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The Murder Bag

(Max Wolfe #1)

Tony Parsons

3.82 · Rating details · 5,762 ratings · 617 reviews

The gripping first novel in an explosive new crime series by Tony Parsons, bestselling author of Man and Boy. If you like crime-novels by Ian Rankin and Peter James, you will love this.

Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter's Field. Now they have started dying in the most violent way imaginable.

Detective Ma ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published May 8th 2014 by Century

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May 15, 2015 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2015

Seven rich men met at private school twenty years ago and now one after one is being brutally killed. Detective Max Wolfe is new in the Homicide division of London's West End Central, 27 Savile Row and he and his colleague must find out who is behind the killings and why?

The first time I became acquainted with Max Wolfe was in the short novella Dead Time that is set between this book and the next one; The Slaughter Man. I liked him and his family; daughter Scout and dog Stan immediately. So, whe ...more

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Jun 12, 2014 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Crime Fans, Serial Killer Fans, Everyone

Shelves: could-not-put-down, crime-books-read

I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks for the opportunity.

This is the first novel in a new crime series penned by Tony Parsons, author of Man and Boy and other novels, none of them crime related. I was keen to see how he went with venturing into this new genre of writing and was happy to find this book a really enjoyable and good read.

I REALLY liked the plot, I thought it worked really well and the entire book moved a I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks for the opportunity.

This is the first novel in a new crime series penned by Tony Parsons, author of Man and Boy and other novels, none of them crime related. I was keen to see how he went with venturing into this new genre of writing and was happy to find this book a really enjoyable and good read.

I REALLY liked the plot, I thought it worked really well and the entire book moved at a solid pace, not too fast, not too slow, just right. Great plotting, great characters and some twists you won't see coming. Smashing!

Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter’s Field. Now they have started dying in the most violent way imaginable. Pretty horrific deaths going on that's for sure.

The book starts with a scenario that kicks off the book sharply featuring these seven boys whilst they were in their school days, it's pretty in your face stuff to start out with. But it gives us important background to the rest of the novel.

Detective Max Wolfe has recently arrived in the Homicide division of London’s West End Central, 27 Savile Row. He's a great character, I really liked him a lot, he's a bit of a maverick detective that is passionate about his work but I loved the way we got to see his softer side in his relationship with his daughter and the man when he is at home.

He's soon hot on the trail piecing together not only who is killing these men, but what the connection is and the WHY of the killing spree, he's got a serial killer on his hands and he's determined to uncover the truth and get answers. He's not afraid to put himself in danger either, sometimes rather recklessly in his pursuit of the bad guys, he's a bold one our Max.

There are secrets, lies and deception going on. It's messy and complex this case. I liked the writing style, it flowed well. He's not afraid to tackle some graphic scenarios, you need that in a good crime novel in my opinion. Especially where a serial killer is involved.

It's good crime reading, it held my attention from the first page until the last, I was eager to see who the killer was, eager to see justice done and liked some of the moments in the book that complicated the investigation. I can tell Tony has done his research into terminology used in police procedures and investigations for this novel, he drops it in all the way through, perhaps a touch too much but it wasn't enough to interfere with my reading of the book.

I like Max Wolfe and will be absolutely reading the next book in the series. A cracking read. ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, crime

This is Tony Parsons first foray into the crime genre. That he usually writes contemporary family dramas shows in his creation of his characters, particularly his detective, DC Max Wolfe. Max is separated from his wife who has left him for another man, leaving their young daughter Scout behind with Max. Recently assigned to Homicide, he must juggle the demands of the job with those of being a single parent.

The prologue to the book throws us straight into a brutal gang rape and murder of a teenag ...more

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Apr 10, 2014 Christine rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this prior to publication.

DC Wolfe, newly promoted to murder investigation, is part of a team looking into the death of Hugo Buck. It soon becomes apparent that Hugo and his school friends from Potter's Field school are under threat.

I had problems with this read. I loved the opening chapters, with the dramatic scene of attack on the girl and the introduction to Wolfe. However it all went down hill from there. I found the scenes with Wol ...more

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Jan 15, 2015 Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Do some people deserve to die?

In their schooldays, seven boys at Potter's Field, an exclusive school for the very rich, become friends. They look out for each other, not only as friends, but because they share a very dark secret.

One commits suicide at the age of eighteen. So then there are six.

Merchant banker, Hugo Buck, is found with his throat slit from side to side. So then there are five.

Did his wife, sick of his philandering, pay to have him killed - or is there something more sinister goin ...more

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May 09, 2014 Raven rated it did not like it

Having already been well-received and incredibly widely reviewed, The Murder Bag marks the first foray of Tony Parsons into the world of crime writing. With all the pre-publicity hype and long build-up to its release, I was keen to read this, but was it a gripping read, or less of a murder, and more of a mixed bag? Knowing the blood, sweat and tears that accompanies the writing of a crime book, from crime writers of my acquaintance, I am always wary of being too critical of books, but as a vorac Having already been well-received and incredibly widely reviewed, The Murder Bag marks the first foray of Tony Parsons into the world of crime writing. With all the pre-publicity hype and long build-up to its release, I was keen to read this, but was it a gripping read, or less of a murder, and more of a mixed bag? Knowing the blood, sweat and tears that accompanies the writing of a crime book, from crime writers of my acquaintance, I am always wary of being too critical of books, but as a voracious and consistent reader of the genre, I was a little disappointed and perplexed by this book for several reasons, and would slightly question the plaudits afforded to it by other reviewers. So seeking to keep my ‘firm but fair’ reputation intact, here are my observations…

The story is basic enough, with a group of men from privileged backgrounds, linked by their school years, finding themselves being picked off one by one, for some reason as yet unknown. Enter intrepid detective, Max Wolfe- not quite a believable maverick, not quite a complete dullard- single father of cutesy five year old girl with all the mawkish sentimentality that underpins this relationship- with a dog, Stan, who I felt more intimately acquainted with than many of the human protagonists. I think it’s fair to say that The Murder Bag, is not in any way re-inventing the wheel in terms of the crime fiction genre. Indeed, in my reading of it, I felt that quite possibly the author has invested a lot of time in reading a selection of other crime writers, and extracting the best elements of several to be combined into his plot. Hence, what is produced is a curious mix of the solidity of the British police procedural, combined with the more salacious brutality of an American crime novel, with neither really working in tandem with the other.

Also, it is abundantly clear that some serious amount of research into police practices, forensic profiling, social networking, the Iraq War, etc had been undertaken, but in a similar way to other over-researched thrillers (Dan Brown- I’m looking at you), I did feel slightly bruised and battered by the amount of information crowbarred in, and its disturbance of the equilibrium of the plot overall. Consequently, I felt the book was rather stilted in its realisation and dialogue, and despite a promising opening did seem to lose its way from that point. There is a rather superfluous romantic entanglement for Wolfe along the way that added nothing tangible to the overall plot, and with the patchy unfolding of the murder plot itself, I found my attention wandering although I did not quite reach the point of giving up on it altogether, which does count for something I suppose.

Overall a pretty disappointing read, but sure that with an endorsement by Lee Child and the solidity of the author’s previous fictional output it will do well enough. Not a ground-breaking criminal debut for Parsons, but will undoubtedly not be the last of this series, as there is enough to warrant another foray with Max Wolfe in the future.
...more

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Feb 25, 2015 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, suspense-thriller-mystery, book-1, crime-thrillers, british-literature, mystery

“The Murder Bag” aka The Murder Man (Max Wolfe #1) is the first novel in a new crime series by Tony Parsons, bestselling British author of Man and Boy. This is the author’s first outing into the crime genre, and it is definitely a winner. For clarification, there are two names for this book; Murder Bag and Murder Man. I believe Murder Bag was the UK title and Murder Man was the US title.

DC Max Wolfe, is a single parent to his five year old daughter, “Scout”, and dog, ‘Stan”, a Cavalier King Cha ...more

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Jul 08, 2014 Claire Mkinsi rated it did not like it

Dear, oh dear, oh dear… Clunky, cliche-ridden and horrible writing… There are a few good ideas - like the Black museum - and the beginning was quite thrilling and well-paced but after that I really should have stopped. There are some terribly cliched characters - the posh headmaster (Peregrine!?) - some sexy bint in need of physical consolation from the detective - the "good egg" female police officer… Often awkward to the point of embarrassment… and writing so graceless I was afraid someone wou ...more

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Feb 22, 2014 Richard rated it really liked it

Shelves: own

This is a very modern book which will not appeal to all fans of crime fiction, indeed I expect it may split people 50:50 a bit like Marmite.
It is an action thriller about a maverick police office, DC Max Wolfe who to say is impulsive is to imply the Pope may be Catholic as they say. He, that is Wolfe, not the Pontiff, is head strong, follows his hunches rather than the line of command and ultimately is instinctive. Happily he is flawed, prone to mistakes and not always the best with people. A se ...more

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Jun 06, 2015 Heena Rathore P. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, crime, mystery, thriller, contemporary-fiction, psychological-thriller, fiction, brit-lit, read-in-2015

This book is by far the best crime book I've read in last couple of years!
The plot is TOTALLY AWESOME!
This book kept me on the edge of my seat all the time and it was unbelievably impossible for me to not read it in one sitting. I was totally blown by the ending and all the other twists and turns. It is a page turner and I'm definitely going to read all the books in this series and probably all the other's as well!
Tony Parson's is my new favourite crime author!!!

description

...more

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Jul 21, 2020 RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) Griffin (alwaysdaddyprincess) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Note- I miss adding this book. I finish this book last month. I took it out from the library before the shutdown. I did not start it until May of this year.

I love this book but I do have a soft heart for single dads. I will be reading the next in the series.

🇺🇸🦋🐼💀

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Apr 20, 2014 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The main character in this gritty thriller is Detective Constable Max Wolfe, who lives alone with young daughter, Scout and their dog Stan, in London. We are shown from the very start of this novel that Wolfe is a man who flagrantly breaks the rules – sometimes, of course, that can be a good thing, but had one of his hunches in this book gone wrong his career might have ended rather swiftly. Quite often his behaviour seems rather too impulsive and you understand why his superior, Elizabeth Swire The main character in this gritty thriller is Detective Constable Max Wolfe, who lives alone with young daughter, Scout and their dog Stan, in London. We are shown from the very start of this novel that Wolfe is a man who flagrantly breaks the rules – sometimes, of course, that can be a good thing, but had one of his hunches in this book gone wrong his career might have ended rather swiftly. Quite often his behaviour seems rather too impulsive and you understand why his superior, Elizabeth Swire, becomes infuriated with him. However, a rather important act where he breaks several rules at once, at the beginning of the book, means that he is promoted to homicide. This is important for Wolfe, who has longed to work with Detective Chief Inspector Victor Malloy; someone he has immense respect for and looks to as something of a mentor.

Wolfe’s first case in homicide is when he and Molloy are called to investigate the death of a banker, whose throat has been violently slashed. An obvious suspect is his wife who, having caught him being unfaithful, had posted their marital bed to his office (meaning I liked her before I had even met her). However, shortly afterwards, there is another death – this time of a homeless man. At first, it seems that there can be no discernable link between the City banker and a down and out drug user, but it turns out that the two men both went to the same school – the exclusive, and expensive, Potter’s Field. Wolfe finds a photograph of a group of schoolboys who have something in common; they are being murdered. .. The answers to these crimes lay in the past and a crime which took place many years before. Worse, someone on the internet is claiming to be the killer and people are applauding the deaths of these ex-public schoolboys , while their friends are now fearful of being the next victim.

This is a fast paced and exciting book, with a good cast of characters. I did, however, find the over emphasis on Wolfe’s love of dogs rather wearing. Almost everyone in the book has a dog, loves dogs, and they are linked to Potter’s Field as well. I felt like saying, “we get the dogs, please shut up about them now!” At times I felt as though I was in some awful ‘cozy’ gone wrong, where a dog would end up solving the case. Secondly, I was not thrilled with the way female characters were represented in the storyline. Wolfe’s boss, Swire, is described as a kind of Thatcherite warrior, while other women are either headstrong, but need rescuing, are having affairs, are bad mothers or show various other disagreeable character traits. When Wolfe was actually out solving the case, the whole book came to life. The class of schoolboys, now successful lawyers, army officers and MP’s, are wonderfully realised and it is obvious that they are not telling the police all that they know. This is the first in a series and it was well plotted, but hopefully, by book two, the author will concentrate slightly more on the mystery (which was really good) and less on the detective’s problems at home.

Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, for review.

...more

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Jan 01, 2019 Rhian Eleri rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoiler alert **
I can't remember the last time I gave a book 1 star 😏. I just feel I have no choice here as I was absolutly disappointed. What saved the story a small amount was the opening chapters, they were so exciting and I could see where the story could go and its opportunities. But it all fell flat after that I felt. Too many things were just not working for me. The chapters felt too cramped with information that didn't really need to be told. There were sentences that felt too 'frilly' f ...more

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May 16, 2014 Bookread2day rated it it was amazing

I found this first novel nputdownable
The story about The Murder bag.

Two bodies have been found with their throats cuts. Investment banker Hugo Buck was found by his cleaner with his throat cut.

A homeless man Adam Jones hooked on heroine was found with his throat cut. Both Hugo and Adam were friends when they were both at boarding school together.

Can new Detective Max Wolfe of Homicide division of London find who is responsible for these wicked knife attacks? And find out why this serial killer ...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Mark rated it liked it

Recommends it for: fans of the popular police detective genre

Recommended to Mark by: Heena P.

Shelves: 2015, police-stories

A first police novel by the writer Tony Parsons who is very gracefully about the folks who helped them and recognised their toils and work.

Max Wolfe, what a powerful name albeit a wee bit cliche, is a policeman whom is not so much a team player and views the world somewhat different than the average policeman. When the book opens Max is busy with a known terrorist and he alone sees him taking action. What happens next you'll learn reading the story but it leads to him getting a job at the homici ...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Trevor rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-and-crime, own-copy

A very different novel from the author of Man and Boy, and one which i thoroughly enjoyed.

DC Max Wolfe is an outsider, he gets things wrong, he disobeys orders, but above all he wants to discover the truth. His investigation of a series of deaths is told from the first person perspective, and very little feeling or description is left out. The plot is a little convoluted, and on a couple of occasions the coincidences a little too obvious, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

This gritty firs ...more

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Sep 18, 2018 Curlyhair rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, 2018, wom-2018

I was into this from the get go. Loved it. Even though it’s the first in a new series, it had me hooked straight away and not all first books are like that. I enjoyed the book on all levels - the crime story and the personal story of the main character and the fact it was quite an easy read and didn’t feel bogged down. I instantly liked all the characters and can’t wait to read the next.

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Feb 25, 2015 Sarah England rated it liked it

Not bad, and I'd certainly read the next one. Plenty twists and turns so - although I'd guessed a couple, not everything was entirely expected.

My only gripe is something Kathy Reichs is terrible for - shoe-horning in exposition and explanations in the most contrived way. For example, if some acronym or bit of jargon is used, they will feature some character looking confused thus signalling someone else to carefully explain in the most excruciatingly artificial way. Just stick it in the normal t ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Linda Strong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015

I received this book from the Dead Good Crime Book Group. And I am so glad I did! This is another new author for me ... and now I am a great fan!

I loved,loved, loved The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons. DC Max Wolfe is a wonderful character. He's right when he's right and he doesn't give up jut because no one else believes he's right. He's a great father to his young daughter, Scout. Up until the last half of the book, I thought his wife had died.

There is a serial killer loose, killing in a particul ...more

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May 10, 2016 Anke rated it really liked it

More like 4.5 stars

The fact that it took me some time to finish has nothing to do with the book, but lots to do with my vacation in San Francisco:)

The book was a gripping and engaging tale with several twists and turns. I especially like the developing private life of Max Wolfe and I really feel sad for his daughter, Scout.
As I started this series with book #2, now I have to wait til Nov for book #3. Thankfully there's a short story I haven't read, so now I have to get that. ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Denisa Arsene rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019

It was not a waw, but it was nice. What I really enjoyed here was not the action - which was poorer - but the insights of the main character. I didn't guess the murderer, not even the fine network between the characters' development - which is good (and could be becsuse I read it with other parallel books, or because I didn't read it in a short time).
But, I think it coild be a bit shorter regarding the action and the story.
I liked the style.
All in one, was a nice book. ...more

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Mar 23, 2015 _speedy rated it it was ok

Do some men deserve to die?

In 1988 a girl was raped and murdered.

Twenty years later a rich banker is found in his office with his throat slashed from side to side.

So, is the banker dead because some crazy maniac who calls himself Bob the Butcher is killing rich and privileged men, or is there more to the story?

I liked the prologue. I really did. I expected some gruesome and gripping story about revenge on the behave of the poor girl who deserved justice. But... I didn't get that. Not even close. ...more

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Aug 14, 2016 Kortessa Giachanatzi rated it did not like it

The "Murder Bag" is a book which I started reading with great anticipation. The opening was really dynamic. It created a tension. It made me want to read further on. Also the first chapter had the traits that keep the reader's interest alive. Sadly for me though, all these stayed at that level. Onlyto be expectations.

The plot pace was slow. The ending was predictable. Some descriptions were dull and did not offer much to the progress. What I liked though was the Black Museum description. That wa ...more

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Apr 06, 2015 Julian Lees rated it liked it

THE MURDER BAG started very well but it began to fade about half way through. It was well written but lacked a wow factor. I also found the bit about the glass eye at the end silly. That said, I would like to give it 3.5 stars.

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Aug 30, 2020 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This wasn't my usual type of book but I really enjoyed it. Lots of mystery and action. You kind of have an idea of the story from the beginning but there is a lot more to it than you first think, there are actually quite a few answers and reveals before you really find out what happened.
The narrator sounds like a bit of a tough guy which suits the main character quite well. ...more

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Mar 01, 2015 Carla Johnson-Hicks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, adult-fiction, detective-crime, giveaways

I received this book in a draw from the Dead Good Crime Book Group and am so glad I did. The prologue sets the stage for the story. A young girl is gang raped, then killed. Flash forward 20 years and a group of men that went to school together are getting killed. It is easy to see the connection to the rape and murder, but the story that follows is who is killing them and will the original crime ever be discovered. The main character is DC Max Wolf. He is a single father raising his 6 year old d ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Noelle rated it it was amazing

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading the first few pages I thought the storyline was fairly obvious. However the author has a way of drawing you into the story with a few good twists along the way. I will definitely keep my eye out for other books by Tony Parsons now and be recommending this to friends.

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Sep 26, 2017 Austra rated it it was ok

Shelves: crime

"There is no greater stranger than someone we used to love."

His own words actually. This Tony Parsons is stranger to me - quite weak writing, lots of repetitions, very predictable and way too drawn out ending. Ah, yes, and the main character just always has to mention he's driving X5, not just any car. Idea itself is ok, it was a fast read, but not very impressive job. ...more

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Apr 02, 2019 Mel rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019

2.5 - 3* If this is an intended series, it's off to a mild start. Better than average writing but the unspectacular police procedural and resulting whodunnit plot didn't quite keep me on edge. I'm not convinced Max Wolfe can carry a big series but I'll probably pick up at least book #2 before I cross Max Wolfe off my list.

...more

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Jun 23, 2018 Jo Jenner rated it liked it

I have a habit of reading books in a series out of order just because I tend to buy 'best sellers' when they are on discount. Luckily for me I read Max Wolfe #3 first.
Luck because #1 was not great. Max is a DC who runs over a potential terrorist in the first chapter of the book and stops him blowing up King's Cross Station. However there is no mention of the fact that in real life he wouldn't have got a medal for disobeying orders.
He is a DC and he repeatedly goes off on his own and does his own ...more

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Kindle British My...: Spolier Discussion (April 2015) - The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons	5	29	Apr 29, 2015 07:44PM
Kindle British My...: April 2105 Group Read - The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons	9	20	Apr 14, 2015 12:05AM
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About Tony Parsons

Tony Parsons

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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts ...more