But for the Grace

A DC Smith Investigation Series, Book 2

By: Peter Grainger

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

"We are living in the departure lounge," said Ralph Greenwood, "and flights leave with monotonous regularity." So when another resident of the Rosemary House care home is found dead in her chair one Saturday evening in December, no one is very surprised - not until the results of a routine post-mortem reveal something extraordinary. Sergeant DC Smith and his team have to tread carefully as they investigate what took place, and Smith himself has to confront some difficult memories. Others, meanwhile, seem intent on getting him to leave the force altogether, while, despite his best efforts, his social life also becomes a little more complicated. To top it all, Kings Lake has been waiting weeks for the snow to fall, in a winter that seems as if it will never end.

©2014 Peter Grainger (P)2016 Tantor

I Like Sergeant DC Smith. He Doesn't Disappoint.

The setting is British. DC Smith is now a Sergeant of Detectives who was once among the top administrators in the police force. Why? Start this series with the previous book, An Accidental Death to find out why. Here we've got a nursing home death and a drawing room murder mystery. You will probably recall the details of But For The Grace maybe for three days after finishing the book. Not to worry, Peter Grainger's written a police procedural entertainment. And it entertained me well. I'll buy the next in the series, Luck and Judgement.

What more can I say? Oh, Gildart Jackson's read is fine. He NEVER intrudes, creating an ensemble cast that is uniquely defined in each character's own voice. Which makes Jackson a very good actor at the least.

WOW! WHAT A TREAT!

I bought this book before finishing the first "An Accidental Death", it was that good! And was not disappointed with book 2! Peter Grainger has given us a real treat with the DC Smith cast of characters, and I can't wait to start book 3. With around 2,000 books in my audio library this series is proving to be a very refreshing surprise!

WONDERFUL SERIES

What other book might you compare But for the Grace to and why?

Like P.D. James & Ruth Rendell, this writer is literate,, insightful, & top-notch writer.

Any additional comments?

If you like a good mystery that transcends the genre, I think you will like ths writer.

Love this series!

Totally not disappointed with the second book. I found it engaging and thought-provoking. Very much looking forward to number three!

Worth Your Time

Not as good as the first book in the series, but still worth a read. DC Smith is a wonderful character and I enjoy spending time with him. The story was engaging, though a bit too slow for my taste, so only 4 stars.

My Favorite Series

Listening for the third time.
In times of stress I re-listen to my favorite books. The story, the characters, and the interpretation by the reader are all excellent.

Amazing detective book

As a youth to audiobooks it took me some time to really appreciate how well this voice actor differentiated the voices and the nuances of speech. He is an amazing voice actor and I highly recommend the read if you enjoy gentle detective work

Thought provoking police procedural

The characters are well drawn and the subject (assisted suicide by the elderly) beautifully treated.

Excellent! Can't wait to get the next one

Where does But for the Grace rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Upper 10% for overall enjoyment.

Who was your favorite character and why?

DC absolutely. He's intelligent, opinionated and thoughtful.

Have you listened to any of Gildart Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The first DC Smith book, The Accidental Death. It was because I enjoyed that one so much that I listened to this one.

Any additional comments?

I love a good detective story, and especially English detectives. Grainger's DC Smith is my newest fave.

But for the Grace

Peter Grainger’s character development is a delight. If only there were more DC Smith’s in my world!