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Harpur & Iles #2
The Lolita Man
Harpur matches wits with a deadly killer: the "Lolita Man." Five teenage girls have been raped and murdered, and the criminal is still at large. Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur, assigned to the case, is a tough hunter, but so is "the Lolita man," watching the schoolyards. Now it looks as if the daughter of Harpur's friend may be the latest victim. Virtually obsessed with the urgency of the matter, and hampered by the bitter police rivalry that is jeopardizing the case, Harpur decides to go it alone.
162 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Bill James
61 books26 followersBill James (born 1929) is a pseudonym of James Tucker, a Welsh novelist. He also writes under his own name and the pseudonyms David Craig and Judith Jones. He was a reporter with the Daily Mirror and various other newspapers after serving with the RAF He is married, with four children, and lives in South Wales.
The bulk of his output under the Bill James pseudonym is the Harpur and Iles series. Colin Harpur is a Detective Chief Inspector and Desmond Iles is the Assistant Chief Constable in an unnamed coastal city in southwestern England. Harpur and Iles are complemented by an evolving cast of other recurring characters on both sides of the law. The books are characterized by a grim humour and a bleak view of the relationship between the public, the police force and the criminal element. The first few are designated "A Detective Colin Harpur Novel" but as the series progressed they began to be published with the designation "A Harpur & Iles Mystery".
His best known work, written under the "David Craig" pseudonym and originally titled Whose Little Girl are You, is The Squeeze, which was turned into a film starring Stacy Keach, Edward Fox and David Hemmings. The fourth Harpur & Iles novel, Protection, was televised by the BBC in 1996 as Harpur & Iles, starring Aneirin Hughes as Harpur and Hywel Bennett as Iles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_James_(novelist)
The bulk of his output under the Bill James pseudonym is the Harpur and Iles series. Colin Harpur is a Detective Chief Inspector and Desmond Iles is the Assistant Chief Constable in an unnamed coastal city in southwestern England. Harpur and Iles are complemented by an evolving cast of other recurring characters on both sides of the law. The books are characterized by a grim humour and a bleak view of the relationship between the public, the police force and the criminal element. The first few are designated "A Detective Colin Harpur Novel" but as the series progressed they began to be published with the designation "A Harpur & Iles Mystery".
His best known work, written under the "David Craig" pseudonym and originally titled Whose Little Girl are You, is The Squeeze, which was turned into a film starring Stacy Keach, Edward Fox and David Hemmings. The fourth Harpur & Iles novel, Protection, was televised by the BBC in 1996 as Harpur & Iles, starring Aneirin Hughes as Harpur and Hywel Bennett as Iles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_James_(novelist)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 20, 2014
James has been compared to Elmore Leonard but I am not entirely sure why. Both write excellent crime tales and are economical writers in that neither provides needless description. Both are witty.
Leonard's characters are smooth, hip, and often cold.
James' main characters are two policeman. Neither is hip. One thinks he is smooth but for the most part is simply greasy. The other gets the job done for the most part legally.
Both look at the world with a cynical eye, but Leonard seems to delight in the possibilities such a world view offers, James does not.
This is the second book in the series. Start with the first and see where it takes you.
Leonard's characters are smooth, hip, and often cold.
James' main characters are two policeman. Neither is hip. One thinks he is smooth but for the most part is simply greasy. The other gets the job done for the most part legally.
Both look at the world with a cynical eye, but Leonard seems to delight in the possibilities such a world view offers, James does not.
This is the second book in the series. Start with the first and see where it takes you.
January 2, 2017
All the Harpur and Isle mysteries are excellent.
August 23, 2020
Une affaire de meurtres de jeunes adolescentes innocentes sur fond de gué-guerre interne de la police britannique, simple mais efficace.
June 17, 2013
Great police procedural, intense detective work racing against a pedophile/killer. Almost terse, literary style of prose that cuts to the heart of the matter.
February 9, 2019
This is the second of Bill James' Colin Harpur and Desmond Iles series and the first to call it a Harpur and Iles Mystery. In the first, You'd Better Believe It, Iles had a minor role but here he is a full-on participant.
Despite being over 30 years old The Lolita Man is still a good solid police procedural. If written today you'd see mobile phones and social media used prominently in the story but ultimately it would still come down to chance and, as Harpur describes it "doorstep detective work".
So far I am finding this a very good police procedural series that continues to hold its own over over the years.
As you probably figured out from the title, young girls are falling victim to a serial killer leaving them raped and dead. The story is told from three viewpoints: third person describing the action, first person diary entries by a fourteen year old girl being groomed by the Lolita Man, and first person from the Lolita Man's viewpoint.
The murders have occurred across police jurisdictions, Harpur's unnamed city and the county, which complicates the search for the killer. This is actually a subplot and I write a bit more on it later.
As the story begins, we learn that Harpur is having an affair with Ruth Avery, widow of a subordinate of Harpur's who died in the first book. to their dismay, it isn't the secret they hoped. I am looking forward to seeing how far they can take this is subsequent books.
The police in both jurisdictions are not having any success in their investigations. In between romantic trysts with Ruth, Harpur does the only thing he can think of, he tours schools and watches —is there anything out of the ordinary, is there a car not picking up any children; is there anyone standing and watching who doesn't seem to belong with the other parents picking up or meeting their child. During one of his prowls around the Ash Tree girls school, he notices a young girl walking home. Later it turn out she is the daughter of acquaintances and he begins to notice that she is acting oddly. She is being groomed by the Lolita Man who in turn has noticed Harpur's interest in the girl. Being that the Lolita Man is seriously disturbed, his assumption is that Harpur wants to or is having "sick sex" with the girl.
Harpur becomes obsessed with the safety of the girl, Jennifer who wants to be called Cheryl-Ann. In watching Cheryl-Ann he discovers something that makes him very uncomfortable: it is all too easy to sexualize young girls and perhaps disturbingly finding himself understanding the fascination of the Lolita Man for young girls. I think here that James is showing us one of the perils of police work, the danger that the pursuer can become like the pursued.
Harpur is already driven to find the killer but when Cheryl-Ann is taken the search takes an even greater toll on him. The police know that they have a limited window in which to find Cheryl-Ann alive and a hostile press and police politics just adds to the pressure.
As I mentioned above, the murders cross jurisdictions and this subplot becomes a savage look at police bureaucracy with Iles at the center. He does not want to share anything more that the minimum with the county. He wants to be the one to claim credit. Outwardly he is all smiles and cooperative but with Harpur it's "don't tell them anything you don't have to". James adds an interesting touch to the rivalry. The county police are dominated by Irish Catholics and the police are The Micks and the county is The Papal State. From the county's perspective, the city police force is The Lodge, being dominated by members of the Freemasons. Iles is afraid that success by the county will put a Mick in the position of chief in the city when the current chief retires.
Where Harpur is a dedicated copper wanting an end to the murders, Iles is a consummate politician, smooth and smiling on the outside but constantly looking for advantage even if it does hinder the investigation. He will even cut out his own men if he thinks they are not on his team.
Iles is smart and has good policing instincts but his hatred for the county police is brutal and affects his approach to the investigation. Harpur, for his part, has to appease Iles while still getting the job done. Here you begin to see the animosity between Harpur and Iles emerging and it will be fun to see how their adversarial relationship and the resulting dynamic tension will develop in subsequent books. It probably doesn't help that Harpur isn't a Mason.
This a good read and I'm happy that I have nearly all the rest of the books waiting for me.
Despite being over 30 years old The Lolita Man is still a good solid police procedural. If written today you'd see mobile phones and social media used prominently in the story but ultimately it would still come down to chance and, as Harpur describes it "doorstep detective work".
So far I am finding this a very good police procedural series that continues to hold its own over over the years.
As you probably figured out from the title, young girls are falling victim to a serial killer leaving them raped and dead. The story is told from three viewpoints: third person describing the action, first person diary entries by a fourteen year old girl being groomed by the Lolita Man, and first person from the Lolita Man's viewpoint.
The murders have occurred across police jurisdictions, Harpur's unnamed city and the county, which complicates the search for the killer. This is actually a subplot and I write a bit more on it later.
As the story begins, we learn that Harpur is having an affair with Ruth Avery, widow of a subordinate of Harpur's who died in the first book. to their dismay, it isn't the secret they hoped. I am looking forward to seeing how far they can take this is subsequent books.
The police in both jurisdictions are not having any success in their investigations. In between romantic trysts with Ruth, Harpur does the only thing he can think of, he tours schools and watches —is there anything out of the ordinary, is there a car not picking up any children; is there anyone standing and watching who doesn't seem to belong with the other parents picking up or meeting their child. During one of his prowls around the Ash Tree girls school, he notices a young girl walking home. Later it turn out she is the daughter of acquaintances and he begins to notice that she is acting oddly. She is being groomed by the Lolita Man who in turn has noticed Harpur's interest in the girl. Being that the Lolita Man is seriously disturbed, his assumption is that Harpur wants to or is having "sick sex" with the girl.
Harpur becomes obsessed with the safety of the girl, Jennifer who wants to be called Cheryl-Ann. In watching Cheryl-Ann he discovers something that makes him very uncomfortable: it is all too easy to sexualize young girls and perhaps disturbingly finding himself understanding the fascination of the Lolita Man for young girls. I think here that James is showing us one of the perils of police work, the danger that the pursuer can become like the pursued.
Harpur is already driven to find the killer but when Cheryl-Ann is taken the search takes an even greater toll on him. The police know that they have a limited window in which to find Cheryl-Ann alive and a hostile press and police politics just adds to the pressure.
As I mentioned above, the murders cross jurisdictions and this subplot becomes a savage look at police bureaucracy with Iles at the center. He does not want to share anything more that the minimum with the county. He wants to be the one to claim credit. Outwardly he is all smiles and cooperative but with Harpur it's "don't tell them anything you don't have to". James adds an interesting touch to the rivalry. The county police are dominated by Irish Catholics and the police are The Micks and the county is The Papal State. From the county's perspective, the city police force is The Lodge, being dominated by members of the Freemasons. Iles is afraid that success by the county will put a Mick in the position of chief in the city when the current chief retires.
Where Harpur is a dedicated copper wanting an end to the murders, Iles is a consummate politician, smooth and smiling on the outside but constantly looking for advantage even if it does hinder the investigation. He will even cut out his own men if he thinks they are not on his team.
To make sense of Iles you had to understand that he yearned to be responsible and good, and to be responsible and good, and to sound responsible and good. He had taken pains to learn all the right thoughts and had them word perfect.The trouble was that a kind of ravenous selfishness would now and then slink up on its belly and rip the throat of this intention.
Iles is smart and has good policing instincts but his hatred for the county police is brutal and affects his approach to the investigation. Harpur, for his part, has to appease Iles while still getting the job done. Here you begin to see the animosity between Harpur and Iles emerging and it will be fun to see how their adversarial relationship and the resulting dynamic tension will develop in subsequent books. It probably doesn't help that Harpur isn't a Mason.
This a good read and I'm happy that I have nearly all the rest of the books waiting for me.
May 17, 2018
This series is well worth reading, but hard to find. Thank you Interlibrary Loan! Set in an unnamed town in the south of England, all the characters are flawed, some in fairly major ways. The writing is excellent, and pretty cynical; there is an undercurrent of dark humor throughout. Look up your English copper's slang, and enjoy!
March 21, 2019
This is a dark police procedural where conflicts between city and county police threaten to undermine the search for a pedophile killer. Harpur can't keep his hands off a police widow and Iles is without a conscience. Dialogue is good though.
May 20, 2009
I don't usually give 5 stars to a mystery because the genre is somewhat debased, but as a writer Bill James seems to have it all. THE LOLITA MAN is literate, funny, and dark; James generates a sense of claustrophobia with unexpected details that threw me off balance and reminded me of THE DUBLINERS. James's love for the incongruous is so great that I did not realize that Harpur, the noirish, oversexed Scots detective, is partnered with the linguistically foppish Mick-baiting Iles, whom he more or less hates. The plot involves a girl-killing creep to whom James gives his own voice -- as he does to one of the creep's quarries. Harpur is obsessive about the girl-killings in part because the victims are close to the ages of his own smart-mouthed daughters.
May 8, 2013
I really enjoyed the way this was written. The suspense and pacing keep you glued to the pages. I did not like the ending, in any way, shape , or form. I felt like the book captured your attention and then it abruptly stopped. I would like to read some of the rest of the books in the series as this was focused on Harpur and Iles was a supporting character.
May 25, 2010
One of the earliest, but possibly the best of the "Harpur and Iles" series. More hard-boiled and less of a "comedy of manners" than some of the later entries.
July 21, 2010
Crazy for Harper & Iles. If you like series with great characters, Bill James H&I is for you.
February 20, 2017
I have read this a couple of times. (31 March 1995) It's one of the earlier books in the series but still worth a read.
March 9, 2013
this book is weirdly funny. i dont even know anymore.
January 22, 2015
Cynical view of policing. Is it, though, close to the truth?
February 5, 2016
Too violently graphic. Type too small to easily read. Didn't finish it.
March 5, 2009
outstanding
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews