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Slim Hardy Mysteries #3
The Games Keeper
The Games A thrilling British mystery from acclaimed author Jack Benton.Having fallen on hard times, disgraced soldier turned private investigator John “Slim” Hardy is hired by rich and enigmatic land owner Oliver Ozgood to uncover the identity of a mysterious blackmailer.The man is demanding a fortune in exchange for his silence. He claims to be Dennis Sharp, a former employee of Ozgood, and threatens to reveal secrets that will soil Ozgood’s family name and send the patriarch to prison.There’s only one problem.Dennis Sharp is dead, killed by Ozgood himself.In search of answers, Slim moves to the remote rural hamlet of Scuttleworth in the Devonshire countryside, where he will confront demons both from within and without in his most challenging case yet.The Games Keeper is the third book in the Slim Hardy Mystery Series. While the stories follow a rough sequence, they can be read in any order.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2019
441 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Jack Benton
48 books91 followersJack Benton is the mystery writing pen name of British science fiction writer Chris Ward.
Chris Ward is a native of Cornwall, England, but currently lives and works in Nagano, Japan. He is the author of multiple series across several speculative genres, as well as writing under pen names in several more.
He spends his time, snowboarding, writing, playing guitar in his rock band, Steampunk Unicorn (www.reverbnation/steampunkunicorn), and generally having too much to say about just about everything.
For more information, please visit www.amillionmilesfromanywhere.net/tok...
Chris Ward is a native of Cornwall, England, but currently lives and works in Nagano, Japan. He is the author of multiple series across several speculative genres, as well as writing under pen names in several more.
He spends his time, snowboarding, writing, playing guitar in his rock band, Steampunk Unicorn (www.reverbnation/steampunkunicorn), and generally having too much to say about just about everything.
For more information, please visit www.amillionmilesfromanywhere.net/tok...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 22, 2024
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
March 23, 2019
This is the third in a series about Slim Hardy, ex-soldier turned private investigator, and drunkard. Hired to discover the identity of a blackmailer who claims to be a dead man, he is hampered at every turn by even his client’s unwillingness to co-operate
I do enjoy a good mystery but I find they are few and far between. For some reason most authors, even very good authors, don’t seem to be very good at this genre.
Jack Benton is an exception He knows what he’s doing. In classic mystery style, he leads you through a morass of suspects and red herrings which will leave you guessing till the end. It’s beautifully-written and a very satisfying read.
I do enjoy a good mystery but I find they are few and far between. For some reason most authors, even very good authors, don’t seem to be very good at this genre.
Jack Benton is an exception He knows what he’s doing. In classic mystery style, he leads you through a morass of suspects and red herrings which will leave you guessing till the end. It’s beautifully-written and a very satisfying read.
October 23, 2021
Having enjoyed several Slim Hardy books in the past I thought I would like this, but simply had to give up on it. Who knows, maybe in future I can try it again. 55% read.
January 22, 2024
Another excellent mystery noire by Mr.Benson
Set in Devonshire in the fall, a sense of shorter darker days, and even darker nights prevail.
Slim and his moral ambiguity traverse the twists and turns of a suspenseful book.
Again I could not stop listening to this mystery - all night long until the final curves!
The best most unexpected endings again and again!
I highly recommend!
Set in Devonshire in the fall, a sense of shorter darker days, and even darker nights prevail.
Slim and his moral ambiguity traverse the twists and turns of a suspenseful book.
Again I could not stop listening to this mystery - all night long until the final curves!
The best most unexpected endings again and again!
I highly recommend!
May 22, 2023
Convoluted (interesting) mystery - like all in series nothing is what it seems. Love the narrator’s voice and clarity. Already bought the rest in the series.
May 23, 2023
Spoilers ahead.
This is the 3rd in this series I've read. And like many of this type of book the characters are better than the mystery. In this book, the owner (Ollie Ozgood) of a big estate and the employer of the local meat packing plant in a small village is being blackmailed by a man (Dennis Sharp) who died 6 years ago. Slim is in a bad situation, drunk and out of money, so he takes the referral from his old army buddy Kay.
Ozgood puts up Slim in an old cottage in the village and gives him 3 weeks to find out who is blackmailing him and whether Sharp is really dead. To put it mildly, Ozgood is not a nice guy and the main employer of the village. The villagers are not really helpful and there is some pushback when Slim digs deep into the events before Sharp's death in order to get some background history.
What I liked: This is a character driven story and I feel a lot for Slim as he tries to keep his alcoholic addiction at bay and not really succeeding meanwhile trying to solve this mystery. Not many authors that I've read use an alcoholic anti-hero because it's a sensitive topic and because it's generally not a smooth story arc. I like Slim not because he tries or doesn't. I like him because he's human and the author does a good job of portraying him. Likewise, Benton does a good job of making the other characters feel real and the dialog realistic.
What I don't like: The plot is a little too long winded and the author maybe tries to do a little too much. The initial premise investigation leads to some old deaths and a corporate coverup. When I'm a reader and I want to be engrossed in a book, I want to be led by the hand by the author down the plot path where I revel in the cleverness of the plot or entertained by the events and people in the book. I don't want to be led down dead ends or side stories.
Maybe the writing just wasn't tight enough. Another thing was Slim's two ex-army friends. A couple of Deus Ex Machinas who answers Slim's phone calls and requests every time despite him not paying or actually returning any favors. Slim must have done them really big favors during his army days.
Anyway, I finished the book with more relief than anything else. Slim didn't get a big reward and it was unsatisfying in that regard, since we all live through the protagonist. (The next book says different though.) Yes, he did solve the mystery but no one was happy. I did like Slim enough to start on the next in the series immediately.
This is the 3rd in this series I've read. And like many of this type of book the characters are better than the mystery. In this book, the owner (Ollie Ozgood) of a big estate and the employer of the local meat packing plant in a small village is being blackmailed by a man (Dennis Sharp) who died 6 years ago. Slim is in a bad situation, drunk and out of money, so he takes the referral from his old army buddy Kay.
Ozgood puts up Slim in an old cottage in the village and gives him 3 weeks to find out who is blackmailing him and whether Sharp is really dead. To put it mildly, Ozgood is not a nice guy and the main employer of the village. The villagers are not really helpful and there is some pushback when Slim digs deep into the events before Sharp's death in order to get some background history.
What I liked: This is a character driven story and I feel a lot for Slim as he tries to keep his alcoholic addiction at bay and not really succeeding meanwhile trying to solve this mystery. Not many authors that I've read use an alcoholic anti-hero because it's a sensitive topic and because it's generally not a smooth story arc. I like Slim not because he tries or doesn't. I like him because he's human and the author does a good job of portraying him. Likewise, Benton does a good job of making the other characters feel real and the dialog realistic.
What I don't like: The plot is a little too long winded and the author maybe tries to do a little too much. The initial premise investigation leads to some old deaths and a corporate coverup. When I'm a reader and I want to be engrossed in a book, I want to be led by the hand by the author down the plot path where I revel in the cleverness of the plot or entertained by the events and people in the book. I don't want to be led down dead ends or side stories.
Maybe the writing just wasn't tight enough. Another thing was Slim's two ex-army friends. A couple of Deus Ex Machinas who answers Slim's phone calls and requests every time despite him not paying or actually returning any favors. Slim must have done them really big favors during his army days.
Anyway, I finished the book with more relief than anything else. Slim didn't get a big reward and it was unsatisfying in that regard, since we all live through the protagonist. (The next book says different though.) Yes, he did solve the mystery but no one was happy. I did like Slim enough to start on the next in the series immediately.
March 21, 2019
The Games Keeper - I have read many good books by Mr. Ward, except the Tunnelthingie, and this must be my favorite of several favorites. This is the first in this genre I read and I was not disappointed. The evolving storylines kept me reading and the variety of characters had a real feel to them. The main character has so much stacked against him but his journey is interesting. While I suspected two people behind the blackmail, it was not obvious. This is a well thought out book with extras and twists to easily immerse the reader in the pages. The pace is continuous and too soon arrives the end. 4*
Broken #1 - I like reading about different cultures. Mr. Ward doesn’t fail to please me with this book about a 19-year-old Japanese woman forced to work, at age 16, to support her family and 20-year-old troubled, rich American boy. 4*
Stolen #2 - Although this book is part of The Tokyo Lost Series, it is very different from the first book, Broken. I've read several of Mr. Ward's books and so far this one stands out, front and center. A well written, substantial story line concerning love between two misfits dealing with a manipulating, criminal manager, and being helped by their two intriguing older, protective friends. The couple are 35- and 39-years-old and both face dilemmas of their past and their wants for a future. The Japanese woman and the British man are interesting and I like their age group. Needs minor editing. 4*
Frozen #3 - Since I started this book right after reading Stolen, I had a little problem getting into the darkness of the main characters. There's a lot of background material laid out for several dysfunctional characters and I'm only at the 30 percent mark. The story so far is well written, but I want to move on past their problems into the relationship between her and him; they haven't met yet. There's a lot of interesting information about Japan and the Japanese, for those not knowing anything about Japan. I was surprised that there were delinquent students and they're basically ignored in the non-confrontational Japanese culture.
Finally, they met and it's still dark and a lot to wade through, but the story finally moves along. It picks up the pace almost at the end with good suspense. I like the ending and was hoping that love would win out and I don't mean with the romance. I do love the fact that the female's actions made a difference in a very important event.
BUT, I almost stopped reading this book, at 85%, when I came across the ignorant comment the author wrote: ". . . like America, where you can’t step out of your door without getting a gun pointed into your face." Nothing like expert opinion, is there? Too bad, Chris isn't an expert on America and American culture; maybe he should live here and see if that remark still holds true then. Yep, even though this well written book was slow out of the gate and I enjoyed many of his other stories, his poorly thought out statement about my country earns him a 3 star instead of the 4 star I would have rated this book. Needs minor editing. 3*
Broken #1 - I like reading about different cultures. Mr. Ward doesn’t fail to please me with this book about a 19-year-old Japanese woman forced to work, at age 16, to support her family and 20-year-old troubled, rich American boy. 4*
Stolen #2 - Although this book is part of The Tokyo Lost Series, it is very different from the first book, Broken. I've read several of Mr. Ward's books and so far this one stands out, front and center. A well written, substantial story line concerning love between two misfits dealing with a manipulating, criminal manager, and being helped by their two intriguing older, protective friends. The couple are 35- and 39-years-old and both face dilemmas of their past and their wants for a future. The Japanese woman and the British man are interesting and I like their age group. Needs minor editing. 4*
Frozen #3 - Since I started this book right after reading Stolen, I had a little problem getting into the darkness of the main characters. There's a lot of background material laid out for several dysfunctional characters and I'm only at the 30 percent mark. The story so far is well written, but I want to move on past their problems into the relationship between her and him; they haven't met yet. There's a lot of interesting information about Japan and the Japanese, for those not knowing anything about Japan. I was surprised that there were delinquent students and they're basically ignored in the non-confrontational Japanese culture.
Finally, they met and it's still dark and a lot to wade through, but the story finally moves along. It picks up the pace almost at the end with good suspense. I like the ending and was hoping that love would win out and I don't mean with the romance. I do love the fact that the female's actions made a difference in a very important event.
BUT, I almost stopped reading this book, at 85%, when I came across the ignorant comment the author wrote: ". . . like America, where you can’t step out of your door without getting a gun pointed into your face." Nothing like expert opinion, is there? Too bad, Chris isn't an expert on America and American culture; maybe he should live here and see if that remark still holds true then. Yep, even though this well written book was slow out of the gate and I enjoyed many of his other stories, his poorly thought out statement about my country earns him a 3 star instead of the 4 star I would have rated this book. Needs minor editing. 3*
August 5, 2025
Úplne zlomený bývalý vojak John Hardy, prezývaný Slim, dostane zaujímavú pracovnú ponuku. Vycestuje do sídla zámožného muža Olivera Ozgooda, aby vyriešil záhadu, ktorá prenasleduje tohto bohatého dediča. Ako je možné, že človek, ktorého zabil, vstal z mŕtvych? Ozgood zisťuje, že niekedy ani peniaze nepomôžu. Vlastnej minulosti sa nedá zbaviť. K rovnakému osobnému záveru dospeje aj Slim, ktorého ťarcha prípadu tlačí na dno. Podarí sa mu však vyriešiť túto záhadu? Príbeh má viacero vrstiev, o ktorých čitateľ ani netuší.
Len teraz nedávno som zistila, že na Google play sú knihy aj zadarmo. Táto je jednou z nich. A dokonca so slovenským prekladom. Korektúra je v poriadku, no preklad občas pokrivkáva, ale nie je to také hrozné, aby to vyrušovalo, iba sa nad tým človek trochu pozastaví. Dej je veľmi napínavý, aj keď ide pomalým tempom. Užívala som si myšlienkové pochody Slima a interakcie s obyvateľmi dedinky, v ktorej má každý svoje miesto a na neznámeho muža sa pozerajú s nedôverou. Vedela som si predstaviť atmosféru tejto komunity. Naskytli sa tam humorné momenty, ale aj také na zamyslenie. Som rada, že som objavila tento počin. Malo to svoje čaro.
„Keď mi vás náš spoločný priateľ navrhol, čakal som trochu viac.“
„V prípade potreby môžem nosiť trenčkot a klobúk, „povedal Slim. „Ak chcete, aby som fajčil cigary, budem ich účtovať ako výdavky...“
str. --
Taktiež nezaostávalo ani riešenie prípadu, na ktorý ho najal boháč. Slim odkrýva tajomstvá tejto dedinky a vytvára si obraz vzťahov, aj keď je cudzinec. Páli mu to. Briti vedia, ako napísať tajomný ponurý príbeh. Čitateľ sa ocitá presne tam, kde je Slim a s rovnakou rýchlosťou mu zapadajú dieliky do tejto skladačky. Takže pomaly, ale isto. Autor to dávkoval s trpezlivosťou. Nikam sa neponáhľal, no zároveň vedel, ako to uchopiť, aby nestratil moju pozornosť. Britská atmosféra urobí vždy svoje. Neprehliadnite toto dielo, prosím.
„Niekedy sa nemôžeme niečoho vzdať, aj keď chceme, aj keď v srdci vieme, že by to bolo najlepšie. Ver mi, viem to lepšie ako ktokoľvek iný.“
str. --
4,5/5
Len teraz nedávno som zistila, že na Google play sú knihy aj zadarmo. Táto je jednou z nich. A dokonca so slovenským prekladom. Korektúra je v poriadku, no preklad občas pokrivkáva, ale nie je to také hrozné, aby to vyrušovalo, iba sa nad tým človek trochu pozastaví. Dej je veľmi napínavý, aj keď ide pomalým tempom. Užívala som si myšlienkové pochody Slima a interakcie s obyvateľmi dedinky, v ktorej má každý svoje miesto a na neznámeho muža sa pozerajú s nedôverou. Vedela som si predstaviť atmosféru tejto komunity. Naskytli sa tam humorné momenty, ale aj také na zamyslenie. Som rada, že som objavila tento počin. Malo to svoje čaro.
„Keď mi vás náš spoločný priateľ navrhol, čakal som trochu viac.“
„V prípade potreby môžem nosiť trenčkot a klobúk, „povedal Slim. „Ak chcete, aby som fajčil cigary, budem ich účtovať ako výdavky...“
str. --
Taktiež nezaostávalo ani riešenie prípadu, na ktorý ho najal boháč. Slim odkrýva tajomstvá tejto dedinky a vytvára si obraz vzťahov, aj keď je cudzinec. Páli mu to. Briti vedia, ako napísať tajomný ponurý príbeh. Čitateľ sa ocitá presne tam, kde je Slim a s rovnakou rýchlosťou mu zapadajú dieliky do tejto skladačky. Takže pomaly, ale isto. Autor to dávkoval s trpezlivosťou. Nikam sa neponáhľal, no zároveň vedel, ako to uchopiť, aby nestratil moju pozornosť. Britská atmosféra urobí vždy svoje. Neprehliadnite toto dielo, prosím.
„Niekedy sa nemôžeme niečoho vzdať, aj keď chceme, aj keď v srdci vieme, že by to bolo najlepšie. Ver mi, viem to lepšie ako ktokoľvek iný.“
str. --
4,5/5
October 30, 2025
yes and no.
A really, really great whodunit. Good story line, good clues, good misdirection, and good ending.
And it's extremely well written. easy read, almost 300 pages in two days - but they were short chapters.
But, and it's my but and not the rest of the world's as there are numerous 'sequels' in this series. Go see the ratings, the reviews.
My issue is that I'm into characters and their relationships with others. Louise Penny comes to mind, with the same cast of characters showing up in book after book. they become family, you care about what happens to each of them, particularly the main character. And although they are mostly all screwed up in various ways, Karin Sllaughter's Will Trent comes to mind.
In this case, our hero is a loner and a drunk. And his friends always seem to be at the end of a phone line. He's usually so stewed I have no idea how he can walk, much less figure out these complicated whodunits. But he does. I just want more than one character, who in some ways, I don't love.
So, pausing for a while to try some new series. Never what you are going to get until you try.
A really, really great whodunit. Good story line, good clues, good misdirection, and good ending.
And it's extremely well written. easy read, almost 300 pages in two days - but they were short chapters.
But, and it's my but and not the rest of the world's as there are numerous 'sequels' in this series. Go see the ratings, the reviews.
My issue is that I'm into characters and their relationships with others. Louise Penny comes to mind, with the same cast of characters showing up in book after book. they become family, you care about what happens to each of them, particularly the main character. And although they are mostly all screwed up in various ways, Karin Sllaughter's Will Trent comes to mind.
In this case, our hero is a loner and a drunk. And his friends always seem to be at the end of a phone line. He's usually so stewed I have no idea how he can walk, much less figure out these complicated whodunits. But he does. I just want more than one character, who in some ways, I don't love.
So, pausing for a while to try some new series. Never what you are going to get until you try.
November 8, 2019
I was blown away.
This is the first book that I have read of this series and I can tell you I was blown away. The investigator Slim is a bit of drunk but he can function okay. A rich dude Ozgood is being blackmailed by a dead man. Nope, not a paranormal but instead some super horrible people are in this one. There are outstanding twists and the ending, how Slim did not die was just pure luck. This thriller was pure genius if I could give the author more than 5 stars I would. If you like thrillers pick this one up either the eBook or the audio you will not go wrong. The narrator on the eBook is totally awesome!!! A shout out to both the author Jack Benton and the narrator Kevin E Green I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
This is the first book that I have read of this series and I can tell you I was blown away. The investigator Slim is a bit of drunk but he can function okay. A rich dude Ozgood is being blackmailed by a dead man. Nope, not a paranormal but instead some super horrible people are in this one. There are outstanding twists and the ending, how Slim did not die was just pure luck. This thriller was pure genius if I could give the author more than 5 stars I would. If you like thrillers pick this one up either the eBook or the audio you will not go wrong. The narrator on the eBook is totally awesome!!! A shout out to both the author Jack Benton and the narrator Kevin E Green I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
January 12, 2024
The slow paced mystery novel, featuring a rather bumbling detective, struggling against alcoholism, who seems always to figure out the mystery just a bit too late. The book is not unpleasant. this third book of the series he spends a lot of time, stumbling around in the countryside, injuring himself, and being threatened and beaten up by local people and search of supposedly deadman sending she asked for money. This title also includes messed up family interactions Typically found in the slim Hardy series.
He also made an unfortunate choice in naming the main character of the series. Every time I hear his name, Slim Hardy, in the audiobook, I keep being reminded of “Slim Shady“, a detail which consistently distracts from the storyline.
He also made an unfortunate choice in naming the main character of the series. Every time I hear his name, Slim Hardy, in the audiobook, I keep being reminded of “Slim Shady“, a detail which consistently distracts from the storyline.
March 21, 2019
A man is hired to find out who is blackmailing another - the catch? - The blackmailer is supposed to be dead for some years. The blackmailed man admitting that he himself had killed the man for touching his daughter.
The story is well-written and strangely compelling, although it is a slow development. We follow Slim, the investigator step by step on his quest to find out what had happened and who the blackmailer is. Interesting and making you want to know more, want to follow Slim in his quest and his fight against alcoholism.
The story is part of a series but could easily be read as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story is well-written and strangely compelling, although it is a slow development. We follow Slim, the investigator step by step on his quest to find out what had happened and who the blackmailer is. Interesting and making you want to know more, want to follow Slim in his quest and his fight against alcoholism.
The story is part of a series but could easily be read as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2024
liked this one
For all the faults, this rambling alcoholic main character gets the job done.
Perhaps it is the telling of this man’s story, so well portrayed that interested me, perhaps it was the residents of a very small almost closed off community.
I could have been the old stories and gossip that he stirred up during his investigation.
Maybe it was his own squalid lifestyle buoyed up by mates from long ago, still willing to do him many favours, but I enjoyed reading this book, couldn’t wait to get back to reading it till I finished it.
It’s clean, though perhaps not to everyone’s liking, I enjoyed reading it.
For all the faults, this rambling alcoholic main character gets the job done.
Perhaps it is the telling of this man’s story, so well portrayed that interested me, perhaps it was the residents of a very small almost closed off community.
I could have been the old stories and gossip that he stirred up during his investigation.
Maybe it was his own squalid lifestyle buoyed up by mates from long ago, still willing to do him many favours, but I enjoyed reading this book, couldn’t wait to get back to reading it till I finished it.
It’s clean, though perhaps not to everyone’s liking, I enjoyed reading it.
March 25, 2024
This is the first book that I have read by this author. He is a good writer and kept me engaged in the story. It is the third book in the series, but it worked as a standalone.
I like the main character, Slim. He is a struggling alcoholic. He is not a bad man and he is trying—the way so many struggling alcoholics do. He has a group of friends he can tap for information which indicates that he must have been a good friend to them during their mutual military service.
The mystery is a convoluted one with some surprising twists. There are quite a few characters, but they are distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of them.
I like the main character, Slim. He is a struggling alcoholic. He is not a bad man and he is trying—the way so many struggling alcoholics do. He has a group of friends he can tap for information which indicates that he must have been a good friend to them during their mutual military service.
The mystery is a convoluted one with some surprising twists. There are quite a few characters, but they are distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of them.
March 10, 2019
As I did the first two books, I loved this third book in the Slim Hardy series. Once again Slim is down on his luck but when his friend recommends him for an investigative job he pulls it together and heads to Scuttleworth, a small village. Lots of undesirables, and lots of people that don't appreciate Slim opening up old wounds. There are a few near misses for Slim. Is Dennis Sharp dead or isn't he. Lots of twists and turns, a surprise ending. The story is fast paced and a page turner.
I can't wait to see where Slim goes next.
I can't wait to see where Slim goes next.
October 20, 2019
The Games Keeper by Jack Benton is a great addition to the Slim Hardy series. I love how the author has written about a totally relatable fellow who has fallen on hard times with the bottle. There are so many twists in this book, which only add to my liking it. Kevin E. Green is wonderful bringing the book to life with his smooth delivery and realistic emotions. I found myself captivated listening to him. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by the author and narrator.
July 14, 2021
Jack Benton Delivers 100%
What great books! I came across these books after a lot of searching for thought provoking suspense. The writing is sharp and honest which makes the protagonist an authentic observer of life’s despair and beauty. I would recommend the Slim Hardy books to anyone who appreciates succinct but detailed descriptions of life’s complexities. Thank you Mr Benton.
What great books! I came across these books after a lot of searching for thought provoking suspense. The writing is sharp and honest which makes the protagonist an authentic observer of life’s despair and beauty. I would recommend the Slim Hardy books to anyone who appreciates succinct but detailed descriptions of life’s complexities. Thank you Mr Benton.
March 28, 2024
This one keeps you guessing. I'm not sure I believe Slim figured out this one simply because I don't feel we were able to follow his thoughts to their conclusions. He is so incapacitated it is a wonder he got to the end. But the normal folk are all pretty much likeable and the bad guys are all supremely slimy. You really love to hate them.
I received a copy for free and I leave this review voluntarily.
I received a copy for free and I leave this review voluntarily.
June 12, 2024
The writing is good, with a logical pacing and timeline. Slim is a deeply flawed anti-hero. He doesn’t show much promise of improving his lot, but the reader does hope for it. He has a few good friends, so he must deserve a better life, right? The book did drag on, as Slim spent almost 3 weeks discovering local history that he could have gotten in one afternoon drinking tea with a chatty pensioner. I would read more in this series.
October 31, 2024
Former detective Slim Hardy has fallen deep into alcoholism and is one step away from full-on drunken bum status. So when he's hired by an aristocrat to look into a blackmail situation out at the country estate, Slim is hopeful that doing purposeful work might help him get his act together again. He tosses his stash of alcohol and steps out as a new man.
But the call of the bottle is strong, and Slim stumbles about the assignment for several weeks. There are blackouts, and sometimes the story-telling is disjointed... With any other author, I might doubt the quality of the writing, but here it serves to pull the reader into Slim's drunken haze and really feel the strength of addiction.
I thought the mystery itself was weak and unmemorable. But otherwise, strong writing! Not only do readers get to feel the crush of alcoholism, but this author is a master at description, painting entire multi-sensory scenes without ever telling you that he's describing the thing.
But the call of the bottle is strong, and Slim stumbles about the assignment for several weeks. There are blackouts, and sometimes the story-telling is disjointed... With any other author, I might doubt the quality of the writing, but here it serves to pull the reader into Slim's drunken haze and really feel the strength of addiction.
I thought the mystery itself was weak and unmemorable. But otherwise, strong writing! Not only do readers get to feel the crush of alcoholism, but this author is a master at description, painting entire multi-sensory scenes without ever telling you that he's describing the thing.
March 23, 2019
I thought Chris Ward was really good at horror and at romance. He is even better at mystery. This is a wonderful mystery that just twists so many directions that makes your head spin. I loved this! I highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 7, 2021
Another absorbing, deep and fascinating Slim Hardy book! I highly recommend this mystery; the main character, while very flawed, is also very appealing, and I really root for him. The books in the series are always more complicated than they seem initially, full of surprises! I listened to the audiobook, and I highly recommend it, as the narrator is perfect for the job.
October 8, 2022
I think I'm becoming a sucker for Slim Hardy. He is like Columbo in the way he goes all over the place to solve the mystery. Half the time you're not sure where he's heading. Just when you think you've figured it out, he detours again. I actually thought I had it in this one but still missed--but not by much. Let's see what happens in the Slow Train. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first three.
May 13, 2023
not your run of the mill mystery
More complex mystery than most I’ve read. Enjoyed that about this book. It was hard to put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. This is the first Jack Benton book I have read but it won’t be the last. I have already purchased another book in the series.
More complex mystery than most I’ve read. Enjoyed that about this book. It was hard to put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. This is the first Jack Benton book I have read but it won’t be the last. I have already purchased another book in the series.
December 2, 2023
Well this has been my least favorite Slim Hardy Mystery. I figured out the who done its very early in the book. I also got confused on the local characters throughout the book. I like Slim as a character. You really root for him however this left me feeling unhappy with his character development. I’ll try book 4 but if that one doesn’t get back to the first two quality I’ll stop there.
March 19, 2024
NGL I had better expectations from this one (considering the first two books were just amazing),it's not bad it's good but it didn't reach up to my expectations, the weird relation of that girl with that old man and crod it's weird, Jimmy being absolutely not a useful character in the story. It has its flaws but it was okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
I found this a compelling read with chapters just the right length to keep you turning the pages, it's only 3 minutes I'll just read another. Slim ought to drink a bit less and fight back more he is a little bit too flawed but overall the characters fit well, the way he interacts with them and he gets the job done even though it's at his expense and not the job he started out doing.
July 1, 2024
What a finish to another great story!
Love this series! This author writes superbly. The characters all have flaws which they deal with in their own ways. Can never anticipate the ending, which makes for an interesting and entertaining read. Can’t wait to read the next in the series, highly recommended!
Love this series! This author writes superbly. The characters all have flaws which they deal with in their own ways. Can never anticipate the ending, which makes for an interesting and entertaining read. Can’t wait to read the next in the series, highly recommended!
August 3, 2024
Pretty good Book about a Pretty awful P.I.
Slim Hardy has another chance, or so it seems, to crawl back up from a life of hopeless, alcoholic, homelessness. Not too surprisingly, it involves a case that no one else will take: a rich man is being blackmailed by a man that he supposedly murdered years ago!
Slim Hardy has another chance, or so it seems, to crawl back up from a life of hopeless, alcoholic, homelessness. Not too surprisingly, it involves a case that no one else will take: a rich man is being blackmailed by a man that he supposedly murdered years ago!
February 12, 2019
What another outstanding story. Full of suspense. Fast paced to keep you reading. Slim is hired to solve a blackmailing and uncovers a lot more. Can’t wait for more. Don’t miss out once it’s released.
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