- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan (26 Jan 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 033364994X
- ISBN-13: 978-0333649947
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,896,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Bad Detective
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
Product Description
Product Description
Detective Sergeant Jack Stallworthy has been accepting backhanders for most of his career, and dreams of retirement in Devon until an influential businessman offers him the paradise island of Ko Samui. All he has to do is steal an incriminating file from the Fraud Investigation Office at police HQ.
About the Author
H. R. F. Keating was born at St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, in 1926. He went to Merchant Taylors, leaving early to work in the engineering department of the BBC. After a period of service in the army, which he describes as 'totally undistinguished', he went to Trinity College, Dublin, where he became a scholar in modern languages. He was also the crime books reviewer for The Times for fifteen years. His first novel about Inspector Ghote, The Perfect Murder, won the Gold Dagger of the Crime Writers Association and an Edgar Allen Poe Special Award.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Detective Sergeant Jack Stallworthy is a year away from retirement; he has caught an awful lot of criminals in his time but he has also taken an awful lot of bribes. Now a wealthy businessman offers him a fortune to steal a folder from evidence and for once Jack finds himself in a moral quandary.
This is the second of Keating's novels I've read and although I wasn't too impressed with the first one, given his high standing in the world of crime fiction, I thought I'd give him another try. The premise is good and I immediately found myself being swept up in the story, however I felt "The Bad Detective" had some major flaws which meant I wasn't won over by it.
Firstly the novel feels very dated, I was astounded to discover it was published in 1996 as it seems to hark from another age. Jack is not meant to be likeable and he has fairly unpleasant views, especially regarding women; however the way in which his wife is portrayed (a stupid greedy woman who is always threatening to withhold sex from her husband in order to get what she wants) is very unpleasant and reflects Keating's characterization as much as the attitude of his main character. Finally some of the writing was a bit over the top in its attempts to portray Caribbean and Scottish dialects resulting in dialogue such as "Aye, I like to grow things, you know. They're coming along fine just the noo. D'you see yon round bed at the far end?" and "I just havna time to listen to suppositions anent Councillor Symes's love life."
So although "The Bad Detective" is a reasonably diverting read with a good plot, I think there are better crime novels to devote one's time to.
This is the second of Keating's novels I've read and although I wasn't too impressed with the first one, given his high standing in the world of crime fiction, I thought I'd give him another try. The premise is good and I immediately found myself being swept up in the story, however I felt "The Bad Detective" had some major flaws which meant I wasn't won over by it.
Firstly the novel feels very dated, I was astounded to discover it was published in 1996 as it seems to hark from another age. Jack is not meant to be likeable and he has fairly unpleasant views, especially regarding women; however the way in which his wife is portrayed (a stupid greedy woman who is always threatening to withhold sex from her husband in order to get what she wants) is very unpleasant and reflects Keating's characterization as much as the attitude of his main character. Finally some of the writing was a bit over the top in its attempts to portray Caribbean and Scottish dialects resulting in dialogue such as "Aye, I like to grow things, you know. They're coming along fine just the noo. D'you see yon round bed at the far end?" and "I just havna time to listen to suppositions anent Councillor Symes's love life."
So although "The Bad Detective" is a reasonably diverting read with a good plot, I think there are better crime novels to devote one's time to.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Help!
17 Feb 2000
Format:Hardcover
Where can I find a Jack Stallworthy? A fellow so dedicated to his choc eating wife that he'll do anything to get her what she wants...I can play that part! He doesn't even blame her! He admits that even without Lily to please he might have been bad.
And Jack isn't REALLY bad, he's just a little bit bad. And considering what the world has come to, who could blame him? Ah, these are the traps the devil sets! You can't help liking the guy, and the people he does down deserve it so!
I'm delighted to report this is the first Keating book I've read--meaning I've got 49 wonderful stories to go! Keating reminds me of Donald Westlake--a very complimentary comparison.
Great fun. But--I hate to admit--I don't understand the ending! I missed the twist! That's a recommendation...I hope I do better next time.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Keating at his awesome best
21 Sep 1999
Format:Hardcover
After serving on the Abbotsport Central police force for three decades, fifty-two year old Detective Sergeant Jack Stallworthy ponders retirement. However, he knows his meager pension will not cover the expense of him and his wife Lily living on the tropical island of Ko Samui.
A bitter Jack becomes approachable to bribery and information technology executive Emslie Warnaby offers the bait. In exchange for stealing a file the police sized during an arrest, Emslie will provide two plane tickets to Ko Samui and the deed to a hotel on the island. However, Jack's efforts to beat the clock imposed on him by Emslie fail even as the cop keeps raising his criminal activity.
THE BAD DETECTIVE shows why H.R.F. Keating deserves the life time achievement award he has received. The story line centers on Jack's efforts to retrieve the file. However, on a deeper level Mr. Keating provides an interesting financial parity between the crooks and the cops. Even as Jack digs himself into a more serious situation, readers will empathize with his efforts and actually root for his success. The author of Inspector Ghote writes another winner.
Harriet Klausner
April Fool
13 May 2006
Format:Hardcover
Okay, you sorta root for the guy, and defer judgement on his corruption, but he's a Bad Detective. Not just neglecting his job, either.
When he applies himself to solving a problem, he NEVER has a plan, options, or an exit strategy. (Sound familiar?) This continually suprises him.
He's always a hair-trigger away from violence - will he blow? - no, the only violence he commits is off-stage. Nor does he ever learn from his mistakes and improve. "Victories" gained by luck are claimed; inevitable "defeats" are rationalized away. The guy's a loser, and what little care he has for his fellow man always loses out to his own short-sighted selfishness.
The writing, on the other hand, is often delightful. Clipped phrasing. Idiom-tastic. Veddy, veddy British. I have not read this author before and won't again... unless his loyal fans can convince me of a different title I might try.
When he applies himself to solving a problem, he NEVER has a plan, options, or an exit strategy. (Sound familiar?) This continually suprises him.
He's always a hair-trigger away from violence - will he blow? - no, the only violence he commits is off-stage. Nor does he ever learn from his mistakes and improve. "Victories" gained by luck are claimed; inevitable "defeats" are rationalized away. The guy's a loser, and what little care he has for his fellow man always loses out to his own short-sighted selfishness.
The writing, on the other hand, is often delightful. Clipped phrasing. Idiom-tastic. Veddy, veddy British. I have not read this author before and won't again... unless his loyal fans can convince me of a different title I might try.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
