An Accidental Death
Published on 30. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-1-80496-138-4 (ISBN)
Description
Get ready to be hooked by the first book in the thrilling and atmospheric DC Smith/Kings Lake Investigation series, by the million-copy-selling crime writer.
An experienced detective's unorthodox methods land him in troubled waters...
'Pitch-perfect crime writing.' DAILY EXPRESS
'Peter Grainger's books are addictive.' CRIMINAL ELEMENT
'Had me gripped from the very start to the extremely satisfying ending.' ***** Reader Review
'Where has Peter Grainger been my whole life?' ***** Reader Review
'I read a LOT of murder mysteries and this series is one of the best!' ***** Reader Review
When a young man drowns after a boisterous party in a small riverside town, his friends and family report it to the Kings Lake police as a devastating accident.
DC Smith, newly returned from leave, and the young, ambitious trainee Christopher Waters are assigned to the case as a routine investigation. But the post-mortem reveals violent injuries, witnesses give contradictory accounts of the events leading up to the drowning and locals seem determined to redirect their attention.
Becoming increasingly suspicious of institutional caution and external interference, Smith and Waters strike out on their own. As they get closer to the truth, they realise the danger is not quite over.
'Ensconced in Kings Lake, in the company of Smith and his team, I didn't want to leave.' FINANCIAL TIMES
'The books are comforting, the writing is subtle and the plots are gripping.' THE TIMES
An experienced detective's unorthodox methods land him in troubled waters...
'Pitch-perfect crime writing.' DAILY EXPRESS
'Peter Grainger's books are addictive.' CRIMINAL ELEMENT
'Had me gripped from the very start to the extremely satisfying ending.' ***** Reader Review
'Where has Peter Grainger been my whole life?' ***** Reader Review
'I read a LOT of murder mysteries and this series is one of the best!' ***** Reader Review
When a young man drowns after a boisterous party in a small riverside town, his friends and family report it to the Kings Lake police as a devastating accident.
DC Smith, newly returned from leave, and the young, ambitious trainee Christopher Waters are assigned to the case as a routine investigation. But the post-mortem reveals violent injuries, witnesses give contradictory accounts of the events leading up to the drowning and locals seem determined to redirect their attention.
Becoming increasingly suspicious of institutional caution and external interference, Smith and Waters strike out on their own. As they get closer to the truth, they realise the danger is not quite over.
'Ensconced in Kings Lake, in the company of Smith and his team, I didn't want to leave.' FINANCIAL TIMES
'The books are comforting, the writing is subtle and the plots are gripping.' THE TIMES
Reviews / Votes
Once I was ensconced in Kings Lake, in the company of Smith and his team, I didn't want to leave ... What sets Grainger's books apart from the typical police procedural is the fully realised characters, who appear to live in a gentler world, on a time continuum that makes sense, progressing and evolving from book to book. * Financial Times * The books are comforting, the writing is subtle and the plots are gripping. * The Times * Excellent ... the gruff and uncompromising Smith is a copper in the spirit of George Gently and John Rebus -- that is, complicated and not cartoonish ... readers will be eager for the next instalment. * Publishers Weekly, Starred review * A compelling read. Readers new to the series will look forward to seeing where the mentor-mentee relationship between Smith and Waters goes, as well as learning more about Smith and his storied, albeit controversial, career. * Booklist * A terrific police procedural series, up there with Bosch, Morse, Pascoe and Dalziel. * Reader review * An excellent, intelligent and believable crime series which only gets better as the characters develop. * Reader review * This series is a delightful read ... I am so looking forward to reading them all! * Reader review * I loved it. Smith is an amazing creation, and I can't believe that no mainstream publishers grabbed the book when it first came out. -- David Prestidge Perfect for readers who like thoughtful, well written crime fiction [...] A deeply satisfying read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction with real substance and a strong sense of authenticity. -- Anne Cater * Mature Times * DC Smith's investigatory methods are unorthodox, rather old-fashioned, but Smith's thoroughness and unwillingness to close cases for the sake of expediency pay off. Smith's modus operandi sounds almost simplistic, though it's anything but-he's thorough deliberate, and a past master at the art of interviewing suspects. New readers might want to inhale books 1-16 before reading Some Sort of Justice. Set aside some time because Peter Grainger's books are addictive. * Criminal Element *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cornerstone
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
248 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80496-138-4 (9781804961384)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Peter Grainger is the 'creator of the greatest fictional sleuth you've probably never heard of' (FT magazine). A former sixth-form English teacher, Peter is the author of 23 self-published novels, 19 of which are now scheduled for release by major British and North American publishers.
Peter lives with his wife, sometimes a grandson and a dog in a cottage in the Cambridgeshire fens. He travels as often as possible to the Norfolk coast he once called home.
Peter lives with his wife, sometimes a grandson and a dog in a cottage in the Cambridgeshire fens. He travels as often as possible to the Norfolk coast he once called home.