Split

by Bill James

Known for his British procedurals featuring detectives Harpur and Iles, James introduces a new protagonist of mixed black-and-white parentage named Simon Abelard. Recruited into the `Outfit' (British Intelligence) as a token but then rapidly advanced on his own merits, Simon now finds his spying abilities in less demand. Here, he tracks ex-pal and treacherous co-worker Julian, who has stolen a pile of money from some revenge-minded drug traffickers. Along the trail, Simon finds more than one body and makes more than a few mistakes. Marked by exceptionally dry humor, pontifical observations on espionage, and masterly plotting, this should appeal to fans of intrigue."" Library Journal. ""Best of all, the marvelously mordant wit that makes every new James book a must is present in abundance."" Publishers Weekly.

221 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Bill James (born 1929) is a pseudonym of James Tucker, a Welsh novelist. He also writes under his own name and the pseudonyms David Craig and Judith Jones. He was a reporter with the Daily Mirror and various other newspapers after serving with the RAF He is married, with four children, and lives in South Wales.

The bulk of his output under the Bill James pseudonym is the Harpur and Iles series. Colin Harpur is a Detective Chief Inspector and Desmond Iles is the Assistant Chief Constable in an unnamed coastal city in southwestern England. Harpur and Iles are complemented by an evolving cast of other recurring characters on both sides of the law. The books are characterized by a grim humour and a bleak view of the relationship between the public, the police force and the criminal element. The first few are designated "A Detective Colin Harpur Novel" but as the series progressed they began to be published with the designation "A Harpur & Iles Mystery".

His best known work, written under the "David Craig" pseudonym and originally titled Whose Little Girl are You, is The Squeeze, which was turned into a film starring Stacy Keach, Edward Fox and David Hemmings. The fourth Harpur & Iles novel, Protection, was televised by the BBC in 1996 as Harpur & Iles, starring Aneirin Hughes as Harpur and Hywel Bennett as Iles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_James_(novelist)

Reviews

[Sam Reaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rescued this one from the used bookstore; it was written in the late nineties but I'd never heard of it. Nobody has a sharper voice or a wickeder take on crime and punishment than Bill James; here he brings his jaundiced eye to bear on espionage agents cast adrift in the post-communist world, turning their attention to profit opportunities.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads links this author to the American baseball expert of the same name, though this is really by the English author of crime and espionage novels with the same name who does not seem to have his own page on this site.

Worthwhile read for the details of England's security services. Not the average spy plot in that the villan is a colleague of the hero who has stolen a great deal of money from his bosses to invest in a drug running scheme. Interesting for the American reader to get a feel for racism in the UK as the main character is of African descent, and also for the English slang and cultural references throughout. I'm not sure if this is available in the US or not as my copy seems to have been brought over here from the UK, but it's worth tracking down.