The Chemistry of Death

July 17, 2006
British author Beckett (Fine Lines
) delivers a promising serial-killer whodunit, the first of a new crime series. Dr. David Hunter, a successful forensic anthropologist, retreats to the quiet Norfolk village of Manham, where he works as a general practitioner, after a drunk driver claims the lives of his wife and daughter. Three years after this tragedy, the shattering discovery of the mutilated corpse of a neighbor, Sally Palmer, forces Hunter back into the world of studying decomposing corpses. When another woman disappears, Hunter and the police conclude that a serial predator is at work, and they race against time to prevent a second murder. High quality prose and a compelling if flawed hero haunted by the memory of his family help compensate for a plot that starts strongly but winds down to a somewhat predictable resolution.

Starred review from September 15, 2006
Forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter moves to a rural British village, hoping to escape his tragic past. Unfortunately, the young widower finds his life in turmoil again when a serial killer begins to prey on local women. Upon learning of Hunter's criminal investigation expertise, the local police make it abundantly clear that he must assist. As young females continue to be kidnapped, turning up dead in disturbing poses, the villagers' recognition that one of their own is responsible for the ritualistic slayings magnifies the horror. (What is one to make of a serial killer who inserts swan wings into a victim's torso?) Old secrets are revealed, and suspicions rise along with the sweltering summer heat. Once Hunter and the police figure out the killer's pattern, their desperate race against time makes this thriller nearly impossible to set aside. The gory crimes in all their detail will entice "CSI" Patricia Cornwell, and Kathy Reichs fans, but it's the subtle psychological nuances that make this debut really shine. Highly recommended." -Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., CA"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2006
With so many women forensic specialists on the mystery circuit, it's a pleasure to have a man join the ranks--even if he is a reluctant draftee. Endeavoring to escape a tragedy that took his wife and young daughter, David Hunter leaves forensics behind to take a job in a rural medical practice in a tightly knit English village. Although still an outsider even after three years on the job, David has begun to make a friends; he has even met a woman he likes. Suddenly, the village is turned on its ear; one of its own is a serial killer, and David, at first a suspect, is enlisted to apply his medical specialty to find the killer. When his girlfriend is kidnapped, he can no longer pretend detachment, and his involvement leads to unraveling some terrifying, surprising secrets about people he thought he knew. Let's hope Hunter returns quickly and Beckett continues to find such a nice balance between forensic detail and thrilling action.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)