I wish to thank Netgalley, the publisher, Random House, and the author, Tony Parsons for the ARC of ”Dead Time”, A DC Max Wolfe Short Story. This short story is set between his first book, “The Murder Bag,” and the second, “The Slaughter Man,” and is listed as 1.5. Having enjoyed reading his first book, I was eager to continue with the series.
The story is set over Christmas and Boxing Day, and we return to his apartment to catch up on Max and his family; his five year old daughter, “Scout” and their red spaniel, “Stan”.
One a.m. Boxing Day, as the snow is falling, DC Max Wolfe looks out his apartment window and sees two men dressed in black with ski-masks dragging a half dead man’s body from a van. Max and his family live over a meat market, in London. After checking on his daughter, Max Calls for backup, and heads downstairs, being the first responding officer on the scene. When Max went into the meat market, while waiting for backup, he was hit by a man impersonating a police officer. And he was not able to prevent a murder.
“Because they had not brought the man here merely to kill him, but also to mince him.”
Max Wolfe is now hunting a gang of killers who decapitate their victims.
Even though Max is not in charge of this investigation, but rather DCI Flashman of New Scotland Yard, he is like a dog with a bone. This killing happened in his neighbourhood…he must protect his daughter at all costs, so he continues to investigate the crime himself.
This is a short read, only fifty pages, but very enjoyable. I now move on to the last book in the series, “The Slaughter Man,” which I am looking forward to see what is in store for Max and his family next.