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The Chemistry of Death

Author: Simon Beckett
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

41 reviews
Sales Rank: 1045607

Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1

ISBN: 0385340044
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780385340045
ASIN: 0385340044

Publication Date: September 26, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Dispatched from the US -- Expect delivery in 2-3 weeks. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

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Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous August 10, 2008
I read the first paragraph of this book whilst standing in the supermarket queue. Although unlike anything I have chosen to read before, I was instantly gripped. Regrettably, it is a long time since I have found a book I have been unable to put down, however, this book broke the rut. I loved it!!

5 out of 5 stars

A great new British author and a great lead character June 2, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

`The Chemistry of Death' is the new forensic thriller from Simon Beckett and is the first in the series starring Dr David Hunter. The story begins shortly after David moves to the small village of Manham following the deaths of his wife and daughter in a car accident in London. Women begin to go missing and are found days later in the woods and marshland brutally mutilated and set on display with dead animals placed near them. David used to work with the police back in the city so the local police find this out and ask for his help. As more women go missing and the police have nothing to go on, the residents of Manham become more vigilant and make it harder for David and the police to find the killer.

I'm a big fan of forensic thrillers like Cornwell and Reichs so when I started reading this and realised that it was based in England, I really did strike gold with Simon Beckett! The setting of Manham seems very claustrophobic despite it being in a hot, bright and sunny setting for a majority of the book, with the residents being very close-knit and making David feel like a real outsider. The story is fairly fast-paced although did give me time to really get to know David and his background near the start of the book rather than jumping straight into the murders and abductions of the women. The characters are all very realistic with David being a really great lead character that is likeable and believable, even if some of his characteristics are a little cliche (dead wife and kid, moves away to a new place) in the crime fiction genre. I still look forward to reading the next in the series. Beckett's knowledge on dead bodies seems to be quite detailed and accurate (as far as I'm aware) and I felt I learnt a bit too when reading this too.

Overall this is a really great British thriller that I found to be very scary and extremely exciting and tense. I didn't guess the killer at all and so when I found out who it was it was a surprise. I highly recommend this to fans of Cornwell and Reichs who also enjoy book s by authors like Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin, as it does feel like a mix of the two types of crime fiction rolled into one. I can't wait to read the second book in the series now.

5 out of 5 stars

The Chemistry of Death May 20, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

This has got to be one of the best thrillers I have read for a very long time. The story twists and turns, and I was compelled to carry on reading. I did so in one day!! It is brilliantly written and impossible to guess the outcome. I cannot recommend it highly enough as a "bloody good read". Well done Simon Beckett what an outstanding talent in this genre - I am just about to start the next book Written in Bone, and I can only hope it is as good.

3 out of 5 stars

Good style, poor plot. May 13, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful

I've read a lot of poor British crime novels recently - I don't rate Billingham, I can't stand Kernick, and Peter James isn't worth bothering with. So, it was a breath of fresh air when I picked up this effort by Simon Beckett - it was obvious in the first couple of pages that this guy could write. His style is smooth and polished and he generates great depth and atmosphere in his prose.

However, the longer I got through the book, I became slightly disappointed. For a start, call me picky, but the title is poor. The Chemistry of Death sounds like a poor `B' movie title, and expresses nothing about the book at all. I'm sure I could think of a dozen better titles in about 5 minutes than this one.

I also don't like the 1st / 3rd person mix. I think that's an indication of an author wanting his cake and eating it. If it's a 1st person novel, it needs to be all the way through. Have the courage of your convictions - if you can't express the themes, structure and exposition within the 1st person, then make it all 3rd person.

So, what happens. Ex-forensic anthropologist David Hunter, distraught after the death of his wife and daughter, takes a job in a GPs surgery in a small Norfolk village. Then a woman is killed in a macabre way and another goes missing. Perhaps Hunter can help...

I have no real problem with Beckett's settings, characters etc - it's the plot where this novel ultimately fails. I was expecting a trail of clues that led to the identifications of the killer, through intelligent analysis of the science. Unfortunately, while Hunter does come out with some interesting information about decomposing corpses, the killer is unveiled through pure coincidence and not through any forthright detective work. Beckett tries to give us a few false leads and then simply drops the killer on us with no real logical reason. Any consistent reader of crime novels can probably have a wild stab at the identity of the killer, given the rather shallow pool of suspects, but one would expect logical deduction on Hunter's part.

As far as the killer is concerned, their motivation is poorly exposed and very tenous. And the obligatory twist at the end is very banal and put there as a twist for a twist sake.

Also, Hunters' developing relationship with a local schoolteacher is unnecessary and simply provides a plot movement that you can see coming a mile away.

All in all, Beckett can write, sure, but this ultimately remains a very average crime `thriller' that has flashes of brilliance, but ends up being simply average, hence the average rating.

4 out of 5 stars

A good read. May 7, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

Although I did find this book a page turner, I didn't think was as good as the hype on here. I loved the science involved, it made the whole story more interesting and realistic, although I was disappointed with the reasons behind the murder (it was a bit typical) and I didn't feel there was much depth to the characters. Plus points was that it was easy to read, was definitely a page turner, it threw you off course and kept you guessing and ended well unlike most thrillers. I'm looking forward to reading his next book 'Written in Bone'.