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Tweed & Co. #21
No Mercy
A man is found by Chief Superintendent Buchanan sitting on the steps of Whitehall. The man has apparently lost his memory. He utters only three words: I witnessed murder...
Buchanan calls him Michael, hand him over to a reluctant Tweed, ex-Scotland Yard detective, now Deputy Director of the SIS. Events lead Tweed with his assistant, Paula Grey, to desolate Dartmoor, accompanied by Michael. There they discover two skeletons. Later, two more -- one in London, the fourth on a Sussex canal boat.
The wealthy Volkanian family, from Armenia, have a mansion on Dartmoor. Are they involved? Key characters are Lucinda Voyles and Anne Barton.
There is a new development. A strange freighter, cargo holds empty, is spotted heading from the Mediterranean towards the Cornish coast. Tweed suspects the vessel is linked to the four horrific murders.
The relentless pace of Tweed's investigation accelerates. Can he break the case before a sinister deadline? He fights ruthlessly to do so -- in a riveting double climax.
Buchanan calls him Michael, hand him over to a reluctant Tweed, ex-Scotland Yard detective, now Deputy Director of the SIS. Events lead Tweed with his assistant, Paula Grey, to desolate Dartmoor, accompanied by Michael. There they discover two skeletons. Later, two more -- one in London, the fourth on a Sussex canal boat.
The wealthy Volkanian family, from Armenia, have a mansion on Dartmoor. Are they involved? Key characters are Lucinda Voyles and Anne Barton.
There is a new development. A strange freighter, cargo holds empty, is spotted heading from the Mediterranean towards the Cornish coast. Tweed suspects the vessel is linked to the four horrific murders.
The relentless pace of Tweed's investigation accelerates. Can he break the case before a sinister deadline? He fights ruthlessly to do so -- in a riveting double climax.
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
5 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Colin Forbes
157 books116 followersRaymond Harold Sawkins was a British novelist, who mainly published under the pseudonym Colin Forbes, but also as Richard Raine, Jay Bernard and Harold English. He only published three of his first books under his own name.Sawkins wrote over 40 books, mostly as Colin Forbes. He was most famous for his long-running series of thriller novels in which the principal character is Tweed, Deputy Director of the Secret Intelligence Service.
Sawkins attended The Lower School of John Lyon in Harrow, London. At the age of 16 he started work as a sub-editor with a magazine and book publishing company. He served with the British Army in North Africa and the Middle East during World War II. Before his demobilization he was attached to the Army Newspaper Unit in Rome. On his return to civilian life he joined a publishing and printing company, commuting to London for 20 years, until he became successful enough to be a full-time novelist.
Sawkins was married to a Scots-Canadian, Jane Robertson (born 31 March 1925, died 1993). Together they had one daughter, Janet.Sawkins died of a heart attack on August 23, 2006.
Sawkins was often quoted as personally visiting every location he features in his books to aid the authenticity of the writing. As a result, there is detailed description of the places where the action in his books takes place.
Fury (1995) was inspired by the courage of his wife before she died, and he set it apart from his other novels “because of the strong emotion and sense of loss that runs through it”.
Just one of Forbes' novels was made into a film: Avalanche Express, directed by Mark Robson and starring Lee Marvin and Robert Shaw, which was released in 1979 to generally poor reviews.
Sawkins attended The Lower School of John Lyon in Harrow, London. At the age of 16 he started work as a sub-editor with a magazine and book publishing company. He served with the British Army in North Africa and the Middle East during World War II. Before his demobilization he was attached to the Army Newspaper Unit in Rome. On his return to civilian life he joined a publishing and printing company, commuting to London for 20 years, until he became successful enough to be a full-time novelist.
Sawkins was married to a Scots-Canadian, Jane Robertson (born 31 March 1925, died 1993). Together they had one daughter, Janet.Sawkins died of a heart attack on August 23, 2006.
Sawkins was often quoted as personally visiting every location he features in his books to aid the authenticity of the writing. As a result, there is detailed description of the places where the action in his books takes place.
Fury (1995) was inspired by the courage of his wife before she died, and he set it apart from his other novels “because of the strong emotion and sense of loss that runs through it”.
Just one of Forbes' novels was made into a film: Avalanche Express, directed by Mark Robson and starring Lee Marvin and Robert Shaw, which was released in 1979 to generally poor reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
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July 20, 2022Dies ist der einzige Band, den ich aus der Reihe gelesen habe und er hat mich leider überhaupt nicht abgeholt. Die Szenen, in denen es hätte spannend werden können, haben dieses Ziel verfehlt, da sie zu kurz waren. Ein Konflikt tritt auf, 2 Seiten später ist er wieder gelöst. Das geht immer wieder so. Dagegen wurde viel Erzählzeit mit Dingen wie Begrüßungen von Personen ( Mantel abnehmen, Essen anbieten...) gefüllt, die ich ziemlich oft übersprungen habe.
Für die Charaktere konnte ich mich auch nicht erwärmen. Mein größtes Problem mit den vermeidlichen Helden ist, dass sie einerseits Mord verachten, aber dann selbst mehrere Personen auf einem Schlag töten. Obwohl sie bei einer offiziellen Behörde arbeiten, entsorgen sie eine Leiche, indem sie sie in einen Kanal werfen. Das erscheint mir nicht der richtige Weg.
Allgemein hätte es gereicht nur die Auflösung am Ende zu lesen, denn ich empfand die Lesezeit nicht als gut genutzt. Leider war die Auflösung dann aber auch enttäuschend.
Für die Charaktere konnte ich mich auch nicht erwärmen. Mein größtes Problem mit den vermeidlichen Helden ist, dass sie einerseits Mord verachten, aber dann selbst mehrere Personen auf einem Schlag töten. Obwohl sie bei einer offiziellen Behörde arbeiten, entsorgen sie eine Leiche, indem sie sie in einen Kanal werfen. Das erscheint mir nicht der richtige Weg.
Allgemein hätte es gereicht nur die Auflösung am Ende zu lesen, denn ich empfand die Lesezeit nicht als gut genutzt. Leider war die Auflösung dann aber auch enttäuschend.
December 18, 2025
Niestety cała historia nie jest zbyt wiarygodna. Dużo tutaj akcji, które wydają się nielogiczne. Czemu biorą na poważnie słowa tego faceta? Czemu wciągasz w sprawę kogoś, komu nie ufasz i masz zamiar szpiegować? I jakiego trzeba mieć pecha, żeby trafić na tak wielki spisek?
Akcja jest szybka i jest jej dużo, ale szczegóły sklejone ze sobą na gumę do żucia mnie nie przekonują.
Akcja jest szybka i jest jej dużo, ale szczegóły sklejone ze sobą na gumę do żucia mnie nie przekonują.
December 11, 2020
I liked the book. The author's writing style may or may not be liked by some. Its highly individualistic in that regard. I was okay with it though. The character development was not proper but they work like a team and they find a support system in each other which I liked. Which is why I have decided to read another book of the same series and follow their story. Will update :)
December 31, 2022
It's a great overall plot but possibly the worst, most contrived dialogue I've ever read. I made me cringe. And I'm sure Forbes had a past career as a can driver given the unnecessary, longwinded explanations of driving directions we were subjected to.
June 16, 2021
Colin Forbes was such a good writer. Great characters, excellent storyline again, with no gratuitous sex and violence, which are very often a cover for poor writing skills.
January 18, 2022
No Mercy? No Editing!
I was talked into reading this book by a colleague, partly because the author is my namesake, and partly out of curiosity to test his assertion that this is the worst novel he has ever read.
So - worst novel ever? Well, no - although it certainly has many flaws. The dialogue is strangely stilted, which gives Tweed and his colleagues an unbelievable quality from the outset. Nobody talks like that in real life. In addition, there seems to be little logical reasoning taking Tweed from one encounter to the next. He drives from one place to the next, seemingly at random, along roads which are named and described in tedious detail, to visit suspects who fail to answer his questions. He nevertheless deduces the reason for several grizzly deaths and averts a major terrorist incident.
It also struck me as odd that while Tweed and his colleagues are part of the official Intelligence Services of this country (and Tweed himself is on speaking terms with the Prime Minister) they don't always act as though they are on the side of the law. Having killed a man (in self defence) they don't have the body sent anywhere for official identification and disposal - they throw it down a drain to hide it! There are more examples, but I wouldn't want to spoil the end of the book for anyone.
Despite all these flaws I actually quite enjoyed reading this, if only for the fun of discussing the contradictions and unlikeliness of it all with others who have been subjected to it! As a casual read, and with forewarning of its shortcomings, it's really no worse than Dan Brown, for example.
The whole book has the feel of something that has not received any editing, but been rushed to the printer instead, knowing that there was an existing audience who would buy it regardless.
So, not a ringing endorsement of the book, but in terms of "so bad that it's good" you might just enjoy it.
I was talked into reading this book by a colleague, partly because the author is my namesake, and partly out of curiosity to test his assertion that this is the worst novel he has ever read.
So - worst novel ever? Well, no - although it certainly has many flaws. The dialogue is strangely stilted, which gives Tweed and his colleagues an unbelievable quality from the outset. Nobody talks like that in real life. In addition, there seems to be little logical reasoning taking Tweed from one encounter to the next. He drives from one place to the next, seemingly at random, along roads which are named and described in tedious detail, to visit suspects who fail to answer his questions. He nevertheless deduces the reason for several grizzly deaths and averts a major terrorist incident.
It also struck me as odd that while Tweed and his colleagues are part of the official Intelligence Services of this country (and Tweed himself is on speaking terms with the Prime Minister) they don't always act as though they are on the side of the law. Having killed a man (in self defence) they don't have the body sent anywhere for official identification and disposal - they throw it down a drain to hide it! There are more examples, but I wouldn't want to spoil the end of the book for anyone.
Despite all these flaws I actually quite enjoyed reading this, if only for the fun of discussing the contradictions and unlikeliness of it all with others who have been subjected to it! As a casual read, and with forewarning of its shortcomings, it's really no worse than Dan Brown, for example.
The whole book has the feel of something that has not received any editing, but been rushed to the printer instead, knowing that there was an existing audience who would buy it regardless.
So, not a ringing endorsement of the book, but in terms of "so bad that it's good" you might just enjoy it.
April 26, 2013
The trouble with being a writer is that one becomes a picky reader. If one of my colleagues in our publishing co-operative had handed me this manuscript I would have sent it back with: 'Show don't Tell' and 'Please don't drop all the back story on the reader in the first two pages. Rewrite!'
BUT readers are not always writers and many readers, especially those slightly reluctant readers, like a straightforward delivery of a good story. Colin Forbes gives the readers a good tale. I just wish he wrote it in a tighter, less simple style.
Nothing wrong with the story ad many readers will enjoy it.
BUT readers are not always writers and many readers, especially those slightly reluctant readers, like a straightforward delivery of a good story. Colin Forbes gives the readers a good tale. I just wish he wrote it in a tighter, less simple style.
Nothing wrong with the story ad many readers will enjoy it.
March 10, 2016
Very poorly written. the author seems to have been in a hurry. no effort seems to have been made to develop the characters with just a simplistic plot and dialogues without context that do not make much sense... just raced through the book to finish it since I had started.. the best thing to say about this book is it was so absurdly written, it was slightly amusing... I have already forgotten what it was about...
July 19, 2016
One of Forbes' better recent novels, with far less coincidence than normal and an intriguing series of murders. Newman's role was also reduced, which was welcomed as it is normally the most far fetched. The only negative, is that Tweed was acting as a police officer rather than a spy chief, with travel abroad rather minimal. A consequence of Forbes' age? [he was know for thoroughly researching each location used in his novels].
April 25, 2014
Having read a number of Colin Forbes books they tend to become predictable and boring - - - - as though there is a template where the felons change but the heroes say and follow the same pattern. Ok so it is a fictitious novel, but at times overly farfetched. Will do as a quick read not requiring any depth of thought!
November 8, 2012
Bought this book from a street vendor in Mbeya, Tanzania for 10p. With hindsight I should have given the man 20p to keep it!!!! I had to read it as I had nothing else left to read. What a waste of a few hours of my life. Thin plot and even thinner characters. In a word 'crap'.
November 17, 2010
Just another book to read when waiting for your train. Boring and the plot is quite evident to the reader. No surprises.
July 28, 2013
A true crime novel in every sense, Mr Forbes, can definitely write. Well written & kept me guessing who the killer was till the very end!
September 2, 2014
A good read by a good author.
January 24, 2016
R has read it 2
March 27, 2016
I wouldn't bother reading it in English, but I wanted to refresh my Dutch vocabulary, and it was pretty good for that.
April 14, 2016
What was Paula there for? Otherwise kept you hooked to a certain extent
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2016
great
August 4, 2016
A good yarn- I'll give this author another go
February 1, 2021
Just what I've come to expect from a Tweed & Co story
March 27, 2018
It took me on an interesting ride.
January 3, 2011
THe first book I have ever read from Colin Forbes. Excellent! Must read all other novels.
November 16, 2015
love these books, can't get enough of Tweed & Co.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews