Bad Cops

Starred review from February 1, 2017
Every one of Oldham's Henry Christie cop stories is guaranteed to take readers on a roller-coaster ride, and the latest installment is no exception. Now retired from full-time policing, Henry is settling down to a life of relative leisure in rural Lancashire, helping his fiancee, Alison, run the Tawny Owl pub. But unbeknownst to Henry, his life is about to change in the most nightmarish way. After celebrating the wedding of his sister to his old friend and colleague Rik Dean at the Tawny Owl, Henry is ready to call it a day. Instead, a man breaks into the pub, tries to kidnap Henry's fiancee's daughter, Ginny, and assaults Henry. When Henry's good friend, American FBI agent Karl Donaldson, tries to follow the man, a violent and tragic encounter follows. Further violence invades Henry's life, driving him to sort out how it is that his own life and the lives of those he loves are suddenly in terrible danger. Bloodshed, suspense, shocking twists, and a punch-to-the-gut ending make for a gripping, wrenching, sometimes uncomfortable but always mesmerizing read. One of the best in a consistently excellent seriesadd it to the growing list of mysteries starring retired cops (Harry Bosch, John Rebus) who can't stay out of harm's way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

Starred review from February 15, 2018
Oldham's books are guaranteed to pack a gut punch, and his latest delivers in spades. DCI Henry Christie is recovering from a gunshot wound suffered on his last case and looks forward to spending a few relaxing weeks with his newfound love, Alison, who runs a peaceful country pub. Then he gets a call from his boss, who asks Henry to investigate two murders in Yorkshire (the officer originally in charge of the cases has been killed in a car accident). Reluctantly, Henry agrees, and he and Diane Daniels, the DC assigned to help him, head off. What they don't know is that the two unsolved cases are just the tip of a very nasty iceberg that involves corruption, human trafficking, murder, and huge profits for a lucky few at the top of the food chain. A razor-sharp plot, shocking twists, gruesome violence, pulse-pounding suspense, and a heart-stopping ending make this a not-to-be-missed page-turner for fans of hard-boiled cop thrillers. Definitely not for the fainthearted.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)