Haggard Hawk
by Marcus Barr
Nathan Hawk is a reluctantly retired DCI, a widower in a ramshackle cottage, whose four children have flown the
nest for other countries. Bored and lonely, he misses his work and his family, possibly in that order. Following
a party with some of the colorful denizens of this typical Middle England village, he runs into an accident - or is
it a double murder? With the publican in hospital hovering near death, and her ex-con husband dead, Hawk finds
himself back in harness again and glad to be there!
When I say that the author has written scripts for Midsomer Murders TV series, and that there is a quote
from the review of this show’s main character on the cover you will perhaps know what to think. Yes, this is a
rural whodunit and proud to be so, and why not? There is a lot to enjoy in here, starting with Hawk’s narrative.
Although I would hesitate to call anything of this kind "realism," the characters in here ring true - albeit a tad
satirical in some instances. This is especially true of Hawk himself, with his lack of funds, widower’s life and
Anger Management Disorder, which he deals with in a delightful way. I also applaud the teasing plot which kept me
guessing to the end, and the fact that Mr Barr has resisted the temptation to make Hawk’s Japanese houseguest
Watson to his Holmes. Most writers would have done that, and instantly veered off into the realms of fantasy.
Here we have life, but a heightened version of it, which is surely what good fiction ought to be. I would read
another without hesitation. |
The Book |
Pen Press Publishers Ltd |
12 April 2007 |
Paperback |
1905621000 |
Mystery - Contemporary, Buckinghamshire, UK |
More at Amazon
UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Not yet up on Amazon US site |
The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: |
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