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Keith Calder #7
Sauce For the Pigeon
A burnt out land rover is found with a body in the driver's seat, and over two dozen dead woodpigeons nearby...
Inspector Munro, needing expert help with the forensic evidence, swallows his natural distrust of Keith Calder and asks him to assist the Police. But Calder's enthusiasm to help rapidly turns to dismay when he realises his findings point to the involvement of his inventor-storekeeper friend, Jake Paterson.
Jake had been sleeping with the victim's wife and, with Edinburgh's Chief Inspector Russell holding a long-standing grudge against him, there's a swift arrest and murder charge.
But something doesn't add up for Calder.
Can he discover the truth to save his friend and bring the true murderer to justice?
Inspector Munro, needing expert help with the forensic evidence, swallows his natural distrust of Keith Calder and asks him to assist the Police. But Calder's enthusiasm to help rapidly turns to dismay when he realises his findings point to the involvement of his inventor-storekeeper friend, Jake Paterson.
Jake had been sleeping with the victim's wife and, with Edinburgh's Chief Inspector Russell holding a long-standing grudge against him, there's a swift arrest and murder charge.
But something doesn't add up for Calder.
Can he discover the truth to save his friend and bring the true murderer to justice?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1989
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About the author
Gerald Hammond
103 books20 followersGerald Hammond, (Gerald Arthur Douglas Hammond) son of Frederick Arthur Lucas (a physician) and Maria Birnie (a nursing sister) Hammond; married Gilda Isobel Watt (a nurse), August 20, 1952; children: Peter, David, Steven. Education: Aberdeen School of Architecture, Dip. Arch., 1952. He served in the British Army, 1944-45. Although born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, he worked in and retired to the country he most loved, Scotland.
He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.
His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.
He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.
His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 1, 2019
Mystery, shooting and courtroom drama
This seventh volume in Gerald Hammond's Keith Calder mystery series is much more mystery driven and less character driven than the first six volumes. I enjoyed the emphasis Hammond put on people and place in those first six books but I also enjoyed the more traditional mystery and courtroom drama in this volume. Another change of pace is that Calder is not even suspected of a crime until deep into the story. The murder suspect, who very quickly becomes the accused, is a friend of Calder rather than Calder himself. Of course Calder feels compelled to get involved. Particularly as his expertise in pigeon shooting makes him suspicious of the police theory of the crime and convinces him of his friend's innocence. He is joined in his endeavors by several of the usual cast of friends, family and acquaintances.
This seventh volume in Gerald Hammond's Keith Calder mystery series is much more mystery driven and less character driven than the first six volumes. I enjoyed the emphasis Hammond put on people and place in those first six books but I also enjoyed the more traditional mystery and courtroom drama in this volume. Another change of pace is that Calder is not even suspected of a crime until deep into the story. The murder suspect, who very quickly becomes the accused, is a friend of Calder rather than Calder himself. Of course Calder feels compelled to get involved. Particularly as his expertise in pigeon shooting makes him suspicious of the police theory of the crime and convinces him of his friend's innocence. He is joined in his endeavors by several of the usual cast of friends, family and acquaintances.
January 6, 2026
I'm re-reading this series from scratch, for the 3rd time or so. This plot sums up what I like most about this series. Spoilers ahead.
As this series is best read from book 1 I won't explain the characters or the setting. A man is found dead in his Land Rover in the morning, the vehicle and the deceased had been completely burned up, aided by some gunpowder in the back. Apparently he had been out shooting pigeons, a decoy field was found plus some shooting paraphernalia. Calder is called to the scene by Inspector Munro to help decipher the scene.
The long and short of it was that Jake Paterson (JP), a man who had slept with the dead man's (Neal Muir's) wife was accused of killing him. They also had a business relationship, Muir being an investor in one of Paterson's inventions.
Most of the book has JP in remand while Calder is looking up evidence to free him. The main evidence of JP being the killer is that his cartridges were found in shooting bag and some evidence that JP used a remote control device to blow up the Land Rover. The book climaxes in a court scene where Calder is offered by the defense as an expert witness. His evidence includes that the decoy pattern was wrong, one of the dead birds was killed months ago, another bird had grain in its caw which was not possible at that time, etc. This is the kind of expert knowledge which got me into this series in the first place. However, in retrospect, I felt that this type of knowledge should have been offered to the cops in the first place to let them look for alternate suspects.
Overall, a good book in the series.
As this series is best read from book 1 I won't explain the characters or the setting. A man is found dead in his Land Rover in the morning, the vehicle and the deceased had been completely burned up, aided by some gunpowder in the back. Apparently he had been out shooting pigeons, a decoy field was found plus some shooting paraphernalia. Calder is called to the scene by Inspector Munro to help decipher the scene.
The long and short of it was that Jake Paterson (JP), a man who had slept with the dead man's (Neal Muir's) wife was accused of killing him. They also had a business relationship, Muir being an investor in one of Paterson's inventions.
Most of the book has JP in remand while Calder is looking up evidence to free him. The main evidence of JP being the killer is that his cartridges were found in shooting bag and some evidence that JP used a remote control device to blow up the Land Rover. The book climaxes in a court scene where Calder is offered by the defense as an expert witness. His evidence includes that the decoy pattern was wrong, one of the dead birds was killed months ago, another bird had grain in its caw which was not possible at that time, etc. This is the kind of expert knowledge which got me into this series in the first place. However, in retrospect, I felt that this type of knowledge should have been offered to the cops in the first place to let them look for alternate suspects.
Overall, a good book in the series.
March 21, 2021
Another Winner.
This is an interesting series, and the main character has just the right balance of rogue and hero. You may have to look up some Scottish words, but that is part of the fun.
This is an interesting series, and the main character has just the right balance of rogue and hero. You may have to look up some Scottish words, but that is part of the fun.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews