Thursday, April 22, 2021

The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson

First Line: The tyres of the Rolls-Royce hissed on the wet road as it pulled into the kerb, splashing dirty water against the legs of the old woman on the pavement.
 
Detective Inspector Charlie Priest of the East Pennine (Yorkshire) force has his official sick leave brought to an end when Mrs. Norris's chauffeur is found shot to death and Mrs. Norris goes missing. What's the big deal? Mrs. Norris's husband is an American tobacco tycoon, that's the big deal, and what's even stranger is that Mr. Norris doesn't seem to care that she's missing. The police haven't even come to grips with this investigation when another jurisdiction asks for Charlie's help with a drug smuggling operation. 
 
As Charlie gets deeper into both cases, he realizes that they are connected... and that he'll have to tread very carefully indeed if he's to bring them both to a successful conclusion.
 
~
 
I loved the first two Charlie Priest police procedurals by Stuart Pawson so much that it came as a shock to realize how long it had been since I'd read them. I quickly picked up this third book in the series to rectify the matter. The Judas Sheep brought me right back into the story of one of my favorite coppers.
 
Stuart Pawson knows how to create multi-layered mysteries with excellent pacing, and his writing style draws me right into the story, but-- as is the case with any character-driven reader-- it's Charlie Priest himself who's the shining beacon in this series. He's a good investigator with an excellent team around him, and they are all familiar with his little quirks. (Like to be called by your title? You can count on Charlie to make a point of calling you by name. Several times.) His irreverent sense of humor is a thing of beauty, and I adore Charlie's similes.
 
In The Judas Sheep, it's good to see Charlie taking his health scare seriously. Of course, it helps that there's a new woman in his life, so learning that there are actually perks to not living for his job comes as a pleasant surprise to him. But if there's one sure thing about Charlie, it's that he's passionate about justice, and he wants justice not only for the dead but for the living, too. Most police in search of results would not treat a dead woman's sister the way Charlie does, and I love the character all the more for it.
 
If you enjoy police procedurals with engrossing mysteries, a sense of humor, and a wonderful main character, you can't go wrong with Stuart Pawson's Charlie Priest series. If you want to give the series a try-- and I hope you will-- start at the beginning with The Picasso Scam. You're in for some fun.

The Judas Sheep by Stuart Pawson
ISBN: 9780749009380
Allison & Busby © 1996
Paperback, 384 pages
 
Police Procedural, #3 D.I. Charlie Priest mystery
Rating: A
Source: Paperback Swap

10 comments:

  1. Sounds good to me. Hits all the marks. Will check out the library
    system.

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    1. Hope you can find it, Kathy. I know it can be hit or miss with some of the older books.

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  2. Not on Netgalley which is my main source of reads. Hmm. This sounds good and I will look elsewhere.

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  3. OK, you've sold me, Cathy. This is a series I've heard about, but haven't (yet) tried. Not sure why, either, because it does sound like my kind of series. Why do we do that, I wonder? Anyway, thanks for the reminder. One more for the wish list.

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  4. Sounds like a good one. I appreciate characters who go above and beyond in treating others well.

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    1. So do I, Gretchen. They are a special breed.

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  5. I'm always ready for police procedurals - thanks for introducing me to a new one!

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    1. You're welcome, Kate! I think you're going to like Charlie.

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