‘Dead Crude’ by Chris Blackwater

Published by Catisfield Books,
23 May 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-73930502-4

Danny Verity has recently qualified as a private detective.  Not a bad career change after he previously solved a murder whilst working as a medic on an oil rig.  The new P.I. currently has two investigations on the go.  One is an insurance fraud involving a company called Neptune Shipping, the other relates to a young man who has gone missing whilst working at an oil terminal on Mallach, an isolated island in the Orkneys.  When Danny discovers that the fraud might also be linked to the oil terminal on the island, he manages to get a temporary medic’s post there.  He’ll need someone on the outside though; someone who can mingle with, and tease information from, the islanders, most of whom are highly suspicious of outsiders.  He manages to persuade Gemma Gauld, a colleague turned partner from his previous crime adventure and who is as tough as they come.    

The novel opens with a scene as violent and dispassionate as the cruel North Sea itself.  This sets the tone for a case that will prove to be far more complex than Danny had originally thought.  When a second man goes missing the detectives realise that they are dealing with criminals who are as calculating as they are cold blooded.  The closer Danny and Gemma get to discovering the identity of the villains, the more their own lives are jeopardized. 

Dead Crude is the second novel in the Danny Verity P.I. series and it works perfectly well as a stand-alone.  The writing is frequently droll, a nice contrast to the relentless tension that mounts as the narrative unfolds.  This is particularly true of the exchanges between Danny and Gemma which are often amusing whilst betraying their affection for each other.  Another contrast is found in the meticulous descriptions of Mallach.  The island’s remote and craggy landscape that is a sanctuary for birds, is perilous to the unwary visitor.  The perfect setting for a crime thriller. 

The story keeps the reader guessing as bits of the puzzle appear to slot together only to be subverted when another discovery is made.  Each chapter pushes into the next with a cliffhanger or unexpected revelation and there is a delicious final twist.

Dead Crude is a riveting thriller, original, fast moving, edgy and witty. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Dot Marshall-Gent

Chris Blackwater is a chartered engineer from Leeds. He began writing to entertain himself while working away on offshore oil platforms, power stations and shipyards. His career has taken him all over the world to many unusual locations and introduced him to some remarkable characters. His short stories have appeared in a variety of publications and anthologies. In recent years Chris has gradually drifted down to the south coast of England where he now spends his spare time kayaking and sailing on the Solent. Emergency Drill is his first book.

Dot Marshall-Gent worked in the emergency services for twenty years first as a police officer, then as a paramedic and finally as a fire control officer before graduating from King’s College, London as a teacher of English in her mid-forties.  She completed a M.A. in Special and Inclusive Education at the Institute of Education, London and now teaches part-time and writes mainly about educational issues.  Dot sings jazz and country music and plays guitar, banjo and piano as well as being addicted to reading mystery and crime fiction.