‘Head Hunting’ by Chris Blackwater

Published by Catisfield Books,
10 April 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-73930504-8 (PB)

After Danny Verity left the army, he became a medic on a North Sea oil rig. The events that occurred there resulted in two important changes in Danny’s life. One was that he made another career move and became a Private Investigator, although his work often involved the oil industry. The second significant change was Danny’s meeting and subsequent friendship with Gemma Gauld, a feisty Scottish oil worker who takes outspokenness and attitude to a new level. 

Gemma is offshore working on an oil rig when Danny is approached by Marissa Ling, who asks him to investigate her uncle’s murder in the rainforest of Borneo. It sounds like an interesting and lucrative case but, from the first, Danny has reservations. He has encountered Marissa before and knows that although she is beautiful, well-born and wealthy, she is also manipulative, devious and ruthless, as well as being rather too dependent on alcohol. The investigation into the murder is far from simple, because Marissa’s uncle, Joash Ling, was a man who had spent his life making enemies. His body had been discovered in the Borneo rainforest that he had been deforesting for financial gain, and the state of his body indicated that he had been killed by one of the indigenous tribes that still cling to elements of their traditional life in the rainforest. Danny understands why Marissa selected him to investigate when his first task is to work as the medic on a local oil rig, the condition of which makes the North Sea rigs seem luxurious. The only clue that Marissa has given him about who he is supposed to contact is an oblique hint about Narnia. 

Gemma’s job ends early and she accepts Marissa’s invitation to join the investigation and leaves wet, cold Aberdeen for the heat and luxury of the private island in Borneo that had belonged to Marissa’s uncle. At the airport she is greeted by Mikhail Ling, Marissa’s brother, an undeniably attractive young man, and the tough and unsentimental Gemma suddenly starts to fantasise about marrying into a noble family and living in luxury. 

As Gemma and Danny probe into Joash’s life they discover that there are many motives for his murder, ranging from abusive family relationships to war crimes, their only problem is to sort out who amongst all the people who had reason to want revenge on Joash had turned their hatred into action. Gemma’s dreams of a life of luxury soon vanish when she and Mikhail have to head into the rainforest to inspect the place where Joash’s body had been discovered.  

Danny returns from the oil rig and he, Gemma and Mikhail embark on a perilous, high-speed adventure to probe Joash’s secrets and discover which one of them was responsible for his death. As they move closer to the truth it becomes evident that nothing is as it seemed at first glance, and numerous dangerous people are trying to prevent them from finding out the truth. Soon Danny and Gemma are uncertain who they can truly trust, apart from each other, and their lives are very much on the line. 

Head Hunting is the third novel featuring Danny Verity and Gemma Gauld. The protagonists are engaging, They have many flaws, but their basic integrity is unimpeachable, and they develop and grow stronger all the time. Gemma and Danny are very different characters, which means they have their differences: Gemma thinks that Danny is too soft because he flinches from leaving an enemy to bleed to death, and Danny considers Gemma to be too ruthless, impulsive and eager to plunge into unwise action. However, they know that they can totally trust each other, as Danny puts it: ‘Gemma always had his back, whereas Marissa was more likely to put a knife in it’. The witty dialogue and humorous action is one of the delights of this book, and the description of Gemma trekking through the rainforest wearing ill-fitting native costume made me laugh out loud. The pace of the book is fast-moving and superbly timed, moving skilfully between the two viewpoint protagonists. Head Hunting is a darkly humorous page-turner, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron 

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. 

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com