Blunt Force #TEAMTENNISON #LyndaLaPlante #BluntForce

By Lynda Le Plante https://lyndalaplante.com/ @LaPlanteLynda

Narrated by Rachel Atkins

Published by Bolinda/Bonnier Audio, Zaffre https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/imprints/zaffre/ @ZaffreBooks (an imprint of Bonnier Books UK)

432 pages (13 hours 52 minutes) ISBN 9781785769870

Publication date 20 August 2020

Blunt Force is the sixth novel the Jane Tennison Thriller Series.

I reviewed an audiobook using the BorrowBox library app https://www.borrowbox.com/ @BorrowBox. I would like to thank Tracy Fenton @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers http://www.compulsivereaders.com/ for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMTENNISON review project. Click on the links to read my reviews of Tennison, Hidden Killers, Good Friday, Murder Mile and The Dirty Dozen. My review of Unholy Murder the seventh novel in the series will be posted on this blog in the first week in March.

The Cover

The familiar lone woman seen from behind, this time about to enter a brightly lit up theatre at night. Fits in perfectly with the plot.

The narration

Another new narrator facing a difficult task, as this is a novel that requires a broad range of voices, which she tackle with some aplomb. The posh female voices were perfect, a couple of the male voices were less convincing but an excellent effort all round. A very entertaining performance.

My review

Another couple of years have passed and Jane has experienced her first career setback. After an extraordinary start to life in the Flying Squad things eventually turned sour and it was Jane who paid the price professionally. Leaving her observation post and getting involved with a takedown, whilst unarmed, she froze when faced with an armed suspect, which led to a colleague being wounded. This mistake provided her Governor with the perfect excuse to have the woman he didn’t want on the squad removed. Perhaps lucky to still have her stripes she is moved to Gerald Road in London’s upmarket Knightsbridge district. For Jane this feels like moving from one extreme to another, now faced with petty crime and little of the action that she craves. Or so she thinks…

Jane is not the only one on the ‘naughty step’ as her old friend Spencer Gibbs has been busted down to sergeant, due to altercation with another officer that almost ended in blows and is also at the same station. So, we now have two officers pondering their futures.

It’s a particularly horrible murder of a well-known theatrical agent, found decapitated and dis-embowelled, that proves the opportunity to remind themselves what great detectives they can be.

The meteoric raise of Jane through the ranks had to stall at some point, the short-lived career at the Sweeney making sense for the early 1980s. The true test of character is how we react to adversity and Jane, despite some soul searching and confidence battering, tackles it head on. To find the killer Jane and Spence need to scratch beneath the surface veneer of glamour and unearth dirty secrets.

The real strength of the story is the exposure of what lies behind the façade of showbusiness. What better author to do this than one who has had so much of her work brought to the screen. We see the murky activities of the agents, pulling strings behind the scenes, in pursuit of success which is merely measured by the contents of their bank balances. It is not just them; highly strung, neurotic actors and sleazy producers are skewered with rapier precision too. Just like in The Wizard of Oz the curtain of illusion is drawn back and what it reveals is found lacking. Fame, adulation and great wealth can be achieved but often at great personal cost.

Written whilst the #MeToo revelations were still fresh we see the exploitation of the dreams of the young, some are aware of the cost, others are more naïve. Here Jane’s empathy is at the fore and the subject is covered with sensitivity and subtlety. The anger it raises will resonate with most people, especially parents.

We start with a disillusioned Jane, thinking for the first time that perhaps her future lies elsewhere. As always keen to develop she decides that learning to shoot would conquer her fear of guns and put the awful past behind her. Sweeney friend Dabs gets her access to the gun club and an instructor Elliott, who proves to be a harsh, highly disciplined teacher and rather mysterious. Initial friction between them eventually makes way to a mutual respect. Jane senses a bit of a spark between them but Elliott provides her with an opportunity for something much more important, a shot at profession redemption.

There is a lovely cameo from a rather large ‘businesswoman’ by the name of Mandy, who helps to provide some lighter moments in a serious story. There are aspects of the story that could have been quite salacious but have been left to the readers imagination albeit with sufficient prompts.

Blunt Force is a polished police procedural that lays bare the exploitation of 1980s showbusiness.

Blunt Force can be purchased from the Bookshop.org here

The author

Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.

Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.

She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She’s Out (ITV, 1995). The name “La Plante” comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.

Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows’ revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).

Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.

Source: Goodreads profile

The narrator

RACHEL ATKINS trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has performed onstage in Romeo and Juliet, Blithe Spirit, and The School for Scandal, among others. Her television and radio credits include Midwinter of the Spirit, Law & Order, and The Archers, and she is also a regular voice for BBC Radio Drama and BBC Radio Comedy.

Source: Goodreads profile

The Dancer #ÓskarGuðmundsson #TheDancer

By Óskar Guðmundsson http://www.oskargudmundsson.is/ @oskargudmunds

Translated by Quentin Bates https://graskeggur.com/ @graskeggur

Published by Corylus Books https://corylusbooks.com/ @CorylusB

233 pages ISBN 9781739298951

Publication date 1 February 2024 (Corylus Books paperback), originally published in 2023 as a Storytel Original Series

The Cover

Blood splattered white cloth… or on closer inspection are those white feathers?

Pete’s ponderings

Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width was a comedy series, that ran in the early 1970s, of the kind that would never get commissioned these days. It starred John Bluthal, perhaps best known as dotty Frank in The Vicar of Dibley, and Joe Lynch, a stalwart of British TV and film and who was the voice of Chorlton and the Wheelies, as a pair of tailors in business together. The situations for comedy arise from one being Jewish and the other an Irish Catholic. The title has become an expression for where quantity is valued greater than quality and can perhaps be applied to publishing. Debut novelists often write short novels of 250-300 pages and then when they gain confidence expand to longer ones. Now it seems as if the major publishers have a target of 450-550 pages and the output of many of the big hitters fall into this range. Perhaps its deemed value for money or the impact on the shelf, but surely this one size fits all approach doesn’t suit all fiction.

Luckily the independent publishers are brave enough to take on shorter novels and since I started writing this blog, I have been lucky to read some great ones, and the occasional astonishing one. These are not short stories or novellas, but fully formed novels with the ideas and concepts explored, in a format stripped of the unnecessary. At just 233 pages The Dancer certainly fits the bill, not only does the writing pack a punch, then just when you recover your senses, it follows up with a head butt and then the finale is delivered like a kick in the ribs when you are down. Dark, intense and quite disturbing, this is not a story you will forget in a hurry.  

My review

“Life was never going to be a bed of roses…”

Indeed, it’s not the case for Tony. He has been brought up by a disturbed alcoholic mother, his absent father being a US serviceman. She has given him little but the spirit to dance, she was once a dancer herself, though her methods to develop his ability are somewhat cruel and quite brutal. He finds solace with grandfather Jón who is teaching him carpentry skills in the hope he will take over his business when he finally retires.

A body is found under a tarpaulin, and it has been there for a while. The mystery is it appears to be the body of an American who was believed to have died in a plane crash on the island six months previous. The case is handled by veteran detective Valdimar, who is supported by rookie Ylfa.

Then a fresh body is found in the snow, killed in a unique and disturbing way. Life is going to get complex…

An interesting storyline that is direct and linear, that splits into two stands, dancing and investigation with the emphasis on the former. This is far from the regular police procedural.

There is impact from the very beginning, with a strange torture set piece and a dance to the death. Dancing and a sense of the macabre intertwine throughout but the feeling is not gothic but more a touch of overblown camp horror; Vincent Price would have been a great narrator. Perhaps this down to the ballet aspect, ballet dancers are tough, strong, athletic and determined but those tights raise a titter amongst the unenlightened. Tony is driven relentlessly by his mother and we get a sense of the pain and suffering he must go through, in both body and mind, in the name of art. She also makes him dance naked.

The story packed with themes and motivations that manage to tesselate together perfectly like a complex tiled floor pattern, all from simple cause and effect. The mother Gunnhildur is bitter as her hopes of a career as a dancer are dashed, but as we later discover that is not all that is taken from her. This manifests in transference to Tony with her relentless teaching and desire for success vicariously through him. Does she love him? It is hard to say, Tony certainly resents her and having to care for her (she is in a wheelchair). Jón may provide a modicum of stability for Tony, but he is estranged from Gunnhildur, wracked with guilt and haunted by the past. In the end it is the desire for revenge and final atonement that win out.

Considering the length, the amount of characterisation within is impressive. Naturally the police officers have problems Valdimar is approaching retirement and Ylfa is struggling with family life with a boyfriend and baby she doesn’t see enough of. These are sketched in enough for the reader to understand them without unnecessary embellishment. Tony is the key character, with his relationships and interactions with his mother and the dancers he befriends taking up much of the story. He finds making friends difficult, is confused about his own sexuality and struggles with rejection, wearing his shame like an invisibility cloak. It becomes apparent that Tony is anguished, and we see his mental health deteriorate alarmingly as reality and imagination merge.

There is violence, a bit of gore, elements of horror and moments of real insanity which are handled magnificently. One of the crime reader’s ‘golden rules’ is even broken but for once this can perhaps be overlooked due to the shock it brings to a bizarre scene. Entertaining without being overly gratuitous, perhaps not one for the timid, but the rest will read along thinking where did that come from. Fabulously imaginative and written with complete conviction, making for a gripping and all-consuming read. Once again Quentin Bates does an excellent translation job, keeping everything tight and compact. I don’t think I could have coped with another 100 pages of that!

The Dancer is a stunning piece of gory crime fiction, written in a tight and compact style, that manages to tell a disturbing story that is still quite touching.

The Dancer can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

With a unique voice and a style that doesn’t shy away from a sometime graphic take on shocking subject matter, Óskar Guðmundsson is one of the rising stars of the Icelandic crime fiction scene. His debut Hilma was awarded the Icelandic Crime Syndicate’s Drop of Blood award for the best crime novel of 2015, and the TV rights have been acquired by Sagafilm. This was followed by a sequel Blood Angels in 2018. The first of his books published in an English translation, The Commandments, was a standalone novel which appeared in Iceland in 2019. All of Óskar’s books have been bestsellers and rewarded with outstanding reviews. The first in a new series of novels The Dancer was published in Icelandic simultaneously as an
eBook, audiobook, and paperback – accompanied by an original song in which Óskar’s words have been put to music featuring some of Iceland’s leading musicians – and was an immediate bestseller. Óskar’s talents don’t end there, as he is also an artist and has held a number of exhibitions of his work.

The translator

Quentin Bates has personal and professional roots in Iceland that go very deep. He is an author of series of nine crime novels and novellas featuring the Reykjavik detective Gunnhildur (Gunna) Gísladóttir. In addition to his own fiction, he has translated many works of Iceland’s coolest writers into English, including books by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Guðlaugur Arason, Einar Kárason, Óskar Guðmundsson, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Jónína Leosdottir and Ragnar Jónasson. Quentin was instrumental in launching Iceland Noir in 2013, the crime fiction festival in Reykjavik.

Don’t forget to check out all the other fantastic reviews on this Blog Tour:

The Lover of No Fixed Abode #CarloFruttero & #FrancoLucentini #TheLoverOfNoFixedAbode

By Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini

Translated by Gregory Dowling

Published by Bitter Lemon Press https://www.bitterlemonpress.com/ @bitterlemonpub

304 pages ISBN 9781913394905

Publication date 25 January 2024

I was sent an electronic copy of the novel in exchange for a fair review.

The Cover

What a beautiful cover. It captures all the key elements of the story, its fabulous setting, but also gives it a period feel.

Pete’s ponderings

They say that a change is as good as a rest. I don’t just read crime and thrillers, I feel it is important to read other genres too, to act in the same way a palate cleanser works at a fancy restaurant. One simply cannot dine on serial killer fiction alone, well not without turning a little bit strange…

This novel caught my attention for several reasons. Firstly, it is not a new story, it was published in 1986 but has never been translated into English before. This might be because it’s not very good, but equally it could be a largely ignored ‘lost classic’, just as much European cinema and television has gone unnoticed, though since the success of The Killing this is being addressed. Having read and enjoyed a few translated works from the publisher, Bitter Lemon Press, it gave me the confidence that it would be a worthwhile read. It is set in Venice which in terms of fiction, be it literary or pulp, is always a fabulous location. Finally, the collaborative authors have written crime fiction too, so just how far out of my comfort zone might this be…

My review

The story starts with a flight into Venice and the usual mix of tourists and businesspeople onboard. Mr Silvera is a tour guide taking a party of tourists first to Venice and then onwards to Greece by cruise ship. Silvera is very well travelled if a little world weary and dresses in what now might be regarded as shabby chic, but very much towards the shabby end of the scale. So here we have a central character who is as well-worn as his attire. On the flight, whilst putting up with those distractions of humanity that make you wish you had walked, he spots a beautiful younger woman and she notices him.

On landing they go their separate ways, he to guide his tour party who are already irritating him, she to carry out her assignment. She is an art appraiser from Rome who works for a major English auction house, and is to give her assessment on a collection of paintings that are to be brought to the market.

Silvera delivers his party to the cruise ship and seemingly on a whim abandons them there, taking the tour company’s emergency funds to tide him over. A couple of days distraction in Venice and then he can decide on what the future may bring. Does he realise that his path will shortly cross that of the woman…

This is a curiously and cleverly constructed novel that plays its mystery close to its chest and features modes of transport throughout without really getting anywhere other than an aeroplane flight in and a ship out. In between Venice is thoroughly explored on foot and by various forms of boat. Venice is a beautiful city but like Silvera is worn and a little down at heel and from the descriptions of the surroundings this novel is a kind of love letter to this formidable and historic city with its fading beauty and wealth. Here there is a great depth to the writing with draws out the richness of the surroundings.

The narrative is split; it is first person from the perspective of the woman (who is never named) and third person elsewhere. The storyline itself is also divided into two, which are a period of discovery and then the reveal and its aftermath. As may be deduced from the title, at its core this is a love story, an unusual one given the players and the short timescale of three days, but probably more memorable because of this. Silvera shows her the hidden Venice that he knows, but she is keen to discover the man behind this persona he has constructed. The reveal comes following on from a party; there are hints along the way, Silvera is so knowledgeable and multilingual, but I still couldn’t guess his identity.

There is also a layer of comedy underneath the story. Silvera has an acerbic eye for the withering put down (‘double door’ Americans for the overweigh tourists) and there is a satirical edge to the description of the dealings of the art world. They may well deal with fine art worth a fortune, but they fare here no better than used car salesmen and there is duplicity on the side of the seller and the buyer. Being draw into this world of the rich and upper classes he is also exposed to what is a comedy of manners and the absurdity of social norms and etiquette, beautifully highlighted by the consommé course at a dinner.

If you are a lover of fine prose then you will enjoy this, its beautifully written, mysterious and complex as the narrative shifts around, but there is also a deft lightness to it all. Excellent work from the narrator managing to capture all of this from the original. It manages to take the reader through the whole gamut of human emotions during the three days but there is almost an inevitability to the melancholy that is fitting for the cold and dreary Venice of November. The ending perhaps comes as no surprise, but it is touchingly handled.

The Lover of no Fixed Abode may not be my preferred genre, but here is an example of superb writing making a story come to life.

The Lover of no Fixed Abode can be purchased from the Bookshop.org here

The authors

Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini were a well-known literary duo in Italy for several decades until Lucentini’s death (by suicide) in 2002. For about forty years, they co-wrote newspaper and magazine articles, literary essays, edited numerous anthologies and published six ground-breaking and best-selling mystery novels. The Lover of No Fixed Abode, first published in Italian in 1986, is the fourth of their novels.

The translator

Gregory Dowling grew up in Bristol and read English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. Gregory lives in Venice. He is a celebrated translator from Italian, a novelist (The Four Horsemen and Ascension, both set in Venice). and a local university professor.

Killing for Keeps #TEAMDANIELS #MariHannah #KillingForKeeps

By Mari Hannah https://www.marihannah.com/ @mariwriter

Published by Pan Macmillan https://www.panmacmillan.com/ @panmacmillan

448 pages ISBN 9781447246121

Publication date 6 July 2015

Killing for Keeps is the fifth book in the Kate Daniels @DCIKateDaniels Mysteries series. Click on the links to read my reviews of the first four books in the series, The Murder Wall (1), Settled Blood (2), Deadly Deceit (3) and Monument to Murder (4).

I was sent an electronic copy in exchange for a fair review. I would like to thank Tracy @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers #CompulsiveReaders for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMDANIELS review project. My review of Gallows Drop the sixth novel in the series will be posted on this blog in early February.

The Cover

Clearly Tyneside with the bridge. Fine if a little bit dull when other options would have been available as readers will discover.

Pete’s ponderings

Serendipity. What a great word, one we don’t use enough, and it applies to my reading of this novel. In my last review, of Once a Killer, I mused over moral ambiguity in fiction and how the reader may react in real life. In that novel the killer targeted evil men, but the reaction to gangland violence against victims deemed to ‘deserve it’ has been ambivalent at best for some people, including media stars both sides of the Atlantic. Just a few pages into Killing for Keeps I realised that here was a novel featuring just such a gang feud, but will DCI Kate Daniel’s judgement be clouded with such ambiguity?

My review

We start with not one but two gruesome murders, in quick succession. One body is left under a van on a Newcastle industrial estate; the other is left on a trolly in the A & E department of a local hospital. The injuries inflicted are horrific and there is clear evidence of torture involved. The savagery demonstrated shows the perpetrators are not petty criminals but real hard-core killers, the kind who have Screwfix Direct on speed dial for the tools of their trade. Dangerous men who must be caught.

The two victims were brothers from a local crime family, relatively small fry, but their late father was a big player in the Glasgow underworld before he relocated to Newcastle with a ‘target on his back’. He died on a Spanish golfing holiday some years ago though, so who from his past would have a reason target his family?

DCI Kate Daniels and her team are faced with the unenviable task of protecting those of the family who are left whilst tracking down the killers. A case that has them digging into the past and stretches from Newcastle to Glasgow and over to Spain in what proves to be far from a ‘busman’s holiday’.

The most violent story in the series so far, justifiably so to hold a degree of realism, these people are amongst the most vicious in society. Much is left to the imagination though, as it is not too graphic or gratuitous, so I doubt many readers will lose sleep. As might be expected there is some danger and jeopardy, that manages to surprise by both the timing and intensity, along with a decidedly creepy interaction.

Kate is going through a tough time and approaching burn out or complete breakdown. Her life is out of balance; she has no lover, is estranged from her father and has no real friends outside work. Her career has taken over her life, she is still determined but now totally obsessed and with no other outlet, is prone to making errors of judgement. In danger of alienating those around her, matters come to a head when the use of an unregistered snout (informant) leads to unexpected consequences. Confronted by Detective Chief Superintendent Bright and given an ultimatum, Kate must face up to the mess of her life and career and act before it is too late. In Hank she has the right-hand man who can perhaps save her from herself. The plot may centre on a manhunt (well more than one actually) but much of the central thrust and themes revolve around the friendship between Hank and Kate. Kate’s mental health is a key factor and in a well-judged storyline, there is the need for her to recognise she has a problem and acknowledge it before she can find the path to recovery.

The shackles of Newcastle are broken firstly by a visit to Glasgow to see the luxury that the modern gang boss lives in, a visit that proves to be an eye opener in more ways than one. Then in the second half of the story Kate and Hank follow the trail to Spain, but it’s not really a jolly, well perhaps a little. Here the story and the writing get rather playful as our odd couple detectives settle in at being man and wife as part of their cover. Expect brits abroad observations, bickering like a real married couple and Hank trying to dress like a holidaymaker. Its all rather fun as Hank tries to make the most of it, a shaft of bright sunlight to set against the darkness of the story.

For such a dark story it is surprisingly upbeat, with those around Kate finding happy times, and even the prospect that Kate might find her way through the fog that envelopes her and eventually find a reconciliation with Jo. This can only mean that the next instalment in the series is going to result unhappiness for someone, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Killing for Keeps brings some variety to excellent series and we all know a change is as good as a rest. Another high-quality police procedural.

Killing for Keeps can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

When an injury on duty ended my career as Probation Officer, I began writing. I am the author of the Kate Daniels and Ryan & O’Neil series published by Pan Macmillan and the Stone & Oliver series published by Orion. My debut, The Murder Wall, was written as a TV pilot for a BBC Drama Development Scheme – before the adaption. The novel won the Polari First Book Prize. Before becoming an author, I fell in love with scriptwriting and submitted speculative original dramas to the BBC Writersroom. I’ve also written a romantic comedy feature film that I hope will find a producer one day. In 2010, I won the Northern Writers’ Award for my second novel, Settled Blood. And in 2017, I won the Dagger in the Library for my body of work. I’m represented by AM Heath literary agent, Oli Munson, and live in Northumberland with my partner, a former murder detective.

Source: Goodreads profile

Once a Killer #MurrayBailey #OnceAKiller #BlackJack

By Murray Bailey https://www.murraybaileybooks.com/ @MurrayBaileybks

Published by Three Daggers, Heritage Books Publishing

322 pages ISBN 9781916382824

Publication date 1 September 2022

Once A Killer is the first novel in the BlackJack thriller series.

I reviewed an eBook from Amazon Kindle.

The cover

I love the cover. It has the ubiquitous figure, but this time approaching rather than from the rear, but it is translucent. Through the figure is pictured the Hong Kong skyline and locals on boats. An evocative cover, though one that perhaps hints at a more modern world than the 1953 in which the novel is set.

Pete’s ponderings

There is something about human nature that is drawn towards redemption. We like to see those who do wrong atone for those actions and then go on to do good works. For example, worker in a drug rehabilitation programme who was previously an addict seems to be more impressive than someone who has never been so burdened. Perhaps it comes from our Christian basis, the idea of the sinner repenting, the bad becoming good. These stories make for great journalism in the real world and great fiction in film and in print.

What about the irredeemable or perhaps those who don’t want to walk a righteous path? Well, they make great villains in fiction, but what if we add a touch of moral ambiguity. The serial killer who only targets other killers, perhaps those escape justice? We wouldn’t support the death penalty and murder is always wrong, but would we really be willing to pursue such a killer with the same determination as say a child killer. If it were your friend, would you give them up? Many friends, some celebrities, of the London gangsters of the 1960s turned a blind eye to violence, their excuse was the victims were other gangsters, or they deserved it.

So, this brings us to BlackJack a killer who struggles to contain his urges…

My review

Its Hong Kong in 1953 and Charles Balcombe is starting anew, for Charles Balcombe is dead, he was killed in a freeclimbing fall. His best friend and fellow climber sees this as a great opportunity, somewhat callously, to dump his own stained persona and take on Charle’s identity. A perfect case of identity theft and a way of escaping his murderous past, at least for a while.

Charles is comfortable in Hong Kong, he has money and a string of bored, mostly older, other men’s wives to keep him entertained in the bedroom. He has a sophisticated edge and knows how to play the social status game to his advantage, but deep down this lothario is an absolute cad. We are introduced to him in the bedroom of a married woman whom he comes close to killing by strangling in a vigorous bout of rough but consensual sex, only just controlling his killing urge. The bounder.

Charles has a history of attending Sandhurst and then becoming a Military Policeman where he realised he had a talent as a special investigator. What better way to spend his time between dalliances with married women and the thrill of the racetrack than a little PI work, especially when it pays well. So, when the beautiful young wife of a wealthy banker asks for help in finding her missing stepson how could he say no, a generous fee and the promise of a perk on the side being a deal clincher. Naturally there is more to the case than initially communicated as Charles will come to discover.

These are colonial times; the behaviour is very much of the period and the setting is a very evocative one. There is the white supremacy and the looking down on indigenous peoples. This is captured so well with the police investigation where the mixed-race Detective Inspector Munro is in the paradoxical position of a foot in both camps but belonging to neither. When he questions white people he must be accompanied by a white junior officer to whom he must defer the job of  questioning to. It is perhaps attitudes like this that imbue him with a somewhat pragmatic streak, providing justice is served in his eyes. We also see the hypocrisy of the white ruling classes and their antics behind closed doors, with a real feel of decadence akin to the Kenyan Happy Valley set of White Mischief fame.

There are three aspects to the plot that develop and eventually merge. There is the ‘release’ of BlackJack who like Dr David (or Robert/Bruce) Banner reveals The Incredible Hulk, appears in a murderous rage killing a thoroughly despicable man. Then there is Charles’ investigation to find the missing young man. Finally like a blood hound on their heels is the doughty DI Munro who is on the case of several murders including one of his own men.

In Charles we find a thoroughly objectional man who is utterly compelling. He is impossible to like, but at the same time the reader might find themselves warming to him as he possesses a certain amount of charm. Whatever the readers feelings about him, they are going to read on just to see what he does next, he is an inveterate risk taker.

Much of the story revolves around Charles and Munro, these are two characters who can hold the attention of the reader, but there are also great cameos. I particularly like the rickshaw boy Albert who goes around almost unnoticed and latches on Charles early in the story, rather than being a hinderance he proves to be rather useful. I suspect there will be more to come from Albert.

Sex, violence, mystery and intrigue, a storyline that rattles along nicely and a murderous antihero, what more could you want from a thriller?

Once a Killer is a stylish period thriller that introduces a compelling character who regards murder with moral ambiguity.

Once a Killer can be purchased via Amazon here

The author

Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father’s experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s.

Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.

Murray lives on the south coast of England with his family and a dog called Teddy.

Source: Amazon profile

The Dentist #TimSullivan #TheDentist

By Tim Sullivan https://timsullivan.co.uk/ @TimJRSullivan

Narrated by John Heffernan

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/ @BloomsburyBooks, audio by W.F.Howes Ltd https://www.wfhowes.co.uk/ @WFHowes

384 pages (10 hours 12 minutes) ISBN 9781801107716 (PB) 9781803282503 (A)

Publication date 2 September 2021 (audio 1 October 2022)

The Dentist is the first book in the DS Cross Mysteries series.

I reviewed an audiobook version from Audible.

The cover

Pretty standard effort, man on a waterfront, in this case in sight of the Severn Bridge which sets the location nicely.

The narration

I was impressed with the work of the narrator overall, but especially his portrayal of George, at times deadpan but always sympathetic. Not an easy part to play but very well done.

Pete’s ponderings

For crime writers it must be difficult to come up with original ideas. Most plot ideas have been done so often that the seasoned reader can gauge where the story is heading, so it is always refreshing when this is flipped on its head like in Yule Island. Smaller publishers are trying to introduce readers to crime fiction from unexpected places, and last year I read some excellent novels from such unexpected places as Uruguay (The Hand That Feeds You) and Romania (Deadly Autumn Harvest) which had very different settings and writing styles.

It is the same with lead detectives. Authors tend to put them through hell for the readers delectation. So much so that a policeman who is well adjusted, with no addictions, a happy marriage and family life is so unusual that it comes as a breath of fresh air. Brian Price’s Mel Cotton is one such officer but from a quick read of Fatal Blow we can see Brian puts her through the wringer in the day job. In The Dentist we start a series with a rather unusual lead character in that he suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time did a lot to raise awareness about Asperger’s in a very original novel, but I can’t recall a crime novel with police officer that has it.

My review

DS George Cross is a very singularly individual man and one other people find difficult to work with. He takes an intensely detailed approach to investigations, unerringly relies upon logic and is determined to discover the truth. This results in him having the best conviction rate in the force but still he is lauded by so few. He is socially awkward, cannot read peoples expressions or any hidden meaning to their words and he has several peculiar habits such as having his breakfast separated onto a series of small plates. This is because George suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome and few of his work colleague understand how this affects him. His partner DS Josie Ottey wants their association to be temporary because she finds him infuriating, but to DCI Carson he is a secret weapon to assist him rising through the ranks, whilst George has such a stunning success rate, he is willing to accommodate him.

A body of a homeless man is found on Clifton Downs. Such tragic deaths and sadly not uncommon but this isn’t natural causes, he has been strangled. Initial thoughts are it is likely to be a falling out between members of the homeless community and a prime suspect is quickly identified, a troubled ex-solider. For most this is case closed, but for George there are too many unanswered questions, and George doesn’t like them. He can’t accept it was a meaningless murder and decides they need to know more about the victim, much to the annoyance of senior officers. This digging leads to an unsolved case from fifteen years ago which is now a cold case. A flaw in the investigative process leads to the past unravelling as George doggedly searches for answers.

George Cross is such a mundane name for a modern fictional detective I wondered if there was something I was missing, perhaps it was a metaphor for his Asperger’s being a cross they had to bear. As the story develops you realise that it is not though, George struggles to comprehend the world around him and can’t understand why others do not see it the way he does. It is akin to speaking to someone in a foreign language, once accommodations are made an understanding and rapport is built up. This journey is of understanding is the one Ottey undertakes through the story.

The portrayal of George is masterful, there are his foibles and frustrations but also how he uses his individuality to his advantage. He is usually underestimated by suspects and those he questions which can give him the upper hand. His use of logic and bloody-minded persistence is perfect for policing and skilfully woven into the story but it is his perceptions that struck me as the most telling. It is difficult to put ourselves in his shoes but without spoiling the flow we understand why order means so much to George, how logic becomes his coping mechanism in an illogical world such that unanswered questions affect him almost as much as physical pain. The relationship he has with father is equally as touching as it is bizarre. We also see he does have outside interests too, how he became a cricket scorer as a child (perfect) and his love of organ music.

The plot is straightforward even if the solution is not so much; it is very much the standard police procedural, with George’s careful step by step investigation and station bound interrogations. It is light on action and danger, but those are for other detectives, George would never chase a suspect or put himself in grave danger. Perhaps because of this the story develops at its own steady pace and never rushed.

Levity is brough by way of George’s habits and misunderstandings but never in a hurtful or malicious way, more a case that we can laugh at the absurdity of life and social norms. Why would you have a sleeve tattoo that will never change for the rest of your life? George doesn’t have an extensive wardrobe but likes to vary things around a bit, a simply perfect logical observation.

The Dentist is an impressive police procedural which manages to be both thoughtful and entertaining. This promises to be a fascinating series ahead.

The Dentist can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Tim Sullivan is an acclaimed screenwriter. He originally read English and Law at university – the latter forced on him by his Dad – but instead he wriggled free of those parental ambitions and pursued his own, to make films. His writing credits include A HANDFUL OF DUST, starring Kristen Scott Thomas, WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, starring Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter, JACK AND SARAH (which he also directed) starring Richard E Grant, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen and LETTERS TO JULIET, with Amanda Seyfried. He is also a Television director whose credits include SHERLOCK HOLMES and COLD FEET and CORONATIONS STREET. He has written extensively in Hollywood in both live action and animation, working with Ron Howard, Scott Rudin and with Jeffrey Katzenberg on the fourth SHREK movie.

He has now embarked on a series of crime novels featuring the eccentric and socially-awkward, but brilliantly persistent DS George Cross.

He self-published the first two books and once they’d achieved over 200,000 downloads he came to the attention of Head of Zeus publishers. So thanks to all his readers for this success and their shared love of George.

The novels are set in Bristol in the south west of England, Cross’ methods often infuriate his colleagues and superiors “not so much a thorn in my side as a pain in my arse,” according to his boss DCI Carson. But his conviction rate, thanks to his dogged persistence and attention to detail, is the best in the force. Tim has now written the first four in the series with The Patient being published on March 3rd 2022.

Tim feels confident in his claim that he is the only crime writer around who has also co-produced and written a My Little Pony movie for Hasbro. MY LITTLE PONY – A NEW GENERATION is now available on Netflix.

Tim lives in North London with his wife Rachel, the Emmy award-winning producer of THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA and PIONEER WOMAN. Their daughters live near by.

Source: Goodreads profile

The Narrator

John Heffernan grew up in Connecticut and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked at USC Film School for three years as a Production Coordinator for student films. After working as a development assistant for Davis Entertainment and Dreamworks-based Patchwork Productions, John sold his first script, A Chance for Both Barrels. This was followed by numerous writing jobs including a development deal with MTV Films and the New Line release Snakes on a Plane in 2006. Since then he has continued to write extensively for film and TV and has expanded into multiple forms of graphic literary media, including Driver For The Dead, his first comic book series.

Source: Goodreads profile

Catch as Catch Can #MalcolmHollingdrake #CatchAsCatchCan

By Malcolm Hollingdrake https://t.co/3FU8Z3YsGg @MHollingdrake

Narrated by Adrian Hobart @adrian_hobart

Published by Hobeck Books https://www.hobeck.net @HobeckBooks

310 pages (7 hours 45 minutes) ISBN  9781913793272

Publication date 16 April 2021 (audio 31 January 2022)

Catch as Catch Can is the first book in the Merseyside Crime series.

I reviewed an audiobook version purchased from Audible.

The cover

Fits in with so many these days, a figure seen from behind at a waterfront, which presumably is part of the Mersey Estuary. Could it be one of Antony Gormley’s figures?

The narration

Excellent general narration that doesn’t try too many different voices, which is fine. Enjoyed the Merseyside accents which clearly of the region without becoming full blown Lily Savage.

On a couple of occasions there was a scene change during a chapter where a slight pause would have made it clearer, but this is a minor grumble.

Pete’s ponderings

Most crime readers when they pick up a novel are expecting a murder, usually the more the merrier, after all it is only fiction. The simple fact is it is murders that have impact, are usually shocking and have a perverse glamour in the eyes of some. In The Silence of the Lambs, it is Hannibal Lecter that grabs the attention not Clarice Starling, even though despite being cultured and educated he is still the baddest of the bad. Thankfully in the UK, even though crime always appears to be at an all-time high, murder is still relatively rare, with random killings and serial killings amongst the rarest.

Low level crime can still produce wonderful fiction if the author manages to capture the grimy and grittiness of real life in the deprived areas and sink estates. There are a couple of murders in this novel, but they arise through other crimes. It centres on the sort of crimes that plague many communities that if not acted upon can escalate out of control.

My review

April Decent is a fast-track graduate officer, already at the level of Detective Inspector, who has moved from her native Yorkshire to the other side (the wrong side) of the Pennines to Merseyside for her promotion. She faces a fresh start with new colleagues and settling into a new home, a coastal cottage with her brindle greyhound Tico*.

April starts has she means to go on, setting ground rules for her team to the annoyance of some, who perhaps are not fully behind the team. There is one person who she cannot immediately get a handle on, Skeeter Warlock. Skeeter is an intense, stocky woman with a piercing stare whose effect is enhanced by her having heterochromia, different coloured irises. These are two women who decide that they must earn each other’s respect and trust.

Metal detectorists (who are now starting to rival dog walkers in fiction) discover a washed-up mutilated corpse on a beach, along with a medal and a plastic disc. Not a great deal for April and her team to go on, but if he has been tortured then it is presumably for information, but what?

With any first novel in a series there is a balance between introducing a back story and keeping a flow of action and here I think the author has just about got it right. The series is presumably centred on April as the principal character, but Skeeter is so striking I can see it developing into a two-hander. Both characters are interesting and have complementary skills and personalities and it is going to be fascinating how their interaction develops further.

April is the more reserved of the two, happy with a degree of solitude, going for beach walks with Tico or working on her hobby of making stained glass windows. Skeeter may appear menacing, but she is more outward going. Her hobby is wrestling, not the ‘Sports Entertainment’ nonsense of WWE but proper grappling known as Catch or Catch as Catch Can, similar in style to Greco-Roman. She is never happier than when training youngsters in this martial art. I can’t remember the last time I read a novel featuring two characters with such leftfield interests, bravo Mr. Hollingdrake.

The story moves along at a cracking pace, there is a lot going on with a real sense of danger at times and violence not glossed over. The low-level crime is convincingly covered, with the scooter gangs and drug distribution using youngsters through county lines, working for a modern-day Bill Sykes. There is a whole stratum of people on the fringes our communities who drift or are dragged into crime and a separate sub-culture, where crime becomes a way of life. The lure of easy money, of getting rich quick, is like a drug, but all addictions eventually come at a cost. It clearly demonstrates that the escalation of these crimes leads to greater risks being taken and ultimately to danger.

The local environs are well used, the run down and deprived areas of Liverpool provide the stark grittiness, but then there are the more affluent areas and the Antony Gormley statues on the beach. These bold contrasts make for an atmospheric read.

Of course, Liverpudlians like to think that they are hilarious, so it is fitting that there are some good one-liners, put downs and nicknames. The gang taking names from Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs is the sort of silliness I can get behind; these are not sophisticated criminals. Then there is how Skeeter came to be so ludicrously named and her life of nicknames, that in the end makes perfect sense.

Catch as Catch Can is an engaging police procedural with plenty of action and a seam of gritty realism throughout. Looking forward to reading more about April and Skeeter.

* Tico a black greyhound famously won both the English and Irish Greyhound Derbies in 1986

Catch as Catch Can may published direct from the publisher here

The audiobook version that I listened to can be purchased from Audible/Amazon here

The author

Photograph (c) Tony Bithell

You could say that the writing was clearly on the wall for someone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author, but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route. Malcolm worked in education for many years, including teaching in Cairo for a while. Malcolm has been happily married to Debbie for over forty years. They met in their first weekend at Ripon college through strange and unusual circumstances. Serendipity was certainly cupid on that occasion. Malcolm has written a number of successful short stories, has twelve books now published in the Harrogate Crime Series. He is also working on the third book of the Merseyside Crime Series which Hobeck will be publishing. The books introduce us to DI April Decent and DS Skeeter Warlock. Malcolm has enjoyed many diverse hobbies including flying light aircraft, gliders and paragliders, learning to fly at Liverpool Airport, designing and making leaded windows and collecting works by Northern artists.

Catch as Catch Can and Syn published in 2021. The third book, Edge of the Land, will be out in 2024.

Source: Publisher’s website

The narrator

Hobeck Books is the brainchild of author and broadcaster Adrian Hobart and publisher Rebecca Collins, and is based in a big old barn in the Staffordshire countryside.

Adrian has been a broadcaster and journalist with the BBC for twenty-five years, and is an audiobook narrator, filmmaker and a writer. 

Source: publisher’s website

The Dirty Dozen #TEAMTENNISON #LyndaLaPlante #TheDirtyDozen

By Lynda Le Plante https://lyndalaplante.com/ @LaPlanteLynda

Narrated by Laura Kirman @laurakirman

Published by Bolinda/Bonnier Audio, Zaffre https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/imprints/zaffre/ @ZaffreBooks (an imprint of Bonnier Books UK)

528 pages (14 hours 20 minutes) ISBN 9781785768521

Publication date 22 August 2019

The Dirty Dozen is the fifth novel the Jane Tennison Thriller Series.

I reviewed an audiobook using the BorrowBox library app https://www.borrowbox.com/ @BorrowBox. I would like to thank Tracy Fenton @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMTENNISON review project. Click on the links to read my reviews of Tennison, Hidden Killers, Good Friday and Murder Mile. My review of Blunt Force the sixth novel in the series will be posted on this blog in the first week in February.

The Cover

A lone woman walking along a high-level walkway, in keeping with the other covers of the series. A bit workmanlike and generic for me.

The narration

No idea why there is a continual change of narrator which is a little frustrating as a regular listener. That said she did a great job, and the change did not detract from my enjoyment.

Pete’s ponderings

Every decade or so there is a film or TV series that pushes the boundaries of the medium. In the 1990’s the movie Se7en had a huge impact with its style and cinematography and influenced film and television. The chiaroscuro style lighting has been brough into the mainstream when it comes to giving a moody feel to productions.

In the 1970s in the UK The Sweeney broke the mould for the portrayal of the police on television. Prior to this there was the kindly beat bobby of Dixon of Dock Green or the mobile officers of Z Cars who brought a touch more urban realism, but still somewhat tame. Then Jack Regan and George Carter crashed onto our screens with an impact like their bronze Ford Consul smashing through a crowed marketplace. For a young lad just coming into his teens it was quite an experience, these guys were badder than Starsky and Hutch and a whole lot cooler in a downbeat way. Cops who were aggressive and violent, quite happy to play dirty to get results and they didn’t always get the result they wanted. They also had some great patter (even if a bit dated now) – crook “who are you”, Reagan “We’re the Sweeney son and we haven’t had our dinner”. If there was no Sweeney would the ever have been Gene Hunt and Life on Mars?

Jane Tennison is the most driven and determined female officer in the Metropolitan Police so it’s only right that she encounters the Flying Squad. She previously tried to join in Good Friday but instead got a placing in the Dip Squad and a brush with terrorism. The first female officer in the uber macho Sweeny, you know this is going to be good…

My review

Its Jane’s first day in the Sweeney and she doesn’t even make it into the office before she’s out on a ‘shout’, only as a ride along but it will be good experience. The armed robbery doesn’t go to plan, weapons are discharged and the Flying Squad arrive just too late. A tough baptism for Jane but she quickly brings her detecting skills to bear.

Back at the office is becomes apparent to her that not everyone is in favour of her having a spot in the squad. This is a tight knit ‘band of brothers’ who have each other’s backs; there must be complete confidence in your colleagues when you go up against the most dangerous criminals in the country. They work hard and play hard and revel in harsh humour amongst themselves. On the first day Jane is given the nickname ‘Treacle’ which is unhappy about, not the best of starts if she wants to get her face on the poster of the film The Dirty Dozen hanging in the office.

The main thrust of the story is the familiar one of Jane battling to succeed and gain the acceptance of her colleagues. Of course, along the way she will put some noses out of joint, make some blunders through her over enthusiasm that put lives in danger and the case at risk of failure. Once again she puts herself in a dangerous, if slightly unlikely situation, such is the desperation to capture the armed robbers. In the end though she is an excellent detective, marrying the skills she has developed along with an outstanding coppers instinct.

The plot is surprisingly straightforward and linear. A little unusual by modern standards, the nearest we come to a side plot is a doubt about the honesty of colleagues, but with the author’s vast experience the story works to perfection. If anything, it reinforces the single-minded determination of the squad on the trail of a gang of armed robbers, where pursuit becomes almost an obsession. This is a story about the Sweeney and there is much on the subject to be mined. It escalates rapidly, with plenty of action along the way before a satisfying finale

The period feel is certainly impressive down to the references to Betamax v VHS and Shaw Taylor on Police 5, the forerunner of Crimewatch. Then there are the car chases, careering around London trying to find the rat runs and short cuts with only an ABC to guide them. Operating Countryman, a wide-ranging investigation into police corruption in the 1970s, is added into the mix and presents Jane with one of those career defining dilemmas.

The Dirty Dozen is a cracking police procedural that captures the spirit of the original The Sweeney whilst still remaining a Jane Tennison story.

The Dirty Dozen can be purchased from the Bookshop.org here

The author

Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.

Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.

She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She’s Out (ITV, 1995). The name “La Plante” comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.

Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows’ revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).

Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.

Source: Goodreads profile

Devil’s Table #TEAMSCILLY #KateRhodes #DevilsTable

By Kate Rhodes @K_RhodesWriter

Published by Simon & Schuster UK https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/ @simonschusterUK

400 pages ISBN  9781471189913

Publication date 14 October 2021

Devil’s Table is the fifth book in The Isles of Scilly Mysteries featuring Ben Kitto. Click on the links to read my reviews of the first four books in the series Hell Bay, Ruin Beach, Burnt Island and Pulpit Rock.

I reviewed an electronic copy purchased from Amazon Kindle. I would like to thank Tracy @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMSCILLY review project. My review of The Brutal Tide the sixth novel in the series will be posted on this blog later in January.

The Cover

Another striking costal scene at sunrise or sunset with brutal waves crashing on presumably the Devil’s table itself. The covers of the whole series manage to capture the dangerous beauty of the place and must be working wonders for the Isles of Scilly tourist board.

I love the title, one of those local landmarks that evoke evil doings, in a novel you know no good will come of the place.

Pete’s ponderings

Readers of this blog will be aware that I’m a sucker for serial killer stories. They are much more credible in the US as there is a long history of them in the annals of true crime, but even set in the UK the genre can be very entertaining. It is the reader’s ability to suspend belief in the name of entertainment that matters. That essentially comes from great storytelling, engaging characters and diverting plots. Take for example the TV series Taggart, which was so well loved it survived the death of two lead characters that when it finally ended it came as a shock. In 110 episodes they managed to kill off many more people that would ever be murdered in Glasgow in such a period, but that didn’t matter to viewers. If you want realism, then watch, or read true crime.

The Scilly Isles is probably the safest place to live in the UK and yet since Ben Kitto returned home it’s been chaos, and the bodies are piling up. That matters not a jot to the reader, because we have an engaging group of characters in a unique and beautiful location, creative plotting, a dollop of excitement and a reflection of human frailties. The result is beautifully contrived locked island mysteries that entertain and delight readers.

My review

For once we start not with a body, but eleven-year-old twins, Ethan, and Jade, heading for the beach late at night being chased by somebody through the fields. They are split up, Ethan returns home, Jade does not. St. Martin’s like the rest of the islands is only small, there aren’t many places she could be. This is a matter of urgency and Ben sets up an island wide search for Jade. She could be hiding, kidnapped, lying injured or dead somewhere, the sooner she is found the better, but the task is difficult because the island is covered in a dense bank of fog that seems likely to hang around for days.

The twins’ father is a wealthy local landowner, a farmer growing flowers. He has become wealthy through being a ruthless bully, at the same time becoming a man of major influence on the island, but also very unpopular with many. The family home is dysfunctional too, manifesting in coercive control, aggression and excessive drinking. It soon becomes apparent that somebody has it in for them and his unpopularity means there is no shortage of candidates for the police to sift through.

Missing children are always a concern if only for a few hours, they are vulnerable and can easily fall prey to abusers. Surely not on the Scilly Isles, but Ben must consider whether any of the residents show an unhealthy interest in children. This was sensitively handled by the author; Ben has a direct approach most of the time but even he realises the stigma that false accusations will bring.

There is a wonderful character dynamic created between Jade, Ethan, Nina, and Shadow. Through past trauma Ethan is mute and relies upon Jade for confidence and communication, so her disappearance has a profound effect on him. This incredibly tight bond is his lifeline to the outside world, so Ethan is now cut adrift with only his piccolo for solace. Ben asks Nina, who is almost qualified as a counsellor, to try to communicate with Ethan and get him to speak, to tell them what happened that night. This creates friction because Nina realises pushing too hard can damage his development. She is also frustrated by Ben’s reluctance to express himself regarding his past loss. Shadow quickly notices Nathan’s anguish and sticks with him, providing him protection and emotional support. He may resemble a wolf, but he could easily become a support dog. All of this is deftly and sensitively covered as part of the story.

Extreme weather can be a godsend for an author and here it is fog, dense and lasting for days, making the search that much more difficult. It is also well used to cover identities, people suddenly appearing and Shadow’s distant howls adding another worldliness and an element of surprise. This brings a degree of tension to the storyline, with the constant prospect of shocks and disguises when the inevitable jeopardy arises.

The motivations and themes throughout the story centre on family, its safety, security, and provision for the future. Family should bring comfort, love and a sense of belonging, for some it brings anguish and violence, but for most the need to provide for one’s family is an overriding necessity. Even Ben, a loner by past necessity due to his undercover work, starts to question his future.

Devil’s Table fantastic addition to this much loved and well-established series.

Devil’s Table can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Kate Rhodes is an acclaimed crime novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, the writer and film-maker Dave Pescod, and visited the Scilly Isles every year as a child, which gave her the idea for this series. She is one of the founders of the Killer Women writing group.

Source: Publisher’s website

This Is Not a Pipe #DavidJarvis #ThisIsNotAPipe

By David Jarvis @David_Jarvis_

Published by Matador (Troubador Publishing) https://www.troubador.co.uk/ @matadorbooks

309 pages ISBN 9781805141488

Publication date 28 October 2023

This Is Not a Pipe is the second novel in the Mike Kingdom series. Click on the link for my review of The Tip of the Iceberg the first book in the series.

The author sent me a paperback copy in exchange for a fair review.

The cover

Clever, perhaps a little too clever for a casual browser. Style wise it is in keeping with the previous novels by this author with the dots and dashes running through the centre. The strapline is the key “things are not what they seem.” Pipes play a prominent role, though not of the hookah variety.

The Treachery of Images by René Magritte

The title comes from the work of Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. Most readers will instantly recognise his painting ‘The Son of Man’, which features a besuited man wearing a bowler hat with his face obscured by an apple, even if not aware of the artist and title. The novel takes inspiration from a slightly lesser-known painting ‘The Treachery of Images’ which is a painting of a pipe with the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, French for “This is not a pipe” underneath. The meaning being it is not an actual pipe but a representation of one.

Pete’s ponderings

The period from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries saw the colonial land grabs to fuel the leading world economies at that time. Mineral wealth, precious metals and then hydrocarbon fuels were all to be exploited at the expense of indigenous peoples.

Twenty first century man is of course more enlightened and colonising land is seen for what it is. The need for rare earth elements used in modern electronics means that the resources of other, often underdeveloped countries, are still exploited, just using a different method. Neocolonialism. A technique of bringing cultural, political or economic pressure to bear to achieve the desired result, ranging from gentle arm twisting to full scale blackmail. Here the dirty work is carried out not by adventurers or privateers but by secret services, special advisers and the diplomatic corps.

This Is Not a Pipe throws a spotlight on this with entertaining and at times amusing clarity.

My review

In my review of Tip of the Iceberg I remarked that I wanted more from Michaela ‘Mike’ Kingdom the former CIA analyst and our author has duly obliged. This reader was certainly not disappointed.

Mike Kingdom gets an unwanted visitor to her remote cabin in the woods. Yes, its her former boss the food obsessed Head of the CIA’s London Station and controller of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence services collaboration (between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Mike swore never to work for him again, but this time Leonard has some bait. Mike’s brother-in-law Randy has been working under cover and has wandered ‘off reservation’. Leonard wants him found and brought into line, there is to be a G20 summit in Morocco shortly and nothing is to get in its way. By way of ‘help’ he tells her Randy might be in Spain, France, Italy, Algeria or Morocco, but his working ‘legend’ is not known. Another clue is in the newspaper he discards when he leaves. Frustrated by the request, but Randy is family, her only link to her late husband, Mike boots up her computer and becomes engrossed.

The British Energy Minister Johnny Musselwhite is on his way to Spain but has arranged a meeting with his French counterpart on route, so he can work the trip into his expenses of course. The Embassy in Paris decides to send a chaperone to smooth his way, with this task eventually falling to Walter Flushing a newbie at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Johnny is fond of the ‘Colombian marching powder’ so the assignment proves taxing for young Walter.

These two strands will come to intertwine, but as with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby the road leads to Morocco…

A memorable start, “Who could ever forget that splash” as a tourist trips over the hem of her kaftan and falls headfirst into a channel where the fish filleters throw the fish offal. We are back in the playfully amusing world of David Jarvis, where accidents waiting to happen do so with some mirth. Having worked in an office on Grimsby Fish Dock for fifteen years I have an inkling of how bad this would smell, but add the blazing North African, I truly shudder. Bravo.

Here we have another excellent slice of geo-political skullduggery that is suffused with dry humour and wry wit. The plot whilst relatively straightforward is skilfully overlaid with deceptions, quite fittingly in a world where misplaced trust can prove fatal and loyalties are seemingly negotiable. The storyline progresses at a nicely judged pace and what could be a heavy-going subject matter lighted by amusing incident and sparkling humour, so never gets dull. From the opening slapstick to word play of Walter’s middle name being Cecil to the florid description of Leonid even the dourest reader will find something to chuckle about.

The settings are interesting and well used; a luxury villa in Spain belonging to the super rich and in a bold contrast, the dusty street markets of Morocco. Both prove taxing for our intrepid ‘fish out of water’ analyst dabbling at being a field agent, who is often in a bit of a sweat, which is uncomfortable if you wear a wig. Mike’s hotel in Marrakech manages to be both exotic and slightly unsettling in equal measure.

Mike is the central character of course and her personality is fleshing out well making her an engaging heroine even if she does get herself into tight spots. As she comes to realise people who want her expertise never seem to tell her the full story.

The author has a deft touch when it comes to creating cameo roles too. There is the Aussie backpacker Josie, another one sparing with the truth; an amusingly nicknamed security guard Wazz who has more depth than might be imagined and I think will appear again; and the fish gutter’s dog Kella who all bring added interest to the story. Most of all though it is the author’s ability to nail the character of the venal, mendacious politicians, advisers and those who pull the strings. Gone are the days of the public serving politician, now they all seem to be self-serving, our democracy gives us a vote every five years, but do we really know who is in control? Is it parliament, big business, bodies like the EU or more shady Bilderberg Group? Is it any wonder some people head down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. As there is little the ordinary man can do, get yourself a comfy chair and immerse yourself in this wonderful story.         

This Is Not a Pipe vividly brings to life the murky world of geo-politics with wit and style.

This Is Not a Pipe can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

After going to Art College in the 1970s David Jarvis set up an international planning practice which he ran for 40 years. His canvases just got bigger and bigger. He has now retired to Wiltshire.

Source: Publisher’s website