What do you think?
Rate this book
Slater & Norman Mystery #8
Death in a Skip
Please note, this book was previously published as The Kidney Donor
Two old soldiers, down on their luck. Bound by one dark secret. And it might be worth killing for . . .
Dave Slater returns home from Thailand, jetlagged, jaded — and dying for a night in his own bed. Too bad Norman has moved someone else into Slater’s cozy little cottage! A troubled homeless veteran named Ryan.
Ryan has given up his own bed in a filthy skip, to an old mate from the Forces. A mate in need of a favour. Ryan thinks he’ll be safe inside the skip.
But in the dead of night, someone sets fire to the skip. With Ryan’s mate sleeping inside.
When the dead man turns out to be missing a kidney, the case takes a disturbing new turn. Slater and Norman realize it’s up to them to investigate, even without the clout of Tinton Police Force behind them.
They can’t stand by and watch two innocent lives go up in flames.
Not with the intended victim hiding under Slater’s roof . . .
Two old soldiers, down on their luck. Bound by one dark secret. And it might be worth killing for . . .
Dave Slater returns home from Thailand, jetlagged, jaded — and dying for a night in his own bed. Too bad Norman has moved someone else into Slater’s cozy little cottage! A troubled homeless veteran named Ryan.
Ryan has given up his own bed in a filthy skip, to an old mate from the Forces. A mate in need of a favour. Ryan thinks he’ll be safe inside the skip.
But in the dead of night, someone sets fire to the skip. With Ryan’s mate sleeping inside.
When the dead man turns out to be missing a kidney, the case takes a disturbing new turn. Slater and Norman realize it’s up to them to investigate, even without the clout of Tinton Police Force behind them.
They can’t stand by and watch two innocent lives go up in flames.
Not with the intended victim hiding under Slater’s roof . . .
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2016
1337 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
P.F. Ford
55 books238 followersHaving spent most of his life trying to be what everyone else wanted him to be, P.F. (Peter) Ford was a late starter when it came to writing. He had tried writing a novel many years ago (before the advent of self-publishing), only to be turned down by every publisher he approached. It was very much a case of being told by those around him, ‘now you know you can’t write, so get back to work!’
Even at an early age, Peter felt very much like the proverbial square peg being forced into a round hole. This resulted in the creation of a Grammar School drop-out who then drifted through a succession of unfulfilling jobs, finally ending up in a totally unsuitable role which eventually sapped his energy and self-confidence. There followed a brief foray into self-employment (not a good idea for someone lacking in self-confidence!) which ended in total financial melt-down, a mountain of debt, and a lapse into depression.
Faced with the fact that he’d never be happy as he was, Peter finally decided he had no intention of continuing that way, and things just had to change. This was achieved by closing the door on his old life and starting over. Fast forward a few years and you find a man transformed, his newly found positive attitude enabling him to find new partner (now wife), Mary, who shares his belief that dreamers should be encouraged and not denied.
He first wrote, (under the name Peter Ford), and self-published , several short books about the life changing benefits of positive thinking. Now, completely free of the hindrance of worrying about what other people think, he’s blissfully happy writing the D.S. Dave Slater mystery novels and what he calls the ‘digital fiction marmite’ (people tend to love it or hate it!) that is the Alfie Bowman Novella series.
Peter and Mary recently completed a shared dream when they married and moved to a beautiful region of Wales where they spend much of their spare time walking their three dogs, and relaxing and having fun with friends. They believe they are living proof that you should never give up on your dreams, because it’s never too late!
Even at an early age, Peter felt very much like the proverbial square peg being forced into a round hole. This resulted in the creation of a Grammar School drop-out who then drifted through a succession of unfulfilling jobs, finally ending up in a totally unsuitable role which eventually sapped his energy and self-confidence. There followed a brief foray into self-employment (not a good idea for someone lacking in self-confidence!) which ended in total financial melt-down, a mountain of debt, and a lapse into depression.
Faced with the fact that he’d never be happy as he was, Peter finally decided he had no intention of continuing that way, and things just had to change. This was achieved by closing the door on his old life and starting over. Fast forward a few years and you find a man transformed, his newly found positive attitude enabling him to find new partner (now wife), Mary, who shares his belief that dreamers should be encouraged and not denied.
He first wrote, (under the name Peter Ford), and self-published , several short books about the life changing benefits of positive thinking. Now, completely free of the hindrance of worrying about what other people think, he’s blissfully happy writing the D.S. Dave Slater mystery novels and what he calls the ‘digital fiction marmite’ (people tend to love it or hate it!) that is the Alfie Bowman Novella series.
Peter and Mary recently completed a shared dream when they married and moved to a beautiful region of Wales where they spend much of their spare time walking their three dogs, and relaxing and having fun with friends. They believe they are living proof that you should never give up on your dreams, because it’s never too late!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 21, 2025
Another outstanding read, I can’t get any work done because this book is way too good to put down.
May 2, 2020
Very well written; complex and interesting characters. More of a story of self discovery rather than a detective story with an ending just a little too perfect. But it sets the stage nicely for a series.
I read it quickly because of how well written and thoughtful it is, taking my mind off the pandemic and into a parallel universe of ex-British detectives and misfits finding purpose and a new family among the emotional wreckage. Highly recommended.
I read it quickly because of how well written and thoughtful it is, taking my mind off the pandemic and into a parallel universe of ex-British detectives and misfits finding purpose and a new family among the emotional wreckage. Highly recommended.
October 21, 2017
Great Mystery
Thoroughly enjoyed this book; a great addition to the Dave Slater series. The characters are believable and develop from book to book. Can't wait to read the next one.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book; a great addition to the Dave Slater series. The characters are believable and develop from book to book. Can't wait to read the next one.
June 21, 2020
Sophomoric
Can not recommend. Boring, useless repetition of facts in useless, mind numbing conversations. High school level writing at best. Can’t believe it’s the 8th book in a series.
Can not recommend. Boring, useless repetition of facts in useless, mind numbing conversations. High school level writing at best. Can’t believe it’s the 8th book in a series.
May 17, 2018
Great series of books
Slater and Norman back in action, great read, nice to see some more background on Slater he was a bit of a mystery.
Slater and Norman back in action, great read, nice to see some more background on Slater he was a bit of a mystery.
November 11, 2022
The Slater & Norman series is interesting, and the stories move fairly quickly. The series is not a down and dirty, gritty police/investigative predural, but it's more than just the typical cozy mystery, both of which are genres I enjoy. 'Slater & Norman' falls somewhere in between. I've read 8 of the 14 books in the series thus far, and have just started book #9. I enjoy them well enough to look forward to reading the next one, but not so much that I would read them a second time, which is my reason for giving 4 stars, instead of 5. I seldom give any book I read a 5-star rating. Four stars is my "A" rating; five stars is an "A+". To earn five stars, the book has to be one I would enjoy reading multiple times over. I don't find too many that meet that criteria. I love to read; being disabled and pretty much a stay-at-home, I read a lot [thanks to Kindle Unlimited!], so finding books that are worth at least a second reading, much less a third or fourth, is fairly rare.
May 24, 2024
I rarely give 5 stars but I did for this book. I enjoyed the story, the plot and the intermingling of characters. The last book I read I struggled with many things including the conclusion but that wasn't a problem here. It wasn't too gruesome and there were lots of good characters many helping one another. I saw one reviewer say that they had worked out the killer early.I didn't until close to the obvious so I will take the previous reviewer as a guesser. The decision by the author to take Slater and Norman down a different path (as ex police officers) I thought was a bold move but it has worked out well and I look forward to reading the next book.
We do, of course, have to deal with the usual numpty police officers and as many of my reviews will indicate i do find that annoying. If they get their comeuppance that is fine but sometimes it seems to take a few books before they do.
We do, of course, have to deal with the usual numpty police officers and as many of my reviews will indicate i do find that annoying. If they get their comeuppance that is fine but sometimes it seems to take a few books before they do.
April 10, 2022
I actually guessed who the murder was!
But not until a couple of chapters before it was revealed! What a fantastic read! Fast paced,kept me intrigued throughout the book. And I laughed my butt of a few times. Its everything rolled in to one! But definitely not a cozy mystery, I read somewhere it was. I don't agree, it was a police procedural run by two ex cops who are now PI's. And I highly recommend this one. It might even be the best so far in the series!
I would like to add, after reading the reviews, that I am from the US, but my father and family emigrated here when he was 17. So I got used to much of the lingo, and remember it even 45 years later. BUT, there are sayings and slang that I didn't remember, or never heard. I find that if you type the word in Google Search, it will give you the definition! Problem solved!
But not until a couple of chapters before it was revealed! What a fantastic read! Fast paced,kept me intrigued throughout the book. And I laughed my butt of a few times. Its everything rolled in to one! But definitely not a cozy mystery, I read somewhere it was. I don't agree, it was a police procedural run by two ex cops who are now PI's. And I highly recommend this one. It might even be the best so far in the series!
I would like to add, after reading the reviews, that I am from the US, but my father and family emigrated here when he was 17. So I got used to much of the lingo, and remember it even 45 years later. BUT, there are sayings and slang that I didn't remember, or never heard. I find that if you type the word in Google Search, it will give you the definition! Problem solved!
July 7, 2025
After resigning as a detective with the Tinton police, Dave Slater has to figure out what to do next. His old friend Norman Norman has a proposal for him: Why don't the two get together again and set up shop as private investigators?
While they consider that possibility, Norman has a pro bono case for them. A homeless man, a military veteran, had recently died under suspicious circumstances shortly after having a kidney removed. Since the police don't have the time or inclination to investigate, they look into it on their own. Things soon get more complicated when another homeless man is killed. Working together again proves to be therapeutic for the two retired detectives. This is another solid entry in a good series.
While they consider that possibility, Norman has a pro bono case for them. A homeless man, a military veteran, had recently died under suspicious circumstances shortly after having a kidney removed. Since the police don't have the time or inclination to investigate, they look into it on their own. Things soon get more complicated when another homeless man is killed. Working together again proves to be therapeutic for the two retired detectives. This is another solid entry in a good series.
April 26, 2020
Nice mystery
Even tho this is the first I've read in the series I'm glad it can be read as a single story. It does make me want to read the others. Page turning mystery just when you think it's going one way or flips to a while new turn. In fact a few turns ...very good read.
Only thing wrong I found were a few grammar slips a word missing in the text or the wrong word in spots. Nothing of the spelling as I know English is different than American spelling . Still a worthy read .
Even tho this is the first I've read in the series I'm glad it can be read as a single story. It does make me want to read the others. Page turning mystery just when you think it's going one way or flips to a while new turn. In fact a few turns ...very good read.
Only thing wrong I found were a few grammar slips a word missing in the text or the wrong word in spots. Nothing of the spelling as I know English is different than American spelling . Still a worthy read .
August 22, 2023
Good story line, but enough on the kidding around.
I wish Norm wasn't such a constant pain in the ass. He doesn't shut up. He seems to think badgering his buddy about his love life is OK, but, it's not. It's not even realistic to expect a guy to do that to his best buddy. I think in the future he needs to tone it down a lot. It wastes a lot of time and I just skip over the nonsense. The story line is quite good if it weren't for all the ridiculous bickering between Norm and Slater.
I wish Norm wasn't such a constant pain in the ass. He doesn't shut up. He seems to think badgering his buddy about his love life is OK, but, it's not. It's not even realistic to expect a guy to do that to his best buddy. I think in the future he needs to tone it down a lot. It wastes a lot of time and I just skip over the nonsense. The story line is quite good if it weren't for all the ridiculous bickering between Norm and Slater.
April 26, 2020
Quite a good story
This book proved to be well written, the plot was a very good one, the setting and social lives of half of the characters was
Really interesting as was the portrayal of police work. Only downside for me was a small amount of swearing and blasphemy and the odd proof reading error. Well worth a read if you can put up with those things. I really liked Norman and slater.
This book proved to be well written, the plot was a very good one, the setting and social lives of half of the characters was
Really interesting as was the portrayal of police work. Only downside for me was a small amount of swearing and blasphemy and the odd proof reading error. Well worth a read if you can put up with those things. I really liked Norman and slater.
December 14, 2020
Mystery with humor
Slater & Norman are two coppers that are different from one another yet the same. They seek the bad guys, sometimes stumbling along the way. That's where the author adds the humor. I loved it! The plot twisted & turned and I had no idea who the culprit was until S & N exposed whodunit! Another great side to the author's credit-no profanity not gratuitous graphic sex. Just the tale. I will be checking out some more of his S & N novels!
Slater & Norman are two coppers that are different from one another yet the same. They seek the bad guys, sometimes stumbling along the way. That's where the author adds the humor. I loved it! The plot twisted & turned and I had no idea who the culprit was until S & N exposed whodunit! Another great side to the author's credit-no profanity not gratuitous graphic sex. Just the tale. I will be checking out some more of his S & N novels!
April 20, 2020
In Tinton when a homeless man, Morgan, is burnt to death in a skip the police believe it to me accident. Ex-dectives Slater and Norman are not convinced, but they are also looking for a missing homeless man, Ryan. Without the resources of the police behind them can they really expect to solve the case.
An interesting and enjoyable crime story
An interesting and enjoyable crime story
Read
April 21, 2020It is refreshing to read a book that the author doesn't have to use a lot of profanity to sell their books. I look forward to reading more from this author. It was very a good plot and held my attention to the end. I thought three people were the killer and of course wanted to believe Coulter did it. NOT!!!!!!!! I won't tell you who.....read it!!
May 12, 2020
Having read the first three books in this series, I decided I wanted this one when it was offered at a very low price on Amazon. I was not disappointed. This is a character-driven story as much of the story involves the personalities of the main characters Norman Norman and Dave Slater. The mystery concerns the deaths of homeless men, the first of whom had had a kidney removed.
May 22, 2020
Fun and a surprise ending.
This is a new author for me. Delightfully surprised and a very interesting bunch of characters. I found the slight humor between two friends and former co-workers the main reasons the book was so good. If you enjoy a good mystery puzzle then you are at the right place plus the added surprise ending.
This is a new author for me. Delightfully surprised and a very interesting bunch of characters. I found the slight humor between two friends and former co-workers the main reasons the book was so good. If you enjoy a good mystery puzzle then you are at the right place plus the added surprise ending.
September 24, 2020
One of the Best Mysteries Ever!
Ford's creative writing quickly draws readers to an inside view of feelings experienced by people in tough situations. You'll experience highs and lows of every emotion and feel your heart strings tugged. Totally surprised twists make this exceptionally entertaining!
Ford's creative writing quickly draws readers to an inside view of feelings experienced by people in tough situations. You'll experience highs and lows of every emotion and feel your heart strings tugged. Totally surprised twists make this exceptionally entertaining!
April 3, 2021
I love Slater and Norman
These two main characters in this book are perfectly partners having been police previously and now starting to make a new life as private investigators. They are smart and funny and generate a mystery that is enticing and filled with more memorable characters. I really liked the strong mystery and humor and can't wait to read the next story!
These two main characters in this book are perfectly partners having been police previously and now starting to make a new life as private investigators. They are smart and funny and generate a mystery that is enticing and filled with more memorable characters. I really liked the strong mystery and humor and can't wait to read the next story!
July 2, 2022
Really a good story
Book eight was good. Norman and Slater really did great. After Norman retired and Slater quit the police force and came up with the idea of being private investigators, things just fell into place for them. Well written, good humor,and good friends. Well done. Good reading.
Book eight was good. Norman and Slater really did great. After Norman retired and Slater quit the police force and came up with the idea of being private investigators, things just fell into place for them. Well written, good humor,and good friends. Well done. Good reading.
December 21, 2022
Well this is the 4th Slater & Norman in a row that I've read. Do I love them? Not really. They move along but there are silly leaps and inconsistencies that always irritate me. But of the ones I've read this had a better story line. Of course we are now set up to have Goodnews be a constant thorn.
June 3, 2023
When a SAS veteran is found burnt to a crisp in a garbage bin with a kidney missing, Slater goes into overdrive to find out what happened. He's just back from a vacation as he decides what to do with his life after "quitting" the police. More bodies appear and they think it's down to a gangster from London, but then they delve deeper.
July 17, 2024
Best one so far
Good series. Unlike many where the main characters always revert to their starting point so they're ready for the next book there is a real development going on here. New main characters are introduced as well, to replace some who are 'lost.'
This is the best story so far and we are well teed up to go on. But beware anything could happen...to anyone.
Good series. Unlike many where the main characters always revert to their starting point so they're ready for the next book there is a real development going on here. New main characters are introduced as well, to replace some who are 'lost.'
This is the best story so far and we are well teed up to go on. But beware anything could happen...to anyone.
April 22, 2020
A must read
Brilliant. I love the storyline and the characters. What a brilliant book. Fast moving and full of twists and turns. Great read I 'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good crime story.
Brilliant. I love the storyline and the characters. What a brilliant book. Fast moving and full of twists and turns. Great read I 'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good crime story.
April 22, 2020
This was a great story of mystery, sadness and fun.
Great characters and descriptions of life in the streets. Sad happenings, but the story brings in the life between the two detectives for a chuckle now and then. Hard to put down. Loved it.
Great characters and descriptions of life in the streets. Sad happenings, but the story brings in the life between the two detectives for a chuckle now and then. Hard to put down. Loved it.
April 23, 2020
Enjoyable read
This was the first book I read by PF Ford and I want to read the rest. A new partnership of ex policemen, homeless, a career criminal all weaved into a plot that kept me guessing. An interesting read with a good group of characters, I'd certainly recommend.
This was the first book I read by PF Ford and I want to read the rest. A new partnership of ex policemen, homeless, a career criminal all weaved into a plot that kept me guessing. An interesting read with a good group of characters, I'd certainly recommend.
April 23, 2020
Excellent read!
Two buddies, who were police men, decided to go in another direction. They opened up a private investigation firm. Homeless men, were being killed. The sleeves were cut off their shirts also. Why? Who is doing the killing? Surprise ending.
Two buddies, who were police men, decided to go in another direction. They opened up a private investigation firm. Homeless men, were being killed. The sleeves were cut off their shirts also. Why? Who is doing the killing? Surprise ending.
April 25, 2020
A good story and some interesting characters. Some of the characters need a bit more explanation as they must have had a relationship in a previous story but it wasn't clear in this story. It made you want to know more about the main characters and look for the next book.
April 26, 2020
TKD
This is the first time I've read anything by this author which is a bit of a shame as I feel I need to go and get the previous books as I quite enjoyed the characters and would like to know how they got to where they are now.
This is the first time I've read anything by this author which is a bit of a shame as I feel I need to go and get the previous books as I quite enjoyed the characters and would like to know how they got to where they are now.
April 27, 2020
Review of The Kidney Donor
Well here I am again, sneaking out of Sci-Fi, reading a Mystery Novel. Loved the story, cussed the BRitish Slang. Next time Mr. Ford put a glossary in the back for us dumb Yanks. Out of that little hickup, the story and characters were intertaining.
Well here I am again, sneaking out of Sci-Fi, reading a Mystery Novel. Loved the story, cussed the BRitish Slang. Next time Mr. Ford put a glossary in the back for us dumb Yanks. Out of that little hickup, the story and characters were intertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews