Advantages: A good start to a new series Disadvantages: Plot difficult to grasp at times
of the Bob Skinner series, with which I have a rather love/hate relationship - I enjoyed the stories, but hated the pompous Bob Skinner with a passion. In fact, this is the beginning of a new series featuring Primavera Blackstone, ex-wife of Oz Blackstone, on whom QuintinJardine has based another series. Knowing how I felt about Bob Skinner, I was slightly dubious about how I would react to Primavera; thankfully, she is a much more likeable character, and, although developed by a male author, is one that I could associate with.
Primavera is a tough cookie whose life has not been easy. Believing that her ex-husband wanted her dead, she was forced to forge a new name for herself in the US, only coming out of the woodwork to claim her son once she knew her ex was dead. Yet Prim does have some more pleasant characteristics. She is loyal, friendly ...
Advantages: Fast-moving, hard-hitting Disadvantages: Main character is annoying!
Introduction
QuintinJardine's books feature the Chief Superintendent, then Deputy Chief Constable of Edinburgh's police force, Bob Skinner. The first of fifteen books, 'Skinner's Rules' was published in 1993, apparently to prove that he could do better than some of the authors at that time. The novels are generally fast-moving, involving a fair amount of violence and include a lot of forays into Skinner's personal life and that of his close associates.
The author
QuintinJardine was born in Motherwell and educated in Glasgow, and held a variety of positions including journalist, government spin doctor and media consultant before becoming a writer. He now lives with his second wife between Spain and Scotland. His main series of books feature Bob Skinner, but he has also published nine books featuring Oz Blackstone, a reluctant ...
Advantages: recognising places and realistic scenarios Disadvantages: had not read any previous Skinner books
I picked up this 1994 Armada paperback, at my work, where we have a kind of lending library. People bring in and take away books from the shelves for reading at lunch times or when travelling.
As I was about to go to the airport and forgotten to bring a book of my own I picked this from the shelf as the best of a bad bunch. I was actually quite curious to read a QuintinJardine book as he is a local author and actually been to the nearby high school presenting prizes at the end of term but the books had never come my way - it being against my principles to buy new books.
I read the notices in the front of the book telling me what a great read it was. There was also a bit of blurb about the author. Some I knew, such as he lives in East Lothian, although he was born and brought up in the West of Scotland. Other stuff such as his ...
