Low Pastures
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A well-dressed corpse found shot in the sand and gravel wharf sparks trouble for Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur and his unpredictable boss, Assistant Chief Constable Iles.
"A must-read for devotees of British procedurals" - Booklist Starred Review
The man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.
Iles' progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade has kept gang warfare off the streets, but now it seems jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community he has so brilliantly created. Coveting too, the local property - for instance, drug lord Ralph Ember's luxurious mansion, Low Pastures, home to his unparalleled collection of china and porcelain.
Harpur and Iles are determined to protect their set-up at all costs - which includes protecting 'Panicking' Ralph. But Ralph has his own plans, and there are dark rumours about Iles on the wind . . .
Blackly humorous, delightfully eccentric and packed with sharp-tongued wit, this gritty British police procedural is a must-read for fans of Bill James' critically-acclaimed long-running Harpur and Iles series.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The execution-style killing of a well-dressed stranger in the docklands of an unnamed English city fuels anxiety among cops and crooks alike in James's uneven 36th police procedural featuring Det. Chief Supt. Colin Harpur and his eccentric superior, Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles (after 2019's Hitmen I Have Known). The detectives fear the murder may be the first step in an effort by big city mobs to move in on the local drug trade, which will disrupt the careful détente that Iles has negotiated with local gangs to keep open warfare off the streets. The crooks in turn are worried that outsiders will bring with them more violent ways of doing business and upset the cozy existing apple cart. To complicate matters, rumors are circulating that Iles, the glue holding the peace between police and crooks together, will be leaving to accept a promotion elsewhere. It's a promising setup and series regulars such as Panicky Ralph Ember are as amusing as ever, but except for a shoot-out that conveniently resolves things at the end, surprisingly little happens. Witty prose helps redeem a weak plot. Hopefully, James will return to form next time.
