Wolves of Memory

Harpur & Iles #22

by Bill James

"Savagely comic and expertly choreographed." ―The Guardian A large, carefully plotted "cash-in-transit" raid goes hopelessly awry when armed policemen intervene to seize the perpetrators. Relatives and friends of the incarcerated are convinced that information―the date, the time―was leaked by the only man to escape before his arrest. Deputy Constable Colin Harpur and Assistant Constable Desmond Iles are delegated the job of hiding and protecting the informant and his family.

Genres: Mystery

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Bill James (born 1929) is a pseudonym of James Tucker, a Welsh novelist. He also writes under his own name and the pseudonyms David Craig and Judith Jones. He was a reporter with the Daily Mirror and various other newspapers after serving with the RAF He is married, with four children, and lives in South Wales.

The bulk of his output under the Bill James pseudonym is the Harpur and Iles series. Colin Harpur is a Detective Chief Inspector and Desmond Iles is the Assistant Chief Constable in an unnamed coastal city in southwestern England. Harpur and Iles are complemented by an evolving cast of other recurring characters on both sides of the law. The books are characterized by a grim humour and a bleak view of the relationship between the public, the police force and the criminal element. The first few are designated "A Detective Colin Harpur Novel" but as the series progressed they began to be published with the designation "A Harpur & Iles Mystery".

His best known work, written under the "David Craig" pseudonym and originally titled Whose Little Girl are You, is The Squeeze, which was turned into a film starring Stacy Keach, Edward Fox and David Hemmings. The fourth Harpur & Iles novel, Protection, was televised by the BBC in 1996 as Harpur & Iles, starring Aneirin Hughes as Harpur and Hywel Bennett as Iles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_James_(novelist)

Reviews

[arjuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely claustrophobic, a tad iterative, possibly not quite enough event to sustain a full novel, but given the lovely poisonous nutter that is Iles teetering on the verge of everything he is at this point, I don't mind too much. Any Bill James is good Bill James.

[Beth666ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's quite simply not a better British police procedural series out there right now, and I'm going to keep reading these until there aren't any left.

[Herzog · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cut below most Harpur and Iles mysteries. The subject was a one off involving protecting a family of grasses. There was no appearance from Panicking Ralph nor Mansel Shale. There was further development of the Iles character, but Harpur's daughters dialogues were not up to their usual superb level.

[Tom]

Read this to keep up with the great Harpur & Iles series, but it confirmed my opinion that the early entries are better.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written Ilkes and Harpur novel--the relationship between the two is both uneasy and comfotable, and the books are enjoyable to read

[Sharyn Lehrke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm new to this series but it is great fun! My kind of humor. Just what I need when I want to escape.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

#22 in a wonderful series, quirky characters great plotting. Loved it