Stay of Execution

Bob Skinner #14

by Quintin Jardine

Can you fight evil with evil...? DCC Bob Skinner faces his toughest investigation...

Evil stalks the city of Edinburgh. This time the threat is bigger than the crooks, scam-artists or drug dealers who find their prey in the shadows of the streets. Some people are looking for a big-time hit. The body of a respectable businessman is found hanging from a tree; a veteran from a Belgian marching band is killed in a hit-and-run incident and another dies of an apparent heart attack. Excitement on the streets of Edinburgh is feverish as the city prepares for a huge rally to celebrate the return of Pope John the 25th to his hometown. The security has to be bulletproof. But there is a chink in the armour. Does Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner have the inner strength to find the answer to the biggest question of all?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Detective, Audiobook, Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

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

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recently elected Scottish pope is coming home to Edinburgh to visit. Two members of a Belgium band who are to perform for him die with a day of each other.While dealing with his own family problems, DCC Bob Skinner and his police force must protect the pope and prime minister.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Quintin Jardine and I was very impressed by his quality of writing. The first chapter got me hooked as it starts of in New York with a Scottish policeman (Brian), talking to an American officer (Colin), NYPD in a charity exchange to help victims of the 9/11 tragidy. Their conversation leads to Colin emotionally saying how his wife was in the south towers 86th floor when the second plane struck. Immediatly I was intrigued. When reading this it had just past the 20th anniversary of that awful day.

I really enjoyed this book and the how all the murders in the book came together. Plenty of twists and turns and a real page turner. I thought the plot was interesting, however I must disagree when in the book someone said "The Scottish Pope is the greatest living Scotsman of all time" - not because I'm an Athiest. Each to their own - but because cleary the greatest Scot, hands down is Billy Connolly. 😛😄

This is the 14th book in the Bob Skinner series and I will definitly read the series from the beginning. Book 1 is called Skinner's Rules.

4 stars. Enjoyable read.👏

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A banker is found hanged in the fog enveloping Edinburgh. A Belgian drumming band arrives in the UK and is set to play for the POpe’s imminent visit at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. The new Pope is an Edinburgh priest.

An NYPD policeman on a visit to Edinburgh is murdered and it takes most of the story to figure out why.

The banker’s death is a little mysterious and could be a murder or a suicide. There is evidence either way and $1million is found missing from the bank.

Skinner brainstorms and tries to find why the Pope specifically asked for the drummers to play for him. There is a long standing friendship between the Pope (Father Gibb) and the leader from their time in the Congo 40 years prior.

Skinner and his team at the last minute find the two mysterious ‘hit’ people as journalists at the big event.
Sinner’s marriage to Sarah falls apart and Aileen de Marco enters the scene. Maggie Rose partners with Stevie Steele as they move in together.
Another page turner.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt quite disappointed by this one.

I haven't read any others in this series before, so I am unsure what it is like compared to the others.

To day this is a crime novel is untrue, it is a book about office politics that has little 'episodes' of crime that are only discussed with any regularity during the last 100 pages. The tag phrase "can you fight evil with evil?" is also pointless, as evil doesn't fight evil in the book at all. Maybe will never know that answer to that one!

Even the plot twist was pointless.

This one really isn't worth the bother.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star read. This book, #14 in Jardine's excellent Bob Skinnner series, set in Edinburgh, was a good read and an interesting one. A small time thief finds the body of a man hanging in a wood during a bad fog. This discovery leads to a convoluted conspiracy with other dead bodies and a plot to kill many. Along the way, some of the characters story lines changed. I am not liking the marital issues between Bob and his wife Sarah...want to take them and bang their heads together, but other than that, it was a good read, as is Jardine's forte. Looking forward to #15.

[Hazel McHaffie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this. A vast congregation of characters confused me, and delayed engagement with the main protagonists. Several story lines interwoven further muddied the waters. But eventually I was sucked in to the task of unravelling a devilishly clever plot. Set in Edinburgh, it took me to familiar streets and settings, but introducing a fictitious First Minister ... ? and Prime Minister ... ? and Pope ...? Detracted from the authenticity for me. Lessons learned for my own writing.

[Connie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped at page 76. The book is probably fine, but it didn't grab me fast enough. I still didn't know much about the main characters or even which of the many characters were main characters.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read in this series. Never get tired of Bob Skinner. Highly recommend this series.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Quinton Jardine. The twists and turns of the investigations and the lives of the players certainly keeps one on their toes.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Michele Hardwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story very well told. Lots of twists and turns and seemingly unrelated events that all culminate in the most spectacular ending.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so enjoying this series. Intriguing story -- the new pope, of Scottish heritage, visits Edinburgh, while the mystery surrounding Sept 11 is also solved. Quite a lot, really, for one session with Bob Skinner.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Jardine, always makes you feel that you work with the characters.

[John Duncan Duncan Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was enjoyable, an unusual story of the Pope coming to Scotland--both governments are afraid of his assassination.

[Carol Curd · Rating 4 out of 5]

MR Jardine never disappoints,love this series this was my 2nd time reading this

[Claire Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, when it grew too late to finish it last night I read it over breakfast I was so desperate to see how it turned out. I don't want to say too much in case it spoils it for other readers - however the disparate threads are all woven together really well. If you don't mind the occasional swear word, I'd recommend this for the crime fan.