Encountering the body of a dead man during a fishing trip, master fisherman Wallace James, the reluctant partner of Keith Calder, learns that the dead man had sinister dealings in the Middle East.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Hammond now adds an angling tale to his gun-lore mysteries (starring gunsmith Keith Calder) and his spaniel-training adventures (featuring retired soldier John Cunningham). Like those novels, this is a brief, plot-driven affair, heavy on information, wafer-thin on characterization. Calder's business partner, Wallace James, takes gregarious and inept fisherman Eric Bell on an angling trip in the Scottish Highlands (and, in the first five pages alone, gives him more fly-fishing tips than Norman Maclean put in his entire A River Runs Through It). The body of one Bernard Hollister is soon found in the river. His death looks like an accident, until James notes that the lure embedded in his cheek is the wrong kind of lure for that river at that time and particular depth. It turns out that the deceased had business links to the Middle East, and had been spotted recently in a brawl with a local Arab. James solves the case, but along the way he proves to be a dull and insufferably smug soul. Hammond's best books are enlivened by a host of plucky dogs; his worst, like this, offer only a catch of dead, cold fish.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Hammond's latest will hold the most appeal for mystery fans who also happen to be fishing fanatics, since the story is chock-full of angling talk, tips, and techniques. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it features master fisherman Wallace James, who's on a fishing trip when he and his buddy find--submerged in the river--the body of a man with a fish hook in his face. The last thing Wallace wants is to interrupt his fishing trip, but when suspicious circumstances lead the local constabulary to conclude that the mystery man was murdered, Wallace is "lured" into a case that leads him and his newfound policeman pal, Tony McIver, on a challenging quest to solve the puzzling murder. Despite the heavy emphasis on fishing, the story is nicely paced with an inventive plot, stolid but engaging characters, and an appealing glimpse of Scottish village life. While it may not appeal to all whodunit fans, it's vintage Hammond and belongs in larger mystery collections. Emily Melton
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well done,
By A Customer
This review is from: Hook or Crook (Hardcover)
This a reprint but if you haven't got it yet it is worth getting. If you're looking for a dog theme you'll be disappointed as it is about fishing but the character will be familiar as Wallace James is the partner of Hammond's famous Gunsmith. Found out much about fishing and bodies and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
