I needed to figure out a way to start reading series where I am not current or the series is finished but haven’t read them yet. So it’s a way to commit myself to read my backlist, particularly series. Of course, I chose a series to begin which I didn’t put in my graphic. lol
Today, I am reviewing a few of the audiobooks from the DC Smith series by Peter Grainger. I have read the series which follows in this world, Kings Lake Investigation. In Kings Lake series, DC Smith is retired and Chris Waters is our main point of view on the cases. So now I wanted to go back and read the foundation series.. I own several of these audiobooks which I bought at Audible sales. The ebooks are in KindleUnlimited currently. I am receiving the newest one as an audio ARC, which I will review later.
Time and Tide by Peter Grainger Narrator: Gildart Jackson
Series: DC Smith #7
Published by Tantor Audio on November 8, 2016
Genres: Mystery
Length: 11 hours, 57 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Change is afoot at Kings Lake Central police station. A most unexpected new detective inspector takes up his post this Monday morning, and the oldest detective in the place takes a momentous decision. Around them, other officers are considering their own situations, and even the building itself seems to be facing an uncertain future. But life and death go on, nevertheless, and by lunchtime someone will make a grim discovery on the Norfolk saltmarshes. A stranger seems to have suffered a slow and agonising death out there. As the team from Kings Lake uncover his story, they reveal another, much older one with its origins far back in the previous century. In the tide that governs the affairs of men, it seems, love and loss, betrayal and revenge are timeless themes.
Time and Tide continues to build on the teams at King’s Lake, both the cases and the personal lives of various members of the team. There is a new DI who is new to the area and unknown to the teams. Wilson continues his grudge and competition with DC Smith. So he is trying to show up Smith with the new DI and the new case. Allison Reeve has been promoted to DCI. She and Smith are close as he trained her.
Personally DC Smith has decided it is time to retire. He doesn’t want to go on the new gangland task force and he doesn’t want to go up the ranks; he was DCI before his wife’s illness. Jo has gone away but has made a decision to come back and work with him so their relationship looks to be progressing. Smith has to tell his team he is retiring and make sure they are prepared for working without him. It’s heartwarming and a little heartbreaking.
The case is a man found drowned. He has no identification. So the teams work to identify him and track his movements and connections. Everything seems to lead back to a tavern where they say they don’t know him and haven’t seen him. Dc Smith and his team turn up the important clues and it’s exciting to watch them work and connect the dots, gathering evidence and solidifying things through excellent interviews with witnesses and suspects.
I love this DC Smith series in an excellent developed world, interesting and complex cases, and the growth of the people and their relationships.
A Private Investigation by Peter Grainger Narrator: Gildart Jackson
Series: DC Smith #8
Published by Tantor Audio on November 13, 2018
Genres: Mystery
Length: 10 hours, 40 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
When fourteen-year-old Zoe Johnson doesn’t come home on a Monday night in early December, the alarm bells in Kings Lake Central police station do not ring straight away – after all, she’s from the Dockmills, one of the toughest estates in the town. But for Detective Sergeant DC Smith, due to retire in just three weeks’ time, there are some strange echoes of the case that has haunted him for the past thirteen years. Maybe it’s simply his over-developed sense of irony, or maybe, in his final days as a police officer, Smith must look once more into the eyes of a serial killer.
DC Smith is winding down in his last days at King’s Lake. He knows the newer supervisor’s other than Allison Reeve who he trained don’t like his knowledge and competence, because they want to be in charge. They feel threatened by his experience and talent. He has plans with Jo, at least they are developing plans.
He carefully tells John, Chris and Serena he is retiring. Next he sets about training them how to function without him, and how to lead things on their own. He really has done a great job with them. His team, despite being pushed off to less viable paths, still manages to come up with the breakthroughs. A Private Investigation shows his last mentoring of his team and the service he provides to his community.
The last case is the sort which bothers him most. A 14 year old girl is missing. The police have a tendency to see it as them running away and not take it too seriously. But it often is serious and deadly. Smith and his team figure it out and work to save the girl to the shocking end.
The Truth by Peter Grainger Narrator: Gildart Jackson
Series: DC Smith #9
Published by Tantor Audio on October 26, 2021
Genres: Mystery
Length: 8 hours, 56 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
He said if he hadn't heard from you by high noon today, he was going to strap on his six-guns and ride back into town. So I think you should call him, Charlie. Call him before you come home. Charlie Hills, former desk sergeant at Kings Lake Central, is in trouble. He hasn't told Smith, his old friend and sparring partner, but someone has, and now the two former policemen are about to embark on a difficult and potentially dangerous search for the truth. For one of them, it could be life-changing.
DC Smith is now retired. The Truth is about how an old friend’s son is in trouble so he decides to help. To facilitate the investigation, he ends up being a consultant for Diver & Diver. The private investigations firm has managed to stay in business and is doing okay. Jo was supportive since Smith needs to keep his mind active.
Smith does an amazing job to the astonishment of the law firm representing the son, the Divers, and his delighted father. He has a way of knowing what to ask and where to get his information. That doesn’t mean it all goes well. The drug runners are not happy with him and that is dangerous. He also has issues with not crossing hairs with his old King’s Lake station and their task force.
An exciting and well strategized case was another winner for me.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Camera Man by Peter Grainger Narrator: Gildart Jackson
Series: DC Smith #10
Published by Tantor Audio on August 22, 2023
Genres: Mystery
Length: 11 hours, 32 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Jo told him the phone call had been about a woman who wanted to have her husband declared dead. Smith thought for a moment and then said, ‘Hmm. There must be a few million women in this country who feel like that. I take it her husband’s been missing for a while and she’s decided it’s time to move on. In the absence of a body, which is always a nuisance, she wants Diver and Diver to confirm there’s no proof he’s alive. And I’ve told Jason a dozen times I’m not getting involved in anything matrimonial. I have enough trouble sorting out my own relationships.’But on this occasion Smith has it wrong. The insurance company which will have to pay out a very substantial amount of money if Amanda Fitch obtains her certificate of presumed death has engaged Diver and Diver Associates to look into the disappearance of Gerald Fitch, more than five years ago now. As Jason Diver says, he has the very man for the job. All he has to do is to persuade that man to take it on.
Now I am up to date in the DC Smith series. Smith had no intention of working another case for the Divers. But they want him, so Jason tries to find cases which would interest him. Smith wants to be careful to only work a case which will not put him in the way of the police. Finally, there is a case with a missing person. The man has been missing for 5 years. The wife wants to declare him dead and collect the insurance. The insurance wants to do a better investigation. The police aren’t really looking.
Smith interviews the wife, his old co-workers and other family and friends. He gets a sense of the man and his successes and failures. Smith again runs afoul of some dangerous people who don’t want the man to be found. They want to use Smith to locate the man and then kill him.
I love the careful questioning and specific details which allow Smith to progress on figuring out what happened and what didn’t. He’s very personable to take the right attitude to question people in their style and get the best information. Another amazing investigation in this series I love so well.
Narration:
Gildart Jackson is a favorite narrator. I seem to be able to enjoy him in multiple series without getting him stuck in my head as just one character. I was able to listen comfortably at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip HERE
About Gildart Jackson
With acting credits that span stage and screen, Gildart Jackson is most often recognized for his role as Gideon on Charmed. Other notable TV roles include Jackson Palmer on Providence and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital, as well as guest appearances on Stargate: Atlantis, Las Vegas, and CSI. Theater roles include Trigorin in The Seagull, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Adrian in Private Eyes at the Old Globe.
About Peter Grainger
A British author, the writer Peter Grainger is a well known novelist of mystery fiction, largely focused on detective lead investigations. This his been the prime focus for much of his career, as he takes much of his inspiration from that of other infamous British detectives, such as Inspector Morse. The influence is clearly evident here, as he brings his own detective, DC Smith, to life, along with other books as well. Setting his mysteries firmly within the world of British detective fiction it is clear where his tastes lie as an author of his increasingly popular stories, stories that only increase in popularity as time goes on.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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This is a great idea. I will have to check out this series.
I love this series so much Nadene. Obviously. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I am doing the Sunday Series for myself to read longer series I have always wanted to read. I guess they are also ones I don’t know if anyone would join me in a Read-along because I use the Read-along for that purpose also, both new series to me and ones I want to reread.
This series sounds so good, and 5 stars for all of these, that makes me want to pick it up!
It’s one of my very favorite Tammy and so I can’t help but recommend you try one.
This series looks like a perfect fit for me too. I am loving those covers and I’ll be checking my ereader to see if I have any of Peter’s books hanging around. Happy holidays.
I love every single book of his I have read. I would read the series in order, although I read the two related series out of order and that was ok. But within the series I would read in order. They are in KU currently.
Congrats on getting up to date, Anne💜 This looks like an interesting series.
Thanks Jonetta. I love it so much. I’d love to have you read it and tell me your thoughts too.
I need to see if they have the audios at my library. This sounds like a series I’d like and after seeing your high ratings it makes me want to move them up in the que. I know you like the narrator too.
Rachel they have them all on Hoopla and all at my Minnesota library but none at my brother’s Florida library. The audio are Tantor so available at libraries the ebooks are currently in KU. I love them.
Interesting!! 😀
These are a real favorite of mine.
This is something I NEED to get more on the ball with finishing up series. I have so many YA series that I got the first two books as advanced copies, then the publishers didn’t do the final ones so I didn’t get to them thanks to all the other review books I was getting. But I want to read on! Maybe this will be the actual year I stop taking so many review books. We’ll see as I’ve already kind of signed up for a new series review tour, lol.
It can be difficult. I’m trying in this SS to take a couple series and fit them in until I finish them. There’s also the COYER #SIAM (Series in a month) but that works better for shorter series. A series with 22 books I won’t manage in a month. I’m picking ones which probably won’t be Read-alongs for various reasons – genre, length or other. I have a shelf on Goodreads where I put the next one in the series if I can’t go on to read it now 3next.