Death Ship

The Norfolk resort town of Hunstanton faces the prospect of major change due to the construction of a new pier, in Kelly’s clever seventh police procedural starring Det. Insp. Peter Shaw and Det. Sgt. George Valentine (after 2015’s Death on Demand). An active group of protesters, who believe that the project has been “hijacked by big money and vested interests,” have resorted to vandalism and arson to stop it. Shaw and Valentine must determine whether the opponents are willing to take matters even further after a huge explosion on the beach, which exposes a diver’s net bag that may belong to a missing Dutch electrician. Meanwhile, an elderly woman is caught in the act of handing out chocolates laced with strychnine to strangers at a bus stop. This is the second time that the woman has done so, and Shaw and Valentine are troubled by the absence of any motive. Fully realized characterizations complement the carefully constructed plot. [em]Agent: Faith Evans, Faith Evans Associates (U.K.). (Dec.) [/em]