The Serpent Pool (Spoilerific)

 The Serpent Pool (2010) by Martin Edwards

Warning: I am going to be explicit about a certain plot point. It won't reveal the killer, but it will reveal part of the motivation behind the murders. Read on at your own risk.

DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Lake District's Cold Case Squad has decided to open the seven-year-old case of Bethany Friend. Bethany was found drowned in the Serpent Pool's few inches of water. Though tied up with the leads from her car, there was no evidence of anyone else in the vicinity and it was just feasible that she had tied herself up and committed suicide for attention. But would a woman deathly afraid of water choose to drown herself? Bethany's mother always insisted it was murder and now that Mrs. Friend is dying, Hannah hopes to find out the truth before the woman is gone. 

Just as she and her team begin investigating, the officers handling current day cases are faced with another bizarre suicide/possible murder. George Saffell, an obsessive book collector, dies in a blaze that consumes his expensive collection. Again, there is evidence that he was tied up...and the fire was obviously set. But would a man so obsessive about his book collection actually commit suicide by burning himself and his books up? Is it possible the two deaths are connected? 

A third death occurs--first connecting historian Daniel Kind (who has worked with Hannah before) and his sister. But then a real connection between the three deaths becomes apparent: Marc Amos, Hannah Scarlett's partner. Marc is a bookseller and had supplied both of the dead men with books. And, as Hannah learns from other sources, Bethany had worked for Marc briefly before she and Marc became a couple. Why didn't Marc tell her? Does he know more about the deaths than he's let on? And then Marc disappears...

Running through the book is a theme connected to Thomas De Quincey. Daniel is researching for a book on the man known for his Confessions of an English Opium Eater and On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts. One of the suspects is organizing a conference about De Quincey and has asked Daniel to give a lecture. And then it occurs to Hannah that the murders seem to fall in line with De Quincey's thoughts on the subject. Bethany feared water and was drowned. George loved his books and it is now certain that he was alive to watch his books burn. And the last known victim, was claustrophobic and died of exposure in a small, deep well. 

This was interesting entry in Hannah's and Daniel's dance towards relationship (I've read a later book, so I know what's coming). But I have to be honest, the cruelty of the murders and, especially the scenes with the last intended victim were a bit off-putting even though they were not as graphic as they could have been. Also, I caught on quite early to the De Quincey connection and the fact that the murders were committed in part to create as much suffering as possible for the victims. It wasn't nearly the a-ha moment that it should have been. As soon as De Quincey came up more than a couple times, I was right on it. And once the third victim is found the suspects aren't exactly thick on the ground. Not my favorite of the series. ★★★

First line: The books were burning.

Last line: Tomorrow would be another day.
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Deaths = 11 (one drowned; one in fire; one exposure; two natural; one accident: two in car accident; one stabbed; two fell from height)