Book Tour, Book Review & Giveaway: Buckingham Palace Blues by James Craig

Posted November 14, 2014 by RobbieLea in Book Reviews, Giveaways / 0 Comments

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Cover Buckingham Palace BluesTitle: Buckingham Palace Blues (Inspector Carlyle Mystery #3)

Author: James Craig

Genre: Mystery & Detective 18+

Publication Date: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Witness Impulse, an imprint of HarperCollins

Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.

 

~ Synopsis ~

When Inspector John Carlyle discovers a disoriented girl in a park near Buckingham Palace, he takes it upon himself to find out who she is and where she’s from.

His hunt for the identity of the lost girl takes him from Ukrainian gangsters in North London to the lower reaches of the British aristocracy. Soon the inspector is on the trail of a child-trafficking ring that stretches from Kiev to London, even to the palace itself …

A gripping and twisted thriller for fans of Robert Galbraith and Ian Rankin.

~Robbie’s Review~

James Craig starts his latest Inspector Carlyle Mystery Buckingham Palace Blues with a bang by allowing bystanders to witness a bizarre “accident” which turns out to be a suicide.  He then changes the scene to one where we find Inspector John Carlyle of the London Metropolitan Police running for exercise near Buckingham Palace and finding a young girl sitting on a park bench alone and appearing to be disoriented.  Thus begins a convoluted tale which has these two seemingly unrelated events converging a storyline that will have readers shaking their heads at the evil machinations of some characters and the downright stupidity and incompetence of others.  The plot hinges on a conclusion which Carlyle shares with his boss.

“I think. . .” Carlyle looked at Simpson who gave a slight nod, signaling that he should proceed, “that Dolan is running some kind of prostitution service.  Working with various colleagues, he is providing  a range of girls to top-end clients.  He may even be using some of the rooms at Buckingham Palace for such entertaining.  The income goes into an investment company called United 14, which is a secret pension fund for Tommy himself and his cronies.”

As I read Buckingham Palace Blues, I was struck by the fact that John Carlyle is a very likable, very ordinary guy who loves his family, has a sweet addiction and just wants to get the job done by whatever means necessary.  Actually, I saw him as a cross between Agatha Christie’s  M. Hercule Poirot and Blake Edwards’ film character Inspector Jacques Clouseau.

Rose frowned.  ‘Are you always this cynical, Inspector?’

“I try to be.” Carlyle smiled thinly. “I like to think of it as a God-given talent.”

There is not a lot of drama, darkness or edgy suspense to be found in this book.  Adrenaline junkies will likely be disappointed.   I don’t think there is ever any doubt as to who the bad guys are and what needs to be done about them.  The mystery lies in how to line up all the guilty parties and make sure they get what’s coming to them.  Don’t get me wrong. . . there are plenty of plot twists with corruption that has international implications and runs the gamut from police headquarters to Buckingham Palace.  For mystery lovers, this book is a well-written,  light read with an intriguing story that won’t make you want to sleep with the light on.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book directly from the author.  I was not paid to read or review this book.  All opinions are my own, and I was never influenced by anything or anyone.

 

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | HarperCollins

 

 

~ About the Author ~

JAMES CRAIG has worked in London as a journalist and as a consultant for almost thirty years. He lives in Covent Garden with his wife and daughter.

Connect with the Author

Website | Twitter

 

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Click The Link To Enter The Giveaway!!!

 

10 individual promo codes for a free download of the book for an entire tour. Winner must have access to Bluefire Reader and have an Adobe account to receive free download.

 

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