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Simon Beckett

The Scent of Death: (David Hunter 6) Paperback – October 31, 2019

by Simon Beckett (Author)

4.4 2,392 ratings

Book 6 of 6: Dr David Hunter

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‘Masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads’ TESS GERRITSEN

Once a busy hospital, St Jude’s now stands derelict, awaiting demolition.

When a partially mummified corpse is found in the building’s cavernous loft, forensics expert Dr David Hunter is called in to take a look. He can’t say how long the body’s been there, but he is certain it’s that of a young woman. And that she was pregnant.

Then part of the attic floor collapses, revealing another of the hospital’s secrets: a bricked-up chamber with beds inside. And some of them are still occupied.

For Hunter, what began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare. And it soon becomes clear that St Jude’s hasn’t claimed its last victim . . .

Chilling, visceral and masterfully paced, Simon Beckett’s new crime thriller will leave you gasping.

Book 6 of 6

Dr David Hunter
Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bantam
Publication date

October 31, 2019
Dimensions

5 x 1.06 x 7.8 inches
ISBN-10

0553824120
ISBN-13

978-0553824124
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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam (October 31, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553824120
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553824124
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.06 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,486,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,002 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #57,524 in Suspense Thrillers
- #288,460 in Genre Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.4 2,392 ratings

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Simon Beckett

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JOINT WINNER OF THE EUROPEAN CRIME FICTION STAR ‘RIPPER’ AWARD 2018/19

Simon Beckett is the No.1 International Bestselling author of the David Hunter series. His books have been translated into 29 languages, appeared in the Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller lists and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. A former freelance journalist who has written for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday and The Observer, the inspiration for the first David Hunter novel came after a visit to the world-renowned Body Farm in Tennessee introduced him to the work of forensic anthropologists.

As well as co-winning the Ripper Award in 2018/19, the largest European crime prize, Simon has won the Raymond Chandler Society’s ‘Marlowe’ Award and been short-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger, CWA Dagger in the Library and Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year.

In addition to the six David Hunter titles, the most recent of which is The Scent of Death, he has written five standalone novels, one of which, Where There’s Smoke, was adapted into a major ITV two-part drama.

Find out more on www.simonbeckett.com, or follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

REVIEWS

"Simon Beckett’s sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best . . . a superbly strong read." (Marcel Berlins THE TIMES)

“Brilliantly original ... Simon’s first crime novel The Chemistry of Death absolutely blew me away and he just gets better by the book!" (PETER JAMES)

"A satisfyingly dark and twisting thriller." (MAIL ON SUNDAY)

"An arresting setup . . . Beckett has regained his best form . . . the exigencies of a macabre investigative thriller are dispatched with characteristic aplomb." (Barry Forshaw FINANCIAL TIMES)

"Beckett's masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads." (TESS GERRITSEN)

"The forensics are chillingly authentic, the writing is both taut and beautifully atmospheric.’ (ANN CLEEVES)

‘Terrifying… Rarely have the mechanics of suspense been so effectively realized outside an Alfred Hitchcock movie.’ (THE DAILY EXPRESS)

‘Beckett is one of the country’s best crime writers… His books are intelligent, beautifully written and utterly gripping.’ (THE SUNDAY EXPRESS)

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4.4 out of 5

2,392 global ratings

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John W. Ray

Excellent story abysmally edited.

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023

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I am reviewing the Kindle version. The story (I’m halfway through) is wonderful, as were the first five. But I have never read a book that was more poorly edited. Periods in the middle of sentences and spelling errors abound. I just had to reread a sentence twice that began “It was top early to” trying to figure out if “top early” was British idiom or . . . Oh, “TOO early.”

I understand how this one could escape notice, but there are too many, and the punctuation errors should stand out to even a casual read-through.

I’ve enjoyed Mr. Beckett’s writing, but I will hesitate to read number seven in the series if Open Road Media is the publisher.

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2023

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He treated bully as trivia!!!! I doubt if he had bullied others. Rumors are that many US shooters had been bullied. It looks like that bully may be a trivia issue in UK according to sb.

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2022

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I purchased this as an ebook, thinking it sounded very intriguing. I have never read a Simon Beckett book before so I thought I'd try it. I must say I really did enjoy it. I will not reiterate the novel's synopsis in my review nor give up any spoilers. I like his writing style and felt I knew all the characters myself. The only thing keeping me from giving this book a five star rating was all the ridiculous typos, punctuation errors and misspelling of main characters names! I have never read an ebook with so many mistakes as this one and sometimes I didn't know who he was talking about such as Meats for Mears!! I mean, really? I understand this isn't Mr. Beckett's fault but it did interrupt the flow of the novel at times. Will I read another David Hunter thriller? Yes! Absolutely!

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019

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Dr. Hunter makes his sixth appearance in Simon Beckett's latest, Scent of Death, and it is a fine addition to the series. Even though there are many technical, medical terms used, the author makes them understandable without having to run to google. As a forensic anthropologist, Dr. Hunter is an ongoing civilian consultant to the police as well as working at a London university. This time, bodies are found in an abandoned hospital, and his expertise is needed in dating the mummified remains. It's an eerie scene that Mr. Beckett paints all too vividly. The dreariness, the chill, the moldy interior comes to life through his eyes. The SIO of the case is a former professional acquaintance from an earlier case, DCI Ward. I did think that their relationship seemed to vary in an unlikely way from loyalty to animosity on her part toward Dr. Hunter. If he were the problem he sometimes seemed to pose, his services could have been curtailed at any time. Her assistant, Whelan, also seemed to be at odds with him unjustifiably. Nevertheless, the story was involved and interesting and complex. And therein lies the missing star. I thought a bit too much happened - former and current deaths, both accidental and intentional, an explosion, and a thread from earlier novels threatening Dr. Hunter and many twist and turns, perhaps a few too many. The eventual villain was finally unmasked after a good many false starts. That resolution was pretty diabolical. As Dr. Hunter eventually returns to his prior life after all the upheaval, I am wondering what will be in store for him next. I'll be waiting for the seventh installment to find out.

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Vicky

A+ rating

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2019

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There is nothing more wonderful for a thriller enthusiast, such as myself, to have the setting of a thriller to take place in a creepy psych ward or dilapidated hospital. Luckily for me, Simon Beckett’s the The Scent of Death does just that with an abandoned hospital know as St. James located in London, England. The remains of four bodies are found at the hospital just as it was destined to be torn down. Our hero, forensic pathologist David Hunter, is called in to take a look at the first victim that was found. When an unexpected accident happens while on the scene, a hidden room is exposed with two more bodies. Since it was unclear whether the two additional corpses were related in their deaths to the first body found, a second forensic expert is called in. Daniel Mears, who calls himself a forensic taphonomist, is young and arrogant and soon becomes a thorn in David Hunter’s side. As in any good thriller, not everything in the The Scent of Death is as it seems and St. James and its morbid occupants will become a nightmare for Dr. Hunter that he will not soon forget.

I would have to say that the The Scent of Death now tops my favorite for best in the series. The addition of more forensics than previous books in the series as well as the creepy hospital setting earns the The Scent of Death an A+ rating.

The The Scent of Death could easily be read as a standalone novel but for fans of the series, Beckett revives an old nemesis from one of Hunter’s past cases. It will make you want to reread Written in Bone all over again.

3 people found this helpful

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monchari

it's back

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2019

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Dr.Hunter story style I so love is back! (after some went-off-style in book 5)
This book is getting back the way the stories were told in book 1-4.
It's delicate, focus on every detail, moving slowly and creepily.
It dragged me under its horror blanket as it always does (except book 5).
You have to pay attention to every detail David noticed, and think along with him. Then it will make you feel like you are the one who follows this case yourself. It's a great feeling.
You may want to hit him sometimes, but well, at any moment people can be stubborn and make a mistake.
Any comment about the story of this book will be a spoiler, so please read it by yourself.
Just know that it's so worth your time.

There are not many actions in Dr.Hunter's series (I thought the author has tried to increase it in book 5 which I personally don't like).
If you like a suspense-thrill book with high action scenes, this book or this series is not for you.
But if you like something quiet, creepy, dark, and not give you much of appetite (actually you may throw up is you were eating), this book is a perfect one.

Mr.Beckett, please don't keep us so very long for the next book again.

2 people found this helpful

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Joe Bathelt

Not his best but good enough

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2022

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I was hooked on the David Hunter novel right from the start. Simon Beckett has a perfect feeling for eerie settings and morbid details. I compulsively turned the pages to find out what happens next when I read the earlier instalments in this series. However, the later books became a bit repetitive and the twists become more foreseeable and, at the same time, less believable. I like this latest book a bit better than the book before, but it still did not capture my enthusiasm as much as the earlier books. On the positive side, the setting and atmosphere in this book are all one could want for in a suspense novel. On the negative side, the characters are little more than one-dimensional walking stereotypes and the twists are quite predictable. The language is also horrendous at times. I usually do not mind a simpler writing style in suspense novels. I did not expect high literature and am not reading them to be educated or blown away by their fluid prose. However, the language in this book is painfully clumsy with an overabundance of superfluous adjectives and hackneyed imagery. Altogether, I think the book provides good entertainment for a long train ride or a day at the beach for fans of the series. However, I would not recommend it to any new readers.

Helen Simpson

An easy read that is forensically interesting with good characterisation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2020

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This is the sixth novel to feature Dr. David Hunter as the main character. He is a forensic anthropologist not a detective but his science often leads to the clues that solve the case. Although I like him as a character, I find him quite sad and a bit sombre. He has a good heart though and this often seems to lead him into trouble.
I'd personally recommend reading this series in order just because his experiences affect him and some of them come back to haunt him. I almost said they shape him as a character but I'm not sure they do, he remains pretty much constant...maybe gets a tad more maudlin though.

I really enjoy the forensic side of crime and this story doesn't disappoint. The book is written in the first person (Dr. Hunter) so we know his thoughts as well as the facts as he discovers them whether it's at the crime scene or in the morgue, and they're interesting.

The setting for this novel is an old hospital and Beckett captures the ominous atmosphere really well, and describes believable characters. The story is a good one and ties up well at the end, however once solved we are thrown back into David Hunter's personal life which again has that maudlin feel, and as an ending I could have done without.

However, it won't stop me reading the next if Beckett writes it, which I hope he does.

2 people found this helpful

Kaffmatt

Good Read but Unrealistic Storyline

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2019

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Not read anything by this author before. Would certainly read another book. Beckett has a superb command of English and his descriptions are- ‘second to none’- adding exceptional atmosphere. However, on many occasions there are too many descriptions about inconsequential matters and they muddle the plot and the plot is, at best, a little far fetched. Another good point to mention is the author’s knowledge of anthropology forensics- which to be honest, I know nothing about so it could be ‘hog wash’ but appears realistic.
I’ll not rehash the storyline as it’s been done by many other reviewers. I’ll reiterate that less descriptions of none events would be an improvement. Maybe focus on characters rather than bricks/ceilings of buildings, for example.

3 people found this helpful

Ness

Couldn't put it down....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2019

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So pleased that David Hunter is back, Simon Beckett and David Hunter are one of my favourite combinations! Once again a fantastic read - couldn't put it down. Lots of twists and turns. Very much looking forward to seeing what Dr Hunter will be up to in the next book.

8 people found this helpful

kevans5

Another excellent David Hunter Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2019

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I have read all of Simon Beckett’s books and absolutely love the David Hunter series. I was eagerly awaiting this one and once again, as with all of Simon’s books, I wasn’t disappointed and couldn’t put it down. The plot is really interesting, well researched, well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the David Hunter character, and you don’t have to read the previous books in this series to enjoy it, but it does help when he’s reminiscing. Well done Simon

4 people found this helpful

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