Cold Case (Bob Skinner series, Book 30)

As always a really good read - I am a big fan of this series. I like the way the author has built the characters in the series over time and has kept the continuity. My only "complaint" was that it was a bit long - as with all his books you want to get to the end to find out what happens.. took a while

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy

It’s been too long since I last read about Bob Skinner & his adventures.

I loved this book. Good old fashioned police work, with a twist of course.

Reading about old familiar characters has made me want to catch up on the latest few instalments that I’ve missed.

Highly recommended, 5 stars.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Cold case is Book 30 in The Bob Skinner series and I have read or listened to all of them over the years. Quintin Jardine is a superb storyteller and the character of Bob Skinner has grown and developed over the years. Each book had a different set of stories to tell and you would meet up with characters throughout the series, as you would meet up with old friends.
Cold case is no different, there are stories to be told and justice to be found or not.
Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Cold Case, the thirtieth novel to feature former Chief Constable Bob Skinner.

Sir Jimmy Proud, former Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police and Bob's boss for the latter part of his career with that force contacts him asking for help. Apparently a blogger and investigative journalist, Austin Brass, wants to discuss Sir Jimmy's involvement in the murder of episcopalian priest, Matthew Ampersand, thirty years ago. A murder, moreover, for which Barley Meads was convicted on irrefutable forensic evidence. Reluctantly Bob agrees to help and starts investigating Ampersand's death so that he can meet Brass with the facts at his fingertips.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Case, as I have its predecessors, as it is good mystery with several twists and turns. As usual with Bob Skinner nothing is ever straightforward so what starts as an open and shut case starts to look decidedly less so the more he investigates and takes on an even murkier hue when the past intrudes on the present leading to Bob collaborating with DI "Sauce" Haddock. The pacing is impeccable with just enough revealed in every chapter to keep the reader turning the pages, desperate to see what is coming next and where it's going. Obviously with most of the plot centred on a cold case the majority of the action takes the form of interviews although Bob still displays his action man credentials as and when necessary! This is where the first person narrative ideally suits the format. Bob is often working on his own so the reader gets an intimate view of his thoughts and methods as he sorts out the truth from the lies and decides on his course of action. I found it fascinating.

The novel is all about Bob so the other characters are only developed as much as they need to be in relation to him. There are some lovely vignettes but Bob is the main man. He seems to have mellowed somewhat from his earlier hardman persona but it's still there when required. This is due to his retirement, mostly because he doesn't have the official status to compel answers and the fact that a second chance with his wife Sarah has made family a higher priority. He's not getting any younger either although that doesn't seem to slow him down. I wish I had his energy!

Cold Case is another good addition to the series so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy or Cold Case. Having read all the previous Bob Skinner series I found this a great read and couldnt put it down. The ch.apters are a good length and leave the reader desperate to read on. I am familiar with the East Lothian/Edinburgh setting and could visualise the story as it was unfolding. Starting out as an open and shut case it quickly became a complex and compelling tale with many twists. Bob Skinner has mellowed with retirement but still has a thirst to find the truth. The novel went along at a cracking pace and was thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s ok, it’s not the best in the series I found it a little plodding and it seemed to take ages to get into the action. I like the fact that Bob has family and we catch up with familiar names from the past but I have to say I’m less keen on the post-police Bob. It’s a personal view.

A nice addition to the Bob Skinner story, I feel it might have run its course

Bob Skinner left the police service in Scotland when it was amalgamated into one unit. He didn't believe in it then and he doesn't now and many serving officers would agree with him. He might be retired but he's hardly idle: he's contracted to spend one day a week working for a media group, but usually gives more. His family - six children now - is important to him. There's the occasional private commission, although he stops short of calling himself a private investigator, but he's just been presented with a problem which it's difficult to refuse. It's not the problem that's the difficulty - it's the person who is asking for help. Sir James Proud was Skinner's predecessor as Chief Constable and he's been approached by a blogger who feels that he has evidence that Proud was involved in a famous murder for which a man was convicted. He subsequently committed suicide whilst in prison - and went to his death denying that he was guilty.

It could almost be farce as Skinner attempts to meet up with the blogger and Jimmy Proud disappears without trace. They're hardly the actions of an innocent man, but Chrissie Proud is in the early stages of dementia and can neither cope with nor accept her husband's disappearance. There's a dog too. The police see Proud's disappearance as evidence of guilt, not in the original case but a current investigation. Skinner will never believe that, although even he has to have doubts when evidence of relationships he never knew about comes to light. Could the original murder be linked to the current police investigation?

When you get to book thirty in a series you've already begun to wonder just how long it can go on for. You start to expect signs of tiredness: I now approach every new Bob Skinner novel with a strange mixture of excited anticipation and dread. Will this be the book which suggests that Skinner should hang up his investigative skills? I'm relieved to say that Cold Case is about as far from that as you could imagine. There are a few of the regular characters: Sauce Haddock is now a DI and in charge of his first murder case under the loose supervision of Mario McGuire. Sarah Skinner is back in harness after the birth of their latest child, but this isn't a book where you need to have read several of the ones which precede it for it to make much sense. It's no hardship to have done so, but Cold Case reads perfectly well as a standalone - and it might tempt you to read some of the earlier books. You'll find a link to a chronological list below.

This time the emphasis is on the crimes: and they're particularly relevant with cases where the prosecution hasn't disclosed information to the defence which might have weakened the prosecution case. I was startled by the obligations which rest on the police in Scotland - and the offences with which they could be charged. It's particularly thought provoking, particularly when you realise the extent to which a current officer could find himself with problems if information comes to light about an old case and he doesn't disclose it.

It's the plot you want to know about though, isn't it? Well, it's a cracker. I was pretty certain that I knew what had happened but as usual with this series I was wide of the mark, although the clues were all there. It was a superb read which I finished in a couple of days, despite the fact that I should have been doing something more pressing. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag - it was a rare treat.

Can't go wrong with a Skinner. Good career extension "new tricks" style, without compromising the output level

Bob Skinner is no longer on the force, but he can hardly call it retirement when his former mentor Jimmy Proud lays a 30 year old supposedly closed case at his feet.

A priest was found dead in a quarry, conviction secured, case closed. But when a journalist unearths new evidence, Bob must find out whether the wrong man was convicted, and whether Jimmy Proud's reputation will remain intact.

Book 30 of the series. Absolute 5 star quality all the way. A better cast of characters you will struggle to find. Fantastic