3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"I've been feeling all the time as if I'm fighting ghosts.", July 24, 2008
This review is from: Rules, Regs and Rotten Eggs (Harriet Martens Mysteries) (Hardcover)
In H. R. F. Keating's "Rules, Regs and Rotten Eggs," Detective Superintendent Harriet Martens of the Greater Birchester Police is in high dudgeon. "I'm going to resign from this bloody job," she angrily declares to her husband, John. Harriet is not fond of her boss, the Assistant Chief Constable. She believes that he is such a stickler for the rules that his pigheadedness interferes with his ability to do his job. In addition, she is convinced that the ACC does not give her the professional respect that she deserves. It's all very well to adhere to "rules and regs" but Harriet never loses sight of her main goal: to apprehend those who break the law.
When Harriet and John are stuck in a traffic jam in the mining town of Gralethorpe, they observe a pro-hunting ex-MP named Robert Roughouse addressing a group of anti-hunting protesters. At first, Roughouse is pelted with rotten eggs, but subsequently, an unknown individual sends a projectile his way that turns out to be an explosive device. The victim is taken to the hospital in serious condition, and Harriet, the Senior Investigating Officer, has a case of attempted murder to solve. Martens wonders if Robert was assaulted because of his aggressive pro-hunting stance or for another reason entirely. She is also concerned that the person who failed to kill Roughouse the first time may come back to try again.
DS Martens, who is known as the "Hard Detective," makes the rounds interviewing Roughouse's influential and affluent friends in an effort to find out why someone wants him dead. Much to her dismay, she is saddled with Detective Sergeant Woodcock ("Bolshy Bill"), a racist bully who dresses hideously, smokes smelly cheroots, and prefers to do as little work as possible. Fortunately, she is also able to enlist the services of the super-efficient and genial DS "Happy" Hapgood to organize her incident room.
"Rules, Regs and Rotten Eggs" is lower-case Keating. Although the author's trademark dry wit is in evidence and Harriet is as sharp and tenacious as ever, the mystery is as insubstantial as its thinly-drawn characters. At least Bolshy Bill is somewhat amusing as Harriet's chauffeur who does very little but foul the air with his cigarettes, browbeat witnesses, and surf the Internet to obtain background information. Eventually, Martens has reason to suspect that there is a conspiracy afoot and she is desperate to obtain evidence to support her theory. This is a mildly entertaining British police procedural that, unfortunately, lacks the suspense and originality of Keating's best work.
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