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  • Blackwater

  • By: James Henry
  • Narrated by: Tim Bruce
  • Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (51 ratings)
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Blackwater cover art

Blackwater

By: James Henry
Narrated by: Tim Bruce
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Summary

The new Essex-based crime series from the best-selling author of the DI Jack Frost prequels.

January 1983, Colchester CID

A new year brings new resolutions for Detective Inspector Nicholas Lowry. With one eye on his approaching 40th birthday, he has given up his two greatest vices: smoking and the police boxing team. As a result the largest remaining threat to his health is now his junior colleague's reckless driving.

If Detective Constable Daniel Kenton's orange sports convertible is symbolic of his fast track through the ranks, then his accompanying swagger, foppish hairstyle and university education only augment his uniqueness in the department. Yet regardless of this, it is not DC Kenton who is turning station heads.

WPC Jane Gabriel is the newest police recruit in Britain's oldest recorded town. Despite a familial tie to top brass, Gabriel's striking beauty and profound youth have landed her with two obstacles: a young male colleague who gives her too much attention and an older one who acts like she's not there.

January 1983, Blackwater Estuary

A new year brings a new danger to the Essex shoreline. An illicit shipment bound for Colchester - 100 kilograms of powder that will frantically accelerate tensions in the historic town and leave its own murderous trace.

Lowry, Kenton and Gabriel must now develop a tolerance to one another and show their own substance to save Britain's oldest settlement from a new, unsettling enemy.

©2016 James Henry (P)2016 Quercus Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"James Henry's writing is vivid and compelling, with great evocation of the 1980s period." (Peter James)

What listeners say about Blackwater

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Essex-on-sea

This is the first of a new detective based in Colchester, Essex. The story is set in the 60's and there are some good period details.

I enjoyed the story, but found it took a bit of effort to get started with it, after that I found it gripping and hard to leave it to get with other things. I am looking forward the next book.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I've tried to listen to this book several times and maybe it's just not suitable for an audiobook
I felt I was being shouted at most of the time.
This maybe the normal dialect for the area and I could understand what was being said but didn't enjoy what was being said

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

OK but no more than that

seemed to drag on and it never really got going. needed something more and didn't deliver.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Henry's own is as good as frost

Military element made it interesting although sometimes the complexity of the story made it hard to follow.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Sadly not one for me

Just that - the characters, story and reading did not appeal. I tried a re-listen 3 times but just couldn't get involved.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A little confusing

I found that the audiobook was slightly confusing - if it was a paperback I’d want to keep backtracking to remind me where people fit into the story.
On the whole entertaining - good narration and the main characters are well built.

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