Dead and Buried

Bob Skinner #16

by Quintin Jardine

Murder is rarely cut and dried, motive and means, cause and effect. Usually it follows its own twisted logic…Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner has a failed marriage on his hands, a death on his conscience, and little time to deal with either. He's facing the biggest challenge of his career—within the secret corridors where dark power is wielded. So he goes to the very top—the Prime Minister—lest he himself becomes collateral damage. Back in Edinburgh, Skinner's daughter is being harassed by a stalker. Can he protect her? A bookmaker has taken one gamble too many and paid his debt in a gruesome fashion. Is it an underworld vendetta, or something more sinister? And a casual call sets Skinner on a personal mission that quickly points to a bigamist at work. Or is it worse? Four crimes, four crises: can Skinner and his people solve them? Indeed, can they survive them?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Detective, Audiobook, Fiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2006

About the author

Quintin Jardine (born 1945) is a Scottish author of three series of crime novels, featuring the fictional characters Bob Skinner, Oz Blackstone, and Primavera Blackstone. He was educated in Motherwell and in Glasgow where he studied at what was then the city’s only University. After career as a journalist, government information officer and media relations consultant, he took to the creation of crime fiction.

His first wife, Irene, with whom he shared over 30 years, from their teens, died in 1997. He is married, to his second wife, Eileen. They live in both Scotland and in Spain

Reviews

[Amanda Pegelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start. It took awhile to get interested in the story line and to follow all the characters but enjoyed the ending.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I am getting familiar with all the characters in Jardine’s books, Skinner series and am enjoying them. This novel involves 4 independent stories that overlap. Alexis, Skinner’s lawyer daughter receives ‘heavy breathing’ phone calls; Sir James Proud decides to investigate the mystery of the disappearing couple 40 years prior and finds a good conclusion; A local bookie is found dead in a gruesome manner and the quest to find his murderer leads to drug dealings etc; Skinner as a follow up on his previous novel becomes involved in a Secret Service Investigation involving a former friend of his and contemporaries/colleagues. As usual quite convoluted tales in themselves and the chapters flip between one story and the next, often overlapping, keeping the reader on their toes for detail. However I found his involvement with MI5/6, CIA to be ‘far fetched’ in how he resolves the complex case. Too many characters here with pseudonyms, legends and the rest.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The crime in general in this book was really interesting, and the characters all were well developed. Although I enjoyed this read, this book was hard to keep in order. Through the four main crimes and storylines, there were too many characters to try to remember. Plus, many of the officers were referred to by three names - first name, last name, or official title - making it more difficult to learn who everyone was. Each of the four crimes was incredibly interesting on their own. Frankly, I would have preferred a separate book for each crime rather than mashing them all together in one. With the complexities and twists of each case, I again had trouble remembering all the necessary details.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is the 16th book in Jardine's excellent Bob Skinner police procedural/thriller series. As always, there are several story lines in each book and each one is interesting. In this one, a small time bookie uses a bayonet to remove the finger of a robber, Bob's marriage is on the rocks and he is haunted by the loose threads of his last major case, Bob's daughter Alex has a stalker and the Chief Constable plays detective in a decade's old missing person's case. Each of these stories lead to more than expected and they keep the reader interested until the last page. A very enjoyable read, as usual. This is one of my favourite series.

[Weeza B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Skinner is one of my favourite cops, living in Scotland it makes the plot lines all the more familiar. As with all the previous books I have read it didn't disappoint, plenty of death, good old fashioned policing and humour too. It was great to see Sir James Proud out from behind his desk. Another cracking case (or 3) solved.

[Hag · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit disjointed at times.

[Christopher Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jardine has really returned to form. Despite the Security Services involvement this was a thoroughly believable book, the characters are maturing and the stories were well told.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Heather Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in the Bob Skinner series. It kept me guessing, almost, to the final chapter.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like "Dead and Buried" you would expect a significant body count and this book doesn't disappoint. The book comprises of four interwoven mysteries, which Bob Skinner and his Edinburgh police colleagues are striving to solve.
Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner is called in to help the spooks in London get to the bottom of a treacherous plot to kidnap and kill a young royal. Meanwhile in Edinburgh, Sir James Proud, the Chief Constable, whose career has mostly been behind a desk has decided he wants to do a bit of sleuthing himself before he retires. The case of a missing person who vanished over 40 years ago piques his interest, particularly as it involves "Adolf", one of his former schoolmasters. A third mystery is the gruesome murder of a bookmaker, whose bloody cadaver causes DCI Mackenzie to throw up in the sink to the consternation of the forensics team who thought the murderer might have used the now contaminated sink to wash the blood off his hands. The fourth mystery is a stalker interested in Skinner's daughter, a hotshot lawyer, who is reluctant to ask Daddy and his team for help. This is a tale of gritty police work with perhaps more than the expected number of murders to deal with. The 97 chapters get shorter as they near the end and the finale is satisfying and includes a couple of twists in the tale.

[Lbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Skinner is facing divorce and the next stages of his life, becoming a single father, again.
I liked the fact that the hero is not perfect, his home life is messy, maybe heading into bliss, maybe not, even his professional life is chaotic, organized but certainly not predictable.

Adam Arrow was one of my favourite characters and I appreciated the exploration of his life and actions. The side story of Alex being stalked was realistic in her reactions of denial, anger, and fear.

What I really loved about this book though, was the Sir Jimmy Proud detection of a historic disappearance.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another great book in the Bob Skinner series. Armed with my street map of Edinburgh, I followed the four different story lines to the exciting conclusion. Bob finishes his quest to unearth all of the plot from the previous book; his daughter is threatened by an unknown stalker; head of the police force Jimmy Proud solves a forty-year-old mystery; and other members of the police leadership group also face challenges. I'm ready for the next book -- I hope that Quintin Jardine keeps producing this series, which just keeps getting better.

[Natalie]

Very good read. There was a little bit of eveyrthing going on in this book most of it culminating in the main investigation. It was good to see Mr Skinner actually realise that he wasn’t 'god' in this one by the end. I wish there was a little less blasphemy in them but I suppose that is part of what makes them realistic. Still enjoyed the plot though.

[Duncan Howorth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm - I found the multiple story lines a bit odd - these weren't actually linked in any sense apart from involving scottish police investigations, and it took awhile before I actually started to get interested and involved in the story lines.

[Margaret McDowall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book I have read by this author. It is set in Edinburgh, and I think it helps the understanding of the book to have a little local knowledge. I may read more of this set: perhaps I should start with the first in the series. Maybe the plot was a little convoluted.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

a serial killer, stalker, spy and a forty year old mystery make this a fast-moving crime thriller, I really enjoyed it.

[Obscuredavid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsympathetic characters. Money solves everything.

[Mrs Valerie Brammall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as usual

This one was a bit slow to start but when it got going was up to the usual
. standard
would recommend as a good book with the usual twist in the ending

[Ellen Weir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good although i found it a little tricky to remember who was who!

[Ljohnston]

Bobs love life is blossoming but not with Sarah