This interminable talking cut a large swathe through chapters where I would have preferred more nitty-gritty about the case. When a connection is made to something that happened on this same beach thirty years ago , multiple suspects come to light . Those connected are so varied and have many problems and this also makes trying to work out events, truths and lies very difficult. I'm going to mark this as being read because I suffered through just over half of the book, but it is really a DNF.

It was a well-crafted, entertaining and engrossing police procedural with an interesting new character to follow and I would be happy to recommend it. Greenwood takes his time to delve into the psychological aspects of the characters and the emotional undercurrents of the story. We get to know the main members of the police team throughout the book, building up a picture of their professional lives and glimpses into their private lives. The way the victims died is chilling and so Norfolk’s Major Investigation Team task DS Ashley Knight to manage the case.There was too much unnecessary description of each of the characters, houses, and scenery, very little of which added to the plot. The protagonist here is Detective Sergeant Ashley Knight, of a Wymondham based Norfolk Major Investigative Team: when two bodies are discovered on a Norfolk Beach (one decapitated, one buried in the sand and left to drown), the Cromer based Knight is the obvious person to act as a day to day lead on the investigation. Using flashback sequences and a plethora of suspects, the story takes on many angles and allows the reader to feel fully involved. I like Ross Greenwood's description of Death on Cromer Beach, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

An historic case from 1989 seems to be somehow linked to the current murders and Ashley fears that more bodies may be found. It is great to see a female taking the lead in these novels, even better when the author gives her a young, ambitious male junior to put in his place and teach the ropes. There are lengthy conversations, as they explain to one one another what the have done/are about to do. All in all, “The Death on Cromer Beach” was a very enjoyable police procedural and I look forward to further books in this series with enthusiasm.

DS Ashley Knight, loner, single, middle-aged, has just been asked to investigate a double death on Cromer beach. I thought the friction and developing relationship (professional, not romantic) between the two was an interesting dynamic in the novel. It would seem that there is significant organisation to the crimes and as more bodies appear, DS Knight can only wonder who is planning these killings and for what reason. The setting, the Cromer Beach area in Norfolk, England was well depicted and the early spring chill caused the narrative to be quite atmospheric. Greenwood weaves his story together seamlessly and provides the reader with a great experience all around.