“Just a few minor points if you don’t mind,
Mr. Miller,” said Frost, whose finger had directed Webster to stand in front of
the door, blocking their exit. “Please sit down. It shouldn’t take long.” He
gave them a disarming smile as they returned to their chairs. “My trouble is
gentlemen, I’m not very bright. There are a couple of things in your statements
that don’t seem to add up. I’m sure it’s my stupidity, so if you could see your
way clear to explaining . . .”
_____
How could I have
missed Jack Frost?
R.D. Wingfield’s A Touch of Frost is a police procedural
with an unusual central character.
In about four
days, Jack Frost and his assistant Webster investigate a mind-numbing series of
crimes. First, they find a murdered drug addict in a filthy toilet. Then they
investigate the latest in a string of serial rapes, the theft of money from a mob
figure who runs a strip club, and the hit-and-run of an old man late at night.
They also look
into the theft of a woman’s life savings all in gold sovereigns, an armed
robbery in a local pawnshop, and the murder of a policeman.
Frost offends a
rich and powerful British legislator. Then Frost does his best to save the life
of a left-out, lowlife type that he knows did not commit murder.
In all my years
of reading, how could I have missed all that?
Frost is a
wonderful character, crude, and, to some extent incompetent. He knows his beat
and the people of Denton well. He is insightful almost to a fault. He puts off
paperwork, risking his colleagues' overtime pay. And he is ethical where there
is every motivation not to be. In other words, he is not a crooked cop.
Others on the
force become mired in sucking up to the powerful, trying to exploit their
fellow cops to get ahead, and even more terrible things. Frost blunders through
and does what is right.
I loved this book
with its especially strong ending.
When I looked it
up in other places, I found it is a classic of sorts, well-known, and long ago made
into TV movies.
As I said at the
first, how could I have missed Jack Frost?
But I did miss
him, until now. Thanks to a blogger friend, I read my first Jack Frost. I
guarantee. It will not be the last.
7 comments:
Ooh, I need to try this series, too. I caught the TV show via Netflix, and I loved it. Thanks for the nudge.
So glad you enjoyed Jack Frost!
Michel
Naomi, I think you'll like it.
Michel, I loved the book. I will read more. Thanks for suggesting it.
The TV show was loads of fun.
Like I said. Where have I been all of Frost's life?
Not surprised I missed the books, but I see that my local library has 15 seasons of the TV series. How did I miss that?
Evan, Good question. If the TV series in true to the books, you should enjoy the TV series.
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