Death Track is the third book in author Sally Rigby’s Cavendish & Walker series. It follows Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker of the Lenchester police as she solves cases. The first book introduced readers to Dr Georgina Cavendish, a forensic psychologist at a local university. Up until this series, George (as she prefers to be called) has only had theoretical experience. She has been very excited to put all that she has learned into practical use when consulted by the police. It’s also set up a somewhat unusual friendship between the two.

The body of a teenage boy is discovered on a Lenchetser-bound train. Great Britain has been experiencing a serial killer who kills his victims on a train. Typically, there are four killings before he moves on. If this is the “Carriage Killer” murder spree, DCI Walker knows there will be three more killings. In addition to calling in George, Whitney is saddled with officers from another force who have been investigating these killings. They seem to look down on Walker and her force, goaded by one of Walker’s former supervisors. As the investigation moves on, they gain a new respect for her and her team.

Death Track is a great police procedural. Both Cavendish and Walker are independent, self-sufficient career women. They still live in a world that doesn’t appreciate them, though, and seem to have to prove themselves again and again. Walker gains new insight into her supervisor, DSI Jamieson, who seems to be working against her, but there’s much more going on. There’s also a spark of romance for Cavendish, although her society family would look down on her choice.

All of this is background to the mystery. I would think with this widespread serial killer, the powers that be in Great Britain would take it a bit more seriously and have something like Scotland Yard involved. Instead, it seems to be dealt with by localities. That’s the one plot point I had an issue with. As a police procedural, it’s well written. It was easy to follow as the characters all took logical steps during the investigation. However, George is feeling a little too cosy with police work, and Whitney lets her guard down about how much she lets her get involved. George is still a civilian consultant, and she’s getting deeper into operations than she should be.

Rigby’s style isn’t for everyone. In writing, it’s generally said “show, don’t tell.” Rigby is a teller. That can be hard for some people to follow, but it’s a different style that I can appreciate. It requires a bit of an adjustment while reading. There’s not as much personal distraction during this book as there was in the earlier ones, but Rigby does a great job integrating personal life with the investigation. Unlike other mysteries, where the officer seems to be able to drop everything to dedicate themselves to the case at hand, these characters have life issues which complement the mystery without overriding it. The style is different, but it’s well-balanced and conveys the story quite well once you adjust to it.

The audiobook is read by Clare Corbett, who has narrated earlier books in the series. Since Rigby’s style isn’t as dramatic as other authors’, the narration shouldn’t be dramatic either. Corbett has the perfect style for this. She is distinctive and clear without becoming emotional. I really enjoy her narration.

The mystery in Death Track isn’t one I could solve ahead of time, but I enjoyed following along on the case with the characters. It’s another solid entry in this series that advances the lead characters a bit. There are a few issues, but overall, it’s another solid police procedural for Rigby.

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