From Library Journal
Although ordered by his superiors to drop his investigation of a hit-and-run case, policeman Ballard believes the crime is connected to the murder of a drug dealer. Detectives Frost and Lock then become involved. Solid, dependable British procedural from the prolific author.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Those who still imagine the British police to be gentlemanly, noble, and polite will be taken aback by the bitter, nasty coppers who populate Ashford's latest procedural. Only long-suffering protagonist P. C. Ballard displays a hint of Dalgleish-like sensitivity, but even he reveals a dark side. When a young boy is killed in a hit-and-run incident, Ballard investigates--and soon finds that the victim may have been struck by the getaway car in a drug-dealer's assassination. Ballard gets nowhere convincing his mean, unsupportive superiors of this theory, but eventually, as that dark side surfaces, we begin to wonder if he is really much different than his tormentors. Ashford tends to use long passages of dialogue without clearly identifying the speakers, but he keeps the suspense level high, and his warts-on portrayal of police work will grab fans of hard-boiled procedurals. Jenny McLarin
