Dancing with the Virgins [Import] [Hardcover]

Stephen Booth (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First American Edition edition (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007116373
• ISBN-13: 978-0007116379
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,820,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Booth is an award winning British crime writer, the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry, who have appeared in eleven novels set in England's beautiful and atmospheric Peak District. Stephen has been a Gold Dagger finalist, an Anthony Award nominee, twice winner of a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, and twice shortlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year. DC Cooper was a finalist for the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author, and in 2003 the Crime Writers' Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for "the author whose books have given readers the most pleasure". The Cooper & Fry series is published all around the world, and has been translated into 15 languages. The latest title is THE DEVIL'S EDGE.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Disturbed, January 1, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dancing with the Virgins: A Constable Ben Cooper Novel (Hardcover)

The Peak District is a beautiful part of the world. Haunting, dark and mysterious. It's a tourist attraction that lures thousands every year. But it has also been used as a killing ground. A girl is found dead at a group of rocks known as The Nine Virgins. Even more disturbing is that it appears that her body has been arranged to look as though she is dancing.

This is Stephen Booth's second book following on from Black Dog, and revisits Ben Cooper and Diane Fry. Apart from the mystery, this books concentrates on delving deeper into the characters introduced in the first book. The relationship between Ben and Diane is continually developed, as are the secrets they appear to be hiding. At some points, the murder case takes a secondary role to the characterisations. Because of this character development, I would recommend reading Black Dog before this book.

It takes a while to really get going, as with many police investigations, but pretty soon things start coming together. A nicely woven mystery is unravelled with a few surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant, revealed along the way.

The setting of the book is once again a powerful factor in setting the mood of the story, which is not what I would term upbeat. It always feels dangerous, dark and menacing - just like a good murder mystery should.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, January 29, 2002

By 

P. L. Howland (Largo, FL. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dancing with the Virgins: A Constable Ben Cooper Novel (Hardcover)

Just finished this book. Excellent. What sensitivity for the human condition; such understanding and empathy. Excellent mystery. Better than the first and can hardly wait for the third. Can only say ...wow... Love Cooper. Love the mysteries that make you just hold on and wait with baited breath. Very good and highly recommended. When is the next one?

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another solid offering from Stephen Booth..., July 15, 2002

By 

Laurie Fletcher "Laurie Fletcher" (Casper, Wyoming, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dancing with the Virgins: A Constable Ben Cooper Novel (Hardcover)

As with "Black Dog", Stephen Booth has written a chilly, uncomfortable, airtight story that requires full concentration (or else you'll find yourself going back and reading copious numbers of pages again trying to figure out where you lost the thread), but it rewards. The story is a good one, but I liked his unsparing portrayal of the characters who populate this book and his unflinching and unhappy look at the world of livestock slaughterhouses and failing farms. Quite a long way from a comfortable armchair. Oh, and there's a ripping good mystery here, too!