The Chalon Heads

Very good entry in this excellent series. Lots to learn about stamp collecting and forgeries. Once more, old and new crimes mesh to require complex solutions. Brock under siege and Kolla to the rescue

I'm still enjoying these, but this one was very complicated. I think I should have kept notes on the whereabouts of the Canada Cover. I have learnt something about stamp collecting, and am enjoying the slow burn Kathy/Leon romance (at least I hope that's what it will be).

I kind of guessed the ending, although not all of it. These would be even better honestly if they were one or two degrees less convoluted.

The Chalon Heads is the fourth installment of the series featuring DCI Brock and his partner, Kathy Kolla. As the book opens, Brock and Kolla are called to speak with Sammy Starling, a career criminal who some years earlier had been arrested, but turned the tables on the police force by handing them some dirty policemen. Now Starling wants Brock's help because his wife, Eva (much younger than Starling) has, it seems, been abducted, and the kidnappers want Sammy to buy a very valuable Chalon Head stamp at an upcoming auction, rather than money, as the price of Eva's return. Brock & his fellow officers agree to help, but something goes terribly wrong in the process, leading to Brock's ouster from the case. It will be up to Kolla to take show more the lead in the investigation, but too many people are keeping secrets that they do not wish to reveal, making her job a most difficult one. Add to that a number of suspects, all with axes to grind -- and you have a mystery novel that will keep you reading.

As a police procedural, it's good, but the further into the investigation the principals get, the more complicated the story becomes, making it a bit difficult at times to keep up. The overall story is well done, and there's a solid mystery here with an ending that I didn't see coming.

I would certainly recommend this novel to readers of British mysteries and police procedurals. If you're a cozy reader, this might be a bit dark but at the same time, it's not as gritty as more hard-core police procedurals I've read, falling somewhere nicely in the middle.

Overall -- not bad, and it's on to the next Kolla and Brock mystery novel. show less

My first read for the new year. I really like Barry Maitland's books. He consistently delivers well-written British police procedurals that are gripping and unputdownable. This is apparently the fourth book featuring Brock and Kolla - and I'll be looking for more in the series.

Clever story.
Good characters.
Well written.
Kept my interest throughout.
Would definitely read others in the series.

Very good, fast paced crime story. Another enjoyable book in the series.

This book reminds me of the old detective stories which involved old fashioned police work. Thoroughly e njoyable read.