Death's Door

DI Peter Shaw & DS George Valentine #4

by Jim Kelly

An idyllic island holds a dark secret . . .
On a hot August day in 1994, 76 holidaymakers travel to an island off the North Norfolk coast. Only 75 return alive - a young man is murdered, the case left unsolved. Twenty years later, using state-of-the-art forensics, the DNA results of a bloodsoaked towel prompts DI Peter Shaw to summon all 75 original suspects to a mass screening. but one of them, the beautiful Marianne Osbourne, is found dead in her bed. Is there a link to the 1994 murder? DI Shaw and DS Valentine become immersed in the dark secrets of an isolated community.

Genres: Mystery, British Literature, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Police

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Jim Kelly is a journalist and education correspondent for the Financial Times. He lives in Ely with the biographer Midge Gilles and their young daughter. The Water Clock, his first novel, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award for best first crime novel of 2002.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best one so far!

[Reggie Billingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery writers who can cleverly plot, create memorable, intriguing characters all woven into uniquely different scenarios also, MUST in my expectations be able to write decently.

After reading 3 or 4 of Kelly's works I feel I can now unequivocally state that Jim Kelly is the Edward Seago of mystery writing with the bonus that this series is actually set in Norfolk, England. His perfectly compact style, elegantly accurate word choice and succinct sentence structure ensures enjoyment for the reader who loves and appreciates good writing:

In "Death's Door" (whose title remains itself a bit of a mystery until the very end of this fulsomely complex plot...very nicely done!)....

eg 1: "[a Daily Mail reporter] ...was in a pair of moleskin shorts with a shiny brass buckle, and a Polo shirt: baby blue with a Lacoste brand label of the little crocodile. He'd once been able to fit into these clothes." Ulp. There's a clear message in so few words describing a common image any of us know.

eg 2:"A white art deco wall threw a sinuous embrace around an oval pool... - the splashing, the mock screams, the tinny jangle of muzak over a public address system. And the smell, an instant Proustian rush..." And here Kelly drills swiftly and deeply into olfactory memories we all store.

eg 3:"The storm had blown through but gusts of winds still rocked the yachts, their masts clacking." Kelly avoids the banality of a storm that has "passed" and inserts that perfect onomatopoeia because anyone familiar with harbour moorings well knows that masts do exactly that.

Kelly's writing is full of such examples that the choice is profuse. I am so glad I have found this author and would recommend his work to anyone who loves a mystery but also appreciates language.

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored the descriptions of Norfolk - captured perfectly and loved the story and characters too.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deserves 4.25 stars. Twenty years after an unsolved murder on a small island on the Norfolk coast, the police re-open the investigation because they intend to use DNA testing that was unavailable at the time. They will screen the 75 people who were on the island at the time (that was only reachable by ferry) or their close relatives if they are deceased.

DI Peter Shaw & DS George Valentine head the investigation and are under pressure from a new chief constable who is extremely ambitious. He cares far more about results than the people under his jurisdiction.

Before the screening starts, Marianne Osbourne who was a young, beautiful women at the time of the murder is found dead in her bed with a cyanide pill lodged in her throat. We get a lot of background about Shaw and Valentine whose lives are very different and that helps to humanize them.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Up to this one, I've enjoyed every book I've read by Jim Kelly; he is one of the writers on my 'read for inspiration' list. But this - the first with a new publisher - lacks to an alarming degree what the others had in spades.

First, the physical book itself was reminiscent of the amateur end of self-pub or print-on-demand books. Mean margins and a spine too tight to allow the book to be opened flat.

Secondly, the editing was criminally lax. In two separate sections the word 'exactly' appeared twice, and the wrong spellings of 'brake' and 'complement' were used. Overall the story was not as clear as I'm used to reading from Jim Kelly, and I shall hesitate before buying any more published by Creme de la Crime .

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, was Jim Kelly being sarcastic when he thanked the sterling job done by the copy writers? One victim Paul Holtby became Jeff Holtby in Shaw’s summing up, wrap around sunglasses hid DC Lau’s eyes then she slipped on reflective sunglasses a paragraph later, a conversation between Valentine and Jan outside the museum suddenly has Shaw seeing the picture of a bomber and a really intriguing sentence: Valentine glanced in the rear-view mirror at the DS’s face. Only….Valentine is in the passenger seat, and DI Shaw is driving!! Surprised too at a couple of comments about Lau’s ethnicity and Lena’s skin colour.
I like the old-fashioned feel to Kelly’s writing and found the story interesting.

[M. O'Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death’s Door = A Shaw and Valentine Mystery – Published 2012 - **** - Shaw and Valentine investigate a cold case with DNA at a cost of 400,000 pounds. Shaw’s boss gets the glory if it works and will hang Shaw out to dry if it doesn’t. Careers are on the line to add to the stress of solving a cold case that bleeds into current investigations. Great police procedural with a ton of suspects, twists, turns, and red herrings. Add in the personal emotions and it made for a great read. Plenty of suspense right up to the very end. Best Kelly novel I have read yet.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. Bit frustrating as plot progressed because detectives were behind the story rather than actively able to fix things but like the local references and the central characters. Will carry on with the series

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent police procedural, although the premise is far-fetched.

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth in the Shaw and Valentine police procedural series is another complex murder mystery set in bleakly beautiful beaches of Norfolk.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mix of stories in the past and present. Could have done without the stereotypical power-hungry boss.

[Dvdlcs · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot line was interesting enough, although the ebook could have benefited from editing / proof-reading. A lot of typos / wordos could be seen, at least by me.

[Mary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atmospheric

A twisting tale of murder, hunters and the hunted. Deftly transporting the reader into the heart of the story with spare prose and vivid characterizations.

[SkyeWake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story which led in several directions. Not a quick read though

[Ellis Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book.

Another well written, suspenseful, exciting book from Jim Kelly. Don’t miss it and enjoy every page including the final revealing chapter.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death's Door is another outing for the odd couple, DI Shaw and DS Valentine. They are called to investigate what Valentine insists is a suicide and Shaw thinks might be murder but they both agree the method is decidedly strange - a cyanide capsule. This is work they don't need as the new Chief Constable is about to hold a press conference announcing the re-opening of a cold case which they have a good chance of solving as they have DNA and it happened on a small island with one ferry a day so they have a limited number of suspects. Unfortunately nothing is easy so the pressure is on, notably from the Chief Constable, to solve both cases which turn out to be linked.
The plot has plenty of twists, turns and suspects which hold your attention but the reasoning behind it all doesn't ring true to me so I felt the ending was a bit of a disappointment. I like the descriptions of Norfolk which seem realistic and make me want to visit, even though I already live at the seaside. I like the comparisons between the 2 characters, Shaw, the young family man and Valentine, the lonely, rather bitter, old school policeman and it seems to be a metaphor for the changing face of British policing. I also like their triumph in the face of the Chief Constable's threats and bullying.
If you want a competent police procedural then Death's Door will fit the bill nicely.
I have deleted a star from my rating for a poor quality text which has a few typos and incorrect words. It is disappointing to see it from a professional publisher.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read the first three books in this series and I enjoyed them (especially the first book). However, this book was just "okay." The main characters are investigating a 20 year old murder and decide to run DNA tests on 74 people who were present on the day of the murder. There are numerous (as in overkill) mentions on how they decide to rush the testing and the great expense of said testing in light of the budget cutbacks etc. My question is, why the rush? After 20 years, why did they need to get this testing done in a few days? The cold case won't get much colder. It could have waited. Plus, there were other loose ends that made that a poor decision (other people could have been on the island, the captain was never interviewed, other people could have been on the ship etc). It just didn't make any sense to me. I have volunteered with a missing person's organization and know that when a body is found, it can still take months or even years until a DNA match is completed because of backlog etc. I know that obviously it was key to the plot to have this testing done, but it was so weak that I couldn't get over it. Some of the supporting characters were a bit too cliched as well, making for some boring sub-plots. The author mentions moving to a new publishing house in a blurb in the front. I can't help but wonder if his former publisher had some of the same issues with this book. I hope the next book in the series is more plausible.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last time I read a book in this exceptional series, I made note of the tension in the working relationship between DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine, who had previously been the partner of Shaw's late father. Although there has been some rapprochement between the two, the friction between them is underscored by dramatically different working methods and approaches. I like both characters and look forward to seeing their uneasy partnership develop in future books. In addition to the excellent characterizations, author Kelly is a skillful plotter, throwing out red herrings and setting up a half-dozen potential suspects and scenarios. I came around to my conclusions about the perpetrator's identity just around the time Shaw and Valentine did. He also does a lovely job of sketching the setting, the North Norfolk coast.

The blurb on the back mentions Jim Kelly in the same breath as two of my other favorites, Peter Lovesey and the late Reginald Hill. I'm pleased to say that his writing compares favorably to both, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the Shaw/Valentine series (Death's Door is the fourth).

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An apparent suicide starts a chain of murders though DI Peter Shaw does not believe Marianne Osbourne committed suicide. His sidekick - DS George Valentine thinks it is just a plain, ordinary suicide. The unsolved case is about to come back into the headlines because of new DNA techniques and Shaw and Valentine find their careers on the line and a race against time to solve both present and past cases.

This is an intriguing and complex mystery in which every new fact that comes to life seems to put them further from the solution. I thought the geographical setting for this story really came to life as did all the characters. I felt sorry for the victims and actually for the murderer too in the end. The end itself is nail bitingly tense and I found myself reading faster and faster to find out whether Shaw and Valentine won their race against time.

I recommend this series to anyone who likes atmospheric police procedurals with interesting characters and realistic psychological motivations. Some of the descriptions are not for the squeamish but they are never gratuitously graphic and they fit the story.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The repercussions of WWII, though fading, are still present in surprising ways in England. It's only a small part of this well-written police procedural, but Britain's efforts to set up a warren of underground lairs that could be used in case of Nazi occupation came as a surprise to me. I'm not talking about the pillbox structures built to defend the Norfolk coast from invasion; those were clearly visible. But the government also dug secret underground bunkers that resistance fighters could use, if necessary; they were carefully concealed and well stocked with supplies, including cyanide capsules.

The main plot revolves around an unsolved mystery from the more recent past. I loved the depiction of life in a seaside town that depends on a very short summer season, during which the locals must do whatever it takes to soak the tourists so the townspeople can survive for another year. This book probably deserves three-and-a-half-stars as a whodunit, but I tipped over to four because I found the quality of the writing fresh and thoughtful.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

DI Shaw and DS Valentine (he hasn't been restored to his old rank yet, in spite of the old charges against him and Shaw's father being disproved)are called to investigate an apparent suicide which turns out to be murder. The dead woman swallowed a WWII era cyanide capsule, but the autopsy reveals that somebody else helped, or forced, her to do so.

At the same time, their abrasively ambitious new Chief Constable O'Hare has assigned them a cold case investigation - the murder of a young life guard on a beach island off the Norfolk coast from 1994. O'Hare sees the case as a win win for him. If it's solved he will get the credit. If not, the cost of the half million pound DNA testing and the failure will rest on Shaw's shoulders.

An interesting story, well written, characters and setting continue to be engaging.

[Mandy Radley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th Shaw/Valentine book and it doesn't disappoint. From the first, Death Wore White I like how Jim Kelly has built the relationship with DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine who once work with Shaw's father. How he describes the Norfolk countryside and weather all adds to the atmospherics and the story. Death's Door sees a new Chief Constable, who doesn't like either Shaw or Valentine re-open a cold case murder 20 years ago using the latest forensics to try and catch the murder or a young man stabbed to death on an island off the Norfolk Coast. Then there several deaths all the bodies are found with a wartime cyanide pill lodged in their throat. Shaw and Valentine have to determine how they are all linked with the death of the young man 20 years ago.

I just hope there will be more in this series.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Mandy, who lent me this book while I was off work and to Helen Almey for putting me on to this author in the first place. I have enjoyed this author because his characters are complex, flawed people trying to make their way in the world while his mysteries are the kind that keep you guessing and when you get to the end, you exclaim to yourself "of course!" because the clues were there all along. Like the best detective fiction, the crimes are not committed by psychopaths - evil outside of the mainstream - but by ordinary people who have made mistakes and wrong choices. I hope to read more of the doings of Shaw and Valentine in the future. Will Pete's eye ruin his career? Has Valentine got a second chance at joining the world? Has the past been forgiven? These questions will keep me reading as well as whatever clever crime they are trying to solve.

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I started this series not as thrilled with the main characters, they have definitely grown on me.

"On a hot August day in 1994, 76 holidaymakers travel to an island off the North Norfolk coast. Only 75 return alive – a young man is murdered, the case left unsolved. Twenty years later, using state-of-the-art forensics, the DNA results of a bloodsoaked towel prompts DI Peter Shaw to summon all 75 original suspects to a mass screening. but one of them, the beautiful Marianne Osbourne, is found dead in her bed. Is there a link to the 1994 murder? DI Shaw and DS Valentine become immersed in the dark secrets of an isolated community."

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. It is by far my favorite of the Shaw/Valentine books. The wonderful thing about all of Jim Kelly's books are that fact that everyone, victims and predators alike are written as human beings. Every character is sympathetic, even those who murder and keep on murdering. There are no monsters in Jim Kelly books, with the possible exception of the higher-ups in the police force. The real "bad guy" in this book isn't the person guilty of the murders, it's the chief constable trying to ruin the career of his best DI!!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this English police procedural, even if I couldn'tfigure out every one of the English idiomatic expressions used. Great lead characters are well limned, the Norfolk setting by the sea I could see in my mind. The plot was interesting and pacing was great. I was quite ready for the team of Sullivan and Valentine to solve the homicides. The DI and the DS's actions at the end were unexpected but a nice twist at the end. The author has moe titles in this series, plus an additional series.

[Heidi (on slight hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death's Door, like all the other Shaw and Valentine mysteries, is a solid procedural with likeable characters and a strong sense of place. Maybe because it took awhile for the bodies to pile up or maybe because there were so many bodies all at once, but this was my least favorite mystery thread. However, what I liked about this installment is the changing nature of the relationship between Shaw and Valentine. Looking forward to what Mr Kelly has planned for these two next.

[Christine]

Excellent read. I couldn't put it down. DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine are up there as two clever British detectives seemingly mismatched but both complimentary to the other. The plot of this story moves like the true heat wave of a typical hazy,hit, and humid summer, complete with downpours and eerily echo the human drama of a 15 year unsolved murder.

[EssentiallyMeagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh is what I have to say about this book. While the location and initial story seemed interesting I found myself not really caring about the central mystery in this book. I had figured one part of it out early on..and then it just took a while for everything to be sorted out.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked this book better if the typface hadn't been so closely spaced. I found it difficult to read because of that! Otherwise, a good story and it left me wanting to read the rest of the series.