Friday 27 October 2023

The Drowning Place by S W Kane

Dear friends. Hold onto your hats, here's another thrilling read to get the heart racing! It's my turn on the blog tour for The Drowning Place by S W Kane.

SYNOPSIS

Looking for clues about her sister’s death amid the crumbling decay of a derelict and near-deserted London neighbourhood, urban explorer Connie Darke makes a terrifying discovery: William Stark, the estate’s architect and long-time resident, is hanging from the church’s vaulted ceiling.

For DI Lew Kirby, there’s no doubt that Stark was lured to his death—but who wanted him dead, and why? As Connie begins a covert investigation, desperate to find a connection to her sister, Kirby soon discovers that the remaining residents have something to hide.

My Thoughts

A very complex crime thriller, the second to feature Detective Inspector Lew Kirby. Looking at the biography of author S W Kane, her interests in architecture and urban explorers are obvious sources of inspiration for this story.

I love a book where I learn something, and this one had me frantically Googling tin churches.

Kane paints a picture of a virtually derelict and structurally dangerous sink estate. Just a few obstinate residents remain, among them the architect, William Stark. You may wonder why an architect was living in a rundown estate he designed.

DI Kirby is called in to investigate the death of Stark, a tireless campaigner for improvements on the estate and a widower whose wife had thrown herself off one of the buildings.

Kirby is troubled in his personal life. He has discovered he carries a gene for a hereditary condition. Urban explorer Connie, a friend of Kirby's, assists him in a covert investigation. It becomes apparent the remaining residents have something to hide. Is it linked to the decades-old disappearance of a boy from the estate, Kevin Shires?

I loved the multitude of different angles and characters. The architect angle gave an unusual spin and I enjoyed learning about tin churches and urban explorers. The ending was quite gory and I find myself occasionally shuddering as I think about what happened to Connie.

An interesting and multi-layered read.

About the Author: S W Kane

S W Kane has a degree in History of Design and worked at the Royal Institute of British Architects before taking on a series of totally unrelated jobs in radio and the music industry. She has an MA in Creative (Crime) Writing from City University. She began reading crime fiction at an early age and developed an obsession with crime set in cold places. A chance encounter with a derelict fort in rural Pembrokeshire led to a fascination with urban exploration, which in turn became the inspiration for her crime novels. She lives in London.

Thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours, NetGalley and the author, for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

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