Ash And Bone
(Frank Elder)
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
The second Detective Inspector Frank Elder novel, from the master of British crime writing.
When the take-down of a violent criminal goes badly wrong, something doesn't feel right to Detective Sergeant Maddy Birch. And her uneasiness is compounded by her belief that someone is following her home.
Retired Detective Inspector Frank Elder's daughter, Katherine, is running wild. Elder's fears for his daughter are underscored by guilt - it was his involvement in a case that led directly to the abduction and rape which has so unbalanced Katherine's life.
Persuaded out of retirement, Elder reopens a cold case which could have devastating repercussions for the crime squad itself. Elder's investigations take place against the backdrop of his increasing concern for his daughter. He must battle his own demons before he can uncover the truth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British veteran Harvey's second novel to feature former Nottingham cop Frank Elder is flatly written and clich -driven, falling short of its predecessor, Flesh & Blood (2004), which won a CWA Silver Dagger Award. Retired to a shabby shack in Cornwall, Frank is still recovering from the breakup of his marriage and trying to forget the brutal rape of his teenage daughter a year before. Meanwhile, in London, Det. Sgt. Maddy Birch, a 44-year-old transfer from the northern city of Lincoln, isn't doing so well, either. The killing of a much-wanted villain by her armed superior has come under scrutiny, and Maddy is torn between loyalty to her colleagues and the truth. When Frank agrees (much too quickly) to help out the London police on another case, he and Maddy, with whom he once had a brief fling, are teamed up in an investigation that reopens all kinds of old wounds. Even this routine material might have worked had Harvey used any of the bleak humor and sharp characterizations of his classic Charlie Resnick series (Lonely Hearts, etc.).
