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The Romney and Marsh Files #1
Rope Enough
Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh is shipped out to Dover on the Kent coast to work under Detective Inspector Romney – a copper with a reputation as a cantankerous bastard but good at his job.
On her first night as his sergeant a brutal crime in the town starts a chain of events that will test the mettle, the resolve and the detective in both of them.
Cultures clash and dark deeds are done in this the first instalment of the Romney and Marsh Files.
On her first night as his sergeant a brutal crime in the town starts a chain of events that will test the mettle, the resolve and the detective in both of them.
Cultures clash and dark deeds are done in this the first instalment of the Romney and Marsh Files.
234 pages, ebook
First published December 4, 2012
277 people are currently reading
976 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Tidy
21 books79 followersCrime and thriller fiction.
My website is the best place to find me.
http://olivertidy.com
I enjoy communicating with readers of my books, so please, if you have any comments or questions, get in touch.
My website is the best place to find me.
http://olivertidy.com
I enjoy communicating with readers of my books, so please, if you have any comments or questions, get in touch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
September 1, 2014
DNF after 51%: DI Romney and me won't become friends...expect a rant.
Maybe because he is a chauvinistic asshole who is more concerned with physical appearance than with how a person really is. And person means woman here, because rules are different for men - if you didn't know that, read this book and be educated about how awful it is when women are ageing: It is really disgusting. How their sagging breasts and their old, vile bodies insult the discerning male eye, so that a good-looking guy like the good Inspector has no chance but to date someone at least 10 years his junior. Buhu.
(Extra HATRED for the self-introspection with a shrug "That's who I am and I can't change, even if you might think it narrow minded or shallow". Well, you might not be able to help it, but that doesn't mean I can't hate you with a vengeance because you are an epic douche-bag, you moron.)
Maybe I am just overly critic, as I have an irrational hatred for male protagonists of a certain age that have me suspicious if this isn't the male author's Mary Sue Moment - the one fantasy, where the ageing male is sooooo attractive to all the female population that he basically has no choice but take the most beautiful and youngest woman available.
Maybe because being 43 years old and never having had a lasting and meangingful relationship with a woman doesn't make a guy attractive in my eyes but screams "serious personal issues" to me.
Maybe because I find it distasteful to go to a crime scene of a rape smelling like your girlfriend's pussy. Use some soap, will you. This stuff is not a super glue, a little soap will take care of the smell. Jesus.
Maybe because he is so pussy-whipped by his young lover, that he apologizes for eating out with a female colleague - WTF??? He is a douch-bag without a spine!
So, you could all in all say: I HATE THIS ASSHOLE.
Oh, and if you read the summary on Amazon or here at BL - forget it. There is basically nothing about Joy Marsh in this book until this point. To be fair, could be that the second half is all about her...
I didn't get the clinical tone with which it was told, like a report - like "the great and handsome Inspector did this. He felt good about. Then he did that. And then he returned to do that." Left me a whole lot of detached, when I wasn't seething with rage.
I guess the crime plot is ok, but I couldn't get over my hatred for THE ASSHOLE, so this is it for this series for me. At least it was free.
Maybe because he is a chauvinistic asshole who is more concerned with physical appearance than with how a person really is. And person means woman here, because rules are different for men - if you didn't know that, read this book and be educated about how awful it is when women are ageing: It is really disgusting. How their sagging breasts and their old, vile bodies insult the discerning male eye, so that a good-looking guy like the good Inspector has no chance but to date someone at least 10 years his junior. Buhu.
(Extra HATRED for the self-introspection with a shrug "That's who I am and I can't change, even if you might think it narrow minded or shallow". Well, you might not be able to help it, but that doesn't mean I can't hate you with a vengeance because you are an epic douche-bag, you moron.)
Maybe I am just overly critic, as I have an irrational hatred for male protagonists of a certain age that have me suspicious if this isn't the male author's Mary Sue Moment - the one fantasy, where the ageing male is sooooo attractive to all the female population that he basically has no choice but take the most beautiful and youngest woman available.
Maybe because being 43 years old and never having had a lasting and meangingful relationship with a woman doesn't make a guy attractive in my eyes but screams "serious personal issues" to me.
Maybe because I find it distasteful to go to a crime scene of a rape smelling like your girlfriend's pussy. Use some soap, will you. This stuff is not a super glue, a little soap will take care of the smell. Jesus.
Maybe because he is so pussy-whipped by his young lover, that he apologizes for eating out with a female colleague - WTF??? He is a douch-bag without a spine!
So, you could all in all say: I HATE THIS ASSHOLE.
Oh, and if you read the summary on Amazon or here at BL - forget it. There is basically nothing about Joy Marsh in this book until this point. To be fair, could be that the second half is all about her...
I didn't get the clinical tone with which it was told, like a report - like "the great and handsome Inspector did this. He felt good about. Then he did that. And then he returned to do that." Left me a whole lot of detached, when I wasn't seething with rage.
I guess the crime plot is ok, but I couldn't get over my hatred for THE ASSHOLE, so this is it for this series for me. At least it was free.
July 29, 2019
The subtitle for Rope Enough is (The Romney and Marsh Files #1). Oh, I thought, that rings a bell, Romney Marsh, I have heard of that before, isn’t it a nature reserve in Kent? Yes indeed, “Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 square miles (260 km2).” according to Wikipedia. So Oliver Tidy does have a dry sense of humour for his police procedural crime thriller set in Dover along the Kent coast in England.
The central character of this novel is Detective Inspector Romney and he is an old school policeman. To balance this out is the new copper on the block, Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh and she is the modern face of British policing.
I enjoyed reading Rope Enough as it ticks all the boxes for a regular police procedure crime thriller. Character development was good, the plot was good and I liked the way this story was told. I think it would make a good television drama. Oliver shows great talent with the format of his book which made for a very comfortable read. I thought the pace was right and I was impressed that the crimes featured were very unusual. I thought it was brilliant how the motive for the crimes was fully explored and explained.
All the odds and ends were tidied up at the end which left me with a good impression of Case Closed. Rope Enough covers a lot of ground but Romney and Marsh get to the bottom of these crimes by using their very good detective skills. This was not a case of some police specialist finding the key to these crimes but good old fashioned thinking of “what if?”.
I found Rope Enough a very entertaining read and it gave me all I want from a novel. Rope Enough gets the top score of 5 stars from me and whenever I glance at a table, a smile spring’s to my face.
The central character of this novel is Detective Inspector Romney and he is an old school policeman. To balance this out is the new copper on the block, Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh and she is the modern face of British policing.
I enjoyed reading Rope Enough as it ticks all the boxes for a regular police procedure crime thriller. Character development was good, the plot was good and I liked the way this story was told. I think it would make a good television drama. Oliver shows great talent with the format of his book which made for a very comfortable read. I thought the pace was right and I was impressed that the crimes featured were very unusual. I thought it was brilliant how the motive for the crimes was fully explored and explained.
All the odds and ends were tidied up at the end which left me with a good impression of Case Closed. Rope Enough covers a lot of ground but Romney and Marsh get to the bottom of these crimes by using their very good detective skills. This was not a case of some police specialist finding the key to these crimes but good old fashioned thinking of “what if?”.
I found Rope Enough a very entertaining read and it gave me all I want from a novel. Rope Enough gets the top score of 5 stars from me and whenever I glance at a table, a smile spring’s to my face.
June 1, 2015
I originally downloaded this a couple of years ago, but put it to one side as the various grammatical errors were slightly off putting. To give the author his due he has invited constructive criticism, as he seems to do everything apart from the artwork himself, and in due course an updated version became available. So after my initial disappointment I was very pleasantly surprised.
DI Tom Romney is an old fashioned copper, and not the most politically correct. DS Joy Marsh has recently been promoted, and is transferred to the CID in the Dover station. Shortly after her transfer a vicious crime takes place at a local petrol station. Which leads them to work the case together, he might be 'old school', but there is still plenty that Marsh can learn from Romney.
The plot itself draws the reader in, and you can almost feel the frustration when the investigation stagnates. The character of Romney has been well thought out, but I do feel that Marsh needs a bit more work. All in all this was quite a solid police procedural. I enjoyed the book so much that I have even dug out the next in the series.
DI Tom Romney is an old fashioned copper, and not the most politically correct. DS Joy Marsh has recently been promoted, and is transferred to the CID in the Dover station. Shortly after her transfer a vicious crime takes place at a local petrol station. Which leads them to work the case together, he might be 'old school', but there is still plenty that Marsh can learn from Romney.
The plot itself draws the reader in, and you can almost feel the frustration when the investigation stagnates. The character of Romney has been well thought out, but I do feel that Marsh needs a bit more work. All in all this was quite a solid police procedural. I enjoyed the book so much that I have even dug out the next in the series.
September 1, 2014
2.5 stars
I had actually read one of the author's other series first so decided to backtrack & give this earlier series a try. It's a standard police procedural, this being the corrected version of the original self published ebook.
It has some nice moments but for me the problem was a thoroughly unlikeable male protagonist. Although he's in his early 40's, he comes across as a much older, extremely chauvinistic curmudgeon who is clearly his own biggest fan. The female detective he works with is well written & I enjoyed her character. Just wish there had been more of her & less of him.
Just as a note, the other series I read was much better & the author has improved dramatically over the years in between. The characters are more subtle, realistic & well rounded. So I think I'll give the rest of these books a pass & carry on with his later ones.
I had actually read one of the author's other series first so decided to backtrack & give this earlier series a try. It's a standard police procedural, this being the corrected version of the original self published ebook.
It has some nice moments but for me the problem was a thoroughly unlikeable male protagonist. Although he's in his early 40's, he comes across as a much older, extremely chauvinistic curmudgeon who is clearly his own biggest fan. The female detective he works with is well written & I enjoyed her character. Just wish there had been more of her & less of him.
Just as a note, the other series I read was much better & the author has improved dramatically over the years in between. The characters are more subtle, realistic & well rounded. So I think I'll give the rest of these books a pass & carry on with his later ones.
March 1, 2016
Well, 3.5 stars really. This is the first in a series of novels called "The Romney and Marsh Files" (for those who don't know this part of my homeland, it's a pun: Romney Marsh is a wetland situated between Folkestone and Rye near the south Kent coast). The main characters are DI Tom Romney and DS Joy Marsh of Dover CID, and I found them very likeable. OK, so Romney comes over as a rather pompous and chauvinistic "old school" detective at first, but as the story progresses, he becomes more human, kind and intelligent. Marsh is a newly promoted DS, learning the ropes from Romney; she asks pertinent questions, shows great promise, but her character isn't fully developed (yet).
The plot was good, the pace sustained and the dialogues excellent, so I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Oliver Tidy is a self-publishing author who deserves encouragement.
The plot was good, the pace sustained and the dialogues excellent, so I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Oliver Tidy is a self-publishing author who deserves encouragement.
January 16, 2016
3.5 stars.
Rope Enough is the first novel in the Romney and Marsh Files series. It is also the first book I have read by this author.
I have to say to start with I really didn't think I was going to like Romney. He is a very pompous character and it took me a while to warm to him. I was actually surprised to find out further on in the story that he is only in his early forties as he actually comes across as being a lot older. By the end though I had warmed considerably more to him.
Romney obviously is very experienced in his job and even though he has a hard outer shell, there is a somewhat more softer side to him in there also. It doesn't always shine through though so sometimes you do have to look that bit harder to find it, but it is there, believe me.
Marsh was a much more easier character to like. As she has just been newly promoted, she is trying her best to impress Romney. Overall I think Romney can definitely see potential in Marsh and in his own way he tries to pass on his knowledge and years of being in the job onto her.
The storyline itself is a slightly disturbing one as there is someone going around robbing garages and raping the female staff. I have to say I did find the first female victims reaction to the dreadful ordeal slightly unbelievable and did struggle with that part of the story. Other wise than that though, Rope Enough is a steady read that I actually flew through.
Rope Enough, overall is an enjoyable read and now that I have warmed up to Romney I am actually looking forward to reading more about him and Marsh.
Rope Enough is the first novel in the Romney and Marsh Files series. It is also the first book I have read by this author.
I have to say to start with I really didn't think I was going to like Romney. He is a very pompous character and it took me a while to warm to him. I was actually surprised to find out further on in the story that he is only in his early forties as he actually comes across as being a lot older. By the end though I had warmed considerably more to him.
Romney obviously is very experienced in his job and even though he has a hard outer shell, there is a somewhat more softer side to him in there also. It doesn't always shine through though so sometimes you do have to look that bit harder to find it, but it is there, believe me.
Marsh was a much more easier character to like. As she has just been newly promoted, she is trying her best to impress Romney. Overall I think Romney can definitely see potential in Marsh and in his own way he tries to pass on his knowledge and years of being in the job onto her.
The storyline itself is a slightly disturbing one as there is someone going around robbing garages and raping the female staff. I have to say I did find the first female victims reaction to the dreadful ordeal slightly unbelievable and did struggle with that part of the story. Other wise than that though, Rope Enough is a steady read that I actually flew through.
Rope Enough, overall is an enjoyable read and now that I have warmed up to Romney I am actually looking forward to reading more about him and Marsh.
April 14, 2014
In this version there are too many mistakes and I packed it in at 16%. I'd "met" the author on Amazon and he'd advised me that there was a revision made since I downloaded it in July 2013. However, it's not in my list of books that have an update in Archived Items so I can only comment on the version I hold.
He was used when it should have been it and there were lost speechmarks then in one sentence, "The DI, didn't wait for reply". It didn't need the comma and also lost a in that sentence. Then a comma was needed a little further on and was missed out more than one time. Then manager was spelt as manger and I gave in when out was used in place of our.
So it clearly needed a re-edit and I am disappointed Amazon's "automatic" updates clearly hasn't worked in this case. It's not the first time I've had this issue with an author. I remember she uploaded it one way and HER copy was fine but it turned out she needed to upload in in an HTML format or something. So I kept receiving a version the same as I already had. We eventually sorted it out. So maybe that's happened in this case.
I was enjoying the story and I've not deleted it off my Kindle in the hope they sort out the proper version.
He was used when it should have been it and there were lost speechmarks then in one sentence, "The DI, didn't wait for reply". It didn't need the comma and also lost a in that sentence. Then a comma was needed a little further on and was missed out more than one time. Then manager was spelt as manger and I gave in when out was used in place of our.
So it clearly needed a re-edit and I am disappointed Amazon's "automatic" updates clearly hasn't worked in this case. It's not the first time I've had this issue with an author. I remember she uploaded it one way and HER copy was fine but it turned out she needed to upload in in an HTML format or something. So I kept receiving a version the same as I already had. We eventually sorted it out. So maybe that's happened in this case.
I was enjoying the story and I've not deleted it off my Kindle in the hope they sort out the proper version.
November 19, 2013
The review fields surrounding Oliver Tidy's work can be a rum old place, not least because the author takes the time to comment on each and every one. Considering that the cumulative number of reviews across all five of his books is currently 650+, this is no mean feat (LOOSE ENDS and DIRTY BUSINESS, the first two in the Acer Sansom series, have only been out two months, but have already gathered 42 reviews between them).
The reason the reviews are, er, a bit contentious, is because Mr Tidy's comments will mirror the tone of the review. Exactly. If you leave a thoughtful and considered review, even if you didn't like the book, you'll get a thoughtful and considered review back. If you didn't like the book and whack only a couple of stars on it but without arguing your case, you'll get something similar back. If you do his legs and leave a one-star troll-fest...................well, just pray he doesn't find out your address.
So, having read a couple of the more negative reviews with interest, I opened ROPE ENOUGH half-expecting brutal and tasteless sexual violence, institutionalised police misogyny , wafer-thin female characters and latent xenophobic attitudes towards Eastern Europeans (not to mention doddery editing).
I didn't find any of these, and I think a number of reviews are perhaps unfairly misleading, particularly where the editing is concerned. ROPE ENOUGH is an intelligent and multi-layered thriller with a real richness about the setting and some skilful handling of subject matter that clearly some people don't want to read about, but which is an unfortunate part of life for some, and everyday life for the police.
DS Joy Marsh - ambitious, young, brimming with integrity, and DI Romney - grizzly, weather-beaten, not borne of patience - are thrown together like bumper cars to investigate a rapist targeting victims apparently indiscriminately around a bleak Dover backdrop. The first victim's boyfriend is a particularly nasty piece of work with links to organised crime in the town, and matters unfold from there with lines of enquiry identified through some fairly diligent detective work.
The Dover setting - particularly in the final quarter when the net starts to close in - is a carefully-painted and effective backcloth for the action, and lends a real gunmetal-desolate atmosphere to the story. The characters' own personal journeys are weaved in nicely around the main plot - which is itself rounded off very neatly - and there is clearly plenty of scope for the Marsh to develop her own path in future works. The characterisation - particularly of the main villain, who was extremely nasty indeed - was especially well done, and the story rocketed along nicely at a fair old lick.
ROPE ENOUGH is clever without being gimmicky, pacy without being superficial, engaging without being melodramatic and realistic without being drab. A lot of people seem to have a thing about being able to guess the baddie (in any book), and use this as a benchmark to determine the overall quality of the work. This is not an issue for me if the characters are engaging and the overall texture and pace of the work makes the book a rewarding reading experience - which ROPE ENOUGH definitely is.
The reason the reviews are, er, a bit contentious, is because Mr Tidy's comments will mirror the tone of the review. Exactly. If you leave a thoughtful and considered review, even if you didn't like the book, you'll get a thoughtful and considered review back. If you didn't like the book and whack only a couple of stars on it but without arguing your case, you'll get something similar back. If you do his legs and leave a one-star troll-fest...................well, just pray he doesn't find out your address.
So, having read a couple of the more negative reviews with interest, I opened ROPE ENOUGH half-expecting brutal and tasteless sexual violence, institutionalised police misogyny , wafer-thin female characters and latent xenophobic attitudes towards Eastern Europeans (not to mention doddery editing).
I didn't find any of these, and I think a number of reviews are perhaps unfairly misleading, particularly where the editing is concerned. ROPE ENOUGH is an intelligent and multi-layered thriller with a real richness about the setting and some skilful handling of subject matter that clearly some people don't want to read about, but which is an unfortunate part of life for some, and everyday life for the police.
DS Joy Marsh - ambitious, young, brimming with integrity, and DI Romney - grizzly, weather-beaten, not borne of patience - are thrown together like bumper cars to investigate a rapist targeting victims apparently indiscriminately around a bleak Dover backdrop. The first victim's boyfriend is a particularly nasty piece of work with links to organised crime in the town, and matters unfold from there with lines of enquiry identified through some fairly diligent detective work.
The Dover setting - particularly in the final quarter when the net starts to close in - is a carefully-painted and effective backcloth for the action, and lends a real gunmetal-desolate atmosphere to the story. The characters' own personal journeys are weaved in nicely around the main plot - which is itself rounded off very neatly - and there is clearly plenty of scope for the Marsh to develop her own path in future works. The characterisation - particularly of the main villain, who was extremely nasty indeed - was especially well done, and the story rocketed along nicely at a fair old lick.
ROPE ENOUGH is clever without being gimmicky, pacy without being superficial, engaging without being melodramatic and realistic without being drab. A lot of people seem to have a thing about being able to guess the baddie (in any book), and use this as a benchmark to determine the overall quality of the work. This is not an issue for me if the characters are engaging and the overall texture and pace of the work makes the book a rewarding reading experience - which ROPE ENOUGH definitely is.
April 23, 2015
Rope Enough is a very well-paced, engrossing story that I enjoyed reading. There were just enough twists and turns in the plot to keep me guessing, and I have to admit that one of the things I was wondering about was the title of the book. It reminded me of a certain phrase. Did it mean what I thought it did? Yes, it did, and watching this investigation play out was time well spent.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the excellent job Oliver Tidy did in showing the nuts and bolts of an investigation. In so many police procedurals, we hear of the numbers of policemen assigned to an investigation, but we very seldom ever find out what they're all doing. Tidy lets us know in such a light-handed way that it doesn't bog down the flow of the narrative.
I also liked the character of Joy Marsh-- what little there was of her. She proves herself to be excellent at picking out stray, disjointed clues and putting them together to get the investigation back on track and moving in the right direction. I can see her going far. What disappointed me was the fact that we got to know very little about what really makes her tick. I want to know more, and I hope this is addressed in future books in the series.
On the other hand, I got to know more about Detective Inspector Romney than I wanted. I didn't find him as difficult as his reputation at first made him appear to be, and I enjoyed watching him be in charge of the investigation. What I thought detracted from the story was the amount of detail given to the new woman in his life and their sex life. It may have spoken to his character, but it really didn't add much to the plot. When I compared what I learned about Romney and the amount of information given about his sergeant, I have to admit that I wondered why the series is called the "Romney and Marsh Files."
Rope Enough also has a few problems with proofreading and editing. There are sections that need to be tightened, extra words that need to be removed, and annoying little errors like "there're" instead of "they're" and "it's" instead of "its."
While I have pointed out what I think to be weaknesses in the book, it still remains that Oliver Tidy can write a story that keeps me guessing and turning those pages. Characters can be balanced out. Nagging little glitches in grammar and editing can be fixed. But if you can't tell a story that people want to read.... Tidy can tell a story, and he has me wanting to read more.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the excellent job Oliver Tidy did in showing the nuts and bolts of an investigation. In so many police procedurals, we hear of the numbers of policemen assigned to an investigation, but we very seldom ever find out what they're all doing. Tidy lets us know in such a light-handed way that it doesn't bog down the flow of the narrative.
I also liked the character of Joy Marsh-- what little there was of her. She proves herself to be excellent at picking out stray, disjointed clues and putting them together to get the investigation back on track and moving in the right direction. I can see her going far. What disappointed me was the fact that we got to know very little about what really makes her tick. I want to know more, and I hope this is addressed in future books in the series.
On the other hand, I got to know more about Detective Inspector Romney than I wanted. I didn't find him as difficult as his reputation at first made him appear to be, and I enjoyed watching him be in charge of the investigation. What I thought detracted from the story was the amount of detail given to the new woman in his life and their sex life. It may have spoken to his character, but it really didn't add much to the plot. When I compared what I learned about Romney and the amount of information given about his sergeant, I have to admit that I wondered why the series is called the "Romney and Marsh Files."
Rope Enough also has a few problems with proofreading and editing. There are sections that need to be tightened, extra words that need to be removed, and annoying little errors like "there're" instead of "they're" and "it's" instead of "its."
While I have pointed out what I think to be weaknesses in the book, it still remains that Oliver Tidy can write a story that keeps me guessing and turning those pages. Characters can be balanced out. Nagging little glitches in grammar and editing can be fixed. But if you can't tell a story that people want to read.... Tidy can tell a story, and he has me wanting to read more.
November 3, 2016
Claire Stamp (petrol station employee) had been brutally attacked & was now in-route to William Harvey Hospital.
Carl Park (petrol station employee) got smacked in the head.
DS Joy Marsh (Dover PD) & DI Tom Romney (50+, Dover PD) were at the crime scene.
DC Peter Grimes (Dover PD) had just arrived.
3 SOCO’s were coming the area.
Constable Marrin (Dover PD) Constable Spencer (Dover PD)
Mr. Simon Avery (25+, Claire’s BF, businessman) was arrested for assaulting a PD Dover officer.
DS Marsh & DI Romney were going to interrogate Simon.
Next stop Claire had been released from the hospital her home.
She had been raped & the station had been robbed.
Mr. Patel (mgr.) was not very happy.
Claire was moving to Blackpool, & going to stay with her sister.
Someone had committed suicide jumping off the Priory Towers (Priory Rd.)
Maurice Wendell (local pathologist) ID the body as Claire.
Warning: This book contains extreme violence, graphic adult content or expletive language &/or sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Smashwords; ebookstage; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Carl Park (petrol station employee) got smacked in the head.
DS Joy Marsh (Dover PD) & DI Tom Romney (50+, Dover PD) were at the crime scene.
DC Peter Grimes (Dover PD) had just arrived.
3 SOCO’s were coming the area.
Constable Marrin (Dover PD) Constable Spencer (Dover PD)
Mr. Simon Avery (25+, Claire’s BF, businessman) was arrested for assaulting a PD Dover officer.
DS Marsh & DI Romney were going to interrogate Simon.
Next stop Claire had been released from the hospital her home.
She had been raped & the station had been robbed.
Mr. Patel (mgr.) was not very happy.
Claire was moving to Blackpool, & going to stay with her sister.
Someone had committed suicide jumping off the Priory Towers (Priory Rd.)
Maurice Wendell (local pathologist) ID the body as Claire.
Warning: This book contains extreme violence, graphic adult content or expletive language &/or sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Smashwords; ebookstage; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
June 13, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed Oliver Tidy's Rope Enough, the first in the Romney & Marsh series. DCI Romney is a 40-something, old school detective that has been given a new DS, the first female on his team. DS Marsh is his antithesis in many ways: young, very much "new school", modern policing without being hard edged. The case was good, plot was good, but the writing was superb. I found Mr. Tidy to be quite erudite without being elitist. Dialog was clever, smart and funny. The characters--and not just Romney & Marsh, but the supporting characters as well-were well developed, 3 dimensional and human. I was quickly sucked into their world, fully invested in the characters and found myself not wanting the book to end. A very satisfying read. I immediately purchased the next in the series.
More than a cozy but less than a thriller, this author's work (in this series) is truly a well written mystery, with a solid plot, characters you can either like or dislike (or even love or hate). I highly recommend this series.
More than a cozy but less than a thriller, this author's work (in this series) is truly a well written mystery, with a solid plot, characters you can either like or dislike (or even love or hate). I highly recommend this series.
August 28, 2013
This is an excellent British detective story. It's a real page-turner and I could easily see this transferring to television. Of the two main characters, DI Romney is perhaps the most rounded, although he does fall into the slightly stereotypical niche of having a number of failed marriages behind him. My only carps with the story were that the sections when we are supposedly listening in to the thought processes of the protagonists are perhaps a bit stilted and really need to be a little more colloquial. My other carp is the error, mentioned elsewhere in the reviews for this, of "would of" and "could of" - this is quite a common error in modern writing but it does jar with the reader and should have been avoided. I know that "would've" and "could've" sounds like that, but that's no excuse. Having said all of that, I really would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detective fiction - you won't be disappointed.
December 17, 2020
EBook downloaded as a holiday read. This is the first outing for what should become a solidly successful novelistic pairing. A good detective style novel, located amid the tensions of the south-east coast of England. As a minor comment would note that the clues seemed a little obvious (to me), but I actually think that the writer is capable of writing an even better book than this, based upon this novel, and suspect that in future novels he pushes these further into the folds of the novel (eg by writing from more perspectives). One or two minor typos, but this is a self-published work and, being self-published myself I know only too well how hard it can be find and remove every single one. An enjoyable read, which I would recommend, and on the basis of this I am interested in further work by this writer.
December 1, 2016
Disapointing
I ploughed through this but wouldnt recommend it.
I found the names of the main characters neither clever or funny and the characters were not the slightest bit believable, the woman, MArsh, might as well not been in it.
There was no tension, suspense or menace in it, as there would be in a good crime novel.
The first three quarters were filled with comments about Romney having a sex life, what exactly was that supposed to add to the story??
I have given 3 stars for trying and because it was the first book in the series, I will not be reading any more to find out if they get any better.
I ploughed through this but wouldnt recommend it.
I found the names of the main characters neither clever or funny and the characters were not the slightest bit believable, the woman, MArsh, might as well not been in it.
There was no tension, suspense or menace in it, as there would be in a good crime novel.
The first three quarters were filled with comments about Romney having a sex life, what exactly was that supposed to add to the story??
I have given 3 stars for trying and because it was the first book in the series, I will not be reading any more to find out if they get any better.
December 29, 2018
While it kept me reading, I figured out the mystery around the halfway mark, something I am never able to do. The fact that I did means either that I am getting better at sleuthing or that the plotting was clumsy and inept.
I was put off by the characterizations, especially Romney. Not a win for me.
I was put off by the characterizations, especially Romney. Not a win for me.
January 10, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and will get the others in the series. The characters have been established so that you want to know what happens next in their lives. Don't want to spoil it for others but I was glad it was about something other than a serial killer...........
March 6, 2016
This was quite an enjoyable mystery. Good characters and story-telling. I will be reading more by Oliver Tidy. Thanks, Sarah for recommending this
July 6, 2016
Quite a good read. Easy to get into and good storyline, some characters a bit stereotypical but nevertheless I enjoyed it enough to get the 2nd book
March 28, 2015
Definitely worth reading the next one in the series
March 6, 2022
Well the book had me with the title and the characters being Romney and Marsh, thought this author has a sense of humour! Not disappointed there either, quite tongue in the cheek!
I thought this was well thought out and well written. It began at a fair old romp and picked up the pace all the way through. Joy Romney has just joined a very grumpy DI Romney's team and on her first day is going to a scene of a rape at a petrol station. The witness to this, another worker at the late night petrol station, was beaten about the head by the assailant. They go to interview the young woman next day and find she is the girlfriend of a not very nice local villain (aren't they all). She turns out to be a surprisingly strong young woman who refuses to be governed by this, and sets her face towards the world and takes deep breaths and pulls herself up to face the effects this has on her.
They have few clues as needless to say the ctv isn't working (when is it ever). Romney and Marsh interview her with her mother who seems a very uninterested person considering her daughter has just been raped. Whilst they are investigating this and an attack on a pub owned by well Estonians I think, didn't know Dover had a large population of Estonians, another young woman is raped also at night in a local care home, with the same methods as the first, her male partner on duty that night is also beaten about the head and left on the floor. This young woman isn't so strong willed and strong minded as the first and does what comes naturally to women in this situation, and becomes fearful, tearful, distraught and well you can imagine the rest. Romney has a much softer side that he shows outwardly and I think this makes him a much more rounded policeman.
Well the crime scenes, and the finding out who the criminal is, moves on with some surprising dna evidence and also the murder of the first young victim's mother, after her daughter is killed by jumping off a balcony, but as the pathologist says who jumps off backwards? Who indeed.
I did like this multi-layered but well put together story, and as I first read this a long while ago, I re-read this because I've just read the second book in the series "Making a Killing", I think Oliver Tidy is a very good author and am surprised that I didn't buy the next two in the series, I think I'll rectify that later today!
I thought this was well thought out and well written. It began at a fair old romp and picked up the pace all the way through. Joy Romney has just joined a very grumpy DI Romney's team and on her first day is going to a scene of a rape at a petrol station. The witness to this, another worker at the late night petrol station, was beaten about the head by the assailant. They go to interview the young woman next day and find she is the girlfriend of a not very nice local villain (aren't they all). She turns out to be a surprisingly strong young woman who refuses to be governed by this, and sets her face towards the world and takes deep breaths and pulls herself up to face the effects this has on her.
They have few clues as needless to say the ctv isn't working (when is it ever). Romney and Marsh interview her with her mother who seems a very uninterested person considering her daughter has just been raped. Whilst they are investigating this and an attack on a pub owned by well Estonians I think, didn't know Dover had a large population of Estonians, another young woman is raped also at night in a local care home, with the same methods as the first, her male partner on duty that night is also beaten about the head and left on the floor. This young woman isn't so strong willed and strong minded as the first and does what comes naturally to women in this situation, and becomes fearful, tearful, distraught and well you can imagine the rest. Romney has a much softer side that he shows outwardly and I think this makes him a much more rounded policeman.
Well the crime scenes, and the finding out who the criminal is, moves on with some surprising dna evidence and also the murder of the first young victim's mother, after her daughter is killed by jumping off a balcony, but as the pathologist says who jumps off backwards? Who indeed.
I did like this multi-layered but well put together story, and as I first read this a long while ago, I re-read this because I've just read the second book in the series "Making a Killing", I think Oliver Tidy is a very good author and am surprised that I didn't buy the next two in the series, I think I'll rectify that later today!
August 8, 2023
Detective Inspector Romney is disappointed when he turns up to a crime scene and finds a woman - Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh. But regardless of his personal feelings, they have to work together to solve a brutal rape. The pressure is on though when a second rape, exactly like the first occurs.
This is a hard book to like. Romney was a jerk and wasn't remotely likable and for all the series title is Romney and Marsh - I wouldn't exactly call it an equal partnership. Plus he's way too young to be such a misogynistic prick. He reads like a much older character and I was pretty surprised to find he's only supposed to be 43 years of age. But it wasn't just him. Marsh isn't much better - I found it hard to sympathise with her after her severe doubts about the "alleged" rape - when all evidence points to the fact it happened and there was no reason to doubt the victim.
Honestly the whole tone of this book was odd - it seemed to just alternate between either loving or low key hating women and I didn't like it. Plus the romance was icky. Romney is busy mooning over his hot younger girlfriend he's seen six times and slept with on five of those occasions and the crime scene tech is doing him favours and trying everything she can to get his attention - it was painful. I almost stopped reading but I was hoping it'd get better. It didn't. But, then, it didn't get any worse either so I guess that's a win.
The mystery itself was alright. The who was clever On the other hand, the major fail of
An okay read but not a series I'll be continuing. 2.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars.
This is a hard book to like. Romney was a jerk and wasn't remotely likable and for all the series title is Romney and Marsh - I wouldn't exactly call it an equal partnership. Plus he's way too young to be such a misogynistic prick. He reads like a much older character and I was pretty surprised to find he's only supposed to be 43 years of age. But it wasn't just him. Marsh isn't much better - I found it hard to sympathise with her after her severe doubts about the "alleged" rape - when all evidence points to the fact it happened and there was no reason to doubt the victim.
Honestly the whole tone of this book was odd - it seemed to just alternate between either loving or low key hating women and I didn't like it. Plus the romance was icky. Romney is busy mooning over his hot younger girlfriend he's seen six times and slept with on five of those occasions and the crime scene tech is doing him favours and trying everything she can to get his attention - it was painful. I almost stopped reading but I was hoping it'd get better. It didn't. But, then, it didn't get any worse either so I guess that's a win.
The mystery itself was alright. The who was clever On the other hand, the major fail of
An okay read but not a series I'll be continuing. 2.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars.
June 25, 2017
Romney and Marsh? It’s a little contrived, although as DI Romney and Sergeant Marsh are based in Dover it’s a nod to the location. Totteridge and Whetstone? Lemington and Spa? Newcastle and Upontyne?
To be fair I once invented an Algerian Detective called Theydon Bois, but as he hasn’t solved any cases yet, the less said about that the better. All I can say is that it’s distracting. You’d think, to add a touch of reality to the piece that some villain might snort during an interview and say ‘Romney and Marsh? You’re having a laugh governor!’ but nobody does.
However, Romney and Marsh are summoned to a garage where an employee has been assaulted and his female colleague tied to a table and raped. The rapist was described as having an Eastern European accent and was wearing a balaclava.
The case is complicated by the fact that the victim is the girlfriend of local villain Simon Avery.
The narrative is very much focused on Romney. He is renovating a property, collects first edition books and is having a not too serious relationship with a woman called Julie. Of Marsh we know very little, although she features in the action just as much.
There's not a lot of character exploration elsewhere to be honest. Tidy has some interesting characters to work with but here they're a little two dimensional. There's also a lack of tension between characters. It's good to have someone working against your hero, or a bad apple at the police station, or a nasty boss. There's none of that in Dover. All the police are very nice and a trifle dull as a result.
It’s a short and satisfying read though, and kept me enthralled. I would have liked to have seen some resolution to a related case of suspected murder, and although it is suggested that this would be resolved due to evidence discovered in the finale we don’t get complete closure.
Will I read further novels? Yes, probably. Tidy needs to work on his characters but I'm happy to read the next one.
To be fair I once invented an Algerian Detective called Theydon Bois, but as he hasn’t solved any cases yet, the less said about that the better. All I can say is that it’s distracting. You’d think, to add a touch of reality to the piece that some villain might snort during an interview and say ‘Romney and Marsh? You’re having a laugh governor!’ but nobody does.
However, Romney and Marsh are summoned to a garage where an employee has been assaulted and his female colleague tied to a table and raped. The rapist was described as having an Eastern European accent and was wearing a balaclava.
The case is complicated by the fact that the victim is the girlfriend of local villain Simon Avery.
The narrative is very much focused on Romney. He is renovating a property, collects first edition books and is having a not too serious relationship with a woman called Julie. Of Marsh we know very little, although she features in the action just as much.
There's not a lot of character exploration elsewhere to be honest. Tidy has some interesting characters to work with but here they're a little two dimensional. There's also a lack of tension between characters. It's good to have someone working against your hero, or a bad apple at the police station, or a nasty boss. There's none of that in Dover. All the police are very nice and a trifle dull as a result.
It’s a short and satisfying read though, and kept me enthralled. I would have liked to have seen some resolution to a related case of suspected murder, and although it is suggested that this would be resolved due to evidence discovered in the finale we don’t get complete closure.
Will I read further novels? Yes, probably. Tidy needs to work on his characters but I'm happy to read the next one.
October 3, 2017
DS Joy Marsh is new to Dover and hoping to make a good showing to her supervisor, DI Romney. Their first case together starts with a robbery and brutal rape at a local garage. The case seems impossible to solve with no forensic clues to speak of and the two young workers at the garage can't give much help, only describing the assailant as tallish, dressed in black with a hoodie and a balaclava on. Soon after, a second rape occurs at a nursing home, with the same M.O. but this time there are some fluids left that might identify the rapist. No matter what Romney and Marsh do, they seem to be getting nowhere. Add in a few murders, some hooliganism, and pressure to solve the cases before more rapes can occur and you have a fascinating story.
A friend recommended one of the books in this series and although the author assures readers that each of the seven books can be read as a stand-alone book, I'm obsessively drawn to reading series in order so I began with book 1 and I wasn't disappointed. Romney is an interesting man, a smart and good cop, just starting a new relationship after a number of failed relationships. Marsh seems okay and isn't afraid of speaking her mind, but she hasn't been drawn out as well as Romney so I'm hoping for more as the series goes on. The mystery was a new twist for me. I didn't suspect who the rapist was... but it was very satisfying.
A friend recommended one of the books in this series and although the author assures readers that each of the seven books can be read as a stand-alone book, I'm obsessively drawn to reading series in order so I began with book 1 and I wasn't disappointed. Romney is an interesting man, a smart and good cop, just starting a new relationship after a number of failed relationships. Marsh seems okay and isn't afraid of speaking her mind, but she hasn't been drawn out as well as Romney so I'm hoping for more as the series goes on. The mystery was a new twist for me. I didn't suspect who the rapist was... but it was very satisfying.
August 3, 2020
~ Proper British crime mystery
~A couple other reviewers have called the main character, Detective Inspector Romney, a pompous and chauvinistic man. Yes, this is prob’ly quite true. This is his initial character…however, he is good at what he does…solve crimes. He is teamed up with Joy Marsh, a newly appointed Detective Sergeant, who is there to learn and hone her skills. I think as the story unfolds; the character of DI Romney grows on the reader. He has his quirks and shortcomings…but as we gain the insight to him, we begin to see the why behind his actions.
~This is a somewhat complex mystery, and in true proper British style moves along at an acceptable pace…never too slow, and definitely not at a reckless pace associated with the American action detective novel. While at the more relaxed pace, there is certainly plenty of mystery, and diversion to keep the reader guessing.
~It is nice to read a story which takes place somewhere different from one’s own normal local. The author did a good job of describing the dingy pool halls and pubs, the quaint homes, and picturesque landscape of the area.
~Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle into your comply chair, and delve into this mystery. I feel that it is well worth your time to travel to British coastal community and follow along as the crime is reveled.
~A couple other reviewers have called the main character, Detective Inspector Romney, a pompous and chauvinistic man. Yes, this is prob’ly quite true. This is his initial character…however, he is good at what he does…solve crimes. He is teamed up with Joy Marsh, a newly appointed Detective Sergeant, who is there to learn and hone her skills. I think as the story unfolds; the character of DI Romney grows on the reader. He has his quirks and shortcomings…but as we gain the insight to him, we begin to see the why behind his actions.
~This is a somewhat complex mystery, and in true proper British style moves along at an acceptable pace…never too slow, and definitely not at a reckless pace associated with the American action detective novel. While at the more relaxed pace, there is certainly plenty of mystery, and diversion to keep the reader guessing.
~It is nice to read a story which takes place somewhere different from one’s own normal local. The author did a good job of describing the dingy pool halls and pubs, the quaint homes, and picturesque landscape of the area.
~Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle into your comply chair, and delve into this mystery. I feel that it is well worth your time to travel to British coastal community and follow along as the crime is reveled.
May 23, 2018
The story is about the rape of a woman at a garage, who unfortunately happened to be ‘the girl’ of a local hoodlum. A second rape and a couple of murders confuse matters and gives Romney something other than sex to think about (he does like jumping into the sack, at any available opportunity).
Overall, a reasonably well written book but a few things jarred. For example, in the opening chapter it’s suggested that Romney doesn’t like Marsh, yet there’s no reason given and it never turns into anything. Romney’s ability to turn to sex with his new teacher girlfriend at the drop of a hat, regardless of work, didn’t fit with a detective likely to get results either.
But despite that the story moves at a good pace and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
Overall, a reasonably well written book but a few things jarred. For example, in the opening chapter it’s suggested that Romney doesn’t like Marsh, yet there’s no reason given and it never turns into anything. Romney’s ability to turn to sex with his new teacher girlfriend at the drop of a hat, regardless of work, didn’t fit with a detective likely to get results either.
But despite that the story moves at a good pace and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
February 7, 2018
Having read the Booker and Cash series by Oliver Tidy, and thoroughly enjoyed them, I took advantage of the free ebook on Amazon and started reading. And I wasn't disappointed. Great detective mystery full of twists and turns. The characters are engaging, humorous and curmudgeonly in turn with the usual banter between colleagues. DI Romney heads up a team of men when DS Marsh joins as the only female in the team. Romney is "old school" police and says that he thinks, acts on instinct and polices the same way resulting in a few raised eyebrows, not only from Marsh. But he gets results. Rope Enough is a great start to, hopefully, a very enjoyable series of thriller mysteries.
October 1, 2018
SPOILERS ~ This is about 2 socially and emotionally maladjusted teenagers who have a penchant for watching the same perverted sex porns on the Dark Web and were highly motivated by what they saw that they put their own version of one particular video which resulted in 2 sexual assaults on the women and 2 head injuries and concussions on their teenage co~workers. There is also the murder of the first rape victim which further complicated the case. What I can not understand is that ~ why did the police not put a watch on Mrs. Stamp's house given that they have already surmised that Claire may have sent what the killer was searching for to her mother?
October 22, 2016
On her very first night in her new post working in Dover under DI Romney, DS Joy Marsh is called to the scene of a gas station robbery and rape that begins a chain of events culminating in multiple murders while the newly forged team of detectives struggles with an investigation hampered by uncooperative witnesses and a lack of physical evidence.
Good series opener, the characters make up an interesting and fairly likable team of investigators and the mystery kept me guessing for a fairly long time before being neatly tied up in the end. A series I'll be reading more from.
Good series opener, the characters make up an interesting and fairly likable team of investigators and the mystery kept me guessing for a fairly long time before being neatly tied up in the end. A series I'll be reading more from.
November 4, 2018
This was the first of the Romney & Marsh books by Oliver Tidy that I've read and what a good read it was. The two lead characters work well together and Romney was not as cantankerous as was hinted at in the blurb., but an excellent pairing. A well thought out story line with some twists to keep the reader hooked. I found it hard to put down and read it in two sittings. I am pleased to find that there are more Romney and Marsh books and I have already downloaded them to my Kindle ready for the winter nights that are almost here.
November 7, 2020
I was sceptical at first, living so close to Romney Marsh, I thought maybe it would be rather twee, naming the detectives that way. How wrong I was. It was a good read. The first in the series, I will definitely be coming back for more, this has the potential to be a terrific series.
My only concern is DS Marsh. Not sure how she is going to turn out, I'm not a fan of female police officers in fiction. They either have no personality or are too much of a smart arse. We'll see.
My only concern is DS Marsh. Not sure how she is going to turn out, I'm not a fan of female police officers in fiction. They either have no personality or are too much of a smart arse. We'll see.
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