An Unsafe Pair of Hands

by Chris Dolley

Peter Shand is the 'safe pair of hands' - a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he's thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman's body is discovered in an old stone circle - with another woman buried alive beneath her.

The pressure on Shand is enormous.The media is clamoring for answers, but everything about the case is baffling. Then a local journalist singles out Shand as the reason for the lack of progress, and goads him at a press conference. Shand responds by inventing a lead, andkeeps on lying - to the press, his boss, his team - telling himself that he'll solve the case before anyone finds out. And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?

Shand begins to doubt his ability. He's desperate, increasingly unpredictable, pursued by an amorous psychic, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock. Which will break first? The case, or Shand? Chris Dolley is a New York Times best-selling author.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature

Audible Audio

First published June 27, 2011

About the author

New York Times bestselling author, pioneer computer game designer and teenage freedom fighter. That was back in 1974 when Chris was tasked with publicising Plymouth’s Student Rag Week. Some people might have arranged an interview with the local newspaper. Chris invaded the country next door, created the Free Cornish Army and persuaded the UK media that Cornwall had risen up and declared independence. This was later written up in Punch. As he told journalists at the time, ‘it was only a small country and I did give it back.’

In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games. Not to mention writing the most aggressive chess program ever seen and inventing the most dangerous game ever played — the Giant Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum Cliff Top Relay.

He writes SF, fantasy, mystery and humour. His novel, Resonance, was the first book to be chosen from Baen’s electronic slush pile.

Now he lives a self-sufficient lifestyle in deepest France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, tracking down bank accounts and faxes and interviewing bar staff. It was a mystery writer’s dream.

The resulting book, French Fried: one man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, is now an international bestseller.

Reviews

[Laura Belgrave · Rating 4 out of 5]

British author Chris Dolley's novel, what I would describe as a "police procedural," is one of the best I've read in years. Not only does he launch his story with a wonderfully imaginative and unexpected murder twist, but he's created a main character who would seem almost the least fitting to solve the crime. It isn't that the protagonist, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Shand, doesn't have experience. It's just that his experience (until now) has been as an administrator. For him, the pressure is on. Toward the very end, I wondered about one particular character who, in my mind, MIGHT have been a suspect. Turned out I was right, but I'm not about to tell anyone that and spoil the journey. Just know this: It's guaranteed that if you read the first chapter alone, you will NOT easily put this book down.

[Sean Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I positively howled with laughter when Shand was telling Wiggins about Satan. The whole book possessed a superb flavour of whimsy but I couldn't contain myself by this point, even though I'd been chuckling and chortling at bits before, that was the breaking point when I literally put the book down and found myself roaring. A book hasn't done that to me for some considerable time. Shand is just top notch, and I can honestly say that this is such a different milieu to either Shift or Resonance that I can't wait to read the rest of Dolley's work to see just what I've been missing out on.

[Pat K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me much longer to finish than my average read. I didn’t find the bumbling detective funny or charming in any way. The “coincidence” of multiple characters having the same name was annoying, particularly with not only their first namesGabe/ Gabriel, being the same, but the similarities of the surnames, March/ Marchant being silly. The similarities continued throughout with Anne/Annabel.
The constant repetition of the detective’s flawed thought process made the book drag. As I write this, I am wondering why I gave it a 3 instead of a 2. I think it scraped a 3 because it held my attention enough that I actually finished it.

[Barth Siemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Shand has a reputation as a careful, competent, and informed detective - a safe pair of hands. In order to fast track his career, he has accepted a safe, one-year post as a DCI in the "quietest, most crime-free corner of the country." But his first case is anything but quiet. And DCI Shand is shocked at the risky actions that he will entertain to solve the case and save his career.

I gave up sleep so that I could read to the surprising and satisfying ending. I laughed out loud in public in response to the quirky plot twists. An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley is a masterful addition to the British mystery genre. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Ana Menendez-tuckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise for a $2 bargain that I brought through BookBub. The detective's comical brushes with press disasters were actually very credible. I look forward to read more from him

[Margaret Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

DCI Fun!

I had so much fun reading this book! DCI Shand is the polar opposite of another DCI featured in a totally different series I’ve enjoyed by a totally different author, and the automatic comparison in my mind to “Ryan” made this book even more fun. Some of the misdirections in this mystery are due to a very clever murder. Other missteps in solving the case are because this DCI is less than perfect. Some of the characters were well-fleshed out and multi-dimensional, and I would like to meet them again in a series of books. Some characters were charicatures, but they fit the story. There were funny parts, and heartfelt parts, and a worthwhile theme.

[Paula R. C. Readman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I like the characters. I found them engaging. The plot line was interesting and a bit different. The only thing that let it down for me was that the author didn’t quite pull of the supernatural elements he had tried to add.
What I mean is although the characters were led to believe dark force were at work what with the stone circles etc. I felt the author need to work a bit hard at writing a tighter plot line.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it had many humorous moments, and it was a compelling enough mystery to keep me engaged. On the other hand, the protagonist seemed to make SO MANY bad decisions and acted so irrationally that it was hard to accept that he was the respected expert he was purported to be. It ended strong, but there was quite a draggy middle section of the book before getting there.

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read written by someone with a good sense of humor to throw into the story. I enjoyed the detective, as he bumbles his way literally into and through a murder investigation. I loved the quirky village full of strange and sometimes delightful characters. The midnight riders was an interesting subplot. Good writing. I hope there are more.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though parts were, admittedly, chuckle-worthy, the pace of this book was plodding. Too many foot and car races. Too many leaps to conclusions with convoluted logic. So a lot of eye-rolling was going on on my part.

[Pennie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real puzzler!

Great mystery! This one will stump the most astute puzzle solver. I recommend this book very highly. A must read!

[Ian Ampleford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good plot with some lovely touches including the psychic medium. A few laughs along the way. I felt that the policeman with the tortured personal relationship was derivative and unnecessary.

[Margaret Fast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot and characters. Protagonist potentially likeable but needs to lose at least half of his irritating traits. Pace often painfully slow.

[Kathy Mitchell]

I loved it! Exciting twists and turns and very amusing in parts! I can't wait to read more of Chris Dolley.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

A fun read, albeit a bit long, it was thoroughly fun and a good mystery, although I did guess, more or less who dun it early on, I never got bored :). Good fun and light!

[Joe Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Peter Shand was transferred from his area of expertise as a desk pilot at London headquarters where he had been capably administrating and training personnel for fifteen years. His boss assured him that it was essential to garner some field experience for promotion eligibility and promised that he would find him a billet in the most crime-free corner of the country saying "one year as a DCI in the sticks and you'll be back on the fast track. Chief constable within ten years." Now, his second day on the new job and he is dispatched to investigate his very first homicide. It is a doozie! Field work is much different from the relaxed atmosphere typical of the training environment where he excelled. On the case, public outcry, hounding newsmen, political considerations added pressure he had never had to deal with in the past. Shand found himself riddled with self doubt and fear of failure, something that he hadn't experienced since his rookie days. He finds himself jumping between leads and forming progressively unlikely suppositions. Every new lead has him changing priorities and straining the confidence of his team. Shand struggled through his self doubts and conflicting leads, trusting his team to separate the wheat from the chaff. This is a compelling mystery that will keep the reader guessing along with DCI Shand. I rushed through it in one fast read becoming just as confused as Shand. Thankfully, the story resolved in a satisfactory conclusion. The twists along the way and deliberate confounding of clues contributed to the enjoyment of this story. I recommend it as an entry into the procedural aspect of English criminal investigation. The description of "Village Life" with gardens, manors, hedges, pubs and the characters that populated the story was well worth the visit. Treat yourselves to a trip away from home!

[Sue Munson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but slow going

Set in a small, town a couple of hours out of London, this is part cozy mystery and part police procedural. Lots of red herrings and a quick wrap up at the end -- not much to lead a reader to the solution before the main character, who is quite flawed. And I found those flaws distracting, although I expect the author intended them to be comic relief. Detective Shand is portrayed as a bit of a "sad sack," whose marriage appears to be on the rocks just as he is assigned to his first case, a murder. He seems desperate to solve the case and regain his wife's love and respect. He does solve the case, but the marriage issues are not resolved. Perhaps that will be a continuing thread in successive books. My gut feeling was that he needs to "man up," meet the marriage issues head on and move on. Otherwise, the character becomes weaker and somewhat pathetic.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

murder mystery, police procedural
Contemporary novel which takes place in a small village three hours outside of London. The chief investigator (Peter Shand) recently arrived from a desk job in London for a years contract, which would look good on his resume, and hopefully put him on the fast track to promotion. This was the plan, anyway. Then murders, missing persons, feuds between locals and newcomers, psychics, and tabloid journalists kept getting in his way.
This has lots of leads, many of them false, interesting characters, and so much wit. Peter has an inner dialogue that is hilarious. I found it a little slow in the beginning, and was left wanting to know more about Peter and his problematic marraige. I would certainly read a followup book.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually deserves a 3.5 stars and I considered giving it a 4, but it really comes into the Good Read category, the sort of thing that is an excellent book to take on holiday or read for relaxation.

DCI Shand has just been given his first murder case. Though he has lots of experience of murder, it's all theoretical, lecturing about past cases after he's had plenty of time to pore over the evidence. Now he has to solve a murder in real time.

The rural setting inevitably invites comparisons with Midsomer Murders, but this stands up very well. The plot twists and turns, evidence is gathered, theories are thought up and then discarded and the denoument is suitably surprising.

[Jennifer Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Medium Dead and Magical Crimes and almost swallowed my tongue laughing. This new detective Peter Shand is just as great. Dolley gives great Brit humor, great twisty mystery, and he doesn't neglect the relationship angle in favor of gore, which is my pet peeve. His women matter. I'm hoping there are more Peter Shand stories coming! (Of course I'm also hoping for more of the characters from Medium Dead, but I'll stop whining now.)

[Tom Slama · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like the main character. I didn't care for the pace of the book. I thought the action meandered about and was written more to confuse the reader than to explore possibilities. And the reader mispronounced so many words it was amazing. I usually give British readers a pass because of the differences between English and American pronunciations. But this guy was altogether an American english speaker and had an excessive number of mistakes that took me directly out of the story.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style and character of this book - I hope there are more with the same protagonist. He's an administrator who is trying to break into fieldwork, and the difference between theory and practice are often comical for the reader and usually frustrating for the character. The truth is revealed in a very organic way and full of surprises.

[Bigal-sa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read and extremely funny in places. The only thing that stopped me from giving it five stars is that a lot is left hanging, for instance I'm still at a loss as to whodunit, especially after the final letter...

[Rick Saylors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. A lot of false positives before the solution

I enjoyed the book. The main character is interesting and a bit flawed. There are many red herrings, perhaps too many.

[linda k. price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

I never would have guessed the outcome. Hope the author writes more who run it books. I will definitely read them.

[Katie Markham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too repetitive, the developments in the case were too slow and therefore didn't keep me engaged.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a book of humor or a frivolous cozy mystery, I actually chortled aloud more than once. This protagonist might be my newest favorite. Looking forward to more.

[Chaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Hope there are more (or will be more) starring Peter Shand.

[David Blaylock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking forward to more books in this series.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was amazed and pleased to discover that a really good and interesting mystery can also be very humorous! I truly enjoyed "An Unsafe Pair of Hands" by Chris Dolley. This is the first of his books 📚 that I have read, but I hope to read many more.