Member Review
Review by
Ruth P, Reviewer
The Estate by Denzil Mayrick is a gripping read full of mystery and adventures.
The book starts, with the sudden death of a hedge fund manager, Sebastian Pallander, on live tv, it then takes us to an out of the way office of a small police department Succession, Inheritance and Executory (SIE) where the disgraced, or certainly “hidden”, DI Cara Salt, meets her new DS, Abernethy Blackstock.
After a slow build up, the excitement begins when Pallander’s eco warrior son gets blown up in what is likely to be a nasty accident. Salt is called to attend the scene and then sent to the Pallander’s stately home to impart details of the investigation. SIE’s involvement wouldn’t usually be required and it is all very cloak and dagger. Things are not what they seem and are about to get more mysterious and perilous for DI Salt as kidnapping, murder and mayhem ensue.
The Pallander clan are not likable characters. Salt herself holds her own secrets and is initially a very hard shell to crack. Once in situ at the Pallander’s home though things begin to get far more interesting. I like to be able to understand if not like, characters in a book and each member of the Pallander clan was intriguing. Each had their reasons, selfish or otherwise, for being unlikable and for some, hints of true kindness and empathy are displayed. As the story develops so did my interest in DI Salt and her backstory. I love the complexity of the characterisation in the book where every turn of the page unwraps layers, answering some of the questions or reservations I had about each one.
I usually stick to “cosy” crime and have never been a fan of police procedurals, traditional crime or thrillers. However once I got into this book, I was gripped by all the action and loved the mysteries held within the pages. I do enjoy a good car chase on tv and it turns out it is no different on paper! I know that if DI Salt has more adventures in the future I will there to join her.
The book starts, with the sudden death of a hedge fund manager, Sebastian Pallander, on live tv, it then takes us to an out of the way office of a small police department Succession, Inheritance and Executory (SIE) where the disgraced, or certainly “hidden”, DI Cara Salt, meets her new DS, Abernethy Blackstock.
After a slow build up, the excitement begins when Pallander’s eco warrior son gets blown up in what is likely to be a nasty accident. Salt is called to attend the scene and then sent to the Pallander’s stately home to impart details of the investigation. SIE’s involvement wouldn’t usually be required and it is all very cloak and dagger. Things are not what they seem and are about to get more mysterious and perilous for DI Salt as kidnapping, murder and mayhem ensue.
The Pallander clan are not likable characters. Salt herself holds her own secrets and is initially a very hard shell to crack. Once in situ at the Pallander’s home though things begin to get far more interesting. I like to be able to understand if not like, characters in a book and each member of the Pallander clan was intriguing. Each had their reasons, selfish or otherwise, for being unlikable and for some, hints of true kindness and empathy are displayed. As the story develops so did my interest in DI Salt and her backstory. I love the complexity of the characterisation in the book where every turn of the page unwraps layers, answering some of the questions or reservations I had about each one.
I usually stick to “cosy” crime and have never been a fan of police procedurals, traditional crime or thrillers. However once I got into this book, I was gripped by all the action and loved the mysteries held within the pages. I do enjoy a good car chase on tv and it turns out it is no different on paper! I know that if DI Salt has more adventures in the future I will there to join her.
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