Review: Doggerland, by Heide Goody and Iain Grant

Doggerland

There’s something very wrong at the Otterside care home.

When Sam Applewhite tries to help a friend who’s lost a beloved pet she  finds that it’s just the first in a series of seemingly unconnected deaths. Is it her imagination, or do all of them somehow point back to the same residential home for seniors?

Sam’s skills are in demand elsewhere however, as she must orchestrate a safety drill with animal actors, cook dinner on an abandoned oil rig and keep an eye on those vikings who are building a longship.

When the police don’t see the pattern, it’s all down to Sam, and the closer she gets to uncovering what’s going on at Otterside, the more danger she’s in

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095LT3KZ5/ref=series_rw_dp_swUS – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095LT3KZ5/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

My Review

Thanks to Heide and Iain for my copy of the book, and to Rachel for organising this blog tour.

You are forgiven for your crimes against Lincolnshire in Sealfinger.

I had another epic reading session, 539 pages in five hours; I was going to have an early night! Talking of epics, the Odinsons make their return, this time they’re building a longship to go raiding – Cleethorpes is the first target. We learn that Ragnar isn’t the Yorkshire Viking he claims to be, but a Peterborough lad who went to Sunday school. Hilde is an engineering genius and three of the younger lads are in a Viking Metal band called Heat Heads. And Astrid makes delightfully embroidered cushions with scenes of flowers, hearts and torture.

Meanwhile, Sam is investigating the foul murder of, well, fowl. Drumstick, one of Delia’s turkeys has been beaten to death with a plank. All clues point to the retirement village next door. Rich is back in her life, with a bizarre scheme to build a theme park on Dogger Bank and a casino hotel on a decommissioned oil rig.

There follows an odd Christmas, more murders and a chase across the cold waters of the North Sea on Boxing Day.

I was gripped. We learn more about PC Cesar Hackett and his unpleasant wife, and a new police officer DC Camara arrives when one of Sam’s community service clients is stewed. The new and old characters develop as the plot does and we learn more about the mysterious deaths associated with Otterside Retirement Village.

I found this mystery entertaining, very funny and utterly intriguing. I couldn’t stop turning the pages as I followed Sam’s adventures and saw event’s from multiple angles. I haven’t even mentioned some of the funnier events in the story, because I don’t want to spoiler too much.

If you enjoy your crime fiction a little on the mad side, highly recommended.