Tangled Web UK Review December 2006
Angel's Share by
Mike Ripley
pbk out October 07
(Allison Busby)
at £6.99
This is about the thirteenth in the Angel series by Mike Ripley and
continues in the welcome tradition of this rather zany hero. The said
Angel is Fitzroy Maclean Angel, a somewhat workshy character who in
the previous book was forced into employment by his dominant partner
Amy May, when she becomes pregnant and decides that she cannot stand
him hanging about the house. Amy has bought a large share in a detective
agency run by women and Angel is forced to commute in his old London
taxi from their new pad in Cambridgeshire down to their office in
Shepherd's Bush.
One of his first cases is to track down a long-lost girl-friend of a retired
gentleman who recently lost his wife and wants to get in touch with his
fiancé of 40 years previously. Some hilarious investigations, involving a
private eye from Huddersfield known as 'Double-O-Seven', turn up the
missing lady down in Dorset, to where Angel is dispatched to confirm her
identity.
There is some interesting location work, involving a deserted village
which actually exists and the reunion of the long-parted lovers is effected,
but rapidly goes pear-shaped with fatal results.
As with all Mike Ripley's books, the chirpy, witty writing transcends the
plot, though in this one there is a stronger story -line than usual. I hope
that Mike gets away with shooting two dogs, as this is usually taboo in
British publishing. His cat Springsteen features very little in this one,
apart from savaging the Yorkshire private eye!
As always, a Ripley book lightens the spirits and stimulates the sniggers.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
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