Illegal Tender [Hardcover]

Gerald Hammond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2001

It could happen to anyone. An email arrives with an air of authority and a carefully-worded request for bank account information. One lapse of caution, and one click of the mouse. Suddenly, the recipient's entire bank account is emptied.

This is precisely what happens to Elizabeth Ilwand, heir to the Agrotechnics fortune - a Scottish manufacturer of agricultural technology. A sum of £1.5 million disappears from her accounts when she unwittingly responds to a fraudulent email. Luckily, her trustee is Henry Kitts, friend and associate of the Three Oaks Kennel, board member of Agrotechnics, and sometime amateur sleuth.

While Elizabeth searches for ways to recoup the gigantic loss, Henry investigates the email in the hope of tracking down the thief. But matters take a more chilling turn when Henry discovers the body of Maurice Cowieson, a local businessman indebted to Agrotechnics, who appears to have been killed in a car crash while on his way to discuss important matters with Elizabeth. Upon further examination, his injuries tell a much more insidious story....

Once again, using a backdrop of game hunting, malt whiskey, and sporting dogs in the Scottish countryside, Gerald Hammond evokes the witty and enchanting panache that has become his signature over the years.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Why anyone would "relish" (as Hammond's series hero, gun-dog kennel co-owner Henry Fitts, describes it) slaughtering wild fowl in the brisk Scottish air as sport is anyone's guess. In what Hammond claims in a preface is his last mystery novel he's written more than 30 he makes it seem a civilized form of recreation. Fortunately, Fitts disapproves of slaughtering people and is soon on the scent of a killer. Not too soon, of course; this is a leisurely British detective story (Scottish, actually) in which there's time out for fine wines, whiskies and a brandy or two. Fitts's sidekicks are hunting dogs, a species the author obviously loves and knows well. Fitts faces two challenges: saving a local business, which is facing ruin through the ineptness of its manager, and helping his ward, Elizabeth, who has been robbed in an e-mail fraud. Much of the story involves the complex technicalities involved in solving these problems. Skillfully, Hammond makes it all mildly interesting. The obligatory murder comes unexpectedly and for a long while has to wait its turn for Fitts to get around to it. He brings the least likely (but most credible) suspect to justice without benefit of the usual meticulous police procedural details or the graphic, grisly depiction of an autopsy. Hammond's charm is in that he creates an entire world of which his characters are a natural part. It's like a soap opera (without the suds) that we join "in progress." It takes a while to sort out the details but leaves us feeling we've been somewhere.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Gerald Hammond worked as an architect for thirty years, before taking retirement in 1982. He lives in Scotland, with his wife, and has three sons and five granddaughters. He spends his time shooting, fishing, and writing - "Anything else I do reluctantly and under protest."

He is the author of over forty mystery novels the most recent being A Shocking Affair, Dogsbody, and Dead Weight. He currently writes three mystery series: one set in Three Oaks, one based around the gun expert Keith Calder, and one featuring the angler Walter James.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (May 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312272928
• ISBN-13: 978-0312272920
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,423,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Henry Kitts gets away to solve a mystery of his own, April 22, 2002

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Illegal Tender (Hardcover)

Isobel and Henry Kitts are well known characters in the Three Oaks series. Isobel is resident vet and dog trainer, and Henry, a retired banker assists the Throaks staff wherever necessary. In this novel, Henry gets a call from the granddaughter of an old friend. She asks him to join her syndicate in a shoot in addition to helping her with a financial problem. Henry is one of her trustees as well as being a fellow director in the Agritechnics firm. Apparently Elizabeth has been taken in by an email scam, to the tune of one and a half million pounds. Then a debtor of Agritechnics is found dead by Henry, who embroils himself in yet another murder mystery.

This was a very good mystery, although I missed the folks at Throaks. Henry is an often overlooked character in the series, and this novel developes his character more fully.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hammond Wraps Up the Three Oaks Series, February 20, 2007

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Illegal Tender (Hardcover)

Gerald Hammond wraps up the Three Oak Series with Illegal Tender where one of the minor characters Henry Kitts from the series takes the lead role in this adventure. Hammond certainly did not retire after Illegal Tender as is implied by another reviewer who as frequent users of this site know constantly gets things wrong. In fact at the time of this review Hammond has written 17 more novels many of which are mysteries similar to what the Three Oaks Series is, sometimes with dogs sometimes without. Hammond explains why he decided to wrap up his long going successful series in a preface at the start of Illegal Tender but at no time states or implies he is retiring from his writing career. I think it is great when an author is proud enough of a series not to ruin it by putting out average novels when they've run out ideas diminishing the overall series just to cash in on the money. Many authors James Patterson to name one, simply give into temptation or pressure from their fans and publishers but it takes a great author to stand up and say no that's done. Although subsequent independent stories have varied dramatically in quality Hammond has put out quite a few masterpiece quality novels since the end of the Three Oaks Series. The Dirty Dollar, On the Warpath and The Snatch are the best of these.

Illegal Tender has Henry Kitts' ward Elizabeth discovering she has lost over a million pounds in an e-mail banking scam. Henry of course reassures her and is determined to do what he can to track down the fraudster and get back the money. Maurice Cowieson also dies in a car crash which soon becomes apparent was staged and he was in fact murdered.

Hammond novels since Illegal Tender was published.
Grail for Sale (2001)
Dogsbody (2002)
The Dirty Dollar (2002)
The Snatch (2003)
Down the Garden Path (2003)
The Hitch (2004)
Saving Grace (2004)
The Outpost (2004)
Dead Letters (2004)
His Or Her Grace (2005)
Cold in the Heads (2005)
Heirs and Graces (2005)
Cold Relations (2006)
On the Warpath (2006)
Keeper Turned Poacher (2006)
A Dead Question (2007)
Waking Partners (2007)

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One last book by Gerald Hammond, July 27, 2002

By 

Anna MacSorley "Michigan booklover" (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Illegal Tender (Hardcover)

An excellent entry into the series. For the first time we get to see Henry Kitts on his own, without the others at Throaks. While John Cunningham is very much a favorite of mine, it was delightful to see Henry & to see the power of his quick & agile mind. Bravo to Mr. Hammond for penning another very worthwhile installment in the series. Long may such characters live in our hearts and minds, for they are a true inspiration to those of honor.