The Trawlerman By William Shaw

Interesting and I wasn't really expecting this but I think may be my favourite of the series so far. Don't get me wrong - I've enjoyed the others a fair bit too but this one took to a different level for me. Alex refers to herself as a cop with a broom up her ar*s - not really sure I agree with that but... The broom certainly comes out in this book!!

Alex is off work for medical reasons - PTSD. Some issues/cases come up. Obviously Alex can have nothing to do with them as she isn't working... She is also very reflective. It works for me. I'll look forward to book 5. 4.5/5 The Trawlerman This is a marvellous addition to what is a gem of a crime series by William Shaw, featuring some remarkable developments in the central protagonist, DS Alex Cupidi, set in the beautifully atmospheric location of the Kent coast, covering Dungeness and Folkestone. After previous traumatic events, Alex is off work, suffering from PTSD, which has her screaming at night in the midst of terrifying nightmares, and seeing a counsellor. Additionally, she is plagued by an overwhelming sense of terror, of things about to go wrong, which can play false, but is how she comes to prevent a deadly machete attack on Tina by her former mother in law, Tina is on her honeymoon with her new wife, Stella. The mother in law believes that Tina is responsible for the killing of her son, Tina's husband, which does not make sense, as officially Frank Hogben died at sea, after falling overboard off a fishing trawler.

DC Jill Ferriter is working on a brutally gruesome double murder of a couple, Ayman and Mary Younis, with its surprisingly forensically clean crime scene where the killer has left a message 'Kill them all. God will know his own.' On her return to work, Alex is to be assigned to light duties to ensure no trigger points, she is dreading this, and, despite her vulnerable state, she cannot stay away from the murders, and desperately misses not being part of the police team. Her relationship with her teenage daughter, Zoe, is typical, with Zoe being unforthcoming about what is going on in her life, but she is concerned, protective and supportive in looking after her mother with her alarming mental health issues. It emerges that Ayman had invested a large sum of money in a Guatemalan green forestry scheme, which turned out to be a con, he was not the only victim, Bill South too has incurred losses he simply could not afford.

A major strength of the series is that Shaw has created and developed a fascinating and believable cast of characters, and unlike so much in the crime and mystery genre, you barely have to suspend your sense of disbelief. There is sensitive and informative coverage of issues, such as the true impact of PTSD on a everyday basis, the deadly fallout of financial fraud, and domestic abuse, whilst Alex's relationship with Zoe feels all too real. This is a stellar read, with Alex becoming far less hung up on her black and white perspective, here she ventures into and becomes far more accepting of grey areas, and even entering, what for her, is shocking territory to ensure small measures of justice. A brilliantly gripping and immersive crime series that I have no hesitation recommending to other readers. The Trawlerman I’ve enjoyed this series right from its start, The Birdwatcher, through Salt Lane, Deadland and last year’s Grave’s End, so I was excited to hear about the release of this new title.

After the events of Grave’s End, it’s no surprise to learn that at the start of The Trawlerman, DS Alex Cupidi is suffering from PTSD. She’s on leave, in therapy, and going stir crazy. When she’s at a local pub sitting out in the sun one day, she sees a wedding party. Everyone seems happy, so why does she have a feeling of impending doom? Turns out she was right to feel that way. The good news: she is able to act to turn away the threat. The bad news: this hypervigilance and early warning system of hers aren’t doing her psyche any good, and her mental alarm sometimes goes off for the wrong reasons.

When her best friend, DC Jill Ferriter, tells her about a horrifically gruesome double murder she is investigating, Alex can’t help wanting to know more about it, especially when she learns that the murder victims were also victims of a financial scam that also entrapped Bill South, the neighbor and former cop with whom Alex has a complicated history.

I know we’re all familiar with the old gimmick of the detective off active duty who just can’t resist sleuthing a case anyway. Well, don’t worry, this is no trite old plot gimmick. This is one of the twistiest crime stories I’ve read in a long time. And as terrific as the plot is, the personal stories as equally engaging. Alex has always been a strictly by-the-rules cop, but will her judgment be swayed by her PTSD and personal relationships entangled with the crimes?

I could easily see this being dramatized and being a smash success. In fact, I could see the whole book series being turned into a TV series. I would just hope that the producers could come close to William Shaw’s brilliant characterizations, intelligent and well-paced plotting, depiction of the social divides in Cupidi’s coastal Kent village, and evocation of nature.

In an already strong series, this entry is a standout.

I listened to the audiobook version, read by Jasmine Blackborow, who is just great at character readings. The Trawlerman I could have finished this last night, but I didn't want to end it, so I saved a bit for today :)
I just loved it as I did the whole series. Kindle Edition “The Trawlerman” is William Shaw’s fourth book in the ‘DS Alexandra Cupidi’ popular crime fiction series and opens with an attempted knife assault and brutal double murder with a note found written in blood.
I found this book impossible to put down, nice short but concise chapters that didn’t waffle, didn’t over explain, just good quality narratives and a decent plot set in an atmospheric location.
Combining a murder mystery with a very clever financial scam and a historic fishing death, there was loads of intrigue to keep me invested in the plot and I enjoyed working out mentally who the culprit could be.
This was my first time with Alex Cupidi and in “The Trawlerman” she is currently on sick leave with PTSD, so its her colleague DC Jill Ferriter who leads the investigations. Learning that Alex is dedicated to her work, she refuses to stay out of all the events, even though she’s receiving counselling for stress and recurring nightmares. Her memories of talking to her councillor help the reader to understand the place she’s in emotionally. Her daughter Zoe is a lovely girl and at times adds some fun dialogue - I especially liked the scene with the dead starfish!
Although this is my first read in this series, I’m genuinely curious about Alex’s previous life and the scandal that saw her leave the London Met Police. Her character development is intriguing and I will certainly be reading the previous books for their plot enjoyment and character camaraderie.
I have no hesitation in recommending William Shaw and his books and I’m happy to give “The Trawlerman” a big thumbs up and 5 stars. English

A DOUBLE MURDER
The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.

AN ELABORATE SCAM
The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter's disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis's were not the only losers.

AN UNLIKELY KILLER
Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.

Pacey, intense and riddled with surprising twists, The Trawlerman shows that deceit can be found in the most unlikely places. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline offer an ominous backdrop for this lively page-turner of corruption, mental health and the complexities of human connection. The Trawlerman

Another excellent DS Cupidi instalment. I really do love this series! English I would have rated this higher if I had read it independently of the preceding books in the series. However, this narrative changes one significant character's ethos 180 degrees and that and actions taken left me feeling wronged, that it is unbelievable in a number of points. I ultimately felt this was a lower level pastiche of the books Shaw has written previously in this series. Crime, Mystery, Historical Fiction In this latest instalment Alex Cupidi is on 'sick' leave following the traumatic events at the end of the last book. Having apprehended and arrested women with the knife while she's sat having a glass of wine, she also learns of a gruesome double murder. Can she leave things alone and let her colleagues do the work..... of course not. Having devoured this book in a day I now can't wait for the next one, hoping of course that there is a 'next one'. The Trawlerman In The Trawlerman by William Shaw, DS Alexandra Cupidi returns for her fourth novel as the main character in the series.

The novel opens with Cupidi placed upon leave for post-traumatic stress and finds her troubled with nightmares and ominous premonitions. While at a local cafe, suddenly sensing something terrible is about to happen, Cupidi intercedes when a newlywed couple is confronted by a knife-wielding woman claiming one of the pair murdered her son. After restraining the woman for the police, Cupidi’s interest is piqued and she tries to learn more of why a distraught mother would arm herself and confront a couple over her missing, presumed murdered, son.

At the same time, an older married couple is found murdered with their nude corpses left behind and posed in a strange manner. With only a bizarre inscription in blood upon the walls, the lack of clues and forensic evidence point to a true whodunit.

Officer Jill Ferriter, a close friend, and colleague of Cupidi’s is part of the investigation and tight-lipped around Cupidi due to her leave status. Though Cupidi has been repeatedly cautioned from participating in any sort of investigation, such warnings and leave status do not impede Cupidi’s interest, ending with her own under-the-radar investigation of both the double murder and the mysterious missing man claimed by his mother to have been a victim of murder.

During all of the turmoil in Cupidi’s life, including her strained relationship with her daughter Zoe and her continued guilt over her past with former detective Bill South, Cupidi also embarks on a cat and mouse flirtatious encounter with a psychologist she learns is the best friend of the murdered husband and someone who may not be what he claims to be.

When it comes to the novels of William Shaw, one thing he is adept at is allowing his characters to breathe and realistically develop. The crimes are also solved in a logical and methodical way while avoiding great leaps of implausibility. His novels also unfold smoothly and like that of dining on fine food or beverages. One of the worse things about his novels is knowing after completing the most recent one, the reader knows patience will be needed before his next novel appears.

William Shaw’s Det. Cupidi novels are highly recommended and readers are encouraged to start with the initial novel The Birdwatcher featuring Bill South.

This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.
English Regular readers of this blog will know that I have read pretty much every book William Shaw has written, and am always pleased to see another addition to his excellent DS Alexandra Cupidi series. So here we have The Trawlerman, again set on the Kent coast, with an emotionally battered and mentally bruised Cupidi, currently signed off work with PTSD, but once again finding it difficult to ignore the job completely, and finding herself lured into two intriguing cases...

What I like about Shaw's books, and this is meant as no criticism whatsoever, is that the very ordinariness of the crimes he weaves into his books, act as a really solid backdrop for him to branch out, and explore larger themes or interesting nuggets of history from Dungeness and its surrounds. The very fact that he sets the books in the ecologically diverse habit of this area, and wildlife and birding usually have a large part to play, is enough to draw me in as a complete nature nut, and his nuanced and authentic portrayal of the wildlife, the coastline and so on, is always pitch perfect. Consequently, having previously had little or no knowledge of say the eponymous world of fish trawling, and the inherent dangers and its essential part in the community, I found myself drawn into it through Shaw's research and depiction of this world. There is something extremely satisfying of having the dual experience of accruing new knowledge, but also being wholly sucked into a compelling and satisfying crime story.

Having had cause to think a lot about characterisation recently, William Shaw is one of the author's who springs to mind, when thinking about convincing and believable characters. I totally buy into Cupidi's world every time, as Shaw so effectively portrays her world of personal and professional triumphs and failures. Being a single parent and a full time police detective brings with it a whole host of challenges, and although her daughter, Zoe is an older teenager, this proves to be perhaps the most worrying and difficult time for Cupidi, drawn into the instantly recognisable world of stilted conversations, miscommunication or sudden and powerful moments of emotional reconciliation, beyond the bickering. This central relationship between Cupidi and her daughter adds a real emotional heft to the series, and small glimpses of acceptance and acknowledgement of each other's more annoying traits starts to solidify and change the bond between them. As the daughter of a single mum, much of this strikes a personal chord with me, as their relationship changes and develops in every book, and Shaw always impresses in how he manages to capture this particular dynamic of family life.

These moments of missteps are also replicated in Cupidi's relationship with her neighbour, and ex-police officer William South, with whom she shares a certain amount of difficult history, and once again poor old William is put through the emotional wringer, with Cupidi again having to make some choices between head and heart. I also love the character of Jill Ferriter, one of Cupidi's police colleagues, who achieves a wonderful balance of flighty and professional, and it was great to see her playing a more expansive role in this one too.

Perhaps the most powerful and affecting strand of this story is Shaw's depiction of Cupidi's battle with PTSD, which was incredibly well-realised, capturing the mental and physical effects of this condition, from moments of extreme portentous fear, to visceral hallucinations and traumatic dreams. Having read a good amount of fiction and non-fiction based on the subject, particularly of military personnel, Cupidi's personal struggles with the condition seemed authentic, and more affecting because of this.  So once again in The Trawlerman, Shaw has produced another completely absorbing read, packed full of emotional tension and disrupted relationships, against the wonderfully rugged landscape of the Kent coastline. Not for nothing is he one of my favourite crime writers. Highly recommended. English