2 BY DAVID CRAIG (AKA BILL JAMES)

Bill James – prolific UK crime author and known best for his long running police procedural series with Harpur and Iles – up to 30 books and still going strong, has also published 17 books under the David Craig pseudonym. At one point I stupidly thought I would try and back-track on his extensive library and collect them all. I soon gave up.

I did manage to track down some of his early books, a couple which are here. One first appeared 1969, though my reprint is from 1971, The other was a 1974 book, before before reprinted with a new title. Bill James has continued to use the David Craig pseudonym up until 2005 on and off.

THE SQUEEZE (AKA WHO’S LITTLE GIRL ARE YOU?)

“Listen Forman, if you don’t go through with it…no police, no switches of van…I reckon I’ll kill you”

When security tycoon Riobert Forman’s daughter and mistress are kidnapped, it’s the first move in a big robbery that needs every angle covered.

The kidnappers wasn’t co-operation instead of cash.

The snag is Jim “Bottle” Naboth – a policeman who found booze the fastest way out of the force – because Forman’s mistress is Naboth’s wife….

On his own and dying for a drink, “Bottle” Naboth’s making his come-back – the hardest way there is……

My copy – a film tie-in reprint - depicts a couple of scenes from the 1977 film of the book which starred Stacy Keach, David Hemmings, Edward Fox and Freddie Starr – I will try and see if I can track it down at some point.

MESSAGE ENDS

No 2 in the Roy Rickman trilogy

Britain in the late 70’s…fiendish treachery, cryptic clues, hot suspense and corpses galore.

Special investigator Roy Rickman is assigned to unmask intrigue and corruption in Britain’s futuristic “Ministry of Information.”

The trail of treachery takes him on a dangerous trip half way round England… and despite his panache in the field of professional deceit, Rickman is tormented by doubts:

Are the clues he is following false?

Are his colleagues really loyal?

Is his girlfriend Rachel part of the plot – or just naturally elusive?

Less than 160 pages long, I think I will enjoy this, though I may wait and see if I uncover the first Roy Rickman during my cataloguing exercise. If I don’t I shan’t feel compelled to seek out the earlier one in the series! I quite like the sound of this though.