jacey | Booklog 17/26: R.B. Croft: The River Man

Audiobook narrated by Dominic West.

Clem used to be in charge of policing in the sleepy northern village of Watersmeet, now he’s 62 and a special constable, working under a boss who hates him. The feeling is mutual, but Clem gets on with being a community copper and puts up with it for the sake of his job. It’s all he has left since his wife died. A pair of grisly murders within a few days of each other sets the whole village in an uproar. Regional police get involved and there’s a lot of posturing and media preening from Clem’s superiors. They’re sure it’s a drug-gang to blame, but Clem knows better. A little girl sees a monster lurking in her back garden and Clem goes in search of answers. Could a local legend be true? Is the River Man on the prowl, and if so how can Clem prevent more deaths? Suspended from his job over a disagreement, he takes matters into his own hands. It’s his village and he’s going to sort it whatever the challenges. This is a murder mystery with supernatural elements. Dominic West reads this brilliantly; the characters are well delineated and the pacing is spot-on. An excellent listen.