, shocking too, but it’s also warm (if that’s not too bizarre), intelligent and user-friendly - a thriller that makes you think and feel, rather than a straight forward chilling frenzy.
This is the first in a series, and I hope the next book Written in Bone is as compelling as this one.
This book grabbed me from the first page and never released its hold. Full of suspense, forensics and macabre rituals, it kept me guessing right till the end - I actually gasped at the reveal! It’s gory in places, shocking too, but it’s also warm (if that’s not too bizarre), intelligent and user-friendly - a thriller that makes you think and feel, rather than a straight forward chilling frenzy.
This is the first in a series, and I hope the next book Written in Bone is as compelling as this one.
October 9, 2023
Коли знаходжу такі детективні історії, я кажу собі: «Нарешті!»
June 17, 2023
Hacía tiempo que no leía nada de antropólogos forenses, creo desde que leí algo de Scarpetta.
Ha sido muy instructivo al explicar alguna cosa relacionada con esta ciencia.
Le ha faltado al libro algo de ritmo, es mi parecer. El protagonista muy cercano y real, me ha gustado.
El final ya ha sido otra cosa, para mi muy peliculero. Eso si, aunque adiviné algo de quien era el culpable, me lleve también una gran sorpresa de quien fue.
Creo que sí seguiré con la serie.
SINOPSIS: La muerte deja siempre pistas y David Hunter, antropólogo forense, era el mejor en descubrirlas. Nadie como él era capaz de arrancar a los cadáveres sus secretos, en encontrar las claves que nadie más podía ver. Hasta que la tragedia golpeó su vida y le empujó a olvidarse de todo y buscar refugio en una pequeña comunidad rural. Pero el crimen no piensa dejarle tranquilo: cuando se desate el infierno en el pueblo, solo él podrá enfrentarse al asesino.
«El cuerpo humano empieza a descomponerse cuatro minutos después de la muerte. Lo que hasta entonces era recipiente de vida atraviesa su última metamorfosis fagocitándose a sí mismo. Las células se disuelven. El tejido se vuelve líquido y después gas. Inanimado, el cuerpo se convierte en inmóvil festín para otros organismos. Primero las bacterias, después los insectos.».
Valoración: 7/10
Ha sido muy instructivo al explicar alguna cosa relacionada con esta ciencia.
Le ha faltado al libro algo de ritmo, es mi parecer. El protagonista muy cercano y real, me ha gustado.
El final ya ha sido otra cosa, para mi muy peliculero. Eso si, aunque adiviné algo de quien era el culpable, me lleve también una gran sorpresa de quien fue.
Creo que sí seguiré con la serie.
SINOPSIS: La muerte deja siempre pistas y David Hunter, antropólogo forense, era el mejor en descubrirlas. Nadie como él era capaz de arrancar a los cadáveres sus secretos, en encontrar las claves que nadie más podía ver. Hasta que la tragedia golpeó su vida y le empujó a olvidarse de todo y buscar refugio en una pequeña comunidad rural. Pero el crimen no piensa dejarle tranquilo: cuando se desate el infierno en el pueblo, solo él podrá enfrentarse al asesino.
«El cuerpo humano empieza a descomponerse cuatro minutos después de la muerte. Lo que hasta entonces era recipiente de vida atraviesa su última metamorfosis fagocitándose a sí mismo. Las células se disuelven. El tejido se vuelve líquido y después gas. Inanimado, el cuerpo se convierte en inmóvil festín para otros organismos. Primero las bacterias, después los insectos.».
Valoración: 7/10
August 6, 2019
Three years ago Dr. David Hunter left London leaving behind the city, his job as a forensic pathologist, and the tragedy of losing his wife and daughter in a fatal car accident. Now he works alongside his partner Dr. Henry Maitland as a local GP in the rural village of Manham, Norfolk, his life is simple and quiet.
Then on a scorchingly hot summer in July 11 year old Niel and his younger brother Sam, age 8, were headed to the local pond to for some relief from the searing sun and heat when they came across a dead body in the woods. David is called out to visit the Yates home shortly after as the boys, Sam in particular is badly shaken by the discovery.
Local chief inspector Mackenzie asks David for help in determing time of death. David puts him off, wanting nothing to do with the case but Mackenzie wasn't done trying to persuade David into helping.
'"You won't change your mind?"
I've told you as much as I can."
"You could tell us more if you wanted to."
Feeling angry by the way he was trying to manipulate me I told him I'd done what he had asked.
Detective Mackenzie seemed to be weighing something up as he squinted into the sun.
"The Situation's changed." He said reaching a decision. "Somebody else has gone missing. You might know her."
With that he turned and walked away his shadow chasing him across the grass like a black dog at his heels.'
With that, David finds he has no choice to help, finding himself caught up in the investigation alongside Mackenzie hoping his past forensic knowledge can prevent the loss of another innocent life.
But getting involved in the case also catches him between the police and the villagers as even after three years, Dr. David Hunter is still considered an outsider which makes him a suspect in the murder in the eyes of the village locals.
The case takes on a nightmarish quality when they discover that the killer is leaving gruesome and macabre clues surrounding the murder and the missing woman and Chief Mackenzie and Dr. David Hunter are in a race against time to put the pieces together before the killer completes his next shocking murder.
The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett is a chilling and edgy thriller with true crime forensic pathology at it's best. I loved all the detailed characters and the descriptive writing leaves nothing to the imagination. There's no time for a breather as the pages fly by at a frienzed pace. If time had permitted I would have read this in one sitting! This is the first of the David Hunter series and it came out of the gate at a full gallop! I can't wait to read the next book in this exciting series, Written in Bone.
If you like the Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass you'll definitely love this series!
Highly recommended!
Then on a scorchingly hot summer in July 11 year old Niel and his younger brother Sam, age 8, were headed to the local pond to for some relief from the searing sun and heat when they came across a dead body in the woods. David is called out to visit the Yates home shortly after as the boys, Sam in particular is badly shaken by the discovery.
Local chief inspector Mackenzie asks David for help in determing time of death. David puts him off, wanting nothing to do with the case but Mackenzie wasn't done trying to persuade David into helping.
'"You won't change your mind?"
I've told you as much as I can."
"You could tell us more if you wanted to."
Feeling angry by the way he was trying to manipulate me I told him I'd done what he had asked.
Detective Mackenzie seemed to be weighing something up as he squinted into the sun.
"The Situation's changed." He said reaching a decision. "Somebody else has gone missing. You might know her."
With that he turned and walked away his shadow chasing him across the grass like a black dog at his heels.'
With that, David finds he has no choice to help, finding himself caught up in the investigation alongside Mackenzie hoping his past forensic knowledge can prevent the loss of another innocent life.
But getting involved in the case also catches him between the police and the villagers as even after three years, Dr. David Hunter is still considered an outsider which makes him a suspect in the murder in the eyes of the village locals.
The case takes on a nightmarish quality when they discover that the killer is leaving gruesome and macabre clues surrounding the murder and the missing woman and Chief Mackenzie and Dr. David Hunter are in a race against time to put the pieces together before the killer completes his next shocking murder.
The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett is a chilling and edgy thriller with true crime forensic pathology at it's best. I loved all the detailed characters and the descriptive writing leaves nothing to the imagination. There's no time for a breather as the pages fly by at a frienzed pace. If time had permitted I would have read this in one sitting! This is the first of the David Hunter series and it came out of the gate at a full gallop! I can't wait to read the next book in this exciting series, Written in Bone.
If you like the Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass you'll definitely love this series!
Highly recommended!
April 15, 2024
5⭐️
Якщо ви втомились від ефбеерівських детективних трилерів з купою нанотехнологій то вам до Саймона. Атмосфера Агати на мінімалках, але тут вже є компи, мобільні, і більші можливості для аналізу медданих. Динамічно, і навіть фінал до якого нема питань. Дві наступні книги уже чекають.
Рекомендую.
Якщо ви втомились від ефбеерівських детективних трилерів з купою нанотехнологій то вам до Саймона. Атмосфера Агати на мінімалках, але тут вже є компи, мобільні, і більші можливості для аналізу медданих. Динамічно, і навіть фінал до якого нема питань. Дві наступні книги уже чекають.
Рекомендую.
July 31, 2023
Ne veltui tiek laiko taupiau. 😉 Puiki, įtraukianti knyga. Labai patiko ❤️
" Žmogaus kūnas pradeda irti praėjus keturioms minutėms nuo mirties. Dar neseniai laikęs savyje gyvybę, dabar jis patiria paskutines metamorfozes. Kūnas ima pats save virškinti ląstelės skaidytis, verstis vidine puse į išorę. Audiniai virsta skysčių paskui dujomis.Netekęs gyvasties kūnas tampa nejudančiu vaišių stalu kitiems organizmams, pirmiausia bakterijoms, paskui vabzdžiams.Masėms."
" Žmogaus kūnas pradeda irti praėjus keturioms minutėms nuo mirties. Dar neseniai laikęs savyje gyvybę, dabar jis patiria paskutines metamorfozes. Kūnas ima pats save virškinti ląstelės skaidytis, verstis vidine puse į išorę. Audiniai virsta skysčių paskui dujomis.Netekęs gyvasties kūnas tampa nejudančiu vaišių stalu kitiems organizmams, pirmiausia bakterijoms, paskui vabzdžiams.Masėms."
April 18, 2014
This is another of my vacation reads that I am finally getting around to reviewing.
Saved by a big Finish - 2 Stars
It has taken me a while to get around to reviewing this one. The main reason is that I have been trying to think of something interesting to say about my experience. Problem is, there is not much interesting content to discuss.
The Plot
In this story we have David Hunter, a forensic anthropologist who tries to escape a painful past by taking the position of a small town family doctor. He is assisting with the practice of the town's long-time resident doctor, who is struggling with his practice after becoming wheelchair bound after an accident. David's retreat in the countryside is successful for a few year until a dead and bloated body is found in the woods. David's is forced to fight the demons of his past as he is reluctantly thrust back into a trade he has all but abandoned.
The Bad
Can we Start this Again...
Flat. This is the word that best describes the characters. The MC was depressed and hiding and it felt like he was dragging himself around and the story down with him. The secondary characters were underdeveloped.
Contrived. The word that best describes the plot. The manner in which the MC was dragged back into forensic anthropology was poorly executed. Here we have one of the best (and few) forensic anthropologist in the UK who happens to keep this as a secret while moving to a small town where bodies start to pile up. Additionally, the ending, although quite exciting caused me to role my eyes. The author didn't build the story to the eventual ending and dropped a bunch of "Betcha you didn't see that coming" surprises on the reader. Even though I felt a bit cheated at the end...
The Good
At Least We Will Always Have the Ending
Yes, the ending did piss me off a bit. Once I got over my frustration, it turned out the ending was the best written and most interesting part of the book. Sure, there was forensics but it felt as if it was written by someone who read about it not someone who has used it in practice. The ending has some excellent confrontations, chases and poor decisions. It made a disappointing read a bearable read.
I do not intend to read anymore of the series. The was very little in the book that I found to be redeeming and I simply do not care about the characters and do not care what will happen to them.
Enjoyed the ending but almost quit a few times before I got there. Review after vaca.
Saved by a big Finish - 2 Stars
It has taken me a while to get around to reviewing this one. The main reason is that I have been trying to think of something interesting to say about my experience. Problem is, there is not much interesting content to discuss.
The Plot
In this story we have David Hunter, a forensic anthropologist who tries to escape a painful past by taking the position of a small town family doctor. He is assisting with the practice of the town's long-time resident doctor, who is struggling with his practice after becoming wheelchair bound after an accident. David's retreat in the countryside is successful for a few year until a dead and bloated body is found in the woods. David's is forced to fight the demons of his past as he is reluctantly thrust back into a trade he has all but abandoned.
The Bad
Can we Start this Again...
Flat. This is the word that best describes the characters. The MC was depressed and hiding and it felt like he was dragging himself around and the story down with him. The secondary characters were underdeveloped.
Contrived. The word that best describes the plot. The manner in which the MC was dragged back into forensic anthropology was poorly executed. Here we have one of the best (and few) forensic anthropologist in the UK who happens to keep this as a secret while moving to a small town where bodies start to pile up. Additionally, the ending, although quite exciting caused me to role my eyes. The author didn't build the story to the eventual ending and dropped a bunch of "Betcha you didn't see that coming" surprises on the reader. Even though I felt a bit cheated at the end...
The Good
At Least We Will Always Have the Ending
Yes, the ending did piss me off a bit. Once I got over my frustration, it turned out the ending was the best written and most interesting part of the book. Sure, there was forensics but it felt as if it was written by someone who read about it not someone who has used it in practice. The ending has some excellent confrontations, chases and poor decisions. It made a disappointing read a bearable read.
I do not intend to read anymore of the series. The was very little in the book that I found to be redeeming and I simply do not care about the characters and do not care what will happen to them.
Enjoyed the ending but almost quit a few times before I got there. Review after vaca.
September 5, 2021
A more than few years ago, I read a book in this series and had been planning to come back to this series since then, but I always had something else to read.
This is the beginning of David's story. I admit that I didn't remember much about that book, which I read many years ago. The story of David losing his beloved wife and daughter is heartbreaking. This is one of the things that makes him such an interesting main character. That and, of course, his knowledge and skills as a forensic anthropologist. As a stranger in this village, though he has been a local doctor for several years now, he is perfect for telling this story.
The plot is very good. If you like crimes in a small town where everyone knows each other, but the neighbors suddenly start to suspect each other, then you will love this story. Although I warn you that this is not a book for people very sensitive to drastic descriptions and scenes of autopsies. The murderer kills in a very brutal way, the victims are women and their bodies bear traces of torture, and sexual abuse is also possible. I didn't remember the previous book being so violent. But I have been reading it a long time ago.
I was really surprised by the ending. Maybe not so much with the killer's identity, but with all the people and motives that drove them. This story surprised me and I liked it.
I think the next book in this series will be on my shelf. I wonder how many years will pass before I read it this time, LOL.
This is the beginning of David's story. I admit that I didn't remember much about that book, which I read many years ago. The story of David losing his beloved wife and daughter is heartbreaking. This is one of the things that makes him such an interesting main character. That and, of course, his knowledge and skills as a forensic anthropologist. As a stranger in this village, though he has been a local doctor for several years now, he is perfect for telling this story.
The plot is very good. If you like crimes in a small town where everyone knows each other, but the neighbors suddenly start to suspect each other, then you will love this story. Although I warn you that this is not a book for people very sensitive to drastic descriptions and scenes of autopsies. The murderer kills in a very brutal way, the victims are women and their bodies bear traces of torture, and sexual abuse is also possible. I didn't remember the previous book being so violent. But I have been reading it a long time ago.
I was really surprised by the ending. Maybe not so much with the killer's identity, but with all the people and motives that drove them. This story surprised me and I liked it.
I think the next book in this series will be on my shelf. I wonder how many years will pass before I read it this time, LOL.
November 24, 2020
Ωραίο, πολύ ωραίο. Αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα που πρωταγωνιστής είναι ένας ιατροδικαστής- ανθρωπολόγος αντί αστυνομικός. Βλέπουμε τις έρευνες από μια άλλη οπτική, που μπορώ να πω ότι έχει εξαιρετικό ενδιαφέρον. Σίγουρα έχει μέσα περιγραφές που είναι λίγο ανατριχιαστικές, ο συγγραφέας δεν το σκέφτηκε δεύτερη φορά και μας κάνει ανάλυση το πότε και με ποιον τρόπο επιδρούν τα σκουλήκια πάνω σε ένα νεκρό σώμα για παράδειγμα, αλλά γενικά είναι πολύ καλογραμμένο και προσεγμένο. Και ο πρωταγωνιστής μια χαρά, συμπαθητικός και αυτός. Όλα καλά, πολύ το χάρηκα το βιβλίο.
February 12, 2023
Lubię motyw małych społeczności, ale opisy rozkładu ludzkich zwłok to jednak nie jest moja ulubiona rozrywka.
September 29, 2021
I loved every second of it. And despite having read the book a few years ago, I did not remember who the killer was. Only when a certain situation occurred, it came back to me^^ I have to say its probably the same page when I figured out the killer the first time too. Which is far into the last third. That's pretty late for me. Therefore it gets five stars because I couldn't figure it our too early :-D
I love Beckett's scientific explanations. They are sometimes gross but that's the job. I'm fascinated with this work and I even considered becoming an anthropologist when I was younger. Well, that has changed but I can still be some kind of one if I accompany David Hunter to his work. I cannot wait to read the other books :-)
I love Beckett's scientific explanations. They are sometimes gross but that's the job. I'm fascinated with this work and I even considered becoming an anthropologist when I was younger. Well, that has changed but I can still be some kind of one if I accompany David Hunter to his work. I cannot wait to read the other books :-)
June 7, 2013
Beckett takes the reader on a fabulous journey to the quaint English town of Manham, where tranquility appears to be the name of the game. With one General Practitioner, the town seems to be functioning fairly well, but a freak accident forces new blood to solve Manham's medical quandary. The arrival of a new doctor is not the only change in town, as dead animals and fowl begin to appear, coinciding with the new GP. When a body surfaces, our seemingly innocent GP reveals (to a select few) his secret previous life as a forensic anthropologist in London. While keeping his surgery running as best he can, with an enfeebled partner, we see a new side to our friendly doctor. These bodies tell great tales about the time of death as well as the manner; something no back-water doctor would know. Using skills honed in London and Tennessee's Body Farm, the hunt is on for the murderer who must be hiding in plain sight. The victims pile up and when one close to the heart disappears, the manhunt kicks into high gear. The reader is left to evaluate who it might be behind all these grizzly murders: the butcher, the priest, the publican? With a culminating 30 pages that will leave the reader wondering where that plot line came from, Beckett weaves a masterful initial novel in this series, sure to bring the reader back for Round Two.
With no prior history reading Beckett, I was pleasantly surprised at the book, especially since we are dealing with a journalist and not one who has or does work in the field. I felt small Jefferson Bass moments in the book, though the forensic anthropology was minimal. The story grows on you and the quaintness of the surroundings leaves the writer to wonder how anyone is such a lovely place could do anything so evil. I look forward to seeing what Beckett has in store in the rest of the series and will surely recommend this to anyone who likes the Reichs/Bass/Cornwell genre.
Kudos, Mr. Beckett on a great opening to the series. Keep them coming!
With no prior history reading Beckett, I was pleasantly surprised at the book, especially since we are dealing with a journalist and not one who has or does work in the field. I felt small Jefferson Bass moments in the book, though the forensic anthropology was minimal. The story grows on you and the quaintness of the surroundings leaves the writer to wonder how anyone is such a lovely place could do anything so evil. I look forward to seeing what Beckett has in store in the rest of the series and will surely recommend this to anyone who likes the Reichs/Bass/Cornwell genre.
Kudos, Mr. Beckett on a great opening to the series. Keep them coming!
March 29, 2019
I liked this first book of the series a lot. The characters are interesting, as was the story. There was a little bit of a supernatural element having to do with dreams, that I could do without, but it wasn't a major part of the story.
I had a feeling about the main villain, but rejected it, so I was surprised at how things turned out. There was another character that I thought might be the one, but unfortunately I was wrong - unfortunately because I wanted him to be the one.
The small town where the action took place was not a very pleasant town. It seemed to have all the negatives of small towns without the positives. This is ignoring the fact that several murders took place there over the years. But I believe it's not a permanent part of the series, as it seems he leaves at the end, and is no longer there in the next book, which I already started.
I had a feeling about the main villain, but rejected it, so I was surprised at how things turned out. There was another character that I thought might be the one, but unfortunately I was wrong - unfortunately because I wanted him to be the one.
The small town where the action took place was not a very pleasant town. It seemed to have all the negatives of small towns without the positives. This is ignoring the fact that several murders took place there over the years. But I believe it's not a permanent part of the series, as it seems he leaves at the end, and is no longer there in the next book, which I already started.
April 8, 2023
A three star tale utterly ruined by a cowardly and dishonest shite of an ending. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
2 Weaselly Stars
2 Weaselly Stars
July 29, 2021
Na einem Buch, durch das ich mich 1,5 Monate gequält habe, kam erfreulicherweise eines, dass ich in wenigen Tagen (und einer Nacht...) regelrecht inhaliert habe.
Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite spannend, hier kommt garantiert keine Langeweile auf.
Wenn ein Serienmörder auf einen ehemaligen Rechtsmediziner trifft und sich das ganze dann noch mit einem typischen Kleinstadtcharakter umgibt, dann entsteht daraus eine wirklich tolle Geschichte, die man schon nach wenigen Seiten gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen mag.
Ein paar spannende Wendungen und ein Täter, die man so gar nicht auf dem Schirm hatte runden das Gesamtbild sehr schön ab.
Ich bin schon sehr gespannt, was Dr. David Hunter mir noch so zu erzählen hat :)
Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite spannend, hier kommt garantiert keine Langeweile auf.
Wenn ein Serienmörder auf einen ehemaligen Rechtsmediziner trifft und sich das ganze dann noch mit einem typischen Kleinstadtcharakter umgibt, dann entsteht daraus eine wirklich tolle Geschichte, die man schon nach wenigen Seiten gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen mag.
Ein paar spannende Wendungen und ein Täter, die man so gar nicht auf dem Schirm hatte runden das Gesamtbild sehr schön ab.
Ich bin schon sehr gespannt, was Dr. David Hunter mir noch so zu erzählen hat :)
July 28, 2023
„Убийства в Манхам” от Саймън Бекет е психотрилър, където напрежението ескалира постепенно. Много е интерсна и е първата от поредицата за д-р Дейвид Хънтър. Той е включен в разследването на убийствата в малко село, където хората са не по малко зли от самия убиец. Всъщност, предполагах кой е той, но авторът отклоняваше умело вниманието ми. Изненадващ край, убиец психопат и интересно написан трилър.
March 5, 2023
Дуже сподобався детектив-трилер, у якому є все, що мене захоплює в книгах такого жанру: цікавий сюжет, динамізм, інтрига, незвичайне закінчення... Буду чекати на продовження... Хочеться ще раз зустрітися з головним персонажем, Девідом, що має добре серце і таку специфічну професію судового антрополога...
September 19, 2024
Leído por primera vez en Febrero del 2022. Releído en Septiembre del 2024
Un pueblecito en el campo donde nunca pasa nada y desconfían de los extranjeros, alguien que abusa de su influencia sobre otros, gente que aprovecha la tragedia para darse lustre como vehículo para su vanidad, viejas inquinas, y un médico que lleva poco en el pueblo, antiguo antropólogo forense retirado por motivos personales.
Un buen cóctel para una de esas novelas que me gustan a mí.
Un arranque espectacular aunque siniestro, te introduce en este pueblecito que hacía pensar que estábamos en un cozy crime, pero nada más lejos, aunque sí que vamos viendo el día a día de un pueblo que se cuece en viejas rencillas y miedos nuevos.
Sorpresa al saber en quién recae la culpa, y final muy de thriller que sorprende un poco en una novela que venía siendo tan pausada.
Los detalles de antropología forense me encantaron. Le daban a todo otra dimensión. GL Bis (Negro Bis. David Hunter)
Un pueblecito en el campo donde nunca pasa nada y desconfían de los extranjeros, alguien que abusa de su influencia sobre otros, gente que aprovecha la tragedia para darse lustre como vehículo para su vanidad, viejas inquinas, y un médico que lleva poco en el pueblo, antiguo antropólogo forense retirado por motivos personales.
Un buen cóctel para una de esas novelas que me gustan a mí.
Un arranque espectacular aunque siniestro, te introduce en este pueblecito que hacía pensar que estábamos en un cozy crime, pero nada más lejos, aunque sí que vamos viendo el día a día de un pueblo que se cuece en viejas rencillas y miedos nuevos.
Sorpresa al saber en quién recae la culpa, y final muy de thriller que sorprende un poco en una novela que venía siendo tan pausada.
Los detalles de antropología forense me encantaron. Le daban a todo otra dimensión. GL Bis (Negro Bis. David Hunter)
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