Once a busy hospital, St Jude’s now stands derelict, awaiting demolition.
When a partially mummified corpse is found in the building’s cavernous loft, forensics expert Dr David Hunter is called in to take a look. He can’t say how long the body’s been there, but he is certain it’s that of a young woman. And that she was pregnant.
Then part of the attic floor collapses, revealing another of the hospital’s secrets: a bricked-up chamber with beds inside. And some of them are still occupied.
For Hunter, what began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare. And it soon becomes clear that St Jude’s hasn’t claimed its last victim . . .
Although this is the first book I've read in the David Hunter series by Simon Beckett, I found that it can definitely be read as a stand alone as the back story of the character is easy to follow and it also means you get straight into the story!
This instalment of the series follows David Hunter as he is appointed to a crime scene at St Jude's, an abandoned and due to be demolished hospital where mummified remains are found locked in the attic and David, as a forensic anthropologist, identifies them to be that of a young woman who was pregnant at the time. It is soon revealed that two more bodies strapped to their beds and walled in a ward are discovered after a ceiling collapses. Who are all these poor people who lost their lives in this hospital? How long have they been here?
Simon Beckett has such an amazing way of writing that makes you ask all these questions - and more - as you are reading which of course, keeps you turning the page to get all the answers. He really shows his expertise in crime writing and understanding of forensic anthropology as shown with the description of David Hunter's finding on the victims bodies and also with the overall chilling description of the hospital as a whole. It has a consistent pace which makes it easy to follow as new characters are added without giving anything away and still keeping you guessing right up until the very end.
The Scent Of Death is such a compelling read (and not just for crime thriller lovers!) as you just have to keep page turning to find out what happens and how/if the case is solved. I read this in one day and I will without a doubt be adding more of Simon Beckett's books to my wish list.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the reviews on this blog tour!
Thank you to Emma of dampepples.com for including me in the book tour. Book gifted but all opinions are my own
Thanks so much x
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