The Meanest Flood by
John Baker
pbk out February 03
(Orion)
at £10.99
For once, I agree with the critics in the 'heavies'…. John Baker is one of
Britain's most talented crime-writers. This latest in the Sam Turner series is
a 'can't put it downer', though I tried to ration myself to make it last longer.
This is the sixth book in the Sam chronicles, concerning the fortunes - or
usually, the misfortunes - of a private eye and reformed chronic alcoholic
and womaniser. He has a thriving business, with three faithful employees in
the city of York - so many current crime books are based well north of the
Watford Gap, happily defeating the older traditions that everything
interesting happened below a line joining the Wash with the Solent!
In this book, Sam is being systematically framed for the sequential murders
of all his old wives and mistresses. The killer is a stage magician who hates
him for stealing his mother years before. The culprit manoeuvres Sam into
being at the right place at the wrong time, so that his guilt appears obvious.
The heat becomes so great that Sam has to do a runner to Oslo, which is just
what his adversary wanted, as killing number three takes place there. There
is an interesting aside, when the hero has to get back to England via
Germany and buys a place inside a container truck along with assorted Iraqi
and Bolivian refugees. The writing has wit and humour, in spite of the dark
shadow of an obsessive killer - and there is some intriguing homespun
philosophy in dialogue between Sam and two of his colleagues.
The title comes from the recent severe weather in the North, where York is
virtually submerged and the flooding has relevance to the dénouement.
Altogether an exciting and satisfactory read - not a 'whodunit', for we know
the 'perp' from the start, but all the more believable for that.
A jolly good read and highly recommended.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
