First Frost

May 13, 2013
Fans of the British TV series A Touch of Frost, based on R.D. Wingfield’s novels, will welcome this prequel, set in the 1970s, from Henry (the pen name of James Gurbutt and Henry Sutton). As a young detective sergeant new to his position in the Denton CID, Frost has a wide range of matters to resolve, including the disappearance of 12-year-old Julie Hudson from a department store in the middle of the day. Also missing is Det. Insp. Bert Williams, Frost’s supervisor, who the reader soon learns has been grievously wounded after an encounter with a ruthless criminal gang. The Hudson case becomes trickier to resolve when someone gives the girl’s mother a severe beating. Those unfamiliar with David Jason’s portrayal of Frost on the screen may have a hard time figuring out what the fuss is about; for the rest, this serves as a credible backstory for a beloved character. Agent: Philip Patterson, Marjacq Scripts.