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Sam Batford #2
Stoned Love
Detective Sergeant Sam Batford has been lying low at a remote safe house in the highlands of Scotland. He's doing his best not to attract the attention of the enemies he made, on both sides of the law, during his last under-cover operation but Batford knows he’s just killing time until he's called to account.
Inevitably the sharks begin to circle and as Batford is called back to front-line action in London he’s thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse where it seems everyone is out to get him.
After having to endure a frustrating resolution to their previous undercover operation together DCI Klara Winter from the National Crime Agency is determined to prove that Batford has crossed the line into criminality and finally bring him to face justice.
All Sam Batford wants is to outwit his enemies long enough to stay alive and come out ahead of the game.
Ian Patrick’s previous Sam Batford novel, RUBICON has been optioned by the BBC.
Praise from other authors.
‘A taut, exciting and utterly authentic thriller with a compelling narrator’ – Louise Voss
‘A sharp, slick, gripping and compelling novel’ – Jane Isaac
‘A portrait of corruption and moral ambiguity.’ – Paddy Magrane
Praise from readers.
‘Simply brilliant - a fantastic novel and one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good crime thriller.’
‘A smart, fast-paced thriller. If you’re looking for something that is different which will take you on an exciting ride, I highly recommend this book.’
‘Fast paced thriller which maintains a keen eye on high quality writing. Sam Batford’s intriguing character, makes for a read you won’t want to put down.’
‘Would translate perfectly into a TV series, it has got that edge about it that keeps it raw, fresh and gritty. Organised crime and corruption go hand in hand to provide a "grab you by the throat" kind of read! Read it and see!’
‘Starts with a bang and just keeps going! fast-paced and keeps you wanting more. I expect to see a lot more from both the author and the character.’
‘I really enjoy crime thrillers by writers such as Peter James and Mark Billingham and Ian Patrick has the skills to become a force in this genre. His experience as a police officer shines through and gives great credibility to the novel. I look forward to reading more about Sam Batford over the next few years!’
‘The characters, dialogue, everything was spot on for me. Gritty, totally believable and Excellent!’
‘London Noir at it best. Ian Patrick captures the corrupt beat of the city with every line.’
‘Twists and turns told in a dark, gritty compelling style.’
‘A super read. Great characters acting out real lives in real times. It’s all there - stress, temptation, corruption. It makes the reader flick through the pages at lightening speed.’
‘I was hooked from the first chapter. The plot is fast and compelling. The author shows his knowledge and skill in the portrayal of undercover police work and criminal investigation combined with a sharp wit and great style. He clearly knows his subject and this is definitely a must read!’
Inevitably the sharks begin to circle and as Batford is called back to front-line action in London he’s thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse where it seems everyone is out to get him.
After having to endure a frustrating resolution to their previous undercover operation together DCI Klara Winter from the National Crime Agency is determined to prove that Batford has crossed the line into criminality and finally bring him to face justice.
All Sam Batford wants is to outwit his enemies long enough to stay alive and come out ahead of the game.
Ian Patrick’s previous Sam Batford novel, RUBICON has been optioned by the BBC.
Praise from other authors.
‘A taut, exciting and utterly authentic thriller with a compelling narrator’ – Louise Voss
‘A sharp, slick, gripping and compelling novel’ – Jane Isaac
‘A portrait of corruption and moral ambiguity.’ – Paddy Magrane
Praise from readers.
‘Simply brilliant - a fantastic novel and one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good crime thriller.’
‘A smart, fast-paced thriller. If you’re looking for something that is different which will take you on an exciting ride, I highly recommend this book.’
‘Fast paced thriller which maintains a keen eye on high quality writing. Sam Batford’s intriguing character, makes for a read you won’t want to put down.’
‘Would translate perfectly into a TV series, it has got that edge about it that keeps it raw, fresh and gritty. Organised crime and corruption go hand in hand to provide a "grab you by the throat" kind of read! Read it and see!’
‘Starts with a bang and just keeps going! fast-paced and keeps you wanting more. I expect to see a lot more from both the author and the character.’
‘I really enjoy crime thrillers by writers such as Peter James and Mark Billingham and Ian Patrick has the skills to become a force in this genre. His experience as a police officer shines through and gives great credibility to the novel. I look forward to reading more about Sam Batford over the next few years!’
‘The characters, dialogue, everything was spot on for me. Gritty, totally believable and Excellent!’
‘London Noir at it best. Ian Patrick captures the corrupt beat of the city with every line.’
‘Twists and turns told in a dark, gritty compelling style.’
‘A super read. Great characters acting out real lives in real times. It’s all there - stress, temptation, corruption. It makes the reader flick through the pages at lightening speed.’
‘I was hooked from the first chapter. The plot is fast and compelling. The author shows his knowledge and skill in the portrayal of undercover police work and criminal investigation combined with a sharp wit and great style. He clearly knows his subject and this is definitely a must read!’
- GenresCrime
Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2018
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 27, 2018
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
How do you follow up 2017's Rubicon, the twisty, morally ambiguous (at best) tale of an undercover cop? Well, if you're Ian Patrick, you do it by bringing that shady cop back and putting him in a tighter spot with threats (physical, legal and career) on all sides.
Sam Batford has had a little time off to recuperate and get his head on straight after Rubicon -- hopefully giving the heat on him a little time to cool down, and maybe give Big H time to move on from the setback Batford dealt him.
The Met has a new assignment for him -- working with the same DCI as he did last time, DCI Klara Winter. During the last assignment, she wasn't sure she could trust Batford -- now she's convinced that she can't. In fact, while she wouldn't mind taking down the criminals that Batford infiltrates, her main objective is to arrest Batford and his Superintendent Mike Hall, a pair she's convinced are dirty. She's right, of course, but that's beside the point.
Ostensibly, Batford's assignment is to infiltrate a group that's supposedly planning a major armed robbery and will need a driver of some sorts. But the clock is ticking so he doesn't have time to do this carefully. Winter has someone already embedded with the crew giving her information, and their primary purpose is to get dirt on Batford and Hall. Which sounds good, but when you get a couple of guys as cagey and wily as this pair, that's no easy task.
At the same time, Hall's told Batford that between family and work stresses, this is his last hurrah. Now, he'd like to start his retirement with a sizeable bankroll, and trusts that Batford will find a way to make the both of them some money from just whatever it is that this crew is up to. The crew's leader, who goes by the cuddly moniker of Razor, is a long-time "unauthorized informant" of Hall's. And now, he's sending Batford in to get him arrested. Which seems odd, but it does give Hall enough of an inside track to help Batford.
So, essentially, Batford needs to find a way to get rich off these criminals, hopefully get enough evidence for some arrests, stop them from pulling off whatever they're trying to -- and avoid getting arrested himself (not that he knows he's being targeted for that). Oh, yeah, and Big H hasn't moved on, forgotten or forgiven him -- in fact, he has an active contract out for Batford's life, and there are people trying to collect on that. Sounds like a pretty rough time for him.
In Rubicon, there was a question (at least for me) throughout -- just how bent is Batford? Will he actually do law enforcement, or is he just out for himself? What are the limits for him? Will he have any success in either his criminal or police activities? In Stoned Love, the questions are different -- we know he's bent pretty far. So it's just will Batford survive? Will Winter arrest him? Will Hall use him to save his own skin? Will Razor do something to him? Will Big H's killers eliminate him?
This changed the dynamic of the book for me, and made it a lot easier for me to enjoy this novel and cheer on Batford. There's no moral or legal gray area any more. Like Michael Corleone or Hannibal Lechter, Sam Batford is a despicable character that the reader wants to find success. Thankfully, he's nervy enough and clever enough, that there's a pretty good chance that he will. At least for a while.
Winter is manipulative, deceptive and devoted more to her career than anything else. But she's, technically, the good guy here. Everyone else is the kind of criminal that the police are supposed to stop, not become. But because we're in Batford's head,and Winter's primarily seen as an obstacle for him to overcome, the reader roots for him and against her -- knowing the whole time that it should be the other way around.
There's frequent and repeated commentary on the effects of Brexit, budget cuts, personnel cuts and other moves by the British government that are impacting the police services throughout the novel. Patrick is a former police officer and if these aren't his actual views coming forth through Batford, he's a better author than I think. If Batford's diagnosis of what's going on with the police in Britain is accurate, it sounds pretty frightening.
It's a minor thing -- I only noticed this as I started to write this post, and I've recently had a bad experience with reading a novel that couldn't pick a verb tense, so I was primed -- but Patrick's use of the present tense for these books is a subtle, and incredibly effective way of cranking up the tension, propelling the action forward, and pushing the reader to keep up with the pace of the book. I should've picked up on it with Rubicon, and am a little annoyed with myself for taking this long to notice.
I enjoyed Rubicon, but I appreciated what Patrick was doing and how he was doing it more. With Stoned Love, I still admired and appreciated his skill and aims, but I enjoyed the story more -- I resented things like work and family for preventing me from finishing this as quickly as I wanted to, and absolutely relished an airline flight that meant I had uninterrupted reading time*. I think Stoned Love is an all-around better effort (which is saying something) and makes me very excited to see what comes from Ian Patrick next.
Not everyone enjoys reading books where the police are just as dirty as those they're supposed to be stopping -- and I understand that -- but if you're someone who can embrace a tarnished knight, someone who seems to be law enforcement malgré lui, you don't want to waste any more time, get your hands on Rubicon and Stoned Love and prepare to be impressed.
---
* I also really appreciated having this to focus on rather than the fact that I was in a giant metal tube that has no business being that far off the ground, but that's another story.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
I need to blend in where I shouldn’t belong. The best undercover officers have no air of ego or the appearance of a police mannequin. After all, one sniff of pig and your ass is bacon. I’ve no intention of being served up at any criminal’s barbecue.
How do you follow up 2017's Rubicon, the twisty, morally ambiguous (at best) tale of an undercover cop? Well, if you're Ian Patrick, you do it by bringing that shady cop back and putting him in a tighter spot with threats (physical, legal and career) on all sides.
Sam Batford has had a little time off to recuperate and get his head on straight after Rubicon -- hopefully giving the heat on him a little time to cool down, and maybe give Big H time to move on from the setback Batford dealt him.
The Met has a new assignment for him -- working with the same DCI as he did last time, DCI Klara Winter. During the last assignment, she wasn't sure she could trust Batford -- now she's convinced that she can't. In fact, while she wouldn't mind taking down the criminals that Batford infiltrates, her main objective is to arrest Batford and his Superintendent Mike Hall, a pair she's convinced are dirty. She's right, of course, but that's beside the point.
Ostensibly, Batford's assignment is to infiltrate a group that's supposedly planning a major armed robbery and will need a driver of some sorts. But the clock is ticking so he doesn't have time to do this carefully. Winter has someone already embedded with the crew giving her information, and their primary purpose is to get dirt on Batford and Hall. Which sounds good, but when you get a couple of guys as cagey and wily as this pair, that's no easy task.
At the same time, Hall's told Batford that between family and work stresses, this is his last hurrah. Now, he'd like to start his retirement with a sizeable bankroll, and trusts that Batford will find a way to make the both of them some money from just whatever it is that this crew is up to. The crew's leader, who goes by the cuddly moniker of Razor, is a long-time "unauthorized informant" of Hall's. And now, he's sending Batford in to get him arrested. Which seems odd, but it does give Hall enough of an inside track to help Batford.
So, essentially, Batford needs to find a way to get rich off these criminals, hopefully get enough evidence for some arrests, stop them from pulling off whatever they're trying to -- and avoid getting arrested himself (not that he knows he's being targeted for that). Oh, yeah, and Big H hasn't moved on, forgotten or forgiven him -- in fact, he has an active contract out for Batford's life, and there are people trying to collect on that. Sounds like a pretty rough time for him.
In Rubicon, there was a question (at least for me) throughout -- just how bent is Batford? Will he actually do law enforcement, or is he just out for himself? What are the limits for him? Will he have any success in either his criminal or police activities? In Stoned Love, the questions are different -- we know he's bent pretty far. So it's just will Batford survive? Will Winter arrest him? Will Hall use him to save his own skin? Will Razor do something to him? Will Big H's killers eliminate him?
This changed the dynamic of the book for me, and made it a lot easier for me to enjoy this novel and cheer on Batford. There's no moral or legal gray area any more. Like Michael Corleone or Hannibal Lechter, Sam Batford is a despicable character that the reader wants to find success. Thankfully, he's nervy enough and clever enough, that there's a pretty good chance that he will. At least for a while.
Winter is manipulative, deceptive and devoted more to her career than anything else. But she's, technically, the good guy here. Everyone else is the kind of criminal that the police are supposed to stop, not become. But because we're in Batford's head,and Winter's primarily seen as an obstacle for him to overcome, the reader roots for him and against her -- knowing the whole time that it should be the other way around.
There's frequent and repeated commentary on the effects of Brexit, budget cuts, personnel cuts and other moves by the British government that are impacting the police services throughout the novel. Patrick is a former police officer and if these aren't his actual views coming forth through Batford, he's a better author than I think. If Batford's diagnosis of what's going on with the police in Britain is accurate, it sounds pretty frightening.
It's a minor thing -- I only noticed this as I started to write this post, and I've recently had a bad experience with reading a novel that couldn't pick a verb tense, so I was primed -- but Patrick's use of the present tense for these books is a subtle, and incredibly effective way of cranking up the tension, propelling the action forward, and pushing the reader to keep up with the pace of the book. I should've picked up on it with Rubicon, and am a little annoyed with myself for taking this long to notice.
I enjoyed Rubicon, but I appreciated what Patrick was doing and how he was doing it more. With Stoned Love, I still admired and appreciated his skill and aims, but I enjoyed the story more -- I resented things like work and family for preventing me from finishing this as quickly as I wanted to, and absolutely relished an airline flight that meant I had uninterrupted reading time*. I think Stoned Love is an all-around better effort (which is saying something) and makes me very excited to see what comes from Ian Patrick next.
Not everyone enjoys reading books where the police are just as dirty as those they're supposed to be stopping -- and I understand that -- but if you're someone who can embrace a tarnished knight, someone who seems to be law enforcement malgré lui, you don't want to waste any more time, get your hands on Rubicon and Stoned Love and prepare to be impressed.
---
* I also really appreciated having this to focus on rather than the fact that I was in a giant metal tube that has no business being that far off the ground, but that's another story.
November 5, 2018
I enjoyed Ian Patrick’s debut novel Rubicon so much that I went straight on to read its sequel Stoned Love which also features protagonist DS Sam Batford.
In this instalment undercover cop Batford is recalled from the safe house in the Scottish Highlands and back to London, to infiltrate a gang ran by Razor who apparently has a big job in the pipeline. Batford is again working under his boss and partner in crime Mike Hall, in an operation ran by DCI Klara Winter, who still has her reservations about Batford following his exploits in Rubicon. Unknown to Hall and Batford, Razor is not the main target of Winter’s investigation but they, as previous, only disclose what they want to her and she has to try and second guess them. Batford still has to tread warily after crossing the Big H, as there is still a price on his head and he is also becoming more wary of Hall too, despite their long association.
Another great crime thriller which keeps us guessing right to the end, as to whether Batford will manage to complete his task and wether he can come out the other end safe and still with his reputation intact. He’s still haunted by his past and suffers from nightmares and is now also haunted by hallucinations following his exploits in Rubicon. He plays both sides to his own advantage but it is a dangerous game and one that Batford must navigate warily, not knowing at all times where the most danger lies. It’s a complicated tale with lots of twists, with one of the main ones at the start which is a main strand to the storyline and another right at the end. When initially reading Rubicon , the writing style reminded me of someone else and I couldn’t quite remember who but while reading this, it came to me that the style reminded me of that other great British crime writer Ted Lewis, author of Get Carter.
Hoping there are further novels in the Batford series in the pipeline and seriously hope that the BBC do take up the option to serialise Rubicon as I think it’ll translate brilliantly to the small screen.
In this instalment undercover cop Batford is recalled from the safe house in the Scottish Highlands and back to London, to infiltrate a gang ran by Razor who apparently has a big job in the pipeline. Batford is again working under his boss and partner in crime Mike Hall, in an operation ran by DCI Klara Winter, who still has her reservations about Batford following his exploits in Rubicon. Unknown to Hall and Batford, Razor is not the main target of Winter’s investigation but they, as previous, only disclose what they want to her and she has to try and second guess them. Batford still has to tread warily after crossing the Big H, as there is still a price on his head and he is also becoming more wary of Hall too, despite their long association.
Another great crime thriller which keeps us guessing right to the end, as to whether Batford will manage to complete his task and wether he can come out the other end safe and still with his reputation intact. He’s still haunted by his past and suffers from nightmares and is now also haunted by hallucinations following his exploits in Rubicon. He plays both sides to his own advantage but it is a dangerous game and one that Batford must navigate warily, not knowing at all times where the most danger lies. It’s a complicated tale with lots of twists, with one of the main ones at the start which is a main strand to the storyline and another right at the end. When initially reading Rubicon , the writing style reminded me of someone else and I couldn’t quite remember who but while reading this, it came to me that the style reminded me of that other great British crime writer Ted Lewis, author of Get Carter.
Hoping there are further novels in the Batford series in the pipeline and seriously hope that the BBC do take up the option to serialise Rubicon as I think it’ll translate brilliantly to the small screen.
September 23, 2018
Great second novel.
Ian has once again written a cracking crime thriller. Fast paced, well plotted and authentic. If you like a classic anti-hero cop thriller, than Ian Patrick is one to watch. The first book in the series Rubicon is also well worth reading.
Ian has once again written a cracking crime thriller. Fast paced, well plotted and authentic. If you like a classic anti-hero cop thriller, than Ian Patrick is one to watch. The first book in the series Rubicon is also well worth reading.
September 2, 2018
Best one yet!
I loved Rubicon, the first Batford outing, but this is even better. Taut and compelling from beginning to end. I can't wait to read the next instalment.
I loved Rubicon, the first Batford outing, but this is even better. Taut and compelling from beginning to end. I can't wait to read the next instalment.
March 1, 2019
Firstly, have you read Ian Patrick's "Rubicon"? If not, grab a copy of that, too, because you'll want to make sure you're up to speed before you read Stoned Love, the 2nd book in the Sam Batford series. The author, Ian Patrick, is a retired Detective Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police, so he brings his considerable expert knowledge to his unique stories and characters.
So, who's Sam Batford? Well, if you're a decent, law-abiding citizen who despises corruption among the people who are meant to protect us, then you'll absolutely despise the kind of character that defines undercover officer Detective Sergeant Sam Batford.
Also, I absolutely dare you to not to end up rooting for him. Heck....liking him.
Stoned Love does a great job of taking off where Rubicon ended, and I feel like every successive book in this series is going to help us piece together Sam Batford like a jigsaw puzzle. Stoned Love helps us learn even more about his character, and about the depths he's willing to go (and not go) to. I don't know how he does it, but Mr Patrick manages to combine easy reading with fast-paced writing. The scenes & characters are constantly on the go, but the story flows ever so nicely—you won't want to put down the book!
Just as he did in Rubicon, in Stoned Love, Mr Patrick skillfully draws out each scene. I found it very easy to be pulled into Stoned Love, following Sam Batford's latest dark deeds and adventures around London.....and with keeping up with the even darker deeds of almost everybody else in his circle of acquaintances. The way they all interact with each other conjures up an image of something like a game of human Russian roulette. Heck, after reading it just before bed one night, I even had a nightmare that woke me up shortly after one of the book's characters had broken into my house and started strangling me. No, the book isn't scary, but I'd obviously just 'really' immersed myself in the story!
As I approached the end of the book, I still had one burning question, and wondered if I'd somehow missed something vital. But then, oh wow, THE RESTAURANT SCENE AT THE END....(that is all I'll say)!
All in all, a fabulous Book 2, and another chance to enjoy the writing talent that led the BBC to option Book 1, Rubicon, for a 6-part series.
Can't wait for Fool's Gold!
So, who's Sam Batford? Well, if you're a decent, law-abiding citizen who despises corruption among the people who are meant to protect us, then you'll absolutely despise the kind of character that defines undercover officer Detective Sergeant Sam Batford.
Also, I absolutely dare you to not to end up rooting for him. Heck....liking him.
Stoned Love does a great job of taking off where Rubicon ended, and I feel like every successive book in this series is going to help us piece together Sam Batford like a jigsaw puzzle. Stoned Love helps us learn even more about his character, and about the depths he's willing to go (and not go) to. I don't know how he does it, but Mr Patrick manages to combine easy reading with fast-paced writing. The scenes & characters are constantly on the go, but the story flows ever so nicely—you won't want to put down the book!
Just as he did in Rubicon, in Stoned Love, Mr Patrick skillfully draws out each scene. I found it very easy to be pulled into Stoned Love, following Sam Batford's latest dark deeds and adventures around London.....and with keeping up with the even darker deeds of almost everybody else in his circle of acquaintances. The way they all interact with each other conjures up an image of something like a game of human Russian roulette. Heck, after reading it just before bed one night, I even had a nightmare that woke me up shortly after one of the book's characters had broken into my house and started strangling me. No, the book isn't scary, but I'd obviously just 'really' immersed myself in the story!
As I approached the end of the book, I still had one burning question, and wondered if I'd somehow missed something vital. But then, oh wow, THE RESTAURANT SCENE AT THE END....(that is all I'll say)!
All in all, a fabulous Book 2, and another chance to enjoy the writing talent that led the BBC to option Book 1, Rubicon, for a 6-part series.
Can't wait for Fool's Gold!
November 19, 2018
Wow, Fast action, page turner. Really enjoyed it. Full review to come
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews