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Overview
Riding his motorcycle through the frosty back roads in the country is Detective Sergeant Donovan's idea of relaxation: Walking in on the armed robbery of a Castlemere gas station isn't. Donovan pursues the thief, but the chase ends in a horrible accident. The nineteen-year-old driver of the get-away van survives the crash, thanks largely to Donovan himself, who plunges into the burning wreckage and pulls the young man to safety. Unfortunately, it turns out that the accused robber is none other than Mikey Dickens, youngest son of a local crime family, and the Dickens family solicitor knows some good tricks for getting her clients released. Donovan, supported by Detective Superintendent Frank Shapiro and Detective Inspector Liz Graham, is determined to prove Mikey's guilt. But has he finally met his match?Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
The police of Castlemere, England, try desperately to identify the person behind a brutal beating in this brilliantly plotted addition to a reliable British procedural series (A Bleeding of Innocents, etc.). Though common purpose and mutual respect have always bound the disparate personalities of Superintendent Frank Shapiro, Inspector Liz Graham and Sergeant Cal Donovan, that trust and solidarity are severely tested when Donovan's hot pursuit of a petty thief, Mikey Dickens, results in a tragic accident. When evidence of the crime can't be recovered, it appears that Dickens, who is the favorite son of the paterfamilias of the largest criminal group in Castlemere, may skate. A missing gun, a vacillating eyewitness, a near-fatal attack and Donovan's fiery temper combine to shift suspicion from Dickens to Donovan. Is Donovan the subject of an elaborate frame? Or have temper and provocation driven him to betray his calling and administer "justice" on his own? Bannister's craft and subtlety (even the title has hidden depths) keeps the solution well hidden while she steadily ratchets up the tension in this gratifying drama. (Mar.)Library Journal
Detective Sergeant Cal Donovan interrupts a burglary in progress, witnesses a subsequent spectacular accident, then falls under suspicion for attempted murder. His Castelmere mates (No Birds Sing, St. Martin's, 1996) rush to find the true culprit. A solid British procedural from a seasoned veteran.Kirkus Reviews
There's a surge of excitement in the quiet town of Castlemere, where Superintendent Frank Shapiro runs the police department with the help of Inspector Liz Graham and motorcycle-riding Detective Sergeant Cal Donovan (No Birds Sing, etc.). This time, the department's biggest headache is the small-time crookery carried on mostly by Roly Dickens, his teenaged son Mikey, and their little gang of followers. Then one day Donovan, taking his bike in for a gas-up, finds Mikey Dickens attempting a robbery. After striking Donovan with his gun, Mikey flees in his van, with Donovan in hot pursuit. Seconds later, the van has crashed into a car driven by schoolteacher Pat Taylor, and Mikey is trapped in a vehicle that's ready to explode at any minute. The teacher seems hysterical but uninjured, so Donovan, at considerable risk, frees Mikey from the van-in time's nick. Later, as Donovan tries to build a case of armed robbery against Mikey, he's frustrated by the disappearance of the gun, undoubtedly hidden by Roly. All of this pales when Mikey is found beaten nearly to death and Donovan's prints are all over the weapon. Shapiro reluctantly removes Donovan from the case, but Liz Graham continues to seek out the true assailant. She finds her quarry (and an over-the-top motive) in an unexpected quarter, barely in time to save Donovan from Roly Dickens's revenge. As much character study as complex puzzle, with some sensitive thinking on the nature of friendship and trust-and with the psychological pressures behind the mayhem made convincing and believable. Solidly readable, divertingly different. .Book Details
Published
April 1, 1999
Publisher
Thorndike Press
Pages
336
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780786216826