This review is written with thanks to Spellbound Books for my copy of Dead Drift.

Blurb:

Former Detective Inspector Jack Lunn is enjoying the quiet life.

Twenty years on from being medically retired from the job with Hampshire Police, he’s earned his quiet routine of long walks in the New Forest.

However, Jack’s peace is shattered when he discovers the body of a friend and local landowner while on a fishing trip.

Drawn into the investigation, he comes face to face with an old colleague, and the police investigation machine he thought he had left behind.

As family secrets are exposed and a reporter takes an interest, Jack and his partner’s eldest daughter Gemma, a former military intelligence officer set to work to uncover who killed his friend.

As the body count rises, can they both unravel the mystery before it’s too late, or will Jack’s life be sacrificed as just so much dead drift.

Review:

It’s time for me to become acquainted with another new Investigator and I really enjoyed meeting Jack Lunn. The author approaches this story quite differently to others in the genre in that the protagonist is a former detective so he doesn’t have official access to the information pertaining to the case. However, where there is a will, there is a way and some of Lunn’s methods are actually quite amusing. He has a good gut instinct and this makes the investigation interesting. I also liked that we meet Lunn’s family as this makes him easier to relate to – and Gemma could have her own spin off  series. 

The majority of Dead Drift is set in the New Forest in Hampshire. Hill’s descriptions of the area are detailed and it’s clearly a part of the country he knows well. The strong sense of place really helped me to picture what was happening. 

Dead Drift is a novel with no shortage of suspects and that gives the reader a lot to unpack. I enjoyed learning about the dynamics between the characters and trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The novel is very well plotted and there are several red herrings and unexpected revelations to keep the reader guessing. 

Dead Drift is available from Amazon.