The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett @BeckettSimon #BlogTour @HJ_Barnes #TheScentofDeath #Review

Thank you for stopping by as I take part in the blog tour for The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett and share my review today. With thanks to Hayley at Transworld for the invite to join the tour and for my copy of the book.

First of all though let’s take a look at the description for the book…

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s been a good summer for forensics expert Dr David Hunter. His relationship is going well and he’s in demand again as a police consultant. Life is good.

Then a call comes from an old associate: a body has been found, and she’d like Hunter to take a look.

The empty shell of St Jude’s Hospital now stands awaiting demolition, its only visitors society’s outcasts, addicts and dealers. A partially mummified corpse has been discovered in the hospital’s cavernous loft, but not even Hunter can say how long it’s been there. All he knows for sure is that it’s the body of a young woman. And that she was pregnant.

But the collapse of the loft floor reveals another of the hospital’s secrets. A sealed-off chamber, still with beds inside. Some of them occupied…

For Hunter, what began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare that threatens everyone around him. And as the investigation springs more surprises, one thing is certain.

St Jude’s hasn’t claimed its last victim . . .

With its viscerally authentic forensics, menacing atmosphere and nerve-shredding tension, Simon Beckett’s new crime thriller will leave you gasping.

BUY LINK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scent-Death-David-Hunter/dp/059306349X

MY REVIEW

Now I have to admit this is the first book I have read by Simon Beckett so at first I did worry that I might struggle as we are well into an established series. However Simon Beckett easily weaved past storylines into this book so I didn’t feel as if I was lost or missing something along the way. It all ended up feeling quite natural and just worked at setting up what was to come.

I have to say I really enjoyed the detail in this story from setting the scene to the details regarding the bodies. It definitely helped to create a vivid picture and pull me even further into the story. From the descriptions of the bodies to the smell, I could have been right there with them!

There is a definite eerie feeling and that is down to the setting after all an abandoned hospital about to be demolished easily conjures up a dark and tense atmosphere. Then add in bodies being discovered and it really ramps up the tension.

I thought the plot moved steadily and I enjoyed the twists and turns that popped up throughout. I liked the fact that you do see a little of the police investigation but the real focus is more on the forensics side so if you do have an interest in that then this book would definitely be a hit for you.

Intriguing and tense with a dark edge!