Product Description

Megan Harpur took the train back from London to tell her husband she was leaving him for another man. By the time Superintendent Colin Harpur found her in the station parking lot the next morning, there was nothing he could do. Who had committed this savage killing?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1194648 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Amazon.com
Bill James's books about British policeman Colin Harpur are as much about the failures of marriage and friendship as they are about crime. His latest--which begins with the murder of Harpur's wife, Megan, on her way home after a session with her lover in London--is one of the strongest and most poignant in this unique series. Pushed to the edge by Harpur's adulteries, his wife had taken up with one of his former colleagues. She was about to leave Colin and their two daughters, 15 and 13, for a new life. After her death, James flashes back to Megan in London with her lover in a luxury flat loaned to him by a friend, then returning home on the train, aware of a man watching or stalking her, then being stabbed next to her car. Alternate chapters show Harpur struggling to help his daughters cope with Megan's death while also doing his best to make sure that his immediate superior, Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles, doesn't solve the murder before he does. Iles is a splendidly complex character, called a "feral loony" by one of Harpur's daughters, a man who "lived and lasted by venom, of course, but would show occasional links with humanity." Since Harpur had an affair with Iles's wife several books ago, there are mixed feelings at work on both sides. So Harpur uses--and strains--his friendship with the memorable "grass" Jack Lamb to find out if Megan's death was caused by her new lover's criminal connections. The story's resolution is fine, but what remains in the mind, as always, are the sharp stings of loss and betrayal. Other James titles available: Club, Come Clean, Gospel, Astride a Grave, You'd Better Believe It, Take, Lolita Man, and Protection. --Dick Adler

From Publishers Weekly
James's novels about British policeman Colin Harpur (Gospel; Astride a Grave; etc.) are as much about the failures of marriage and friendship as they are about crime. The latest?which begins with the murder of Harpur's wife, Megan, on her way home after a session with her lover in London?is one of the most powerful in this unique series. Pushed to the edge by Harpur's adulteries, his wife had taken up with one of his former colleagues, who had moved from their unnamed suburban city to London, and was planning to leave her husband and their two teenage daughters. After her death, James flashes back to Megan in London with her lover in a luxury flat loaned to him by a friend and then portrays Megan returning home on the train, aware of a man watching or stalking her, then being stabbed next to her car. Alternating chapters show Harpur struggling to help his daughters cope with their mother's death while doing his best to make sure that his immediate superior, Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles, doesn't solve the murder before he does. Iles is a splendidly complex character, called a "feral loony" by one of Harpur's daughters and described as a man who "lived and lasted by venom, of course, but would show occasional links with humanity." Harpur's affair with Iles's wife several books ago adds to the emotional mix. Harpur strains his friendship with the memorable "grass" Jack Lamb to find out if Megan's death was caused by her new lover's criminal connections. The story's resolution is fine, but what remains in the mind, as always, are the sharp stings of loss and betrayal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
For readers who like their comedy dark, their humor ironic, and their view of life bleak and untempered, James' latest is a perfect choice. British copper Colin Harpur has never had the ideal marriage. Both he and his wife, Megan, are too stubborn, too separate, and too self-indulgent to pay more than lip service to love. In fact, Megan has decided to leave Harpur. Then tragedy strikes. Megan is stabbed to death on her way back from a trip to meet her lover, Harpur's former boss Tambo, who has lately been promoted and transferred to London, thus making himself much more attractive to the strong-willed Megan. As Harpur and his extraordinarily precocious teenage daughters ("Of course we knew Mum was shagging someone else") try to cope with the tragedy, Harpur's copper colleagues attempt to find Megan's killer. Harpur, too, joins in the search, and as the story switches back and forth from the sordid details of Megan's final affair and the fleeting last moments of her life to Harpur's single-minded pursuit of her killer, the multiple ironies of the story become clearly apparent. No reader can close the covers of James' latest without being deeply affected. This is a superb novel that belongs in every mystery collection. Emily Melton

Customer Reviews

Interesting structure, but a disappointment.
First of all, you certainly can't say that James is unoriginal in how he structures this novel. The idea of alternate flashbacks between Harpur dealing with Megan's death and Megan's POV - as she is about to meet her lover and later, upon returning home, about to meet her killer - is quite engrossing at first. The problem is that this device quickly wears out its welcome. There is simply too much of Harpur squabbling with everyone and various internal debates going on. Just Megan's deliberations standing by her car over what she should do if a stranger is stalking her is overwrought and unbelievable. I suspect that normal people in the same situation would spend less time deliberating and more time taking action!

Unfortunately, the characters themselves, although well-realized, are completely unsympathetic, which made it very difficult to feel for any of them. Even the stiff way Harpur's daughters speak seem entirely unconvincing, although maybe this is because I'm unfamiliar with certain British idioms. But if this is British wit then I think I'll stick with the American brand!

Finally, the plot itself still has me a bit confused as to motive.

The really big question here is why so many gifted British mystery writers have such a cynical, cold view of the world these days. Perhaps it relates to what British columnist Jeremy Paxman has to say in his book, "The English" - The English feel they are doomed. "Roses, roses" provides a splendid example of this.