Lolita Man

Rating:
Summary: Dark, ironic, realist police procedural
Review: A friend mentioned Bill James' Harpur and Iles books -- English police procedurals described as the "Dance to the Music of Time of mysteries" -- to me. What an irresistible recommendation (see my reviews of the Anthony Powell books for why)! I decided to give them a try.

Thus I have just read _The Lolita Man_, which is number two in the series. The plot concerns a serial rapist and killer who preys on schoolgirls in the town where Harpur and Iles work. Iles is the Assistant Chief, while Harpur is one of his top subordinated, a detective superintendent or something. Iles is a rather nasty man, consumed with careerist passion and a bitter rivalry with the neighboring county police department, this last rivalry enhanced because their Chief is ready to retire and he is concerned that the Assistant Chief from the county will get the job ahead of him. Moreover, Iles is a Mason, and the top men at the county are Roman Catholics, so Iles' speech is larded with mean remarks about "Papists" and "Micks", not to mention cynical remarks about avoiding the appearance of racism etc etc. That said, he seems to be a very well-read man (allowing him to drop in a cute Anthony Powell reference, calling Harpur one of the "Afternoon Men" -- that being the title of Powell's first novel).

Harpur is the main point of view character, and much more sympathetic. He is carrying on an affair with the widow of one of his subordinates, a man who died botching a case -- but he seems decent, and it's made clear that his wife is cheating on him as well, and he treats his lover nicely. As a cop, he appears honest and hardworking, and much put upon by Iles, not least because he won't join the Masonic Lodge.

The main action of the book pivots around Harpur's conviction that the "Lolita Man"'s next target might be a friend of his daughters. The reader is given a look at the Lolita Man's thoughts, and at this girl's diary, so we know from the start that Harpur is right, though he has no good specific reason for his worry. Then she is kidnapped, and while Iles grandstands and withholds information from his county fellows (who, to be fair to him, have done the same in reverse), Harpur does some solo work, and grudgingly cooperates on the sly with his opposite number at the county. The resolution is well worked out, ironic in tone, fitting the book nicely. A solid story, with interesting if not exactly heroic characters. I'll be searching out the rest of these.

Rating:
Summary: Dark, ironic, realist police procedural
Review: A friend mentioned Bill James' Harpur and Iles books -- English police procedurals described as the "Dance to the Music of Time of mysteries" -- to me. What an irresistible recommendation (see my reviews of the Anthony Powell books for why)! I decided to give them a try.

Thus I have just read _The Lolita Man_, which is number two in the series. The plot concerns a serial rapist and killer who preys on schoolgirls in the town where Harpur and Iles work. Iles is the Assistant Chief, while Harpur is one of his top subordinated, a detective superintendent or something. Iles is a rather nasty man, consumed with careerist passion and a bitter rivalry with the neighboring county police department, this last rivalry enhanced because their Chief is ready to retire and he is concerned that the Assistant Chief from the county will get the job ahead of him. Moreover, Iles is a Mason, and the top men at the county are Roman Catholics, so Iles' speech is larded with mean remarks about "Papists" and "Micks", not to mention cynical remarks about avoiding the appearance of racism etc etc. That said, he seems to be a very well-read man (allowing him to drop in a cute Anthony Powell reference, calling Harpur one of the "Afternoon Men" -- that being the title of Powell's first novel).

Harpur is the main point of view character, and much more sympathetic. He is carrying on an affair with the widow of one of his subordinates, a man who died botching a case -- but he seems decent, and it's made clear that his wife is cheating on him as well, and he treats his lover nicely. As a cop, he appears honest and hardworking, and much put upon by Iles, not least because he won't join the Masonic Lodge.

The main action of the book pivots around Harpur's conviction that the "Lolita Man"'s next target might be a friend of his daughters. The reader is given a look at the Lolita Man's thoughts, and at this girl's diary, so we know from the start that Harpur is right, though he has no good specific reason for his worry. Then she is kidnapped, and while Iles grandstands and withholds information from his county fellows (who, to be fair to him, have done the same in reverse), Harpur does some solo work, and grudgingly cooperates on the sly with his opposite number at the county. The resolution is well worked out, ironic in tone, fitting the book nicely. A solid story, with interesting if not exactly heroic characters. I'll be searching out the rest of these.

Rating:
Summary: A Rarity: A consistent and excellent writer
Review: As a reader of every Bill James paperback I can find, I have yet to read a bad one. He has mastered his characters, his locale and the violent clash between cops and criminals.

Rating:
Summary: Nabokov it isn't
Review: Detective Colin Harpur?s group of local cops is faced with a serial killer who goes after teenage girls. Harpur and his boss Iles are hard at work to solve the case before their competition, the county cops, get there. Of course, Harpur is the man to finally get hold of the murderer, by sheer deduction from seemingly valueless clues.

This is a funny book, because the author has a good sense of humor. What?s more, he also writes in good, clear language. But a thrilling mystery that keeps you breathless it is not. For that it ambles along too complacently.

Rating:
Summary: Nabokov it isn't
Review: Detective Colin Harpur?s group of local cops is faced with a serial killer who goes after teenage girls. Harpur and his boss Iles are hard at work to solve the case before their competition, the county cops, get there. Of course, Harpur is the man to finally get hold of the murderer, by sheer deduction from seemingly valueless clues.

This is a funny book, because the author has a good sense of humor. What?s more, he also writes in good, clear language. But a thrilling mystery that keeps you breathless it is not. For that it ambles along too complacently.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The Second in the Harpur and Iles series. An excellent gripping page-turner!!! I have read these in order, and this is THE ONE that really hooks you in. The case itself is a tough one to solve, someone is killing young teenage girls, and not really leaving any decent clues. Meanwhile, the continued insight into Harpur's risque personal life continues to keep the pages rolling by. Highly recommend this one for any fan of Police Procedurals!!!

Rating:
Summary: Moral Ambiguity In A Serial Child Rapist/Murder Case....Huh?
Review: This is #2 in the 19 book Harpur/Iles series of hard-edged British police procedurals by Bill James. That fact that I acquired all 19 after reading just one speaks loads about my perspective on this series. Considering this review was written the morning after virtually the entire top command structure of the SFPD was indicted by a grand jury, perhaps James reccuring cynical theme of moral ambiguity amongst the "good guys", even in the throes of trying to stop a serial child murder, is all too close to art imitating life.
Anyway, a crackling good read if you don't mind the cynicism inherent in James' perspective that the thin blue line is actually grey....very grey.