In the Absence of Iles (Vol. Book 25)
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
The 25th installment of the acclaimed Harpur & Iles series by mystery master Bill James.
Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles’s absence from a police undercover conference sets the stage for the moral and practical dilemmas faced by one of his colleagues, ACC Esther Davidson, as she works to bring down the largest gang operating in her sector. The role of undercover agents—or “out-located” officers—is brought into sharp focus as James masterfully unfolds the story of Davidson’s decision to infiltrate the gang against the events of the resulting court case.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Asst. Chief Constable Esther Davidson takes center stage in James's thoughtful, somewhat dry 25th Harpur & Iles mystery (after 2009's Pix). Frustrated by the failure of an extensive investigation into the affairs of a criminal gang disguised as the legal Cormax Turton Guild, Davidson decides that the only way to get the goods is to infiltrate the organization by a process known as "out-location." Such complex details as choosing a police officer to go undercover, maintaining contact, and keeping a rescue team on standby alternate with scenes from a trial involving the murder of a policeman who went undercover at Cormax Turton. Asst. Chief Constable Desmond Iles, who had his own unfortunate experience with out-location in Halo Parade, serves as observer, supporter, commentator. The ethical, legal, and practical considerations of out-location get both theoretical and actual treatment with the life-or-death outcome riding on the slimmest of chances.
