Skinner's Round

Bob Skinner #4

by Quintin Jardine

A four-day tournament involving the world's leading golfers is being staged for the opening of a new country club created on his East Lothian estate by the Marquis of Kinture and two partners. But on the Sunday afternoon preceding, one of the partners is found dead in his private Jacuzzi in the clubhouse—with his throat cut. On the following day an anonymous letter is received by the local newspaper, containing part of a legendary witches' curse upon anyone who desecrates their place of worship. True, East Lothian was once a notorious center of witchcraft, but DCC Bob Skinner prefers to deal with the here and now. Is this crime in fact a grudge killing by a business rival?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Scotland, Fiction, Audiobook, Detective

436 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

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

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed many of Jardine's Skinner series, and this is no exception ... a suitably complex story with more than a few red herrings. Memorable ending.

NOTE: for golfers, this is something special, as it traces Skinner and the "world's best golfer" on a detailed hole-by-hole portrayal of their tournament play.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous crime fiction; I loved all the golf details as Scotland is the home of golf. I found myself actually holding my breath at the end as the plot tension racheted up.

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it a little disappointing, but then golf is not my scene. And there was a little too much information about the clubs and the distance to the hole and the par allocated to it. If you are into golf you will find it more interesting than I did.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story that centres around a golf tournament in the East Lothian district of Scotland. One of the backers of the tournament is found dead in his Jacuzzi, with his throat cut. Assistant Chief Constable Bob Skinner has his team in place and is then asked to take the victim's place in the pro-am team led by top professional Darren Atkinson. This is where my enjoyment falters as Bob Skinner is arrogant and egotistical. He sets up his team and tells Superintendent Alison Higgins that it is her investigation and then he takes over with barely a reference to her. Anyway, it is doubtful if someone so high up the command chain would take this position. The plotline and the fact this is a library book prevented it from being thrown across the room to the waste bin. Arrrrgh! When the end is reached it does descend into the realms of fantasy for the conclusion. The plot, the golf and Bob Skinner's friend punching him on the chin were the highlights.

There was just enough here for me to mark it 3 stars although 2 was my initial thought. I will scratch this series from my to read list.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would recommend

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skinner’s Round by Quintin Jardine is the 4th book in the Bob Skinner mystery series set in 1990s Scotland. This one is a must-read for an ardent golfer who enjoys mysteries.

At the new, exclusive and soon-to-open Witches’ Hill golf resort along the East Lothian coast, a business partner turns up dead. Besides investigating the murder case, Assistant Chief Constable Bob Skinner is invited to take the business partner’s place on a pro-am team (a golf professional teamed up with amateur players) for the grand opening tournament. He’s on Darren Atkinson’s team, in awe of the number one golf professional who is dedicated to winning in all pursuits. Skinner learns golf techniques from Darren as the team practices together on the green. The amateurs on competing pro-am teams are comprised of international celebrities.

The Scotsman newspaper receives an odd letter about the murder. It jogs Bob’s memory of a school project his first wife conducted, when one student quoted a witches’ curse. Detective Maggie Rose investigates the history of Witches’ Hill, and eventually teams up with a professor to dig into genealogical records. Readers who are interested in genealogy will enjoy the subplot of their research, which includes a family Bible with inscriptions from 1598.

Bob and his former right-hand man, Andy Martin, are in a serious personal conflict. In parallel with the golf/murder investigation, the tensions between them are explained and eventually resolved.

Skinner’s wife Sarah continues as the medical examiner, called out to pronounce death for each murder victim. Sarah and Bob’s 3-month-old baby son Jazz is their pride and joy, a sweet note in their home life.

I’m a huge fan of straight-arrow Bob Skinner. Unlike most popular fiction detectives, he isn’t a recovering addict, his life is firmly on track and wildly successful, he has positive nurturing relationships. As he explains to one of his detectives, “Aye, it sums up police work… [the victim] deserves retribution. It’s down to us to see he gets it. Those are the clients of our detecting profession, Maggie, the victims and their families, first and foremost. That’s where our duty lies. We’re their avenging angels.”

Skinner’s tournament performance is described shot-by-shot as they golf the eighteen hole course. The individual drives and putts are mildly interesting for a non-golfer, probably exciting reading for a golfer. But as he plays the course, Skinner remains a keen observer and criminal analyst. The final day of the tournament, he knows the killer’s identity, and the suspense mounts. The last scene is absolutely fantastic! This book is definitely recommended for mystery readers who like to see justice done.

[Chris Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written although predictable story. Skinner is just starting to grate for me, is there nothing he can't do? I mean everyone is bad at something but it appears not so with Skinner.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skinner’s Round is the fourth book in the Bob Skinner series, and I was excited to dive into this one. Although the prior books did not hit as hard as I had hoped – mainly because I am not enjoying the characters much – the ending of the third book offered promises for this.

I am glad to say that this fourth book is my favourite of the series thus far. It grabbed me easily and I was eager to see how everything developed throughout the story. There was more to the individual character storylines, which I really enjoyed, and the crime element kept me hooked. In fact, combined, there were points when I thought this would be a four-star rating. Sadly, the amount of golf prevented me from giving this the four-star rating I had hoped to give it. It came close; alas, in the end, it was a three-point-five-star rating that I found myself rounding down. While I understand the need for all the golf information – it was, after all, the backdrop of the story – I do feel the constant focus on the playing slowed down the pacing a lot. I felt my attention drifting too much when we were focused on them off playing the game, which is why I could not round this rating up. If that aspect of the story had been lessened somewhat – even if it had been changed to make it so that those who know nothing about golf understood it better – I may have given it a four-star rating. As it was, this aspect of the story lost me.

All in all, while this was my favourite of the first four Bob Skinner books, it still did not quite earn a four-star rating. It did, however, higher my expectations for the next book in the series.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. The fourth book in Jardine's excellent police procedural series starring Edinburgh's Robert Skinner is an interesting read. Skinner is investigating a grisly murder at a new golf club where the world's best golfers are competing for a million pound payout. Witches' Hill is the name of the course and the setting is a beautiful course with a troubling past...a place where three witches were burned and rumours of a curse are troubling. Skinner turns out to be a better than average golfer and golfs on a team with the world's best player, and also proves that he is a better than average policeman with superior deductive skills as he meticulously works out the real story behind both murders and rumours. A good read.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable although not a fan of golf and know little about it.

A golf tournament is being held at Witches’ Hill and a body is found in a personal jacuzzi in the club house with his throat cut. So starts the investigations into his death. The victim was a partner in the golf venture.

Skinner is asked by the victim’s widow to take her husband’s place in the tournament. Links to golf promoters and their rivalry with top class players becomes part of the storyline. Two more murders ensue with links to an old witches’ tale from the 16 century. D I Maggie Rose follows that lead to find some interesting.

Interesting convenient ending and of course Skinner works it all out on the last round of golf.

[Halli Villegas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought this at the drugstore out of desperation during Covid. I seemed to remember having read some Jardine before and that it wasn't bad. Well this one was. For one thing it could have done with a sensitivity reader. One character is described as : a swarthy Spaniard. The female coroner is first introduced by a description of : her heavy breasts showing under her white shirt. Then a good deal of the book is taken up with golf, so if you don't like golf, or know nothing about golf terms ( birdie net?) the majority of the book is a boring slog. If Scotts "wait in line" for the next Quintin Jardine book as it states in a cover blurb, they must really be in desperate straits for good mysteries. I suggest Stuart MacBride to take the pain away.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be fairly disappointing. There were an awful lot of names introduced at the start and it doesn't help that sometimes the characters are referred to by their first name, sometimes by their surname and sometimes by their police rank, it was pretty confusing. There was way too much golf language especially in the final chapter, it made what should've been an exciting revelation a chore to read. I would say it is very obvious that this book was written by a man. The women in the book are often sexualized and none of them could have solved the mystery as well as Skinner the big strong man who's really good at golf and has great hair. I will admit I found this book entertaining though hence the three stars.

[Alex Breck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Par for the course...
Forgive the pun.
This was another standard Bob Skinner story and although it's sometimes pleasant to sink into a comfortable armchair and reminisce with old friends, this book was just too 'same-old' for my liking and if you're not a golf fan, the constant references will quickly become very irritating.
I guessed who the culprit was going to be fairly quickly and there was little to surprise me here, although I was fascinated by the whole witches curse story and I think another writer with more imagination could have made more of that on its own.

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good detective story, but it would have helped if I game half a tinker's damn about golf. There is a lot of links chatter in this book, which bored me a bit. There was also a deus-ex-machina and a cloying feel-good moment toward the end that soured me a bit, but aside from that, it was pretty enjoyable. Not as good as Skinner #3, but still good.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The witch craft part of the storyline was great and I guess the plot itself was good, but there was just too much golf. If you like golf, this book might be for you, but I don't, so I'm giving this book a 2.

[Ben Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may be that it’s set near home and with a good few mentions of my favourite golf courses, it this was a cracker and I think my favourite of the skinner series. A good bit of twisting and turning in there, and even a bogey or two!

[Gem · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so dull compared to the previous books in the series. The golfing talk was so difficult to read because it's so uninteresting. I hate to use the word boring but that's what it was and a task to read. . Very disappointed..will take a break from this series for now.

[Jodi Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heard the Skinner's books as audio books - love them - would recommend to anyone who is a golf nut as a lot of golf references in all the Jardine novels I've come across.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit golfie

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

SKINNER'S ROUND (Police Proc-Scotland-Cont) – G+
Jardine, Quintin – 4th in series
Headline, 1995- Paperback
A new, very elite golf course has opened in Scotland, and they are about to hold a major, international tournament. However, co-owner and millionaire has been found murdered in his bath at the club. Skinner and his team hope to keep the death quiet, but an article appears in the newspaper quoting a letter received which links the murder to a 400-year-old curse.
*** The supporting characters are interesting and well developed. Sense of place is well done and I even found the golf interesting. The side story was particularly effective. What put me off to the point of almost not finishing the book is the character is Skinner—he is just too perfect. He is the perfect husband, lover, marksman; he's an excellent golfer, physically strong, capable, and well respected by both his reports and his bosses. He only showed a slight in which relationship with his daughter and her boyfriend, but even that works out as you know it will. I don't necessarily need the angst of Rebus, but a character a little more human would be easier to take. And it's a same, but underneath it all is a very good police procedural. Get past Skinner and read this book, and the series, for the story.

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the business partner of the Marquis of Kinture is found murdered in the club house of then newly opened Witches' Hill Golf Club, Assistant Chief Constable Robert Skinner finds himself involved, not only into a complicated investigation with hints of the occult, but also in a competitive golf tournament. A well plotted mystery with special appeal to golfing fans who want to read play-buy-play descriptions of Skinner's game. 4th in the Skinner series.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, meaty read with plot twists I failed to guess. Skinner is a man's man and I'm unsure why his wife finds him quite so compelling as a partner, but I think Jardine is indulging in a little wish-fulfilment in his writing. I couldn't follow the golfing terms but it didn't matter at all. A good story.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book might be a lot of work for me, since I'm not a golfer. On the contrary, it was the most engaging of the Bob Skinner series to date. I am enjoying the character development of Skinner himself, his wife Sarah, and in particular his daughter Alex and colleague Andy Martin. Really a great read!

[Ishbel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy and understand the game of golf then this is the book for you. If like me you don't, then give it a miss. I found it a very slow read and very boring. The last chapter became very far fetched!

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed parts of this book but there was just to much golf in it for me.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost a star because I couldn't stand all the details of the golf games. Not at all relevant to the plot which stick was used.

[Mrsgeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too much golf. Otherwise great book.

[Jane Williams-grube · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, predicable

[Linda Underwood]

Scotish mystery. Good murder mystery set on a new golf course in Scotland.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very funny ending!