3 and 1 / 2 stars

This is my first Harpur and Iles book, so I was introduced to a new crew.

A man’s body was discovered in a Ford Focus in a residential area with three gunshots. He is Thomas Wells Hart, a young private investigator.

Thomas Wells Hart begins to tell his own story. This book alternates between conversations between ACC Iles and DCI Col Harpur and Thomas telling his own story.

This being my first Harpur and Iles book, I am not sure if Mr. James employs this method with all of his books or not, but I found it extremely annoying. Not so much the going back and forth, but the victim telling his own story interspersed with the really very silly conversations between the two detectives. I could have done without both of these facets of the novel.

So, needless to say, I did not enjoy this book very much. I was disappointed in that I expected more police work and less chit chat.

I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House/Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

I found the narrative of this book difficult and did not finish it. Not my cup of tea.