Political Suicide [Paperback]

Robert Barnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1988

When the body of a Member of Parliament is found floating in the Thames, everyone assumes it is suicide, except for Superintendent Sutcliffe, whose investigation of the case reveals some nasty and ruthless politics.

Three-time Edgar Award nominee Robert Barnard takes on the cunning and ruthless world of politics in this suspenseful tale centering upon the mysterious death of a member of Parliament.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When the body of MP James Partridge is dredged from the Thames, more fuss is made of the empty seat in the House of Commons than of the conscientious politician's probable suicide. Looking for leads, Superintendent Sutcliffe of Scotland Yard follows the three leading contenders as they scramble for support in the quickly organized Yorkshire election. The Tory contender is slick and opportunistic, the Labour man charismatic but unreliable, and the local Alliance candidate one whose electoral appeal has already proven limited. Sutcliffe turns up plenty of shady doings, and worse, in the candidates' histories, and his final solution reminds that in politics and murder, personalities are always more germane than issues. Author of Fete Fatale and Death of an Old Goat, Barnard has mastered the unpredictable, credible plot, and writes with warmth and mellow wit.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Barnard is a critic, lecturer, and crime novelist. He was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003, in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contribution to the crime genre. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell; paperback / softback edition (April 22, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0552131288
• ISBN-13: 978-0552131285
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,726,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A political treat (that is NOT an oxymoron!), March 31, 2001

By 

kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Political Suicide (Paperback)

Many of Robert Barnard's books are satire. It is such a trick to not go too far when writing satire, and I have yet to observe him putting a foot wrong. This somewhat elderly book is no exception.

Somewhat elderly, because it was first published in 1986, a lifetime and a half ago, when it comes to politics, in Britain--or the US! None of the higher-ups are named in this book, so it's a safe read, anyway, except for the damage you may do to yourself by laughing too hard!

The Tory MP for East Bootham (a dreary little place that is a casualty of the economic wars and located in far Yorkshire) James Partridge by name, has apparently committed suicide by jumping off a bridge into the Thames. Or did he?

Mixing the events taking place behind the scenes leading up to the new by-election for Partridge's replacement with the very subtle investigation of his death by the about-to-be-retired Superintendant Sutcliffe of the London Police, allows the reader to see many sides of what could be a one-dimensional picture. There is also, of course, the ever present media, digging ever deeper into backgrounds and foregrounds.

In the end, the Superintendant solves the puzzle, which will leave you chuckling as you finish the tale, even though justice is probably not well-served. But then, this IS about politics. Remember?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's all about the journey, August 21, 2003

By 

Michael Schau (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Political Suicide (Paperback)

This Barnard mystery is so entertainingly wry and such a page-by-page pleasure that the murder and the whodunit are almost incidental to the telling. In this one Barnard skewers the British polictical system top to bottom -- from opportunistic PM to dim-witted voter -- without resorting to forensic clues or Holmesian detection or red herrings. It probably helps to be something of an anglophile and more than a little cynical to get the most of Barnard's insights and deft verbal political cartooning.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written mystery mixing murder and politics, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Political Suicide (Paperback)

Political enthusiasts in particular should enjoy this Robert Barnard mystery, in which a shrewd superintendent inquires into the death of James Partridge, a quiet, well-mannered Tory, who, before his untimely demise, represented East Bootham, Yorkshire, in the House of Commons. Was it murder or suicide? Are Partridge's family and friends grieving, or moving on with their lives with suspicious quickness? Did any of his potential successors -- or their contributors -- benefit disproportionately from Partridge's death? Barnard's book smoothly resolves these questions even as it gives the reader the unique flavor of a parliamentary by-election. Worth reading.