I'm not sure that this is the best place to start with Jardine
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Quintin Jardine writes a number of serial style books about recurring characters. One of his recurring characters is Bob Skinner, the Deputy Chief Constable for the Edinburgh area of Scotland. By all accounts he's typical of most detectives these days. He bends rules when he needs to, and breaks them when he has no other alternative, but unlike most rule breaking cops, is liked by those he works with (and so has few of the flaws that are typically associated with the flawed detective).
The problem with this book is that Skinner doesn't appear in much of the book. Imagine having a Rankin book with a marginalised Rebus or a Christie crime novel with a marginalised Poirot or Marple and you've got an idea of what to expect here.
In this book, a police procedural if you hadn't guessed, Skinner's subordinates investigate the shooting deaths of two Edinburgh artists, the murder of one of their boyfriends, and the killing of a mutual friend of theirs.
While they do this, they have to contend with the multi-millionaire father of one of the victims, who has effectively put a bounty on the head of the murderer at a press-conference organised by the police.
The book isn't bad, but it has three major problems as I see it. Firstly, it feels like a story that you've walked into, part way through. It's interesting, but you get the sense that there's this whole back story you're missing.
Secondly, it's almost too procedural. Anyone who has read more than a couple of detective novels in the past 10yrs (or watched a Law and Order episode for that matter) will knows that there are certain things that the police have to do (and that they face several problems during an investigation). This book covers every one of those problems (or feels like it does), and that slows the book down somewhat, which might be a problem for some people.
Finally it's missing its' central character, which to my mind is never a good sign, and one of his more significant replacements dies 75% of the way through, which doesn't help things I don't think.
In short, this isn't a bad book, but I'm inclined to suspect that Skinner's absence is the 1000lb gorilla in the room that no one mentions. So if you want to "get into" the Bob Skinner series, I wouldn't start here (as the Irish say about travel directions).
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Waiting for skinner?
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How do you write a Bob Skinner novel without Bob Skinner ? Very well appears to be the answer. This novel I'm sure would baffle anyone attempting this as their first introduction to the series, it's taken me a while but I've finally caught up having read the whole series in order. This story is more about DI Stevie Steele and the excellent Mario mcguire as has been mentioned Bob Skinner doesn't appear until almost the end of the book.
The story though is excellent a girl is found shot in the back of the head and laid out like an angel the scene almost identical to the murder of another young girl killed 2 months ago. Links between the two girls they are both talented artists has Edinburgh got a severe art critic running loose or a serial killer who leaves no forensic traces? The premise worried me what I've always liked about the Skinner series is that the crimes have real motive love or money with the last couple of novels I felt Jardine kept trying to get the story bigger and bigger featuring Popes and prime ministers but this story returns to good old fashioned police work in fact it's only really the arrival of Skinner that takes us back into the land of spools and politics.
The balance between home life and the office is better than some previous books with Maggie Rose pregnant facing the toughest decision of her so far tough life and this one has nothing to do with police work. I read the reviews before Reading this so knew someone died but actually knowing that meant I enjoyed the book more as the victim was not who I was expecting.
The series is nicely set up to continue with the relationship between Skinner and Scotland's first minister in place, this though could prove to be a turning point in the series as Skinner in the books has always stated he doesn't want to succeed the chief constable Proud Jimmy I think what this novel shows is that Jardine shouldn't be scared to promote Bob he has the characters to continue this series without Skinner having to be so hands on in fact the series may even benefit from it. I do however agree with another reviewer some of the dialogue is poor particularly on a couple of occasions when they are interviewing suspects or witnesses and start discussing things that you feel are hardly appropriate to discuss with them present. Despite some negatives this is still one of the best of what's turning into a must have series for any lover of British crime fiction. Long may Skinner books continue even if like Taggart on TV the man himself is no longer there.
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Where is Bob?
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As a great fan of Bob Skinner I was a little disappointed as he only appears towards the end of the book. However, he was supposed to be on sabbatical! I really enjoyed getting to know some of the other characters though and to get more of an insight into people we have met in earlier books. I was sad at the loss of a great character and did fing the ending a little turgid. Still, onwards and upwards!
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Too cosy
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I find the Edinburgh Police squad a cosy bunch. Everybody is doing it with everybody. Al are related or at least were related in the past.
I never read about a police force with so many cross relations between the characters.
I have read all Jardine's books about Bob Skinner, but this is the first one where policing is not the highest priority.
Earlier books had the same tendency, but this is awful.
Maybe my last Skinner novel.
2 Stars for old times sake.
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Will it get better
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I'm about half way through this book and to be honest it's only the overall plot thats keeping me going.
I haven't noticed this in any of his other books but I'm finding the dialogue between various characters (particularly the couples) quite clunky. It all seems a bit forced and uncomfortable and when I read it I almost feel like I'm watching a couple of bad actors read a script.
Hope it gets better!
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