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Following the events of DEATH MASK, forensic physician Anya Crichton is offered the chance to relax on a cruise liner along with her young son. The only problem is that her ex-husband comes along as part of the package, but Anya can live with that provided she gets to spend plenty of time with Ben. Unfortunately for Anya, she soon finds herself caught up in an investigation into the death of a teenage girl whose soaking wet body is found hidden in a locker. Anya was one of the first people on the scene when the girl was found, but despite her best efforts, it was too late to save her, although it seemed possible that with earlier help, she might have been brought round before the cocktail of drugs and alcohol in her system, combined with the cold from the soaking she'd received, did its deadly work. Anya is on a vast ship in the middle of the ocean, and a convenient patch of bad weather means that the ship is isolated for a while, leaving the head of security, David FitzHarris, free to call on her expertise. As plot devices go, it's certainly not a bad one and the cruise ship setting works extremely well. Through Anya's eyes, Fox takes the reader on a fascinating tour of a ship the size of a small town, sailing through international waters, with no police on board, just its own security team and a small army of employees. Anya's excursions into the bowels of the ship tread a fine line between entertainment and information dump, but usually come down on the side of the former, and I found myself devouring the details, including those relating to the ship's green credentials, which soon become relevant to the plot. Anya Crichton is a woman with boundless empathy, not only for the victims themselves, but for their families and loved ones, and it's her ability to get close to people that shines through the narrative. The more she learns about the cruise industry, the more she is horrified to discover that on average, one person goes missing from a cruise ship every two weeks. Not a comfortable fact if you happen to be a passenger on one at the time. Anya is determined to uncover the truth of what is going on aboard the Paradiso, even though it means putting herself in danger. This isn't necessarily the book to take with you on holiday, especially if that holiday happens to be on a cruise liner, but COLD GRAVE is certainly a book that I can recommend very highly. The pace is well-maintained, and builds carefully to a satisfying conclusion. In my view, Anya Crichton has already earned herself a place alongside Kay Scarpetta and Temperance Brennan. § Linda Wilson is a writer, and retired solicitor, with an interest in archaeology and cave art, who now divides her time between England and France.
Reviewed by Linda Wilson, August 2012
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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