Rules, Regs and Rotten Eggs-H.R.F. Keating

Rules, Regs and Rotten Eggs
H.R.F. Keating
Dunne, Jun 2008, $23.95
ISBN: 9780312375331

Greater Birchester Police Detective Superintendent Harriet Martens has not been the tough iron cop ever since her police constables son Graham died in a terrorist bombing and her other child Malcolm was severely injured (see ONE MAN AND HIS BOMB) However, the new Assistant Chief Constable (Crime) of CID believes Martens is finished as an effective investigator and Harriet knows it; she is considering resigning.

She attends a speech provided by pro-hunting enthusiast Robert Roughouse to a crowd of animal activists. Suddenly a purple egg lands near Robert and explodes knocking him unconscious. Harriet takes charge of the crime scene, but it is octogenarian Percival Pigeon who persuades her that the anti-hunting crowd did not send the grenade by showing her the throwing device left behind in the nearby chapel by the assailant in his haste to leave. The ACC agrees with Harriet to investigate who wanted Roughhouse dead. When three of his Zeal School friends remove him from quality St. Oswald Hospital to the Masterson Clinic, she cannot fathom why. Harriet focuses on the trio although a motive is not imminent and the victim’s girlfriend Keyan expatriate Olympic caliber marathon runner Charity Nyambura has surfaced.

This is an excellent police procedural with a strong case, but totally owned by Harriet, whose confidence in her skills is shaken as she remains reeling from Graham’s death (she still uses his cell phone). The mystery is superbly drawn as Harriet works the clues while also beginning to better understand the resentment of the cop assigned to work with her “Bolshy Bill” who has learned to not go beyond the specificity of the assignment by superiors who prefer no creativity by inferiors. Fans of the Martens series will fully appreciate H.R.F. Keating’s excellent entry while newcomers will marvel at this author’s talent to bring out fully flushed characters in a fabulous whodunit.

Harriet Klausner