Underneath The Arches

Tommy Fox #6

by Graham Ison

Led by Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Fox, the Flying Squad is watching over a repository of stolen property underneath some railway arches in Lambeth. Arriving to lodge the proceeds of yet another robbery, a pair of thieves discover the body of a young woman. And so a simple robbery case becomes a murder investigation.

Aproaching the case in his usual unorthodox way, Fox has to contend not only with the familiar catalogue of villainy but also with two complaints that have been against him – these being investigated by the unbending and humourless Commander Willow of the Uniform branch. Pawnbrokers, photographers, an oil executive, big-businessmen and charity workers all come under Fox’s suspicion. Aided by the loyal yet often perplexed officers under his charge, Fox tries to discover the link between stolen goods and a seemingly random murder. And in the course of his enquiries, he also manages to get rather close to a young female member of the nobility. But then, Fox always did have a discerning eye…

With obstacles continuously strewn in his path, will Fox’s unconventional way of working be enough to resolve the mystery of the body underneath the arches?

In this cynical and witty, fast-moving mystery, Graham Ison sets the bar high for a perfectly executed police investigation.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

During Graham Ison's thirty-year career in Scotland Yard's Special Branch he was involved in several espionage cases and the investigation into the escape of the spy George Blake. He spent four years at 10 Downing Street as Protection Officer to two Prime Ministers and also served as second-in-command of the Diplomatic Protection Group.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 – 3.5 Stars

Underneath the Arches is the sixth book in the Tommy Fox Series by Graham Ison. I had this pop up as a recommendation and as I love a good British Detective story, I snapped up the series (as a box set) and set off to investigate.
This is a crime and investigation mystery series, with suspense, cops & robbers, conmen, villains, killers, forgers & fraudsters, heists, intrigue, crime rings, drug smuggling rings, a whodunnit feel, old school gangsters, obstacles, challenges, humour, banter, colourful quirky characters, action, drama, and more.
There are a LOT of characters to keep track of in each book, so that somewhat confuses things... And the stories are a little dated in the portrayal of cultural issues, societal norms, and the available technologies (or lack thereof) etc- as the books were written in the early 1990’s and a LOT has changed since then. But the crimes, and the subsequent investigations still made for a good read, but definitely not as ‘thrilling’ as I was hoping for.
We follow Scotland Yard Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Fox in all his unorthodox, witty, sharp, cynical, contrary ways — as throughout all the investigations he treats police procedure, regulations, and the law with his usual disdain- getting the job done (his way) nonetheless...…
Happy Reading…

Thank you, Graham Ison!

[NRVOUTDOORSMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of his best

A cracking good police procedural. Ison has the "ear" needed to capture thieves' slang and the writing skill to make it sound natural. Tommy Fox is a three dimensional protagonist with panache and smarts. Good one!