I have to say, I agree with Val McDermid, you have to read these books. I am sure again, I’ve missed the middle book, so shall have to try and catch up. I feel I’ve missed something along the way. They are always different in that a lot of topics are covered and the plethora of information on wildlife is just lovely. Being an animal lover these are right up my street. Reminds me of the author Faith Martins books, she’s well up on wildlife.

This book is also different in that it also told from the badgers perspective, and the way they live their lives. I was fascinated with the setts and the hierarchy aspect of it all, and what they like to eat. I think badgers on the whole get a raw deal from humans anyway, and we could learn a lot from wild creatures.

However, I must not digress. The story centres around a huge development of new homes, the politics involved and of course the wildlife. This again, is a controversial subject. I know we need houses, but in a minute there’ll be no countryside left.

Zoe is in there campaigning for the animals, and so is Bill South. They do make a formidable team. There is a body found in the freezer of a beautiful empty house, but no one knows who he is. Then the remains are found of a young lad who went missing. All this, and really no clues, no one wants to help Alex, her constable Jill, has a dodgy friend, and the powers of corruption are there in the background, wielding their power and corruption, and that’s just the ones running the country!

I did hold my breath in a few places, as I thought Alex was a bit daft venturing off on her own like she did .....

I do hope that William continues with these characters, you can almost feel the countryside air and the animals running around at night.

My thanks to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

The 3rd book in the DS Alexandra Cupidi series, Grave’s End is another excellent read by William Shaw.

A story that deals with the murky world of property development, dodgy government ministers, old bones and bullying. William Shaw brings to light the devastation caused to the local wildlife, in particular sets of badgers. This all makes for an extremely interesting, fantastically researched mystery thriller from an author at the top of his game.

The story trail involving the badger is something I really liked, and in Alex Cupidi, William Shaw has created a very likeable protagonist, and she is set off perfectly with the slightly scatty DC Jill Ferriter.

The writing is easy to read, and the pacing of the story as the plot unravels is spot on.

An atmospheric, complex mystery that I was compelled to read, I got this through this in no time at all.

This is a fantastic addition to the series from one of the finest crime authors on the scene right now

Highly Recommended

5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

First encounter with D S Alexandra Cupidi William Shaws main character. Not only an intriguing crime story keeping the reader fully involved whilst engaging the reader in Natural History. This book gives the reader an insight to the lives and habits of the British badger, the two subjects make a brilliant read.

This is the third (or fourth if you count The Birdwatcher) in the DS Alex Cupidi police crime series and the author is definitely into his stride. The emphasis is on very much on narrative, with established characters only gradually revealing other aspects to their backstory, avoiding distractions from the pace.
This is great if you are looking for a gripping crime thriller with a multiple body count and action. Cupidi is put into life-threatening situations during the investigation on more than one occasion. They are excitingly written and understandably traumatic.
For someone who lives near a lot of the sites in which the novel is set, the author has a really great sense of place and can easily bring them to life on the page.
The novel was environmentally political, with its main plot based on a real contentious proposed housing plan in the area, Otterpool Garden Town. William does offer both sides of the argument but I think firmly comes down on the side of the badgers!

A welcome addition to the series and to Kent-based crime fiction

I adore this Kent based crime series featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi by William Shaw, I love the atmospheric coastal location and the latest addition to this series has a unique and unusual thread that is related from the perspective of a older male badger. The precarious life of the badger, often surviving on the edge of starvation as it forages for the slimmest of picking, male badger rivalries and fights, the dangers of cars, farmers claiming badgers as a source of TB, the cruel illegal badger baiting that take place below the radar, the building of new housing estates in the countryside, and other dangers presented by humans in general are insightfully and informatively outlined in this novel.

The badger is having its territory available to it severely curtailed which is how he comes to be digging up some old human bones buried on the proposed Whitefields development, bones that are 25 years old, of the 15 year old public schoolboy Trevor Woods. It all begins when a couple discover a dead body in a freezer at the home owned by the Uffings that is for sale. Alex is able to identify the murdered body, thanks to her 17 year old daughter, Zoe, currently protesting the Whitefields development, along with other locals. The murder victim turns out to be Vinnie Gibbons, naturalist and protester, he has been poisoned. Alex works the case with her friend and colleague, Constable Jill Ferriter, who complicates matters considerably by dating Harry French, a potential suspect heading the Whitefields Development. In a complex investigation, Alex finds herself facing great danger, whilst mixing in exalted political circles, whilst ruthless forces are determined the truth from the past never sees the light of day as further murders take place.

One of the highlights of the series are the recurring characters, their relationships and development, such as that of Alex with Jill and Bill, although I have yet to forgive her for ensuring that Bill South, a good man and ex-cop, went to prison. Alex is perplexed by her daughter, Zoe, her commitment to wildlife, and birdwatching, demonstrating a patience that Alex herself lacks, but it is Bill and Zoe taking Alex badger watching that provides the break that her murder investigation sorely needed. This is a wonderful addition to the series, focusing on the housing crisis, environmentalism, the cruelty, bullying and other abuse that can take place in public schools, politics and the profiteering from the government's housing development policies. A brilliant crime series that I recommend to crime and thriller fans. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

This is book three of the series and you know what I am going to say next. Yup, start from book one and read in order. I really believe you would benefit from doing so, especially as the character development is really good through what has already gone before and continues through this book.
Also before I crack on with the rest of my review I want to pay tribute to the wonderful badger parts in this book. It's a theme in a lot of books of this genre where you hear from a character every so often during the rest of what is going on but, apart from those books who are centralised around animal characters, I have never had this happen in a more traditional crime book. And it really worked for me.
So there's a body found in a freezer of a vacant house. Unidentified and with no apparent reason for it being there, Alex Cupidi is a bit flummoxed. But as already demonstrated in previous books, she, along with sidekick Jill, has grit and tenacity and goes all in to try and slowly and surely piece together the clues that will hopefully bring a bigger picture of what is going on. Meanwhile, her daughter is getting more active in environmental issues, along with Bill South and they are interested in a badger sett and its proximity to a new build. Little do any of them know exactly what they are about to unearth... literally...!
Ooo this was dead juicy and a little convoluted at times but never confusing. Yes it was jammed packed full of all you expect from a book of the genre; dead ends, about turns, red herrings and shock after twist. But all alongside tight writing and clever plotting that all held me rapt throughout. It really was the complete package. And those badgers...!
We start off, as I've said, with a body in a freezer but as things progressed, well, I never saw the half of all that coming which kept me on my toes throughout the book and also, more importantly, kept me reading on.
All in all, a cracking addition to a now well established series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

i really enjoyed this book ! when a dead body is discovered on the site of a housing project it sets off a whole series of events for the police involved . also an amazing story about badgers !!

William Shaw is a pro in mystery writing. I loved his Breen and Tozer series and kept hoping for more instalments. Instead he started this series which is still growing on me. This last one had a bit of a slow start but drew me in once it got going. I won't talk about the plot, it's solid, as usual, but about what I like most, the character development. As you get to know her better, DS Cupidi becomes a more complex and richer person, her daughter and colleague Jill are also well drawn. The badgers were a great idea. All in all this is an enjoyable, well-written mystery with a good plot. Something to put on your summer reading list maybe or simply to get you out of the Corona blues.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of Grave’s End, the third novel to feature DS Alexandra Cupidi of the Kent Police.

When a body is discovered in the freezer of a vacant luxury house Alex is given the case. The body is identified as a local activist whose activities have upset a number of people but with few concrete leads she has to turn her mind to another case, the discovery of a buried skeleton who is identified as that of schoolboy, Trevor Wood, who disappeared in 1984. Suddenly the two cases are converging.

I thoroughly enjoyed Grave’s End which is an interesting read with several twists and enough going on to hold the attention. The narrative is told mostly from Alex’s point of view with occasional switches to an old badger. Yes, I now know more about badgers than I ever wanted to but it’s a novel way of explaining how the bones surfaced after so many years and informative for nature lovers.

The plot is well done with lots of angles. These kept me busy, trying to work out who was involved, who was a dead end and what the motive was. To be frank, I got nowhere in any of my speculation and was surprised by the solution although I enjoyed the journey. I didn’t find the motive particularly convincing, but, then, I don’t frequent the corridors of power or wealth so perhaps I have little understanding of the need to hold on to them. Nevertheless, the denouement is worth the entrance fee, tense, dangerous and highly unusual. 10/10 for an action scene with a difference.

DS Alex Cupidi is an unusual woman and I still don’t feel, after three novels, that I really know her. She’s smart, dedicated and willing to go above and beyond but she’s solitary and lonely, despite her job, daughter and a couple of friends. I get the feeling she’s looking for something but isn’t sure what that something is as she’s inherently restless. I do like her interactions with her friend Jill, as they provide a little light relief whereas her daughter is a little too woke for her.

Grave’s End is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

An unidentified body in a freezer and an old badger in his sett - one entrance is blocked and the area may be built on. There can’t be a connection can there? Zoe - Alex’s teenage daughter - is becoming increasingly environmental and may be getting into trouble. I found this a very good start to the latest (3rd) book in this author’s series featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi.

This book follows Alex’s investigation of the body in the freezer through a number of twists and turns. The threads are wide ranging and some go back a long time. The emphasis on the environment is also a strong aspect of this story. Much of the tale is again set on the Kent coast around Dungeness where Cupidi lives with her daughter. It’s a setting that has been used effectively in the previous books. While this certainly could be read as a stand alone I would suggest that new readers start with the first book - Salt Lane.

I came to this series a little late. I guess my first reaction to it was that it was somewhat ordinary though made for a good read. However by the end of the first book I realised that the characters were very good. Alex, Zoe and Bill South made for a strong and interesting team. Add in Jill (a DC) who is entertaining and I realised I’d like to read more about these people. It isn’t just the characters either. The landscape/environment also play a role in these stories and are used to good effect.

I found this very readable. The first half runs at a slower pace than the second half. However by the time you get to the second half the book becomes tense and fairly unputdownable. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the characters. I will certainly read more of this series. There is a sort of prequel to these in the form of The Birdwatcher which is on my “to read” list. I’d suggest that this series would be good for anyone who likes a decent crime read. Fans of the series should be very happy with this latest offering.

Not quite four years ago I was struck down by the E. coli bug.  Fortunately, I’m not yet in a position to tell you whether or not that was a better or worse experience than having the current virus, but I can tell you that you really don’t want to contract E. coli.  The first day that I felt like getting out of bed and managing some concentrated reading I picked up William Shaw’s The Birdwatcher. I’d very much enjoyed his series set in the 1960s and featuring DS Breen and WPC Tozer, three of which were available at the time. His new novel, as far as I could see, was a standalone set in present day Kent and built around Police Sergeant William South, a community police officer situated on the coast near Dungeness. South was joined in that particular investigation by DS Alexandra Cupidi, newly arrived on the Kent force from London with her teenage daughter, Zoë. I don’t usually get on very well with standalone crime novels and I wasn’t exactly up to spec on that particular day, but I was so gripped by the story I read without stopping and finished the book in one sitting. The very fact that I can remember exactly where I was and why when I read the novel speaks volumes for its worth.

Well, it turned out that it wasn’t a standalone novel and Graves End is now the fourth in a series in which each one has continued to be as well written and well told as that first episode. Cupidi has, perhaps, moved more centre stage and in this book she finds herself called to investigate the circumstances behind the discovery of a body in a freezer located in the garage of a house that is up for sale. When the body is identified it turns out to be that of a local activist well known among the wildlife enthusiast circle to which both William South and Zoë, Cupidi’s daughter, belong.  Vinnie Gibbons has been one of a number of people concerned about a new housing development, Whitelands Fields, which will destroy a landscape in which badgers have lived for many centuries. There is much local opposition to the project but the company behind it, September Homes, are confident that they are going to get both planning permission and the necessary financial backing.

The author intercuts his narrative with commentary from the viewpoint of one of the old male badgers living beneath the disputed land site and if that sounds as though it might be a bit on the twee side, believe me it isn’t. Shaw uses it to make a very serious point about the way in which all of us, humankind and badger alike, will fight to defend our territory, our families and the way of life to which we are used.  Gibbons has previously been a key witness in a trial against a group of men accused of badger baiting, something which they see as part of the tradition of the land, and initially, Cupidi and her DC, Jill Ferriter, suspect the remaining members of the group every bit as much as they question the involvement of the developers. However, the discovery of human remains, helpfully excavated by the badger, forces them to look in yet another direction.

Like most of the best in crime fiction, Shaw uses his novels to explore issues of current interest and concern. Here, as well as focusing on the grievances felt by those who consider that their long-standing traditions and way of life are being threatened by political correctness, he is also putting the debate about the need for more housing versus the destruction of the environment under the spotlight. 

The bloody housebuilding lobby. They have the government wrapped around their finger. So in this region we’re expected to identify locations in which to build three hundred and fifty new homes a year. And when the housing developers get planning permission on those bits of land almost on the nod, half the time they don’t even build. They just bank the land because it’s now worth many times more because it has planning permission on it, which forces the District Council to allocate even more land for housebuilding in order to comply with government targets, which frees up more land for the money-men to buy...It’s a giant scam. It’s about ruining the English countryside for profit. It makes me furious.
But the housing developers aren’t about to get it all their own way as Cupidi discovers when she finds herself involved with one of the politicians concerned, Howard Roteman. Roteman is clearly doing all he can, without being too obvious, to make sure that the proposed development doesn’t receive the backing that September Homes are so desperately seeking and when it becomes apparent that he appears to have what might be considered suspicious connections to both the potential building site and the human remains that have been discovered there yet a third possible motive for murder raises its head.

To my mind, Shaw is one of the very best current crime writers. He plots well, he draws fine characters and he is particularly good at invoking the setting in which his stories take place. I think this is probably the best of the four Cupidi novels and if you haven’t already discovered this author’s work then I recommend him to you most strongly.

An excellent complex tale of a murder investigation starting in a for sale mansion with a body in a deep freezer. The two female detectives both have complex private lives cleverly intertwined in the story as the body count builds rapidly. It’s all here political shenanigans around planning permission on a potential ecological site so very relevant to the present time. It all builds to a satisfying climax and also the involvement of badgers is an interesting diversion!

Once again another fantastic outing following Alex, her daughter and the local police department. This time the story includes chapters written from the perspective of a badger and this is relevant to the main storyline in a way only understandable if you read the book. I truly look forward to the next installment of this fantastically written book series.
I would recommend this series to all as a book that you will not want to put down until finished I know I couldn't.

Grave's End is somewhat confusingly billed as the 3rd book in the Alexandra Cupidi series when she first actually appeared in The Birdwatcher, the first of 4 of William Shaw's books she appears in. That aside it's another great book in a great series. and quite possibly the only murder mystery in which a Badger plays a leading tole and plays a big part in solving a crime.
The book starts when an Estate Agent and his girlfriend who have illicitly entered a house for a "romantic interlude" that his Agency are trying to sell find a dead body in a freezer. That's a human dead body,not something from the local Butcher . From that point on ,and a rather slow start ,the bodies mount up and Cupidi finds herself in danger as local feelings run high over a proposed housing development that appears to be at the centre of events. From a local level to the House of Lords Cupidi finds herself being thwarted and misled at every turn,threatened and almost killed. Meanwhile best friend Jill enters a relationship with a prime suspect.
While this can be read as a "standalone" it's far better if the reader has already enjoyed the previous books to get the most from this one. I really enjoy the series,not least as I'm familiar with the very special setting of the Romney Marshes ,not least Dungeness where "unique" barely scratches the surface as a description..
Grave's End on the cover alongside the picture of a Windmill is a bit of a pun as a crucial part of the story takes part in Windmill Hill in Gravesend..
A very entertaining read, murders,politics, conspiracy,building tension leading to a stunning finale.......and Badgers,this book has it all.

Thanks to William Shaw , Quercus Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I've dipped in and out of this series and think it probably works best for readers who want a lot of personal engagement with their investigators - between the badgers, the teenagers and the dating-again storylines the crime is almost left behind. Strong on issues, though, and sense of place.

Another great novel by the excellent William Shaw. This is the third in his Kent-based series featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi and her sidekick Jill. When a corpse is found in the freezer of an empty house there seems to be a connection to a local building development. Politicians, schoolteachers and badgers all feature heavily, there are a number of false trails and Alex is put through the wringer before the case is finally cracked. Superbly written and fascinating, as always.