Another great installment in the the life of Dr David Hunter! Brilliant, and at times quite gruesome in its descriptive prose, thoroughly enjoyable!

I was really looking forward to meeting Dr Hunter again after a long hiatus and I wasn't disappointed. Let's hope the next book doesn't take so long!

I am a long time fan of Simon Beckett from his first Hunter novel so was really pleased that he is making a return after a rather long break. It is good to see that, for those of you that do not know about him, the Brits can do police anthropology as well as the Americans.
I must admit the book is very slow to start . with a lot of scene setting and I think it could have been cut down in size to make it faster paced. That being said it is still a great book that twists and turns and you are never really sure who did it till the end when all parts are tied together. The epilogue is a must read and I suspect sets things up for the next book...hopefully the wait will not be as long for this one.
As usual from Simon Beckett a great read and very different.

This is the first in the series of Dr David Hunter, forensic anthropologist that I have read, and whilst there is obviously a considerable backstory, I found it fine as a standalone. It has a compellling storyline that had me turning the pages as fast as possible. David is concerned about losing his post at university as his police consultancy role has dwindled to nothing through no fault of his. Out of the blue he gets a call from DI Bob Lundy of Essex Police to help recover and identify a badly mutilated and bloated corpse discovered in the dangerous and remote coastal wetlands of Backwaters. The police want the body to be that of Leo Villiers, suspected of having a marital affair with Emma Derby, murdering her and committing suicide.

However, David has his doubts about the identity of the corpse. The local police are being pressured to accept the identification of body as Leo by his hugely influential father, Sir Stephen Villiers. The investigation takes numerous twists and turns, not to mention a rising death toll. David finds himself staying locally at the refurbished Boathouse of a local family who turn out to have links to the police investigation. He finds himself getting closer to Rachel Derby, the sister of Emma, which leads to a conflict of interest for him. There is a lot of insight given into the detailed science of forensic anthropology with David's analysis of the corpses and the body parts. We become acquainted with the local feuds, secrets, family tensions, lies and deceptions as David and the police get closer to the truth.

What I really loved about this book was the atmosphere and danger of the wetlands location, beautifully described by the author, and the twisted and intricately plotted narrative which also takes in and explains the decades old mysterious disappearance of the traumatised Edgar's daughter. The character of David Hunter with all his past travails captured my attention and I rooted for him throughout. Definitely a series I have now been hooked into. A wonderful and absorbing read. Thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Simon Beckett, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and Bantam Press for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After a lengthy hiatus, Simon Beckett returns with his fifth Dr. David Hunter novel, reliving some of the great forensic anthropology of past books in the collection. Still coming to terms with a recent attack by a psychopath, Dr. Hunter receives a call to consult on a case outside of London. Happy to take the work where he can get it, Hunter soon discovers that this case goes beyond his usual parameters; the body is set to be recovered from an estuary, after having spent a significant amount of time in the water. During the body's removal, Hunter realises that his expertise will be needed as there is little left of the face and extremities, though everyone is certain it belongs to Leo Villiers, whose father looms close at hand and wants a swift post-mortem to confirm his suspicions. During his trip to the formal post-mortem, Hunter tries a shortcut and is left stranded with the tide coming up. Without a vehicle, he must rely on the assistance of a local family, though the frigid reception he receives leaves him wondering how long the welcome might extend. Hunter soon learns that Leo Villiers is accused of murdering Emma Derby, an attractive young woman, though the body has yet to be discovered. Hunter begins poking around the case on his own and soon encounters Emma's sister, Rachel, who adds to the narrative. Hunter makes a further forensic discovering, trying to curry favour with the local authorities, who are set to send him packing, and all but definitively determines the body is not that of Villiers. Left to wonder who might have turned up in the estuary, more bodies appear and all eyes turn to a local man whose sanity is a question of local lore. Can Hunter help get to the bottom of things before he, again, becomes the focus of a killer? A great return to the David Hunter series that will have series fans well-pleased and help to garner more fans for Beckett's writing.

As Beckett admits in the acknowledgements, this book was a long-time coming and its delay has left series fans eager to dive in. I will admit, it took a few chapters for the momentum to return, but once I was back in sync, Beckett took over and I remember why I enjoy this series so much. Dr. David Hunter remains somewhat of an isolated soul, with his backstory developed throughout the series and newer fears sandwiched on either end of this thriller. Beckett is able to support his protagonist with a wonderful collection of characters, pulling on both police and locals, that keep the story moving forward. Flirting with something more than platonic, Hunter seeks to use his awkwardness to his advantage, though the reader might be left tapping a toe as they wait for Hunter to pick up on the obvious signs. While not as strong on the forensics as I have seen in past novels (or other series within the genre), Beckett was able to keep the narrative moving effectively, turning Hunter into a sleuth more than forensic anthropologist alone. There are a few subplots that can be extrapolated from outside the boundaries of this novel, all of which work nicely and culminate in the final few chapters, leaving the reader highly entertained and perhaps surprised. A strong story and a cliffhanger that keeps readers wondering what is to come, Beckett has come back from his Hunter hiatus with a well-written piece that should sate fans for a short time (and only that)!

Kudos, Mr. Beckett for a great return. I hope you have more ideas brewing and that we can look forward to them sooner than later.

Another super tale in the David Hunter series. Atmospherically set in the Essex marshes this complicated story twists and turns like the said tidal creeks that form a large part of the adventure. Full of larger than life characters this grabs from the start and refuses to let go right up to it's shocking conclusion. Brilliant!

After a long wait the 5th book in the Dr David Hunter series is here.All i can say is it was worth the wait ! Another gripping thriller that had me thinking throughout the book whodunnit ?? After his last didn't end well David Hunter is pleased to receive a phone call from DI Lundy to help in a case when a body is found in the Backwaters.All is not as straight forward as the police had hoped and as the case develops and more bodies are discovered Hunter is drawn into family secrets and long held feuds and mysteries that will eventually surface.A great 4 star read (not quite 5 stars because to much medical jargon,but that's just me !)After the ending which i didn't envisage there is obviously more to come in this great series,i just hope Simon Beckett doesn't leave so long for the next Dr David Hunter instalment.

Essex Police request the assistance of Dr Hunter in recovering the body of a man suspected to be the son of an important local landowner from the Saltmere estuary. It has been some time since Hunter was offered work as a police consultant so he is happy to help. However, identification of the body is not as straight forward as expected and matters are further complicated when more remains are recovered from the tidal waterways and ditches of the estuary.
This is another excellent book in the Dr David Hunter series and an exciting and absorbing story which kept me riveted to the last page.

I have waited ages for Simon Beckett to bring out a new David Hunter book, and looked forward to reading The Restless Dead. I was not disappointed. From the first page the story moved along at a good pace, keeping the reader gripped and wanting to read more. There were many twists and turns and the ending was good. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I just hope that Simon Beckett won't leave it so long before he writes another.

This was the first book of Simon Becketts that I have read which lead me to kick myself and think how have I missed this? But on the upside I now have a large back catalogue of books to get through.
This book is set in Essex known as Backwaters which as the book progressed seemed to take on a personality of its own thanks to the detailed and descriptive writing style of the author. The story builds quickly but with no motive and very few suspects you really get to invest in the details of the crime and the characters.
The book is full of twists and the plot is fantastically thought out. This was a brilliant read. The characters are very well thought out and you really get to know them, which makes all the twists turns and revelations complete jaw droppers. I can't wait to read the rest of this series!
Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping,and tension filled with a wickedly cracking plot,highly recommended you read this brilliant novel.

The for book I've read from this series and I'll be looking for more. Grisly and gory with interesting characters and a plot line that will keep you guessing. A very different take on crime writing, in a good way.

I've loved every Simon Beckett book, the David Hunter series are great. This one did not dissappoint. Great story and scienctific information on decompression of the body.

Marvellous setting, marshes and drowned land...absolutely stunning. What's more, the characters are well developed, the story is captivating and believable, the ,it is very suspenseful and it keeps the reader focused right until the end...

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Uk, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of The Restless Dead, the fifth novel to feature forensic anthropologist, Dr David Hunter.

David Hunter is at a crossroads in his life and is feeling down. His police consulting work has dried up, through no fault of his own, and as his university work is dependent on it his contract there will probably not be renewed. Out of the blue he is asked to help Essex police recover a dead body from the estuary and jumps at the chance. The case, however, is not straightforward and almost immediately he finds himself at odds with the local police and the father of the presumed victim. Getting at the truth becomes a dangerous occupation.

With its opening opening description of what happens to a dead body in water the novel grabs your attention from the start and doesn't let go. It is, however, a slow burner with the first half of the novel setting the scene with not even a hint of motive, in fact the motive doesn't come until the dénouement but this does not detract in any way from the read as it is a puzzle from start to finish - is the dead man Leo Villiers as presumed or if not, as David suspects, where is he and what happened to his girlfriend? The solution is completely unexpected and very clever.

I have read and enjoyed all the novels in this series and after such a long time I had rather assumed that Mr Beckett had moved on to other things but this return is a triumph. I like the slower approach in the first half where the police and David set about discovering all the facts they can, not without discussion and dissent but it's fascinating in its dispassion and detail. This sets up the second half nicely which is all about twists, action, surprises and a certain amount of violence. It's masterful in its execution.

The location becomes a character in its own right. The Backwaters are a series of creeks which rise and fall with the tide and can be extremely dangerous to the unwary. Unfortunately I can't (through illness) understand how they work or picture them which means that some of the novel went over my head (hence the 4 rather than 5*).

David Hunter is a good protagonist. He is smart and good at his job but he's not Superman so he makes mistakes and it makes him very human. It is, therefore, easy to identify with and root for him.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Restless Dead and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.