What do you think?
Rate this book
The Numbers Game
When a body is found in a house on a street marked for demolition, superintendent Danny Radford and his team immediately come up against the actions of the developers and local activists, all of whom seem intent on thwarting their investigation. As more bodies are discovered it becomes clear a serial killer is at work, but will the interference of politicians into the police's work allow the murderer to avoid Radford's efforts to bring him to justice for his homicidal games?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GVHK5KQ/r...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GVHK5KQ...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GVHK5KQ/r...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GVHK5KQ...
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
81 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 1, 2018
Doesn't ring true
For a while I suspected this book was set in the fifties or sixties - until a mobile phone was mentioned. A lot of ruminating and soul-searching goes on but very little looking for evidence or realistic interviewing of suspects or witnesses. I seriously doubt that a police officer approached by a member of the public regarding a complaint. would dismiss it out of hand while standing in the street. Too many conversations seem to take place in public places which seems very unprofessional. Characters are rather poorly drawn too with dialogue that doesn't seem authentic. Finally but unsurprisingly, female characters seem only to appear as part of the furniture; victims, ex-wives, a ridiculous older woman councillor and disposable easy-lays but no intelligent women contributing to the investigations. One reason, perhaps, why the whole plot feels superficial, stilted and unrealistic.
For a while I suspected this book was set in the fifties or sixties - until a mobile phone was mentioned. A lot of ruminating and soul-searching goes on but very little looking for evidence or realistic interviewing of suspects or witnesses. I seriously doubt that a police officer approached by a member of the public regarding a complaint. would dismiss it out of hand while standing in the street. Too many conversations seem to take place in public places which seems very unprofessional. Characters are rather poorly drawn too with dialogue that doesn't seem authentic. Finally but unsurprisingly, female characters seem only to appear as part of the furniture; victims, ex-wives, a ridiculous older woman councillor and disposable easy-lays but no intelligent women contributing to the investigations. One reason, perhaps, why the whole plot feels superficial, stilted and unrealistic.
June 6, 2017
Riveting Murder Mystery
A drunk is found murdered in a house slated for demolition. Protesters trying to save a run down neighborhood. A golf course trying to become known. A drug "task force" being ripped apart. What do these things have in common? Superintendent Danny Radford and his team will have to put it all together, and the clock is ticking. A good read with great characters and plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.
A drunk is found murdered in a house slated for demolition. Protesters trying to save a run down neighborhood. A golf course trying to become known. A drug "task force" being ripped apart. What do these things have in common? Superintendent Danny Radford and his team will have to put it all together, and the clock is ticking. A good read with great characters and plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.
March 1, 2018
A rely good read
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a who done it. Right up until the end I had not worked out who was the murderer was.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a who done it. Right up until the end I had not worked out who was the murderer was.
May 30, 2017
Great story
Top police procedural,very well written and moves with pace. Danny Radford is a very human officer with a good team behind him.
Top police procedural,very well written and moves with pace. Danny Radford is a very human officer with a good team behind him.
August 13, 2025
This was a great introduction for me to Detective Radford and his new team. It was a very complicated and interesting investigation. (Pen name for John Dean)
January 8, 2014
Vagrants are being murdered in a street scheduled for demolition, junkies are being killed by badly cut heroin and there’s a whiff of local government corruption, this is the background to The Numbers Game.
Reading the opening pages you get the impression that Stanley is a frustrated poet as he waxes lyrical in his description of derelict houses. This doesn’t last when you get to dialogue though, which often comes across as stilted and overly formal.
There’s some sloppy editing too. Orphaned words, wrong tenses and in particular a character who switches between being a constable and a sergeant right the way through the book. The same character is a Gerry but becomes a Dave at one point too.
All of which is a shame because the plot is nicely constructed and moves along at a good pace. The main characters are well drawn too and there are flashes of dark humour.
Given some polish this could easily be a four or even a five star book, but as it stands the flaws are just too noticeable and get in the way of properly enjoying the story.
Reading the opening pages you get the impression that Stanley is a frustrated poet as he waxes lyrical in his description of derelict houses. This doesn’t last when you get to dialogue though, which often comes across as stilted and overly formal.
There’s some sloppy editing too. Orphaned words, wrong tenses and in particular a character who switches between being a constable and a sergeant right the way through the book. The same character is a Gerry but becomes a Dave at one point too.
All of which is a shame because the plot is nicely constructed and moves along at a good pace. The main characters are well drawn too and there are flashes of dark humour.
Given some polish this could easily be a four or even a five star book, but as it stands the flaws are just too noticeable and get in the way of properly enjoying the story.
February 27, 2016
I thought the book was written by a misogynist!
There are no female characters apart from a scruffy older woman councillor and a two-dimensional police woman. There is a plethora of males in the story - so many I lost track of who was who. The Chief Inspector was not very credible and we learn nothing about what makes him tick.
The basic story is quite good but I feel the author has not researched drug addicts and alcoholics sufficiently well. As I said for the female police person, it all lacks depth.
There are no female characters apart from a scruffy older woman councillor and a two-dimensional police woman. There is a plethora of males in the story - so many I lost track of who was who. The Chief Inspector was not very credible and we learn nothing about what makes him tick.
The basic story is quite good but I feel the author has not researched drug addicts and alcoholics sufficiently well. As I said for the female police person, it all lacks depth.
February 13, 2016
Excellent Police Procedural
A gripping and gritty mystery, yet done with a light touch. A good look at English Police procedures and the constraints the average DCI has to work with. Real to life characters and a good plot with an ending twist. Very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next one!
A gripping and gritty mystery, yet done with a light touch. A good look at English Police procedures and the constraints the average DCI has to work with. Real to life characters and a good plot with an ending twist. Very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next one!
April 2, 2015
This started off quite slow for me, but soon grew into a decent story. The ending seemed a touch hurried in my opinion, but like I said it's a decent detective story and it's certainly not too lengthy and can be read quickly.
August 5, 2015
A good detective story this one. You don't know who is doing the killings and there are a load of possible suspects from the council to the local residents or the various other nutters. Nice easy read!
November 25, 2013
It is surely a coincidence that a cutting edge thriller like The Numbers Game is written by someone called Stanley. If you like police procedural fiction then this is for you.
October 6, 2015
Great detective crime story, kept me reading and gripped all the way.
Read
March 27, 2019Characters
From the first few pages the author gave us believable ..flawed characters..as you got to know them you cared what happened
Really enjoyed this ..looking forward to reading more of John Stanley's work
From the first few pages the author gave us believable ..flawed characters..as you got to know them you cared what happened
Really enjoyed this ..looking forward to reading more of John Stanley's work
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews