The higher they climb, the harder they fall

After thirty-five years in the police force, Phil Cooke is at the top of his game. Rising up the ranks from a humble PC to the lofty heights of Chief Superintendent at Brighton and Hove Division, he has always acted professionally when dealing with the many and varied criminal activities plaguing the area. However, with his wife already dying of cancer, when his youngest son Harry is murdered, Phil suddenly finds himself questioning the effectiveness of his own values.

Devastated by his son’s murder, Phil is certain in his own mind that Harry was murdered by a family of villains out for revenge for a previous conviction. So, when he discovers that the SIO in charge of the case is his former lover, Jo Howe, he attempts to influence her investigation by convincing her they are the only suspects. However, Jo is determined to steer her own course and ignores his suggestions.

Disillusioned by his colleagues’ failure to secure a swift conviction, Phil eventually allows his emotions to overrule his head and turns to a local vigilante group, who have recently gained a reputation for successfully tracking down criminals. However, he soon realises the gang are not what they seem and that his decision carries a heavy price tag, leaving him out of his depth and on the wrong side of the law.

Having attended one of Graham Bartlett’s crime courses for authors and read his book, ‘Death Comes Knocking: Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton’, I was keen to read his debut crime fiction novel ‘Bad for Good’. Like his crime course, I was not disappointed. One of the messages I took away from the course was that, if you wanted a police procedural novel to sound convincing, certain things had to happen to facilitate the storyline. ‘Bad for Good’ is a prime example of this doctrine.

Obviously drawing on his own experiences as a police officer, Graham has created an intriguing and exciting story with several threads running through it, all of which eventually come together to culminate in a thrilling finale. Set in and around the popular seaside town of Brighton, every character is well drawn, each having their own individual problems and demons to contend with. The storyline is also well written, skilfully demonstrating the ease with which even good people can inadvertently become bad.

‘Bad for Good’ is an engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable read and one which I can definitely recommend.