Sir, You Bastard

Terry Sneed #1

by G.F. Newman

Written in a quasi-documentary style, this is a police fiction novel featuring British Detective Inspector Terry Sneed: handsome, intelligent, ruthless, and a thief. In this work, he's been caught on the take after 7 years on the job.

Genres: Crime

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Gordon Frank Newman is an English television producer and writer. He is known for his two series Law and Order and The Nation's Health, each based on his books.

Reviews

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story line revolving around a cop on the take, while at the same time bringing down the mob.
An easy read with some pretty tense moments, although in all honesty there is nothing here that is new, but at the time (of publication) may have been quite original.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember my father having this book when I was a child - the cover, once seen, is never forgotten! I now find out that the depiction of the snarling Detective Inspector Terry Sneed is no other than the author GF Newman himself! (The cover shown on Goodreads is different but Google it and you will see what I mean.) Newman is a successful television writer being responsible for the Judge Deed series among others. But what I remember him for, and the reason I sought out this book was the Law and Order TV series. Not the US one or the British rehash of that but the original from 1977. It is hard hitting quality drama far superior to all the glossy US stuff that is all the rage these days. This novel about police corruption is a worthy companion to it. Apparently it is a very accurate depiction of what the CID used to get up to so one can only hope it is different now!

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventies tale of police corruption featuring Terry Sneed, an amoral and ambitious young copper. He blags his way to Detective Inspector at the tender age of 26 by virtue of his native guile and a genuine talent for policing. In doing so it's suggested he loses something of himself, the man subsumed by his job.

This is very much a dry run for Newman's later Law and Order quartet and those of who've seen the films/read the books will find much they recognise here. I think Sneed goes one better than Law and Order's Fred Pyall in his unethical behaviour though with his practice of fitting up random strangers, not just the criminal fraternity, to polish his arrest record - a practice also alluded to in the recent real life Line of Duty documentary Bent Coppers. Newman was writing in 1970 so was well ahead of the game. I gather the novel is regarded as realistic in its depiction of Metropolitan police malpractice. Just goes to show not much has changed. Sneed's adventures continue in two more novels, and the play Operation Bad Apple.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: features DI Terry Sneed: handsome, intelligent, ruthless, and a thief. He's been caught on the take after 7 years on the job.