Ian Simpson (4)

Even if you didn't know that author Ian Simpson regards John Mortimer as one of his inspirations, there's something slightly similar in their writing styles, although there's no Rumpole character in MURDER IN COURT THREE.

Set in the precincts of courts, and the legal fraternity, the victim here is a Barrister, and the investigation is straight police procedural, albeit with a hefty portion of fraud case in court antics on the side. It's actually a nice balance, as is the idea that the police show more team is made up of DI Flick Fortune, pregnant and about to have her baby at any moment and DS Bagawath Chandavarkar from the Major Crime / Fraud squad seconded into this investigation because the victim, Farquhar Knox QC is one of the legal team involved in a major fraud case.

It's a complicated investigation because, for a start, just about every possible suspect - from the fraud trial, the marital infidelities, past cases as well as a general dislike of up jumped lawyers seems to have been on-site the night that Knox died. Many of these characters have plenty of experience of the law - from both sides - as well, and they are past masters at the art of vague memories and obfuscating answering. Even allowing for the slightly odd method of his death there's no shortage of possible motives as well, down to the senior police officer who ends up suspended whilst the team investigate his wife's relationship with the victim.

Alongside the complications of the case there are the irritations of the media shoving it's nose in where it's not wanted, and the opinions of Fortune's old boss who does a particularly nice line in antiquated, horrible old dinosaur if there ever was one.

The subject matter in MURDER IN COURT THREE is handled well and there's no indication that it's a spoof, but the author's hand is light and very engaging. His characters all have lives, thoughts and feelings, and the way that they are affected by each other, and the pressure of an investigation reads with authenticity. There is something here though, some sort of gentle hat-tip to Rumpole perhaps, that does make this feel slightly on the lighter side. Maybe it is the home, love and real lives interwoven with the day to day grind. Perhaps it is the setting of the legal world, and the idea that an Advocates and Archery night would happen in the first place that makes it all seem slightly "not of this world". It's definitely not crime fiction on the gritty side, but it is fabulously readable and enjoyable enough to quickly place the previous two books (MURDER ON PAGE ONE and MURDER ON THE SECOND TEE) instantly on the purchased list.

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Murder on the Second Tee, by Ian Simpson, is a carefully detailed and believably plotted police procedural set at the iconic St. Andrews Links in Scotland. The body of Hugh Parsley, a director of the United Kingdom's Bucephalus Bank, has been found on the Old Course's second tee with his face and head bashed in. Parsley is a member of a party of eleven Bucephalus bank officials who have gone to St. Andrews for a series of off-site business meetings, accompanied by their spouses or partners. show more The bank's chairman had recently died in a suspicious accident and they planned on electing a successor at the meetings, among other business. Detective Inspector Flick Fortune is heading up the murder investigation, her first case as an inspector. She is nervous and quite insecure in her new position, her new boss having just informed her that, for political reasons, he will not back her if there are any problems. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Bagawath Chandavarkar, known as 'Baggo', is at the golf club undercover, investigating the bank's possible money laundering. Additionally, Noel Osborne, formerly 'inspector No' and Flick's chauvinistic and sleazy ex-boss, has been hired by one of the bank directors, ostensibly to find the murderer.

The story is told from these three individual's points of view. We see that No is a venal slob; Flick and Baggo cooperate but pursue their independent investigations. The reader is privy to most of the questioning of the suspects and, between personal dislikes, jealousies and grudges, the ambitions and collusions members have to be named the new bank chairman, the interpersonal behavior of their spouses and partners, and the bank's possible involvement in fraud and money laundering, motives abound! Since they are all staying at the Old Course Hotel, they all have opportunity. So, unless a smoking gun is turned up, determining the truth in the various alibis is critical. We can only watch and take notes [it's necessary!] as we accompany Flick and Baggo on their separate investigations.

While we learn a lot about the various suspects, unfortunately we don't learn very much about Flick Fortune, except that she's terribly insecure. While she is the main protagonist, it's actually Baggo and No who come across as more fully-developed characters. The level of energy portrayed throughout the story remains relatively constant - there is very little excitement, suspense or tension built up; nor does the story descend into depression when little progress is made. It would seem that persistence and stubborn focus are what's really needed to be successful as a detective. Unfortunately, the entire activity of the novel is the interviewing of suspects and reporting the results to the other policemen, with little variation in the tenor of the discourse. This makes a story that is interesting for its realism, but not very gripping.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

I think this novel suffered by being the second in a "series" where the author decided to change the central detective after the first novel. Flick Fortune appears to have been a detective sergeant in the first novel, and has been recently promoted into the position vacated when her old boss retired. Unfortunately for her the author has decided to give him a role as a private investigator on Flick's first case as a detective inspector.

The plot has a lot of potential: the first murder takes show more place in Scotland on the second tee of the most famous golf course in the world; but the bank is that employs the victim is an English one that has already come to the attention of the English police for its money laundering activities. The board of the bank is having a weekend away at St. Andrew's to attempt to resolve a board vacancy and some irregularities. The murder victim is one of the directors.

But for me the writing didn't quite hit the mark. The business of money laundering becomes quite complex and involves a shady American bank and some gangster like figures. While Flick Fortune is in charge of the murder investigation, an under cover cop does what he likes with the money laundering investigation. There are some unlikely scenarios towards the end of the story. show less