Over the Edge

Charlie Priest #10

by Stuart Pawson

Joe Crozier, a businessman with a decidedly shady past, is enjoying a pleasant evening of being wined and dined in all the best places. But the congenial atmosphere is shattered when his host yet again tries to persuade him to sell his nightclub, the Painted Pony. Refusing this time, however, costs Joe more than he could ever have imagined - Bound and gagged, he takes a silent and deadly dip in the nearby river. Meanwhile, Charlie Priest is called to another murder scene - only to find that the victim is an old school friend of his, the famous mountaineer, Tony Krabbe. But what could this amiable lecturer have done to deserve being attacked with his own ice-pick? And could the two cases be linked? As girlfriends from Krabbe’s past return to savage his carefully built reputation, Charlie’s own love life takes a turn for the worse. Charlie is both desperate to help his girlfriend and to seek out the truth, but can work and love ever make comfortable bedfellows?

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Stuart Pawson lived in Fairburn, Yorkshire, with his wife, Doreen.

After a career as a mining electrical engineer, he worked part-time for the probation service for five years, mediating between offenders and their victims. This gave him a good insight into the criminal justice system, and it was during this period that he started to write his first book, The Picasso Scam.

Stuart believed he must have some cowboy genes somewhere in his genome because he always had a strong affinity for the American West. His first visit to the USA was to work for a month at a Wyoming coalmine, and he holidayed over there many times. Although tone-deaf (some would say stone-deaf) he always thought it would be good fun to be a songwriter. The thought of composing a three-minute song as opposed to a 300-page book had a certain attraction. He managed to combine the two themes - song writing and the West - in the opening chapters of Laughing Boy, and he enjoyed writing that one immensely.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this on the flight home from a work trip to MTL. I probably have not read this series for about a year, but it is one that i always think about as a go to for a strong read. This was no exception, and probably the best in the series for me. Its not just the police work and the bad guys, its the background characters, that i know and look forward to update on each time i start another one.
I found some of the crime a shade more violet in this one, compared to the others, but maybe that was just the strong character development impacting my impressions.

[Alison Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shahtoosh smuggling? Who knew!! And murder, human trafficking, car theft, greed, and suicide all tied up together in a tidy little package at the end. What's not to like!

[Kemi looves 2 read · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the DI Charlie Priest series, which is drawing closer to the end of the series, since the author has since died.

[russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

read all 10 cant fault any have pre ordered his latest enough said

[Sreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A particularly good one!

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a sad evening as I have just finished reading this book for although it is only 10/13 of the DI Charlie Priest series, for me it is the last of the series.

I dont think that the story was one of the best and there was no memorable joke to hint at in my notes but it is good to leave the series at a happy time for Charlie.

If you read my notes on the other books of the series you will be in no doubt as to my views but as it is my 13th I feel justified in repeating them.

I enjoyed the series so much because the author has realised that gratuitous sex and violence are not necessary to write a good tale. He has managed to introduce humour into the most harsh situations without it seeming out of place. The author has created a hero in D.I.Priest who is immediately likeable. He enjoys an excellent relationship with his contemporaries and his superior alike and I am sure that we would have envied him this in our own working lives. It also helps my enjoyment of the series that it is set in a part of the country that I knew well and I even believe that I worked for 10 years in one of the two towns that have been amalgamated to form Heckley.

Thoroughly enjoyed the series and I do hope that there will be more of Charlie Priest to come.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 4.5
PROTAGONIST: Charlie Priest, Detective Inspector
SETTING: Yorkshire (UK)
SERIES: #10 of 10
SUMMARY: Pawson’s D I Charlie Priest is one of my favorite characters, and this is one of my favorite series. Pawson excels at building a natural humor throughout while writing excellent police procedurals. There are multiple threads in the book. First has to do with the murder of a Leeds nightclub owner. Another has to do with the murder of a renowned mountaineer who was a former schoolmate of Charlie's. In addition, Priest also finds himself dealing with modern slave trade involving Eastern European women being lured into prostitution. On the personal front, Charlie is in a very touchy relationship with a woman who often drifts into deep depression. How that aspect of his life plays out is very well done. As is the book - if you haven't read Pawson, you need to get with the program. His earlier books are just now being reprinted. Satisfaction guaranteed!

[Patricia Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

D.I. Charlie Priest investigates the murder of a former schoolmate who's gone on to become a famous mountain climber. Pawson explores the personality of a man who inspired others to their best, yet had a darker side. The book also deals with the sex slave trade in Britain, and the tragic abuse of Eastern European women. This part was hard to take, but sadly credible, and as always in a Pawson book, well-handled.

I have a small collection of Stuart Pawson books and try to space out reading them to make the stack last longer. one of my very favorites.

[Tom MacCasarlaigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too many books left in this series for me and I will miss D.I. Priest. A very likable character who manages to get the job done one way or the other. As per usual, a number of different strands are utilised in this novel keeping the reader guessing the direction it's going to take and in doing so keeps the reader interested throughout.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good without being brilliant and I always enjoy this series.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

D I Charlie Priest investigates two murders, one car fatality, immigrants forced into prostitution,how does it all connect, it keeps you guessing till the end.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just an easy book to read.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

as always a stonking good read :-):-):-)