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Eric Ward #7
The City of London Murder
Please note this book was first published as The Salamander Chill.
DARK DEALINGS IN THE CITY OF LONDON
Eric Ward is still uneasy on the board of merchant bankers Martin & Channing. Their defence against a hostile takeover is pushing the limits of the law.
But Eric soon has problems nearer home: his wife’s colleague is charged with the murder of his fiancée in his London flat. He asks Eric to represent him.
Eric discovers some very interesting facts about the dead woman. Then Eric is called back to London to deal with the takeover gone wrong.
He finds his separate roles intertwining. Can he save his reputation and expose the dark side of London’s financial heart?
DARK DEALINGS IN THE CITY OF LONDON
Eric Ward is still uneasy on the board of merchant bankers Martin & Channing. Their defence against a hostile takeover is pushing the limits of the law.
But Eric soon has problems nearer home: his wife’s colleague is charged with the murder of his fiancée in his London flat. He asks Eric to represent him.
Eric discovers some very interesting facts about the dead woman. Then Eric is called back to London to deal with the takeover gone wrong.
He finds his separate roles intertwining. Can he save his reputation and expose the dark side of London’s financial heart?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
480 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Roy Lewis
174 books74 followersJohn Royston Lewis, who published his fiction under the name Roy Lewis, was a prominent English crime writer who wrote more than 60 novels. He was also a teacher, and he taught Law for 10 years before being appointed as One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Further & Higher Education. He lived in the north of England where many of his novels are set.
Lewis is also the author of several law texts, which he published under the name J.R. Lewis.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Lewis is also the author of several law texts, which he published under the name J.R. Lewis.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 28, 2020
Finance Degree Required
Unless you are very well versed in finance you might want to give this one a miss. The mystery is good, but is a minor incident compared to the financial wheeling and dealing. I know finance well enough and enjoyed the book, but it was first and foremost a story about financial takeovers. The murders were not particularly interesting to most of the characters until it was revealed that one of the financiers was the murderer, and his arrest led to the demise of a takeover defense.
I did like the main characters, Eric Ward and his wife Anne. They did a great job of dealing with their differences. She’s a wealthy, very wealthy, business tycoon and he is a former cop turned lawyer who works with those in the seamier quarters of Quayside in Newcastle. He does occasionally keep company in high finance circles as he did in this book.
Unless you are very well versed in finance you might want to give this one a miss. The mystery is good, but is a minor incident compared to the financial wheeling and dealing. I know finance well enough and enjoyed the book, but it was first and foremost a story about financial takeovers. The murders were not particularly interesting to most of the characters until it was revealed that one of the financiers was the murderer, and his arrest led to the demise of a takeover defense.
I did like the main characters, Eric Ward and his wife Anne. They did a great job of dealing with their differences. She’s a wealthy, very wealthy, business tycoon and he is a former cop turned lawyer who works with those in the seamier quarters of Quayside in Newcastle. He does occasionally keep company in high finance circles as he did in this book.
February 17, 2020
City of London murder
Found the book stodgy there were a few storylines which were only married up towards the end. When all the storylines had been introduced I found myself being dragged through each one but in a disjointed manner one minute we were in the North the next we were in London the next in a meeting and the next in a holding cell the speed of the various pieces of the threads made for a very (I think) complex book when with a little more time devoted to each topic would have made it easier to digest. All in all for the reasons stated I couldn't identify with the characters so was disappointed with this book
Found the book stodgy there were a few storylines which were only married up towards the end. When all the storylines had been introduced I found myself being dragged through each one but in a disjointed manner one minute we were in the North the next we were in London the next in a meeting and the next in a holding cell the speed of the various pieces of the threads made for a very (I think) complex book when with a little more time devoted to each topic would have made it easier to digest. All in all for the reasons stated I couldn't identify with the characters so was disappointed with this book
March 2, 2020
3.5 stars really. A good book with an excellent and clear exposition of financial chicanery. Worth reading just to understand better some of the financial news in the media. One downpoint was the need to try and keep clear in the mind the various characters in two businesses, a bank, and a few external advisers/experts. It looks as if the murderer's identity is easy to guess but just maybe it isn't though the trail of connections was fairly obvious.
January 25, 2024
In "The City of London Murder," Eric Ward continues his endeavours into investing and, soon, his keen mind and observation skills are needed in several investigations. As always, Roy Lewis delivers a meticulously plotted and paced mystery brimming with fascinating characters.
The last two books, "The City of London Murder and "The Shipping Murder," are focused specifically on finance and investment legal issues. I'm curious if this is the direction for the rest of the series.
The last two books, "The City of London Murder and "The Shipping Murder," are focused specifically on finance and investment legal issues. I'm curious if this is the direction for the rest of the series.
April 8, 2020
Another good read in this series.☺
This is a great series,each storyline is very explanatory of the legal work the main character is involved in,this being corporate business and take overs.It is also a thriller interwoven.Plenty goings on and flows.I recommend this book and the whole series,each novel has a good ending and can be read as stand alone's.
This is a great series,each storyline is very explanatory of the legal work the main character is involved in,this being corporate business and take overs.It is also a thriller interwoven.Plenty goings on and flows.I recommend this book and the whole series,each novel has a good ending and can be read as stand alone's.
Read
October 5, 2020Roy Lewis is an accomplished writer, and can be relied upon to present intelligent and interesting story lines consistently. His characters are finely crafted and believable, and each Roy Lewis novel maintains his high standards. This one is no exception, as he offers readers an insight into the seamier side of high finance.
February 23, 2020
Another great story
Another great story by Roy Lewis set in the world of high finance and business. Good strong characters and an interesting plot. All the books in both his series are well worth reading.
Another great story by Roy Lewis set in the world of high finance and business. Good strong characters and an interesting plot. All the books in both his series are well worth reading.
February 9, 2021
Good storyline but a lot of detail in relation to legalities of the case which, for me, distracted from the plot. A number of typos too in the Kindle version which were not present in the other books
June 16, 2021
Four and a half stars from me!
For this reader, this was one of the best in the series so far, with the plotted mystery and the world of high finance very well-balanced in equal measure. Very well-written, as always.
For this reader, this was one of the best in the series so far, with the plotted mystery and the world of high finance very well-balanced in equal measure. Very well-written, as always.
January 28, 2020
I have read all of the Eric Ward mysteries to date. Roy Lewis is one of my favorite authors.
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March 30, 2020Loved the seven books of the series that I have read..enjoyed getting to know the characters
March 1, 2021
Good read
Good read another one read some parts were a little hard to follow as it delves into the business side of buying and trading
Good read another one read some parts were a little hard to follow as it delves into the business side of buying and trading
April 10, 2022
Good read with plenty of twists
November 6, 2023
Didn't understand the business stuff at all. Detective stuff was cool.
June 14, 2023
At bankers Martin and Channing, Eric Ward becomes involved in a hostile takeover bid of the company Salamander. Meanwhile a colleague of his wife has been charged with murder.
Not much of a mystery in this story
Originally published in 1988
Not much of a mystery in this story
Originally published in 1988
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews