Interesting police procedural set in early 90s in Essex. Plot is quite complicated and very dark but the writing is good and the characters convincing. I liked the contrast between the two detectives and the bleak setting, some good twists.

An interesting police procedural if a bit slow and confusing in parts. I liked the main characters, DS Kenton and DS Brazier, they are very much 1990s officers, where people still smoked, slightly bent the rules and political correctness hadn’t been thought of. I liked the way the two men bounced of each other, working in such different styles, but that’s what makes it interesting, There was a good story line, again of its time, with various suspects & red herrings and where the criminals they didnt catch were last seen living it up in Spain. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I’ll look for whatever he writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fire in the ancient wooden structure of a rural church roof. A body in the boot of a submerged car. Seemingly unconnected but the two detectives assigned to the case along with the local officers realise that under the charred timbers in the main body of the church there are small anomalies, little questions unanswered.
I found the writing rather difficult to follow as the author jumped from one character to another and from the nineteen eighties back to the fifties, with very little to hold my attention.

Bruce Hopkins thinks his greatest risk is that he will be arrested; he doesn’t know that someone has planned his murder. It is February 1991 and Bruce has been living in Spain for the last decade, safe (in those days) from extradition to the UK on a charge of drug smuggling. However, he has recently received a letter from his ex-wife, Chloe, saying that she is seriously ill and wants to see him before it’s too late. Using a false name and passport, he returns to Colchester in Essex, figuring that his appearance has changed enough to avoid being spotted, and that those police officers who were involved in his case are probably all retired by now. Waiting for Chloe in a pub, he is met by her friend, Mandy, who has come to take him to ‘housebound’ Chloe’s flat.
About the same time, DS Kenton and his partner DS Brazier have been assigned to investigate an arson attack on a mediaeval church; a fairly trivial case as far as their boss, Superintendent Watt, is concerned. Things liven up, however, when Brazier finds a body in the boot of a car recently pulled out of a reservoir, and become even more lively when the body, inevitably, turns out to be that of Bruce Hopkins. Chloe is not ill and claims never to have written to Bruce, so who lured Bruce to his death and what was their motive? What is the connection, if any, between the fire and the murder?
This is a police procedural, based firmly in the time period both in terms of period features (e.g. chain smoking), and stylistically in the plot form and the writing. Events unfurl in a logical fashion and a realistic time frame, clues and red herrings are slipped in along the way in a natural way, characters are believable and relatable. DS Kenton (slightly posh, highly educated, careful) is an established character from the DI Nick Lowry series, with his foibles intact, while Brazier is new and a total contrast (working class, two CSEs, reckless). It isn’t a challenging read but it is a pleasurable one.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This was an OK read but not one which I found thrilling or gripping I’m afraid. I thought the plot was a bit slow paced and a little overly complicated. The descriptions of Essex were good and the writing flowed nicely so I’m actually not sure why I couldn’t become fully involved in the story! I would certainly try another of this author’s books though, and thank NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

I found this book easy to get into especially as the characters were full realised. The twists kept this book exciting.

In December 1990, Chloe attends a party at a hotel near Colchester, something she rarely does for a variety of reasons by principally the desire for anonymity. Fast forward to February 1991, DS Daniel Kenton is off duty and bird watching on the Essex coast despite the thick snowfall and cutting wind. From there a fire is spotted across the water at Brightlingsea which proves to be the roof of a Norman church. Meanwhile, Bruce Hopkins arrives back on a flight from Spain, the winter visitor from warmer climes. He hasn’t returned to the UK for ten years - what has lured him back after all this time? Kenton and DS Brazier are teamed up to investigate the fire which seems to spark a chain reaction of a bizarre sequence of events. Can the two detectives get to the bottom of the strange circumstances that have disturbed the peace in this formerly tranquil part of Essex?

I haven’t read James Henry’s books before but I like the way he writes so this has definitely encouraged me to want to read more. I enjoy this mystery/thriller which seems to become more of a puzzle with every passing day. There’s certainly plenty going on which keeps my attention from start to finish and it’s all told at a good pace with some touches of humour. The plot becomes more complex but as the author writes with clarity it’s not in the least hard to follow. The storytelling starts in one place and heads in a very unexpected direction but which is all too believable. I like the way the author uses the context of the early ‘90’s to give the plot credibility and which also serves to remind of some key decisions which impacts the plot. There are several twists and turns which leads to a good ending.

I enjoy the pairing of the two detectives who though different are united in their attitudes towards their ambitious boss. Brazier is especially interesting but there’s more to Kenton than meets the eye making them both fascinating protagonists. They’re both intelligent and intuitive, they seem to compliment each other and there’s entertaining dialogue between them. I want to see what happens to theses two in future books.

I love the atmosphere the author creates in Essex, there are some good descriptions to give a visual sense of place and there’s s good tour of the county. The snowy weather adds an extra chill factor to the storyline.

Overall, an entertaining and enjoyable read.

For some reason I have not read many detective thrillers set in Essex. May be there aren't that many? So it was both an education and an acquaintanceship with the lead characters DS Daniel Kenton and DS Brazier that attracted me to read The Winter Visitor by James Henry. Plus of course the period it was set in, February 1991. The hook is the apparent murder of Bruce Hopkins, found in the boot of a previously submerged Ford Sierra. Remember the German jelly moulds as they were referred to back then? Yes, the Sierra was pulled from a reservoir after a member of the public made the police aware of its dumping. I say hook but we are spoilt by having two because DS Daniel Kenton pursuing his hobby of bird watching, is alerted to a fire in the distance, possibly a church, out Brightlingsea way. So we now have two threads, a church fire which destroys the roof only and a possible murder. Whilst there is no obvious connection, as the sory unravels it becomes apparent that there is. Actually its a very sad story when everything is revealed and very much of its time. The two detectives, forced to work together, are complete opposites. Think of Jack Sprat and his wife, with the objective being a clean platter.
I enjoyed the novel but hope the final release is better than my ARC as there were a few errors which caused many a re-read of the dialogue.

Not sure if I enjoyed this one or not, as it didn’t exactly grab me in a way that some books do, but it was a decent enough read, whilst not being one of those page turners, must keep reading books.