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Monika Paniatowski #8
Supping with the Devil
Monika Paniatowski's boss is trying to destroy her career, but the dead end case he assigns her turns out to be something else entirely...
DCI Monika Paniatowski recognises her latest assignment as advisor to the Earl of Ridley's rock festival for what it really is an attempt by the chief constable to destroy her career. Yet it soon becomes apparent that matters are not as simple as they appear. Why, for instance, did the earl choose to employ the notorious Devil s Disciples motorcycle gang to provide the security for the festival? And to what lengths will his mother, the dowager countess, go to destroy it? But it is when the half-naked body of a tabloid journalist is discovered in the middle of Whitebridge that things really start to hot up.
DCI Monika Paniatowski recognises her latest assignment as advisor to the Earl of Ridley's rock festival for what it really is an attempt by the chief constable to destroy her career. Yet it soon becomes apparent that matters are not as simple as they appear. Why, for instance, did the earl choose to employ the notorious Devil s Disciples motorcycle gang to provide the security for the festival? And to what lengths will his mother, the dowager countess, go to destroy it? But it is when the half-naked body of a tabloid journalist is discovered in the middle of Whitebridge that things really start to hot up.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
24 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Sally Spencer
81 books152 followersA pseudonym used by Alan Rustage.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 31, 2014
I am so glad to learn that there are so many novels already available from Sally Spencer, because if this book is anything to go by I will definitely be searching out more to read from this author. As you know by now, this is my first Spencer novel and it made a great impression on me. I love reading mysteries, but very seldom do I come across a group of main characters that are so fully developed. In fact, some of the situations two of these characters found themselves in were shocking to me and definitely went beyond where most authors want to take their main individuals. It was actually quite intriguing to read something presented in a different way.
DCI Monika Paniatowski is still trying to deal with the adverse career fallout resulting from a personal relationship with her boss which ended when a tragedy occurred. Chief Constable Baxter still wants Monika off his force but he has no grounds for firing her. Instead he has now assigned her to work in a situation where she will have no authority as a police officer at all at a rock concert on private grounds at Stamford Hall, the home of the de Courtney family. All arrangements for the concert have been arranged by the earl or his estate manager, even down to hiring security for the event in the form of the Devil's Disciples, a motorcycle gang. After all, this concert is all about peace and love and understanding your fellow man. Back at the police station a replacement has arrived for Monika's position and he seems to be settling himself in very comfortably. Her team isn't allowed to give him much of an appraisal period before a murder is discovered.
There were various plot lines taking place simultaneously and I had begun to wonder how the author was going to make them come anywhere close to each other. In the end she did a really good job of making it all come together in a perfectly reasonable way. This novel was harsher in some areas, more gritty in others than I find in most police procedurals. What it absolutely was for me was completely entertaining.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
DCI Monika Paniatowski is still trying to deal with the adverse career fallout resulting from a personal relationship with her boss which ended when a tragedy occurred. Chief Constable Baxter still wants Monika off his force but he has no grounds for firing her. Instead he has now assigned her to work in a situation where she will have no authority as a police officer at all at a rock concert on private grounds at Stamford Hall, the home of the de Courtney family. All arrangements for the concert have been arranged by the earl or his estate manager, even down to hiring security for the event in the form of the Devil's Disciples, a motorcycle gang. After all, this concert is all about peace and love and understanding your fellow man. Back at the police station a replacement has arrived for Monika's position and he seems to be settling himself in very comfortably. Her team isn't allowed to give him much of an appraisal period before a murder is discovered.
There were various plot lines taking place simultaneously and I had begun to wonder how the author was going to make them come anywhere close to each other. In the end she did a really good job of making it all come together in a perfectly reasonable way. This novel was harsher in some areas, more gritty in others than I find in most police procedurals. What it absolutely was for me was completely entertaining.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
December 4, 2014
First Sentence: The weathermen said it was going to be the hottest summer for fifty years, and on all the available evidence so far, they were right.
DCI Monika Paniatowski has a boss who is determined to ruin her career. Her latest assignment takes her away from her team and places her as a security advisor for the rock festival being put on by the Earl of Ridley. But she’s only allowed in the house, whereas security for the grounds and even are being handled by the Devil’s Disciples motorcycle gang. Things change when the body of a tabloid journalist is found.
Sally Spencer is a prolific author of three mystery series. Monika Paniatowski was first introduced to us in the 5th Charlie Woodend book, “The Golden Mile to Murder.” That said, it’s not necessary to have read that, or any of the previous books in this series as Spencer is very adept at giving us all the background we need to know about the characters within each book. This is a wonderful skill as new readers don’t feel they’ve missed anything. It is nice to see the way the series are somewhat blended as Woodend did make an appearance in this book.
Monika is something of a tough character to like, but there are good reasons for that, of which we learn. Even so, she is respected and appreciated by her team. All except for DCI Wellbeloved, who is anything but. That is balanced out by DS Meadows who is sharp, tough and has an interesting background of her own. If you like a badass, female cop, you’ll love Meadows.
The story has very good plot twists. Spencer is very good at the unexpected, at the same time presenting a strong, accurate perspective on the issues with which career women have had to deal; both in the 70s and today.
“Supping with the Devil’ is filled with excellent twists, turns and revelations. Spencer has become one of my favorite authors.
SUPPING WITH THE DEVIL (Pol Proc-DCI Monika Panatowsk-England-Contemp-1976) – G+
Spencer, Sally (aka Alan Rustage) – 8th in series
Severn House, 2014
DCI Monika Paniatowski has a boss who is determined to ruin her career. Her latest assignment takes her away from her team and places her as a security advisor for the rock festival being put on by the Earl of Ridley. But she’s only allowed in the house, whereas security for the grounds and even are being handled by the Devil’s Disciples motorcycle gang. Things change when the body of a tabloid journalist is found.
Sally Spencer is a prolific author of three mystery series. Monika Paniatowski was first introduced to us in the 5th Charlie Woodend book, “The Golden Mile to Murder.” That said, it’s not necessary to have read that, or any of the previous books in this series as Spencer is very adept at giving us all the background we need to know about the characters within each book. This is a wonderful skill as new readers don’t feel they’ve missed anything. It is nice to see the way the series are somewhat blended as Woodend did make an appearance in this book.
Monika is something of a tough character to like, but there are good reasons for that, of which we learn. Even so, she is respected and appreciated by her team. All except for DCI Wellbeloved, who is anything but. That is balanced out by DS Meadows who is sharp, tough and has an interesting background of her own. If you like a badass, female cop, you’ll love Meadows.
The story has very good plot twists. Spencer is very good at the unexpected, at the same time presenting a strong, accurate perspective on the issues with which career women have had to deal; both in the 70s and today.
“Supping with the Devil’ is filled with excellent twists, turns and revelations. Spencer has become one of my favorite authors.
SUPPING WITH THE DEVIL (Pol Proc-DCI Monika Panatowsk-England-Contemp-1976) – G+
Spencer, Sally (aka Alan Rustage) – 8th in series
Severn House, 2014
October 14, 2019
The events make me wonder what the background of Sgt. Meadows is.
September 5, 2021
Baxter is trying to get rid of Monika but she has put together an awesome team. Dc meadows - was so good to expand on her. She is a tough cookie!
June 25, 2022
Always enjoy following Monica and her team. They are an odd mix of characters but they are friends and good detectives who work hard to solve murders. Also enjoy the bit of humour.
July 4, 2023
Love Monica and her team!
There’s never a dull moment. All the characters are unique and the twists and turns are addicting! Can’t wait for the next read.
There’s never a dull moment. All the characters are unique and the twists and turns are addicting! Can’t wait for the next read.
May 28, 2025
Not quite as good as previous books in the series. Less suspense, but I kept going and hope the next series book makes up for it!
May 16, 2022
Great police procedural series…This book has particularly difficult themes & some readers may find theme too disturbing. The earliest chapters introduce these issues. I almost set the book aside despite knowing some of the long term outcomes for recurring characters. That said, I did finish the book… It was an intense read that offered background & continuity between the previous book in the series & those that followed. Well written but not a book I’ll read again.
July 15, 2014
This is the first book I’ve read by Sally Spencer but it won’t be the last. Set in the nineteen seventies, the plot is centred round a rock festival held in the grounds of a stately home. DCI Monika Paniatowski has enemies within her own force and as a result she has been side lined and allocated the non-job of adviser on security issues to the rock festival. When the corpse of a journalist is discovered and Monika is excluded from the investigation she feels totally frustrated – but what if she could somehow solve the murder while not being part of the investigation?
This is an interesting and well plotted story, with several strands to it and with plenty of humour and some marvellous scenes with the biker gang – the Devil’s Disciples – the least likely security guards in the business. I found Monika’s backstory quite confusing at times and it is probably better to read the series in order than start with this one – the eighth book in the series. I think she is an interesting character and I thought the other police characters were interesting too – especially DS Kate Meadows. I thought the portrait of an incompetent manager in the person of Wellbeloved – a misnomer if ever there was one – was very well done.
If you like police procedurals with interesting characters and well-constructed plots then try this series but it is better to start with the first one which is ‘The Dead Hand of History’. I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from NetGalley.
This is an interesting and well plotted story, with several strands to it and with plenty of humour and some marvellous scenes with the biker gang – the Devil’s Disciples – the least likely security guards in the business. I found Monika’s backstory quite confusing at times and it is probably better to read the series in order than start with this one – the eighth book in the series. I think she is an interesting character and I thought the other police characters were interesting too – especially DS Kate Meadows. I thought the portrait of an incompetent manager in the person of Wellbeloved – a misnomer if ever there was one – was very well done.
If you like police procedurals with interesting characters and well-constructed plots then try this series but it is better to start with the first one which is ‘The Dead Hand of History’. I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from NetGalley.
October 3, 2014
Although I usually really enjoy books by author Sally Spencer, this latest book, Supping with The Devil, was not up to her usual standards.
The dialogue was boring and stilted. The plot was very slow, and after reading 28% of the book, I gave up!
The dialogue was boring and stilted. The plot was very slow, and after reading 28% of the book, I gave up!
December 19, 2014
love this series!
April 28, 2015
The series has been quite good and this book continues in the same fashion, although a bit darker in tone. Not the first book in the series one should read.
October 28, 2015
4 stars from Betty, who says "This is a little more rough than some. Not a cozy, but really good."
December 12, 2015
Great characters, plot and amusing dialogue.
March 12, 2015
Will be looking for more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews