Death on the Eleventh Hole

Lambert and Hook #15

by J.M. Gregson

At the eleventh hole, Sergeant Hook’s golf game is interrupted by the body of a young woman lying in a shallow ditch.

The victim is Kate Wharton, a woman with a troubled life — pushing drugs and selling her body to make ends meet. She also had a boss who disliked hearing the word ‘no’.

Detectives Lambert and Hook must question everyone from Kate’s murky past to find her killer.

Her roommate who never reported her missing.
Her junkie boyfriend who admitted he had a huge argument with her the last time they met.
The wealthy golfer who spent hundreds in return for Kate’s company.

And there’s even Kate’s mum, whose new lover has a history of violence. She’s never asked how her daughter was killed . . .

Behind its idyllic façade, Oldford is concealing a horrifying criminal underworld. Lambert and Hook must expose its very worst inhabitants to get to the bottom of the death at the eleventh hole.

Genres: Mystery, Crime

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

James Michael Gregson taught for twenty-seven years in schools, colleges and universities before concentrating on full-time writing. He has written books on subjects as diverse as golf and Shakespeare.

Reviews

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Wharton is a drug dealer and a prostitute. She has decided she wants to get out of both trades and start out on a new life. But someone has other ideas and she is found dead near the eleventh whole on a golf course at Ross on Wye shortly after she announces her decision to stop dealing drugs.

Lambert and Hook are presented with plenty of suspects. Her estranged mother shows none of the signs of grief which might be expected of her in the circumstances. Her boy friend is conspicuous by his absence and what about her mother's new partner? Then there are her regular clients in both her occupations. Lambert and Hook fear that this may be a contract killing in which case they may never find the culprit.

Many of their suspects seem to be hiding something which may or may not be connected to the death of this young woman. Several people may have had cause to wish her dead. Delving into her life and her finances provides Lambert and Hook with plenty of things which need investigating and which may lead to her killer.

This is a well plotted crime story with an evocative picture of the drugs trade and the misery it causes. Hook is still struggling with his golf swing and wishing he'd never started the game. Lambert is contemplating imminent retirement. If you like your crime stories with little on the page violence then this may be the book and the series for you. Though the book is part of a series it can be read as a standalone novel as can the rest of the series.

[Wilbur Hundley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting mystery

Death on the Eleventh Hole is another exciting Lambert and Hook mystery. It has the appropriate twists and turns and leaves the reader guessing to the end. A great read.

[Lyle Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but it kept bogging down with one character, and then there were multiple suspects with a quick-fire wind-up. I'm not sure how the suspect was found out, but in the end, I doubt I would read another one from this author.

There is good writing and great characters, however, more work on building the plot would be appreciated.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman gets out of the drug trade then is found dead by the eleventh hole at a golf course by Lambert & Hook. There seem to be a lot of suspects. Can they figure out who did it?

Good writing and good procedural.

[Brian Keane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot and the two main characters go well together. But could lose the golfing.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The body of drug dealer and prostitute is discovered by Sergeant Hook in a ditch on the Ross-on-Wye golf course. Superintendent John Lambert and his team investigate.
An enjoyable story