Lincoln 1997. Veteran customs investigator Frank McBride has been targeting gangs of drugs smugglers for decades. Taking out John Pyke’s team of Lincoln-based criminals is just another operation until suddenly things become interesting.
Why has Pyke’s team suddenly become so professional? How has it become so adept at evading surveillance? And who is the mysterious figure who is pulling the strings? McBride relishes having found a worthy opponent. But who is he? And what game is he playing?
Michael Butcher wants to know why his grandfather, a retired brigadier living in a tiny Rutland village, has decided to become an international trafficker in narcotics. Involving him in an elaborate
game where the price of losing is life in prison.
McBride and the Brigadier become enmeshed in a private duel, but only one of them knows the rules of the game.
The Rutland Connection | The Book Guild Ltd
The Rutland Connection: Amazon.co.uk: Dane, Michael: 9781915853462: Books
The Rutland Connection by Michael Dane | Waterstones
The Rutland Connection by Michael Dane | WHSmith
The Rutland Connection: Michael Dane: 9781915853462: hive.co.uk
The Rutland Connection – Google Books
The Rutland Connection : Michael Dane : 9781915853462 : Blackwell’s (blackwells.co.uk)
The Rutland Connection by Michael Dane | Foyles
Michael Dane spent over ten years as an officer in the Customs and Excise National Investigation Service investigating drug trafficking, VAT fraud and smuggling of all kinds. He later retrained as a lawyer and joined the private sector where he investigated fraud and corruption all over the world.
He is retired and lives in the Vale of Belvoir.
My thoughts: I’d never really thought of Customs and Excise being involved in and running investigations like this, but it does make sense, as without a national police force, you do need an organisation able to join the dots from point of entry onwards.
The investigation is clever and gripping, with the team following their suspects around the country, wanting to catch them in the act and make arrests, but also follow the links in the chain to the people at the top – take the whole organisation down once and for all.
But an elderly brigadier interferes with their straightforward operation, by getting involved in a bit of old fashioned espionage and helping the drug dealers evade their shadows. Or is he? He might be retired and a little odd, but he might also be playing a completely different game. I felt a bit sorry for Michael, running risks but not knowing exactly what’s going on. I hope we come back to him and see how he gets on in future.
Meanwhile Frank McBride, who does work out what’s going on, because he knows everyone, and his team are closing in on the gang, but not on the mysterious “Peter”, who McBride decides to ignore in favour of busting the dealers, not hard to do when without help, they’re relying on sheer luck to stay out of jail.
A clever, tense and really enjoyable crime thriller featuring interesting characters and a different angle on the genre.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 