One missing woman.Two scapegoats looking to put the record straight.After being made the fall guy for the Serious Crime Unit’s incompetence DS Dave Slater is suspended from duty. Bored out of his mind sitting at home, all he wants is a chance to put the record straight and get back to work. Then, out of the blue, his boss calls. He has been asked to find someone to re-investigate a case “under … to find someone to re-investigate a case “under the radar”. But is this a chance for Slater to prove himself, or a trap designed to finish his career for good?
Ruth Thornhill went missing six months ago, but Slater soon finds enough discrepancies between the case file and the facts to realise there’s been a cover-up. Curiosity aroused, he begins to ask questions and rattle some cages. When someone tries to push him under a London bus, Slater knows he’s onto something big, but now the stakes have been raised his boss insists he needs help.
Slater is horrified to find his partner is new to the station and rumoured to be as good as useless, but his boss insists, he has no choice. It turns out new partner DS Norman Norman isn’t quite as hopeless as rumour suggests and, just like Slater, has also been used as a scapegoat by the Serious Crime Unit. And again, just like Slater, he would relish the chance to prove a point.
The stakes get higher still when they uncover some disturbing connections to the missing woman. These include a Chinese businessman, an online escort agency, a top London banker and, most dangerous of all, senior officers from the Serious Crime Unit.
Can the new partners survive long enough to uncover the full story (and stay alive doing it!) or is this going to be the first and the last case they work together?
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I read almost the whole book while flying cross-country. The story really kept my interest with interesting characters and a great plot.
Slater and Norman series by P F Ford is a good read with interesting characters and excellent plots
I really enjoy this author, P.F. Ford. He brings the characters and locale into your life. It’s a great page turner with witty, bantering characters. You know these characters are going to transform as you continue to read… nice job!
Dave Slater Mysteries Boxed Set 1 – This is a new author to me and I found some of his stories interesting and others disappointing. While the first two books were interesting and easy reading, the second book started changing the personalities of two of the three main characters, a DS and their superior. By the fourth book, the personality changes were too drastic to be believable, so out of character for these two gents.
Death of a Temptress #1 – My first read by this author and I enjoyed this story. There are plenty of criminals coming out of the woodwork. There is good intrigue, good characters and the interesting relationships between the police trio. Along with a variety of characters, good storylines are combined with good dialogue. 4*
Just a Coincidence #2 – This book starts where Temptress ends. There is good humor along with good characters, good storylines and good intrigue. There may be the beginning of a possible romance? 4*
Florence #3 – This book starts three months after Coincidence ends. I enjoyed this book the most of all four. Greatly disappointed that there is a change in the personalities of one of the DS and their boss; I think out of character for both of them. This story is rather intriguing with a good bit of suspense in the last part of the story. Again, there are good storylines and good characters. 4*
The Wrong Man #4 – This book starts three months after Florence ends. I found this story disappointing. Both the actions of Norm and Murray, way out of character for them, got on my nerves. What started in Florence is fullblown in Wrong: these two are always gung-ho to arrest someone without any real evidence. This story is a bit simplistic with the phone and its assembly, which is just an example of how the author is making his three characters stupid. While the storylines were interesting, how the author handled the dummying down and personality changes of his characters recued my interest in reading past this book. What started as an easy to read good series with the first two books was wiped out by this book and the simplistic plot and dialog. Along with not being well written and rushed, I lost respect for the police trio, although the author let Jolly be herself. 3*
Dave Slater Mysteries Boxed Set 1 end.
A novel that keeps you interested and engaged
I enjoyed it very much.
Very entertaining read about a woman’s sister going missing. It is revealed that the sister lead a double life apparently unknown to her sister. Several plot twists and surprise ending.
Tedious. Couldn’t finish it. Poorly written.
Enjoying the Brit-Lit through Book Bub – a nice diversion and departure from the usual stories I read centering on the United States and its various police departments and other law enforcement agencies.
Good book… You’ll like the quick pace, characters
Unusual story and a great depiction of Detective Slater
Very fun read from a British perspective. Main character is literally and figuratively thrown under the bus. In Agatha Christie fashion a web of corruption, blackmail, deception…and possibly the most cunning murder he has ever seen. Twists and turns abound, enjoy!