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Brass in Pocket

(Inspector Drake #1)

Stephen Puleston (Goodreads Author)

3.67 · Rating details · 1,113 ratings · 163 reviews

Two traffic officers are killed on an isolated mountain pass in North Wales. Inspector Drake is called to the scene and quickly discovers a message left by the killer - traffic cones in the shape of a No 4.

The killer starts sending the Wales Police Service lyrics from famous rock songs. Are they messages or is there some hidden meaning in them?

Does it all mean more killing ...more

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Published (first published September 16th 2013)

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3.67 ·

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· 1,113 ratings · 163 reviews

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Oct 18, 2017 Linda Strong rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017

Two traffic cops are brutally murdered with a crossbow while on duty. There are messages left by the killer .. the number 4 spelled out in traffic cones.,, lyrics from famous rock songs.

Days later a politician is stabbed to death. Once again, numbers are left as clues and different song lyrics.

Drake and his team have no clues, no motive. They suspect more murders in the near future.

It turns real personal for Drake when his parents are threatened.. and then his wife and children.

The story premise ...more

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Dec 27, 2013 Roger rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-up

I don't give up too easily, but by 33% in I had had enough.

1. I was tired of the endless descriptions of tidying his desk and reshuffling post it notes
2. The idea that characterisation of anyone who appears in the book had to have maybe one or two comments about what they are wearing and nothing else.....
3. I am not greatly interested in Sudoku as a means of establishing a detective's unique character....

Puzzled by why this gets rave reviews.

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Nov 13, 2017 Books 'n' All Promotions rated it it was amazing

Shelves: police-procedural, uk-based-thrillers, crime-books

This is book 1 in the Inspector Drake series although there is a prequel novella, The Devil's Kitchen that is available free on Amazon.

The story begins with the murder of 2 traffic policemen. Inspector Ian Drake is called to the scene and so begins a race to unravel the cryptic clues before more people die.

As the book progresses we learn a lot about Ian and his struggle with OCD. It brings a human perspective to the book as his issues with cleanliness cause him problems with other members of his ...more

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Nov 22, 2014 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Taking place in north Wales, "Brass In Pocket", has a very interesting Rock-N-Roll flavor to it. Protagonist DI Ian Drake is called out to a double homicide where both victims sadly are police officers. Along with his partner DS Caren Waits they must head out to the Crimea-Pass. This s one of the nastier sections of north Wales. Murdered officers Paul Matthews, and Danny Farrell work out of the traffic division. Neither was a very good police officer to be sure. Oddly enough the set up traffic c Taking place in north Wales, "Brass In Pocket", has a very interesting Rock-N-Roll flavor to it. Protagonist DI Ian Drake is called out to a double homicide where both victims sadly are police officers. Along with his partner DS Caren Waits they must head out to the Crimea-Pass. This s one of the nastier sections of north Wales. Murdered officers Paul Matthews, and Danny Farrell work out of the traffic division. Neither was a very good police officer to be sure. Oddly enough the set up traffic cones seem to be set up by the killer who formed a number "4". Both officers had many complaints in their personnel jackets. Neither officer had a reputation to make the department proud. Meanwhile back at the station a taxi driver drops off a Polaroid showing the dead officers. On the back of the picture were several lines from song "Brass In Pocket". The pathologist determines the officers were killed with a cross bow. Soon there after, politician Roderick Jones is also murdered by cross bow.This murder had the lyrics that quote Queen's "Silly Little Thing Called Love". When Doctor Anthony West is murdered, the song clue comes from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall". The next rock clue is left at Drake's house. It's from the band The Police, "Message In A Bottle". Very interesting story line to be sure. The characters for the most part were pretty well developed. Caren is a slob in nature and, this drives Ian nuts because of it. Drake himself is an odd duck to be sure. He's got OCD badly. Also, a love of doing Sudoku puzzles at the strangest of times. His quirky nature annoying at times reminded me of that TV detective- "Monk". Although I figured out who the killer was about 75 % into the book it still held my attention. However, I felt when linking the killer back to the crimes, it became a bit stiff. Although I thought the very last clue being "What whispers in the wind" a pretty good cherry on the top. Any real Rock-N-Roll fan would surely know where that quote comes from. I'd recommend this one for those who like something a little bit different for those wanting in a mystery/ thriller. 4 stars out of a possible 5 for "Brass In Pocket". "to be a rock that doesn't roll ". ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Pete Trewin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I don’t know if Private Eye still do Pedants’ Corner. It was a meeting place for professional nitpickers to compare notes – they even had a debate as to where the apostrophe should go in the title - and some of them have moved on to reviewing books on Amazon. The slightest spelling or grammatical mistake or inconsistency in the plot or settings and out comes the one star review. It was somewhat in this spirit that I approached ‘Brass in Pocket’. North Wales setting? I live there, pal, so it had ...more

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Dec 06, 2014 AngryGreyCat rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Brass in Pocket was the monthly read over at the English Kindle Mystery Club on Goodreads. I nominated it because the title and the concept, references to late 70’s music interested me, having lived through them. The protagonist, Inspector Drake, is an intriguing character with some time of OCD condition. His partner just seems to muddle along ignoring it for the most part. The book starts off with a bang, and a double homicide of two police officers on a lonely Welsh road. The pace rushes along ...more

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Jan 26, 2015 Richard rated it it was ok · review of another edition

When an author spends multiple paragraphs explain how various police officers underline the reports they are reading, you know a novel has serious problems. Other Puleston problems include constantly referring to Drake's car as the 'Alpha' -- yes, he drives an Alpha Romeo, however it does nothing to advance the plot to mention this every time he drives somewhere. Or that he uses a 'biro' to write with. So what?

The murderer leaves song references as clues, however, Puleston NEVER adds the lyrics ...more

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May 15, 2014 Brian Stoddart rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a really good idea. A DI in the Wales police suffers from a compulsive behaviour disorder and is trying to deal with it while handling a complex serial murder case. The condition is having an impact on his family, too, at a time when his father has been diagnosed with cancer. The interplay of all these elements sets things up nicely.

Somehow, it does not quite work, though. There is some repetitive writing: there are just so many times a car can be "fired up", for example. And the conditi ...more

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Jun 10, 2014 Steve rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book in potential had a lot going for it: good plot, a great location and a detective with OCD. It was, however, let down by poor characterisation. Drake's OCD was manifested in tidying his desk and doing Sudoku, we're were never given a glimpse into what it might mean to have OCD; the characters seem to spend more time driving from place to place and not fully question the interviewees - many times obvious lines of questionings we're ignored. Ultimately, disappointing.

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Dec 13, 2017 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Every so often I come across a series of books, where I read one and think ‘how the heck have I not read this series before?’ Well the Inspector Drake series is one such series. To my eternal shame, I had never read anything by Stephen Puleston before. I mean, I have got several of his books on my mahoosive ‘to be read’ mountain but I just don’t seem to have got around to reading them before. Mahoosive mistake. Needless to say reading the rest of the series has got to be one of my main prioritie Every so often I come across a series of books, where I read one and think ‘how the heck have I not read this series before?’ Well the Inspector Drake series is one such series. To my eternal shame, I had never read anything by Stephen Puleston before. I mean, I have got several of his books on my mahoosive ‘to be read’ mountain but I just don’t seem to have got around to reading them before. Mahoosive mistake. Needless to say reading the rest of the series has got to be one of my main priorities given how much I enjoyed ‘Brass In Pocket’.
Inspector Ian Drake is certainly one of a kind. Drake stands out from other detectives because he suffers from mental illness but he still manages to hold down a full time and demanding job. Drake suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and if he can’t stick to his rituals and do them in a particular order, he becomes rather unsettled. Whilst I wouldn’t say that Drake is proud to suffer from a mental illness, he certainly doesn’t seem to keep it hidden and others around him are aware of how his condition affects him on a daily basis. Drake is a dedicated police officer, who is determined to solve crime and to seek justice for the victims of crime, as well as for their families. Drake likes to run a tight ship and he insists that police officers under his command, show the utmost respect and dedication to their jobs. Even though the first victims of the murderer are less than savoury characters, he still does his best to bring the murderer to justice. Drake sometimes has a bit of difficulty in maintaining an equal work- life balance and to fulfil his obligations on one side, he sometimes intrudes on the other. This leads to a bit of a conflict as to where his priorities lie.
I have to say that this is one of the best starts to a series that I have read in a long, long time. Reading ‘Brass In Pocket’ became seriously addictive and because I was enjoying the story, the page numbers just seemed to fly by in a blur. I couldn’t put the book down and not because it was glued to my hand, but I was so ‘into’ the story. Before I knew what was happening I had finished the book, which I was so disappointed about. Don’t get me wrong I was pleased to find out who the murderer was and why they did what they did but I was enjoying the story and the writing style so much that I just wanted the book to continue. I wasn’t disappointed for long because I then realised that I had the rest of the series to read and catch up on. Cue a smile and a little happy dance, which wasn’t pretty to watch. Reading this book was much like riding on a rollercoaster ride with lots of twists, turns and stomach churning moments. Just when you think that things had slowed down, then off the book would go again.
In short and if you haven’t already guessed, I absolutely loved ‘Brass In Pocket’ and I would recommend this writer and this book to anyone. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series to see what the author has in store for Inspector Drake. The score on the board for ‘Brass In Pocket’ is a well deserved 5* out of 5*. ...more

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Feb 22, 2018 Rosemary rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of murder-mysteries and psychological thrillers

Shelves: police-murder-investigation

Brass In Pocket - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Stephen Puleston's genius for Welsh-based Inspector Drake investigation stories knows no bounds!

DI Ian Drake is an OCD sufferer which often hampers his daily life, his job and more importantly still, his marriage. Along with resenting the greater amount of time her husband's partner, (the attractive Detective Sergeant Ceren), gets to spend with Drake than she does, his long hours and lack of communication about his work, or anything not related to it a ...more

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Nov 24, 2017 Alison rated it really liked it

Hooray, I’m in at the start of a series, book one in the Detective Ian Drake series. If you want a quick taster there is a prequel novella The Devils Kitchen which is currently free on Amazon (download).

I do like a decent police procedural that tempts me with many clues or red herrings. The murder of two traffic cops is a nice juicy crime to get your teeth into. This moves along at a fairly steady pace which resulted in me not knowing the answer .. the case needs solving before more people die.

W ...more

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May 31, 2019 Loy rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

this book was okay. The murder of two police officers in Wales starts a chain of events - more murders that seem unconnected.
Inspector Drake has a hard time solving the murders. He is a different kind of guy, with some quirks that get old hearing about.
I listened to it wanting to know what happened and who the killer was. I did not really enjoy the main characters. I would have liked to have a few more of the detectives fleshed out in the story. was it worth a credit, I guess?

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Dec 15, 2017 Roland Clarke rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed

A longer review follows. For now, I enjoyed this police procedural and had a challenge discovering the killer ahead of the police team. Inspector Drake has some habits that can grate, like having to constantly straighten his office and more. But he rings true having had an OCD neighbour once.

The setting of North Wales feels real, having lived there for a few years. I was interested in the ways that the police operated, knowing that the author was a retired lawyer so had to know his facts. I rea ...more

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Jun 06, 2018 Graham rated it really liked it

Interesting storyline that keeps you gripped to the pages. Interesting characters too. You are constantly left thinking what the motive is and you are kept in suspense till the end. Great read

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Nov 28, 2018 DubaiReader rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, audible, tbc

Numbers and song titles...
Having enjoyed Stephen Puleston's prequel, The Devil's Kitchen, I was looking forward to following Inspector Drake and his assistant, Ceren Waits, as they embark on a full length investigation. I was not disappointed at all, and Richard Elfyn again added a dimension, with the narration and his lovable Welsh accent. Some of these place names would have been massacred in my head, had I tried to read them.

The book starts with us in the murderer's shoes, as he stalks two po ...more

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Jan 18, 2014 Destiny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Two cops are dead in North Wales. A cryptic message from the killer is left for Detective Inspector Ian Drake. Only one thing is clear. More people are going to die…

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the final revelations at the end. The mystery came to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. The police investigation felt natural and realistic for the evidence as it was presented.

Unfortunately, I struggled to like the characters. The hero, Ian Drake is obsessive compulsive to the core ...more

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Apr 23, 2018 Charles van Buren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Police procedural and mystery

By Charles van Buren on April 23, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Mostly well written police procedural and mystery. I am a retired intelligence analyst and investigator. I worked for both good and bad people but fortunately for no one quite as neurotic as Inspector Drake. That would have been almost impossible to survive - politics, crooks, incompetence and OCD would have driven many of the better people away. I will try a second book but if Drake continues to be so neuro ...more

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Feb 18, 2015 Chi Dubinski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When two police officers are killed in their car on a deserted road, the entire Wales Police force is stunned. How could this happen? When Inspector Ian Drake and Detective Sergeant Caren Waits start their investigation, they discover that the two dead cops weren’t exactly models of virtue. There are two clues—the number four outlined in orange traffic cones and the lyrics to the Pretneders’ song “Brass in Pocket.” Were one or both of the cops the killer’s target, or was it a random murder of po ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Diane added it

I am proud of my library card collection and rarely purchase books any more. But I heard about this. Now I don't remember where but I finally ordered it because none of my libraries carry it. And loved it. The detective is a quirky troubled guy (most of them are, aren't they?). He is dealing with a clever evil serial killer who taunts him with lyrics from popular songs.

It's puzzling and entertaining. You should order one of his books too. Or get your library to carry it.

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Nov 24, 2017 LJ (On The Shelf Reviews) rated it liked it

The book opens with the death of two dodgy policemen on an isolated road. The killer leaves a number four at the crime scene then sends a message to the baffled police in the form of song lyrics. A second murder occurs with the same M.O. and it’s up to Inspector Drake and his team to stop the killer before they strike again.

This is book is set in the picturesque setting of north Wales like Devil’s Kitchen. Inspector Drake is a man on the edge. He’s ambitious and he’s been given one of the bigges The book opens with the death of two dodgy policemen on an isolated road. The killer leaves a number four at the crime scene then sends a message to the baffled police in the form of song lyrics. A second murder occurs with the same M.O. and it’s up to Inspector Drake and his team to stop the killer before they strike again.

This is book is set in the picturesque setting of north Wales like Devil’s Kitchen. Inspector Drake is a man on the edge. He’s ambitious and he’s been given one of the biggest cases of his life yet suffering from mental health problems,.i.e. obsessive compulsive disorder. The author conveys OCD very well and shows how when their stress levels raise they find comfort in their routines (in Drakes case, it’s making sure his desk is tidy and orderly and doing his daily sudoku puzzle). I know people who suffer from the condition and this is very accurate. He’s not particularly likeable but that is balanced out by his DS, Caren Waits.

I also liked the chapters written from the prospective of the killer with little glimpses inside their mind, (if you are a regular reader of my reviews you probably know it’s one of my favourite things in crime novels).

I have to be honest after reading the prequel novella first which seemed very well put together, I was a little disappointed by the editing of this book. I think it could have done with a little more revising, as sometimes I thought that I’d missed something or some information was left out.

The book was it was named after a song Brass In Pocket by the Pretenders (I’ve vaguely heard of the band myself but not the song) and the killer taunts them with lyrics from that and other songs but the song lyrics don’t actually appear in the book. I feel if the author couldn’t get permission to use the lyrics, then maybe he could have used something else.

Also it has the tired old trope of Scousers (that a nickname for people from the Liverpool area to any international readers) being either thugs or incompetent, which as a person who was born and bred in Liverpool and does not have a violent bone in my body I find exceptionally annoying. I’m also not denying that there are violent thugs floating around my city but if there were as many as there are in crime books/tv shows we’d be overrun with them which is not the case. ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Lauren Jones rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Finding clues to a mystery is always fun, except when it comes to murder, right?! It starts to get creepier as you get closer to the killer and trying to figure our how they think. The bodies are piling up and the killer begins to make mistakes. But, what is more important is if they know that you are onto them, they become more unpredictable which is dangerous. For Puleston’s first installment, Brass in Pocket, readers will find themselves plunged into a crime mystery that has some very peculia Finding clues to a mystery is always fun, except when it comes to murder, right?! It starts to get creepier as you get closer to the killer and trying to figure our how they think. The bodies are piling up and the killer begins to make mistakes. But, what is more important is if they know that you are onto them, they become more unpredictable which is dangerous. For Puleston’s first installment, Brass in Pocket, readers will find themselves plunged into a crime mystery that has some very peculiar evidence, but virtually immaculate in every way. Who could pull off a crime scene like that?

Inspector Ian Drake is the lead on the case of two dead traffic cops, found with a crossbow and taser wound. Unsure of why the killer targeted two police officers, Drake begins his investigation with the evidence that is given which happens to be a song lyric and two separate killing strikes. Unable to compile enough information before the next kill, Drake gets another lyric and another killing method. What seems to be odd about these murders is that the scenes are clean, hardly any evidence for which the killer didn’t want the cops to find. As little clues start to filter in, a pattern emerges which leads the team with some credible suspects. Can Inspector Drake find the killer before the killer strikes for the final time?

Puleston has an entertaining story, with likable characters, as well as some twists and turns. This story has a slow beginning, but does pick up slightly and keep a steady pace throughout the read. It appears to be well-written as well; however, this prediction is based on the narrator’s effortless voice relay. Since this review is complimenting the audiobook, Elfyn does a great job with vocal differentiation and pace. If you are a reader of crime mysteries and police procedure, you may want to pick up this read. Since this is the first installment in Inspector Drake Mysteries, the reader is able to jump right in.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Brass in Pocket by Stephen Puleston. ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Tony Parsons rated it it was amazing

6/1, Area Control Room. DI Ian Drake (Wales PD) got an emergency call.
Crimea Pass. Superintendent Wyndham Price & Mike Foulds (crime scene mgr.), greeted DS Caren Waits & DI Drake at the crime scene.
2 Wales PD traffic officers: DC Paul Mathews & DC Danny Farrell had been gunned down.
Lee Kings (pathologist) had arrived.
DC David Howick (2, CID) & DC Gareth Winder (CID) were going to help with the murder case also.
DI Drake & DS Waits went to interview Matt Tudor (North Wales ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Teresa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, books-for-review, audio-books

It's rare for me to start a series at book one. These days I seem to accidentally find myself starting at book four or five and then have to go back and find out how the characters got to the point where I discovered them. This time I'm starting at the beginning and thrilled to know there are many more in the Ian Drake series for me to enjoy.

A police procedural is one of my favourite types of story. And when it is done well it is an unputdownable format. There are lots of clues in this story tha ...more

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Nov 21, 2017 Sheila Howes rated it liked it

*Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw for the free copy in exchange for an honest review*

The book opens with 2 traffic officers on patrol followed by a mysterious person. They receive a call to go to the Crimea mountain pass, where the killer strikes using crossbows. The only clue he leaves is setting traffic cones out in the number 4.

When he returns to base, Inspector Drake and his team receive some song lyrics from "Brass in Pocket". Then there's another murder, this time of a politician, with the number ...more

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Aug 12, 2019 Melissa Ann rated it really liked it

Have you ever been reading a book and found that the character you are learning about reminds you strikingly of someone in your own life? When I first started listening to Inspector Drake this was exactly how I felt. All those little idiosyncrasies that he has brought a strong reminder of my own other half.
I greatly enjoyed the mystery of this book and I did not see the answer coming, which is always good.
Elfyn has a great voice and I found his narration to be quite soothing and easy to listen ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Ddkmc95 rated it it was amazing

DI Ian Drake is awakened in the middle of the night for a case...two traffic officers were found murdered...very gruesomely. As Ian and his partner, Karen, try to figure out the clues left behind, a number and song lyrics, bodies start piling up...another police officer. The killer seems to always be a step ahead. The quirkiness of Ian is cute , if not odd...he abhors dirt and disorder. Karen’s sloppy attire drives him batty, and he may be addicted to Sudoku. Quirkiness notwithstanding, Ian fina ...more

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Nov 17, 2018 Liz rated it it was amazing

I loved the songs running through the story.

I loved the way the story began really atmospherically with the first murders.

The author knows his police procedural stuff as he used to be a lawyer. The descriptions of the investigation were very detailed and completely realistic.

The story line kept me gripped all the way through. Great ending!

I'm not so sure about the narrator (I listened to it on audiobook). I have to say he gave it 100% because he did. But one of his accents sounds just like Pau ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Nicola Mitchell rated it really liked it

Listened to this on audible. My first meeting with DI Drake and the story dived straight into the action and then led me on a complex path of what, where, when, who and how. The reference to the title within the book had me thinking one thing, but was actually another. Was quite pleased with my interpretation but alas, it was not meant to be.
Not sure that I got to know Drake and understood what made him tick. We are introduced to his family immediate and extended, but I wanted more. Maybe the n ...more

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Feb 02, 2018 Joy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My first foray reading Stephen Puleston and it certainly won't be the last. Inspector Ian Drake is meticulous in the way he dresses & keeps his desk tidy on the boarder of OCDC & he loves sudoku. His new partner is less so. Caren Waits comes from a farm which she shares with her husband so her attire & eating habits are a little less than Ian would like.
They are called to a murder of 2 Traffic Officers and the only clues are lyrics from "Brass In Pocket" and traffic cones shaped as t ...more

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About Stephen Puleston

Stephen Puleston

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I write mysteries and thrillers.

I have published the first novel in a series featuring Inspector Drake based in North Wales and also the first in a series with Inspector John Marco based in Cardiff. The first Drake mystery is called BRASS IN POCKET and the second WORSE THAN DEAD. The third, AGAINST THE TIDE.

My second detective is Inspector Marco who comes from an Italian/Welsh background and he li ...more