“No one wants to die in the dark. To lie alone in the blackness, feeling the chill of death creep slowly over you.”

If those opening lines don't chill you to the bone, I don't know what will. They kick off DEAD IN THE DARK, the 17th Cooper & Fry mystery from British author Stephen Booth. Being “in the dark” is a running motif throughout the story. You have detectives completely in the dark with murder cases that confound them, such as missing bodies and lack of clues. There is also a very creepy scene involving someone literally dying in the dark.

The landscape of detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry is the northern part of England, far from the hustle and bustle of London. Booth's descriptions of the area and knowledge of the local language and colloquialisms are what make his stories ring true, and DEAD IN THE DARK is no exception.

"It is quite easy to find yourself deeply immersed in these cases, and Booth does his part to throw some nice plot twists your way just to upset the balance, keeping you on your toes."

There are two cases taking place here, as Cooper and Fry are now serving in completely different districts. Ten years ago, Reece Bower was cleared of charges in the disappearance and alleged murder of his then-wife, Annette. Now, Reece is the one who has been reported missing. Cooper wants to reopen the case and consider anyone who still might be seeking to avenge Annette, but he has an uphill battle. In both the decade-old case and the present one, there is no body with which to work, making the presumption of murder difficult.

Meanwhile, Fry is looking into the murder of a young Polish man in the small town of Shirebrook. Her investigation into the area, which boasts many Polish immigrants living and working in it, speaks directly to the current issues the UK is facing with their open border policies. Just like in the US, this is a hotbed topic, and there are just as many people unhappy with the rising immigrant population as there are those seeking to welcome them in with open arms.

The young victim, Krystian Zalewski, was described as quiet and hardworking at the job he held with a car wash in town. Fry uncovers minimal suspects and motives along with an earful of resentment from residents who are not happy with the emerging Polish population. Cooper continues on with the Reece Bower disappearance and finds an unexpected ally in Detective Superintendent Hazel Branagh, who was unsuccessful 10 years earlier as the lead detective in the Annette Bower case.

Both cases are full of atmosphere and complex characters. All the while, Booth is steeping you in the tradition of these small towns, where the resentment and possible vigilantism is just leaping off the pages. It is quite easy to find yourself deeply immersed in these cases, and Booth does his part to throw some nice plot twists your way just to upset the balance, keeping you on your toes. It gets interesting, especially for longtime fans of the series, when Cooper and Fry get to team up again later on in the story.

I have always loved Booth's writing style and still cannot understand why his name and books are not bigger hits here in the US. Fortunately, you can jump right into DEAD IN THE DARK and fully enjoy it without having read any of the prior installments of the series.