Death Watch (Detective Shaw Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jim Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2010 | Series: Detective Shaw Mysteries

“Ever since the days of Agatha Christie, the great divide in the British detective story has been between plot and character…The novels of Jim Kelly are. . . a find.” —The New York Times Book Review

Rookie detective Peter Shaw teams up with his father’s tough expartner to investigate both a gruesome series of present-day murders and some unfinished business from the past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British author Kelly's winning second police procedural pairing West Norfolk Det. Insp. Peter Shaw with Det. Sgt. George Valentine, Shaw's late father's former partner (after 2009's Death Wore White), neatly balances several intricate story lines. Exactly 18 years to the day after 15-year-old Norma Jean Judd vanished in 1992, her twin brother Bryan's corpse turns up in a hospital incinerator. The case is assigned to Shaw, who's unaware that his father, Det. Chief Insp. Jack Shaw, handled Norma Jean's disappearance. After breaking the devastating news to the surviving Judds, Shaw manages to save a man from a nearby burning building and ends up with another puzzle: who's the Organ Grinder the near-victim was so frightened of that he initially resisted rescue? On top of those mysteries, Kelly tosses in new developments in the case that ended the elder Shaw's career and led to Valentine's demotion. This clever series will appeal to fans of Peter Lovesey and Reginald Hill. (June)
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About the Author

JIM KELLY, the son of a Scotland yard detective and winner of the CWA Dagger in the Library award, lives in England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312644906
• ISBN-13: 978-0312644901
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,258,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the best, April 10, 2011

By 

Tony R. Bicknell "Too many books" (Watsonville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death Watch (Detective Shaw Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I read a load of Mystery books. I prefer the British series mostly l think as l am orginally from London. I wish l could put my finger on what sets some of the best writers apart from others. What l do know that is that you can tell almost instantly that some one has it or doesn't. Jim Kelly has it. His new series (this is the second one. Death wore White is the first), has two very interesting main characters, DI Shaw and DS Valentine. One is the up and coming star the other looking for redeption. I would compare his talent to the like of Elizabeth George and P.D. James. Clear writing and clever plots. I personally prefer to read series books in order so l'd recommend Death Wore White first but both books are complete within themselves. I sure hope this is just the beginning of a long set.

3.0 out of 5 stars Complex case(s), February 17, 2011

By 

Randy Cook (Newtown, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death Watch (Detective Shaw Mysteries) (Hardcover)

'Death Watch' by Jim Kelly is a murder mystery set in London. We follow the workings of DCI Peter Shaw and DS Valentine. Partners with a past. Shaw is the son of a former DCI who also partnered with Valentine. The elder Shaw retired in disgrace after a case was lost on bad circumstances. DS Valentine was also cuaght in that case gone bad, but was demoted and transfered.

The police are called in when a body is found in a hospital's incinerator. Foul play is evident, and Shaw/Valentine work it. We find out the deceased is the twin of a girl who disappeared 18 years ago to the day. Further investigation leads them to an arson, vandalism, missing people, more dead bodies, missing human organs, and human organ trafficing. In the background are two cold cases.

The old case that went bad for Peter's father and Valentine is being worked on in the background. A boy was murdered and in the course of the investigation the prime suspects are let go after a mistake made during questioning. Pieces of this old puzzle are found and Peter and valentine start to put things back together on the old case.

The disappearance of the twin girl is also resurfaced with the murder of her brother, and the attacks on the man who was originally thought to have killed her.

It sounds very complex and a bit overwhelming. How can so many cases (old and new) be interconnected and converging? The story moves well and the suspense builds as each chapter rollsinto the next. I found the characters a little lacking in appeal, especially Peter Shaw. I also found the convergence of all these cases to be a little too much to believe.

The book is enjoyable and is a good read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Body Parts, August 9, 2010

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death Watch (Detective Shaw Mysteries) (Hardcover)

As far as British mysteries are concerned, this novel is as far out as they go. An 18-year-old case is combined with contemporary mysteries to befuddle the best of detectives, giving DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine plenty to chew on, as well as keeping the reader intrigued.

That eighteen-year-old case involved a pregnant 15-year-old girl who disappeared and whose body was never found. However, her twin brother "feels" her death. Two suspects still live on the street where she had lived with her family. Now the charred remains of the brother are found in a hospital incinerator where he was employed to feed waste. The ensuing investigation uncovers other discrepancies at the hospital and it is up to the two detectives to solve the crimes before any more deaths occur.

It is a complex puzzle that faces the police team, one that requires a combination of insight and forensic science. At the same time, Shaw and Valentine are haunted by the botched murder investigation of the young girl, following which Peter's father was virtually drummed off the force. Written with power and a profundity that keeps the reader guessing, the novel is rcommended.