The story opens with the apparently accidental drowning of a sixth form student in the Norfolk countryside. As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters.

As a former Detective Chief Inspector, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear some of his superiors wish that he would do so. With a new trainee detective in tow, Smith begins to unravel the truth about what happened to Wayne Fletcher. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes obvious that others are involved—some seem determined to prevent it, some seem to be taking too much interest. In the end Smith operates alone, having stepped too far outside standard procedures to ask for support. He knows his own safety might be at risk but he has not calculated on the life of his young assistant also being put in danger.

A boy drowns; is it an accident or did the disappearing canoeist have something to do with the death? DS Smith is tasked with maybe investigating or maybe just letting it stay an accidental death. Tension in the station is palpable as Smith’s superiors really wish he would retire following a case that saw him take a demotion.

This was written in 2013 but somehow the feel is like it was written much earlier. I can’t quite put my finger on why it feels like a period piece when it is barely over  a decade old.  The investigation is almost entirely driven by Smith’s observations but we get very little insight into the events that led him to being demoted from DCI to DS.  The plot moves along at a steady pace, though we see everything solely via Smith’s actions and words. The conclusions Smith reaches along the way make sense with the information he has and the ultimate conclusion on the drowning death is both one we see coming in terms of the actual death while the reason for the fateful meeting was likely more timely in 2013 than it is currently.  This is a well-plotted mystery with interesting characters we want to know more about.  While it took me a bit to get into the story I will be looking for the second book in the series, in particular to learn more about Smith’s past. Recommended ~~ Stephanie L Bannon