Improving the Silence (Harry Vicary, 1) - Hardcover

Turnbull, Peter

3.35

49 ratings by Goodreads

9780727868411: Improving the Silence (Harry Vicary, 1)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0727868411 ISBN 13: 9780727868411

Publisher: Severn House, 2010

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A brilliant stand-alone novel dark, gritty, and compelling marking a new departure for the author - When a body is discovered in a rough grave, deep in the woods, the police find that it is of one of their young undercover officers who died nearly thirty years ago. As their inquiries from slender clues progress, it becomes clear that what they are also uncovering is a sordid tale of corruption and murder within their own ranks.

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About the Author:

Peter Turnbull was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. He has had a variety of jobs--in a former incarnation he was a social worker for twenty-three years, an occupation he gave up to become a full-time writer. ""Fear of Drowning"" is his twelfth novel.

Review:

Turnbull departs from his Hennessey and Yellich series with this gritty, bleak, suspenseful police procedural. When a skeleton is found buried in Epping Forest, DS Harry Vicary and DI Archibald Dew are assigned the case. The autopsy reveals that the remains belong to James Coventry, a young copper who disappeared 27 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Coventry was working on Operation Fennel, but since the files on Fennel have inexplicably disappeared, it takes more digging to identify it as a major undercover investigation into the illegal marijuana trade. Coincidentally, it also exposed a number of corrupt coppers who were taking bribes from the marijuana kingpins. The corruption was never proved, and some of the officers purportedly involved are retired from the police and living a lifestyle far beyond what a police pension could support. Vicary and Dew realize they must be getting closer to the truth when someone starts murdering the retired cops. Turnbull's distinctive narrative style, combined with a stark plot, dark mood, and sinister twists, make this a good pick for fans of edgier British procedurals. --Booklist, 15th November 2009

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