Assistant Chief Constable Ned French has no reason to remember a 15-year-old murder case, until it comes back to haunt him. For French and a colleague tampered with a confession to murder in what they deemed an open-and-shut case. But now someone else has confessed to the killing.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
British Det. Sgt. Jack Stallworthy didn't start out as a corrupt cop. He had every intention of protecting the people of Abbotsport. But when his wife, Lily, his only obsession, wanted her own car, what was an underpaid cop supposed to do but take a bribe? Now in his 50s and looking at retirement, Jack realizes that his meager pension and the only slightly larger stash of money buried in his backyard won't last long on the tropical island of Ko Samui, for which Lily pines. So when computer magnate Emslie Warnaby tempts him, in exchange for plane tickets to the island and a deed for a hotel there, to retrieve a folder the police seized when a bureaucrat was arrested, Jack grudgingly agrees. His attempts at getting the folder from the fraud investigation officeAwhich range from befriending the charwoman, clerk and detective sergeant in charge to breaking and entering with the help of his archenemy, all the while facing Warnaby's imminent deadlineAmake up the bulk of this well-told tale. Jack, while crooked, is an astute observer of all around him and serves as a bellwether for a small-town cop's lot in life. Keating's low-key sense of humor and his dexterity at making a crooked protagonist sympathetic are firmly in place, as is the story's satirical edge, which explores the disparity between the financial rewards received by criminals and police and the symbiotic relationship between cops and robbers. Readers will come away from this newest by the veteran author of the Inspector Ghote mysteries with an eye-opening look at modern law enforcement. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
British copper Jack Stallworthy isn't a bad detective, exactly, but occasionally the opportunity has arisen for him to suppress evidence and, in the process, stash away a few pounds in his secret retirement fund. Jack's wife has decided on Ko Samui, a remote island paradise, as the perfect retirement spot, but Jack knows that his pension--even with the secret stash--won't be enough. So when a local entrepreneur asks Jack to steal a file from police headquarters in exchange for the deed to a hotel in Ko Samui, Jack can hardly believe his "good luck." The only catch is that spiriting the file out of HQ proves much more difficult than Jack could have imagined. In this thought-provoking story of greed, corruption, and scandal, even justice comes dripping with irony--and leaving the reader feeling as much regret as satisfaction. Keating, distinguished author of nearly 50 books, is a gifted writer. His crime novels are perfect for thinking readers who want to be stirred, stimulated, and roused--as well as entertained. Emily Melton
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Help!,
By
This review is from: The Bad Detective (Hardcover)
Where can I find a Jack Stallworthy? A fellow so dedicated to his choc eating wife that he'll do anything to get her what she wants...I can play that part! He doesn't even blame her! He admits that even without Lily to please he might have been bad. And Jack isn't REALLY bad, he's just a little bit bad. And considering what the world has come to, who could blame him? Ah, these are the traps the devil sets! You can't help liking the guy, and the people he does down deserve it so! I'm delighted to report this is the first Keating book I've read--meaning I've got 49 wonderful stories to go! Keating reminds me of Donald Westlake--a very complimentary comparison. Great fun. But--I hate to admit--I don't understand the ending! I missed the twist! That's a recommendation...I hope I do better next time.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keating at his awesome best,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Bad Detective (Hardcover)
After serving on the Abbotsport Central police force for three decades, fifty-two year old Detective Sergeant Jack Stallworthy ponders retirement. However, he knows his meager pension will not cover the expense of him and his wife Lily living on the tropical island of Ko Samui. A bitter Jack becomes approachable to bribery and information technology executive Emslie Warnaby offers the bait. In exchange for stealing a file the police sized during an arrest, Emslie will provide two plane tickets to Ko Samui and the deed to a hotel on the island. However, Jack's efforts to beat the clock imposed on him by Emslie fail even as the cop keeps raising his criminal activity. THE BAD DETECTIVE shows why H.R.F. Keating deserves the life time achievement award he has received. The story line centers on Jack's efforts to retrieve the file. However, on a deeper level Mr. Keating provides an interesting financial parity between the crooks and the cops. Even as Jack digs himself into a more serious situation, readers will empathize with his efforts and actually root for his success. The author of Inspector Ghote writes another winner. Harriet Klausner
2.0 out of 5 stars
April Fool,
By
This review is from: The Bad Detective (Hardcover)
Okay, you sorta root for the guy, and defer judgement on his corruption, but he's a Bad Detective. Not just neglecting his job, either.When he applies himself to solving a problem, he NEVER has a plan, options, or an exit strategy. (Sound familiar?) This continually suprises him. He's always a hair-trigger away from violence - will he blow? - no, the only violence he commits is off-stage. Nor does he ever learn from his mistakes and improve. "Victories" gained by luck are claimed; inevitable "defeats" are rationalized away. The guy's a loser, and what little care he has for his fellow man always loses out to his own short-sighted selfishness. The writing, on the other hand, is often delightful. Clipped phrasing. Idiom-tastic. Veddy, veddy British. I have not read this author before and won't again... unless his loyal fans can convince me of a different title I might try.
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