Review: The Dying Beach by Angela Savage

Title: The Dying Beach {Jayne Keeney PI in Krabi}

Author: Angela Savage

Published: Text Publishing July 2013

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Status: Read from July 18 to 19, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

The Dying Beach is the third crime fiction novel by Angela Savage to feature PI Jayne Keeney. I haven’t read the first two, something I am now planning to rectify as I was really impressed with this novel.

Thirty something year old Jayne is an Australian expat who has been living in Thailand for some time. Her career as an unofficial private investigator began when she did a favour for one of her students and discovered it was far more exciting and lucrative than teaching English to middle class Thai children. Word of mouth and Jayne’s ability to speak fluent Thai, French and English has seen her business thrive, and now in partnership with Rajiv Patel, she is on the brink of formalising the agency.

As a farang (foreigner) Jayne enjoys the freedom of not having to fit in. She cares little for what people think of her but respects the culture of the Thai people. She drinks, smokes and is outspoken. She doesn’t mind bending a few rules and though at times she is impulsive, her heart is always in the right place. Jayne can’t let injustice slide.

The intrigue in Dying Beach is prompted by the death of a young tour guide, Pla, while Jayne and Rajiv are holidaying in Krabi on the Thai coast. To Jayne the circumstances seem extraordinary and she is determined to do a some digging despite Rajiv’s reluctance. It seems Jayne’s suspicions are founded when first Pla’s roommate is brutally slain and then an Australian tourist resembling Jayne is also murdered. Jayne discovers Pla was involved in some local environmental projects and the killer seems intent on retrieving the Thai girl’s notebook, which Jayne is now in possession of. The story is well paced, with steady tension and bursts of action. There are also some clever twists to the case.

I know very little about Thailand so for me the setting was particularly exotic. A prevalent theme in the story is the environment and, in particular, the damage being caused to Thailand’s coast and mangroves due to commercial shrimping operations.
I also really liked the way Savage illustrates the Thai culture, both the good and the bad, without stepping outside of the story.

I really enjoyed The Dying Beach, it is a stylish, intriguing and entertaining novel featuring an appealing protagonist and makes the most of its exotic setting. I’d happily recommend The Dying Beach, which works well as a standalone. I am not only looking forward to the next book but I intend to hunt down and read the first two books in the series.

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