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Harpur & Iles #36
Low Pastures
A well-dressed corpse found shot in the sand and gravel wharf sparks trouble for Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur and his unpredictable boss, Assistant Chief Constable Iles.
"A must-read for devotees of British procedurals" - Booklist Starred Review
The man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.Iles' progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade has kept gang warfare off the streets, but now it seems jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community he has so brilliantly created. Coveting too, the local property - for instance, drug lord Ralph Ember's luxurious mansion, Low Pastures, home to his unparalleled collection of china and porcelain.Harpur and Iles are determined to protect their set-up at all costs - which includes protecting 'Panicking' Ralph. But Ralph has his own plans, and there are dark rumours about Iles on the wind . . . Blackly humorous, delightfully eccentric and packed with sharp-tongued wit, this gritty British police procedural is a must-read for fans of Bill James' critically-acclaimed long-running Harpur and Iles series.
"A must-read for devotees of British procedurals" - Booklist Starred Review
The man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.Iles' progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade has kept gang warfare off the streets, but now it seems jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community he has so brilliantly created. Coveting too, the local property - for instance, drug lord Ralph Ember's luxurious mansion, Low Pastures, home to his unparalleled collection of china and porcelain.Harpur and Iles are determined to protect their set-up at all costs - which includes protecting 'Panicking' Ralph. But Ralph has his own plans, and there are dark rumours about Iles on the wind . . . Blackly humorous, delightfully eccentric and packed with sharp-tongued wit, this gritty British police procedural is a must-read for fans of Bill James' critically-acclaimed long-running Harpur and Iles series.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
6 people are currently reading
10 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 18, 2022
Really there's not a great deal going on...but the dialogue is amazing/funny..and over 36 books in the series...you certainly know the characters and that's what keeps bringing me back.
February 26, 2022
Bill James is a veteran of the British crime writing scene and Low Pastures (Severn House, 27 January 2022) is the 36th entry in his quirky, long running series about Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur and his unpredictable boss, Assistant Chief Constable Iles.
The discovery of a well-dressed corpse, killed in execution style at a local dockyard, signals trouble for Iles’s progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade. Iles has long had an unspoken gentleman’s agreement with the two main local players, Manse Shale and Ralph Ember, which has seen Iles and the rest of the police force turning a blind eye to their activities, as long as Manse and Ralph keep violence off the streets. It has been a successful approach for all concerned, but now it seems that jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community Iles has so brilliantly created.
Low Pastures goes down the same well trodden streets as the earlier entries in the series, with a heady mixture of witty, unlikely dialogue and plenty of amusing asides. As much a social commentary as a crime novel, James nicely skewers modern society and the pretensions of his criminals who are trying to lift their social standing.
What I particularly liked: Ralph Embers’ pretentiousness and his belief in his idealised self image is hilarious, and Harpur’s precocious, too old for their ages, teenage daughters are always a delight.
What I was less keen on: the pace is slow and Low Pastures is really a repeat of earlier books in the series, which has not progressed in recent years.
Three and a half stars (rounded up to 4)
see the full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/m...
The discovery of a well-dressed corpse, killed in execution style at a local dockyard, signals trouble for Iles’s progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade. Iles has long had an unspoken gentleman’s agreement with the two main local players, Manse Shale and Ralph Ember, which has seen Iles and the rest of the police force turning a blind eye to their activities, as long as Manse and Ralph keep violence off the streets. It has been a successful approach for all concerned, but now it seems that jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community Iles has so brilliantly created.
Low Pastures goes down the same well trodden streets as the earlier entries in the series, with a heady mixture of witty, unlikely dialogue and plenty of amusing asides. As much a social commentary as a crime novel, James nicely skewers modern society and the pretensions of his criminals who are trying to lift their social standing.
What I particularly liked: Ralph Embers’ pretentiousness and his belief in his idealised self image is hilarious, and Harpur’s precocious, too old for their ages, teenage daughters are always a delight.
What I was less keen on: the pace is slow and Low Pastures is really a repeat of earlier books in the series, which has not progressed in recent years.
Three and a half stars (rounded up to 4)
see the full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/m...
March 11, 2022
I love this book and the whole series! I've read all 36.
An exciting plot with as usual some of the funniest put downs and sarcasm in English fiction! Iles is so funny the way he tries to insult Harpur.
It's water off a duck's back, and Harpur carries on getting the job done but getting into crazy situations: the ladder and supermarket are funny.
Panicking Ralph Ember is great. The names of characters always make me laugh. Intelligent Percy...
The never ageing Denise Jill and Hazel require a bit of suspended disbelief but I don't mind.
I'd love to read other reviews of the series. I started with Astride a grave and then read them in order. Well worth it. And such a quick read for me a normally slow reader. I lap them up!
An exciting plot with as usual some of the funniest put downs and sarcasm in English fiction! Iles is so funny the way he tries to insult Harpur.
It's water off a duck's back, and Harpur carries on getting the job done but getting into crazy situations: the ladder and supermarket are funny.
Panicking Ralph Ember is great. The names of characters always make me laugh. Intelligent Percy...
The never ageing Denise Jill and Hazel require a bit of suspended disbelief but I don't mind.
I'd love to read other reviews of the series. I started with Astride a grave and then read them in order. Well worth it. And such a quick read for me a normally slow reader. I lap them up!
May 31, 2022
As someone who just found this series, I think I’m missing quite a lot from the character growth part, but I haven’t had any problems with following the story as it is.
It’s easy going and enough fast-paced to keep me entertained and glued to my seat to find out what’s happening next and who’s the actual killer.
It was interesting to see how the friendship and working together relationship took off from the beginning to the end . There are quite a few puzzles to be solved in here and I found the author’s way of writing it, immensely addictive.
A must read story that made me wonder about previous books in the series and hopefully I can get to read some in the near future.
🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley
4.5 stars
It’s easy going and enough fast-paced to keep me entertained and glued to my seat to find out what’s happening next and who’s the actual killer.
It was interesting to see how the friendship and working together relationship took off from the beginning to the end . There are quite a few puzzles to be solved in here and I found the author’s way of writing it, immensely addictive.
A must read story that made me wonder about previous books in the series and hopefully I can get to read some in the near future.
🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley
4.5 stars
January 28, 2024
It is remarkable that James was over 90 years old when this was published. Sadly he has now passed away so unless more were written for later release, this is the last of this long running series.
I have all 36 of the books and have thoroughly enjoyed James' idiosyncratic style. "Low Pastures" had one of the better storylines but unfortunately a rather tame and unconvincing ending. The dialogue was also not quite up to the normal standard. My 5 stars is perhaps a little generous for this particular book but it is more for the series as a whole.
The Harpur and Isles series has been a tour de force which I have thoroughly enjoyed. There have been many laugh out loud moments over the years, but now, as Frankie Howard might have said, Bill James will be making the angels titter.
I have all 36 of the books and have thoroughly enjoyed James' idiosyncratic style. "Low Pastures" had one of the better storylines but unfortunately a rather tame and unconvincing ending. The dialogue was also not quite up to the normal standard. My 5 stars is perhaps a little generous for this particular book but it is more for the series as a whole.
The Harpur and Isles series has been a tour de force which I have thoroughly enjoyed. There have been many laugh out loud moments over the years, but now, as Frankie Howard might have said, Bill James will be making the angels titter.
March 26, 2022
If you're a fan of this series, this is phenomenally good. There isn't a great deal that happens which is part of its appeal. Hazel, but primarily Jill, play decent-sized roles. There are two utterly hilarious episodes involving Harpur and the whole book ends with quite the action.
November 18, 2022
Forgettable.
April 5, 2022
Low postures by Bill James.
A Harpur and Iles Mystery Book 36.
The man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.
A good read but I'm finding it a bit too much now. 4*.
A Harpur and Iles Mystery Book 36.
The man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.
A good read but I'm finding it a bit too much now. 4*.
April 3, 2022
I thought this was the first in a series and discovered it's the 35th. And I loved it because there's a lot of other books featuring these characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was fascinated and hooked since the first pages. Everything seemed very weird and funny and I loved these quirky characters and this mystery.
I strongly recommend it even if I suppose I would have loved it even more if I had read some of the previous novels.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was fascinated and hooked since the first pages. Everything seemed very weird and funny and I loved these quirky characters and this mystery.
I strongly recommend it even if I suppose I would have loved it even more if I had read some of the previous novels.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews