Grave's End

DS Alexandra Cupidi, Book 3

By: William Shaw

Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow

A bizarre discovery.

An unidentified cadaver is found in a freezer in an unoccupied luxury house. No-one seems to know or care who it is or who placed it there. When DS Alexandra Cupidi is handed the case, she can have no idea it will lead her to a series of murderous cover-ups and buried secrets. Namely the discovery of the skeleton of public-school boy, Trevor Wood, beneath a housing development.

A historic crime.

His disappearance 25 years earlier had almost passed unnoticed. But as evidence surfaces that his fate was linked to long suppressed rumours of sexual abuse, Cupidi, her teenage daughter Zoe and her friend Bill South find themselves up against powerful forces who will try to silence them.

A buried life.

Digging deep into the secrets that are held underground leads to Cupidi's realisation that crime and power are seldom far apart. There are dangerous connections between the two cases, which are complicated by Constable Jill Ferriter's dating habits, a secret liaison and the underground life of Trevor Grey's only friend.

The most riveting and atmospheric DS Alexandra Cupidi novel so far, Grave's End confronts the crisis in housing, environmental politics, the protection given to badgers by the law. With meticulously mastered characters and a brooding setting, this third book in the series confirms William Shaw as one of the finest crime writers.

©2020 William Shaw (P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited

Critic reviews

"William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction." (Peter James)

"If you're not a fan yet, why not?" (Val Mcdermid)

"A superb storyteller." (Peter May)

Gripping mystery...and a surprising young heroine

This is the third book in this series that I’ve listened to and they just get better. An increasingly complex series of murders that keeps you guessing until the end, interwoven with the personal lives of some great characters.
Alex Cupedi is one of the few realistic detectives in fiction. She’s not an amazingly brave superstar, neither is the at the top of her profession. She’s pretty normal, which is what makes her likeable.
Jill is young, clever, funny and looking for love. You want her life to go well to make up for the horrible background she’s come from and find yourself excited about her date.
Zoe is a breath of fresh air and quite the best character in the book. Alex’s teenage daughter has gone from a geeky girl who likes birds in the first book to an incredible, intelligent, knowledgeable vegan animal activist whose passionate defence of animals is admirable. What a hero! I can only hope that she continues to grow as a character.