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Football fever has Harmschapel in its grip. After decades of failure, Harmschapel F.C has made it to the County Cup final. All hopes are resting on the team’s talented new striker Scott Jennings bringing victory to the village, but the match threatens to bring deep-rooted rivalries to the surface.
Detective Sergeant Blake Harte finds himself forced to sit through the tense final in case of any trouble. Though the last thing he expects is to be thrown into the midst of another impossible crime, he and the rest of Harmschapel Police are left baffled when Scott is murdered in the middle of the match.
With none of the other players anywhere near him at the time of his death, and a stadium full of witnesses that all seem as clueless as each other, Blake is left with very little to go on as to how a killer could have left Scott with a deep wound in his side without being seen.
As the suspect list grows, Blake discovers dark secrets that are desperate to remain hidden. And someone is watching him. Someone who knows Blake Harte and everything he holds dear. They have their own score to settle, and they are about to make the first move in a game that they intend for Blake to lose...
Detective Sergeant Blake Harte finds himself forced to sit through the tense final in case of any trouble. Though the last thing he expects is to be thrown into the midst of another impossible crime, he and the rest of Harmschapel Police are left baffled when Scott is murdered in the middle of the match.
With none of the other players anywhere near him at the time of his death, and a stadium full of witnesses that all seem as clueless as each other, Blake is left with very little to go on as to how a killer could have left Scott with a deep wound in his side without being seen.
As the suspect list grows, Blake discovers dark secrets that are desperate to remain hidden. And someone is watching him. Someone who knows Blake Harte and everything he holds dear. They have their own score to settle, and they are about to make the first move in a game that they intend for Blake to lose...
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 19, 2018
Harmschapel is the new Midsomer
This series just keeps getting better and better. I love that they're not incredibly lengthy and drawn out, but move at a really decent pace and keep you guessing. How many murders can one small village have though?
This series just keeps getting better and better. I love that they're not incredibly lengthy and drawn out, but move at a really decent pace and keep you guessing. How many murders can one small village have though?
November 10, 2018
- Review to come
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
June 23, 2020
Great as always with an ending that made me desperately want to run for the next book!
March 26, 2019
I gave this three stars because the author has a good command of English and it reads easily. However, it fails as a murder mystery. The premise is silly, scientifically it fails. It’s just not a great story. The characters are not believable, they’re forced to fit the story. I really can’t recommend it.
March 15, 2019
I appreciated the warning at the beginning of the book that there's a cliffhanger, but...the next book has the same warning. The mystery central to this story is resolved, so I'm guessing that the cliffhanger-warnings are for the Blake-focused ominous overtones...
September 10, 2018
Another mystery solved...
I like reading this series, about all the mysterious death that occurs in Harmschapel, and how Blake Harte goes about solving them. He doesn't let anything or anyone get in his way of finding out the truth, about how someone was murdered. There is another mystery about to happen, and I can't wait to read the next book. This time it's about the landlady's son, Tom, who is plotting something against Blake.
I like reading this series, about all the mysterious death that occurs in Harmschapel, and how Blake Harte goes about solving them. He doesn't let anything or anyone get in his way of finding out the truth, about how someone was murdered. There is another mystery about to happen, and I can't wait to read the next book. This time it's about the landlady's son, Tom, who is plotting something against Blake.
September 3, 2018
Another great mystery!
Blake Harte mysteries have quickly become a huge favorite of mine. And this one did not disappoint. And I knew that Tom guy was up to no good. These books are packed with plots and intrigue. With a few laughs thrown into just the right spots.
Blake Harte mysteries have quickly become a huge favorite of mine. And this one did not disappoint. And I knew that Tom guy was up to no good. These books are packed with plots and intrigue. With a few laughs thrown into just the right spots.
December 2, 2018
Touch was another great addition to the Blake Harte Mysteries series. I don’t really like sports, but this book kept my interested from start to finish. Im looking forward to what comes next for Blake and his crew.
May 1, 2019
3.5*
Seemed very quick this time.
Not much of Harrison.
New PC in the office causing ructions.
Football fever with an odd murder and a more conventional one.
and at the end a tipsy Blake and a whiff of trouble to come!
I like this series but should be read in order
Seemed very quick this time.
Not much of Harrison.
New PC in the office causing ructions.
Football fever with an odd murder and a more conventional one.
and at the end a tipsy Blake and a whiff of trouble to come!
I like this series but should be read in order
December 5, 2025
Really funny in ways it's probably not trying to be. Mystery is pretty good, fun and decently complex for its length. The entire cast is completely insane, which is a plus for me. Only downside is the undercooked romance and all of Blake's subordinates acting like teenagers.
August 7, 2018
Brilliantly entertaining as usual.
August 8, 2018
👍 ANOTHER INTRIGUING MYSTERY!
👏 Robert Innes has done it again! He has created another intriguing mystery for his BLAKE HARTE MYSTERIES series. 🔍
👏 Robert Innes has done it again! He has created another intriguing mystery for his BLAKE HARTE MYSTERIES series. 🔍
August 12, 2018
Touch
I love this series and that ending, I did not love lol. I love how twisted the author’s mind is to come up with these storylines!
I love this series and that ending, I did not love lol. I love how twisted the author’s mind is to come up with these storylines!
November 24, 2018
Great book
Can't wait for the next book to be out. Hurry up Bobby and write #9 as fast as your gigantic brain can come up with a new mysterious plot
Can't wait for the next book to be out. Hurry up Bobby and write #9 as fast as your gigantic brain can come up with a new mysterious plot
December 2, 2018
One of my favourites!
Another great book in this series, the story is well written and paced and I love the characters. After reading the last page I can't wait for the next one!
Another great book in this series, the story is well written and paced and I love the characters. After reading the last page I can't wait for the next one!
January 22, 2020
Another conundrum-type murder/mystery from Innes - probably not as intriguing as some of his earlier offerings.
March 8, 2020
Not a sports fan but didn't see it coming.
July 27, 2024
Fast read, good underlaying story, another step forward for Blake and Harrison, and a nice little mystery solved on the side. Good fun.
August 18, 2018
Awesome
What a story, like all books by Robert Innes, I find hard to put down once I start reading, a great writer to be able to baffle a reader as to who dunnit 10/10
What a story, like all books by Robert Innes, I find hard to put down once I start reading, a great writer to be able to baffle a reader as to who dunnit 10/10
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews