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Tommy Fox #2
Laundry Man
On Easter Saturday, a policeman is shot attempting to stop a building society robbery.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Fox, head of the Flying Squad at New Scotland Yard and scourge of London’s underworld, gets out from behind his desk and interferes. But there is more to the crime than is at first apparent.
A Cézanne painting has mysteriously disappeared, a supermarket in France is robbed, and a man is murdered. Then Fox and his men get wind of a plan to rob a safe depository.
Fox’s enquiries point to Danny Horsfall, a man who launders stolen money ... a man whose underworld activities have long attracted the keen interest of the police.
Despite facing one of the most difficult challenges of his career and an almost impenetrable international crime ring that leads him from HMP Wormwood Scrubs to Paris and Brussels, meeting drug pushers, crooked art dealers, prostitutes, fraudsters and gun runners, Fox is determined to bring The Laundry Man to justice.
Horsfall, however, has been careful to cover his tracks — weapons are hidden, women are coerced and rivals are silenced. In his world, danger is commonplace and loyalty is rare. Beneath the light-hearted banter of the Flying Squad, everyone knows that in real crime real people get hurt ...
Praise for Graham Ison...
‘A fast-paced pro’s job with a surprise murderer cleverly held in the wings until near curtain-fall.’ - John Coleman, Sunday Times
‘Another solid police procedural from Ison’ - Kirkus Reviews
‘A neat job of police work and people so interesting you’ll want to race through…’ - Kirkus Reviews
‘Witty repartee rules in this procedural’ - Kirkus Reviews
About the author...
Graham Ison was born and brought up in Surrey. The son of an artist, and the grandson of a composer, he served in the army for five years before joining the police. He spent most of his service with the CID at Scotland Yard and between 1967 and 1971 was Personal Protection Officer to Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. After a spell of duty with the Diplomatic Protection Group, he returned to Scotland Yard in 1981 as a detective chief superintendent. He retired at this rank in 1986 and now lives in Hampshire.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Fox, head of the Flying Squad at New Scotland Yard and scourge of London’s underworld, gets out from behind his desk and interferes. But there is more to the crime than is at first apparent.
A Cézanne painting has mysteriously disappeared, a supermarket in France is robbed, and a man is murdered. Then Fox and his men get wind of a plan to rob a safe depository.
Fox’s enquiries point to Danny Horsfall, a man who launders stolen money ... a man whose underworld activities have long attracted the keen interest of the police.
Despite facing one of the most difficult challenges of his career and an almost impenetrable international crime ring that leads him from HMP Wormwood Scrubs to Paris and Brussels, meeting drug pushers, crooked art dealers, prostitutes, fraudsters and gun runners, Fox is determined to bring The Laundry Man to justice.
Horsfall, however, has been careful to cover his tracks — weapons are hidden, women are coerced and rivals are silenced. In his world, danger is commonplace and loyalty is rare. Beneath the light-hearted banter of the Flying Squad, everyone knows that in real crime real people get hurt ...
Praise for Graham Ison...
‘A fast-paced pro’s job with a surprise murderer cleverly held in the wings until near curtain-fall.’ - John Coleman, Sunday Times
‘Another solid police procedural from Ison’ - Kirkus Reviews
‘A neat job of police work and people so interesting you’ll want to race through…’ - Kirkus Reviews
‘Witty repartee rules in this procedural’ - Kirkus Reviews
About the author...
Graham Ison was born and brought up in Surrey. The son of an artist, and the grandson of a composer, he served in the army for five years before joining the police. He spent most of his service with the CID at Scotland Yard and between 1967 and 1971 was Personal Protection Officer to Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. After a spell of duty with the Diplomatic Protection Group, he returned to Scotland Yard in 1981 as a detective chief superintendent. He retired at this rank in 1986 and now lives in Hampshire.
- GenresFiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
36 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Graham Ison
53 books20 followersDuring 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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 29, 2024
I enjoyed this book though it wasn't a thriller type that I couldn't put down. It showed the ins and outs of detective work guided by a 'perfect' detective (dress smart, arrogant, commanding full loyalty, wide knowledge base, good contact (both in under- and over-world)). The book didn't follow the usual format of a detective story but who cares ... I learnt a bit along the way.
April 23, 2024
3 – 3.5 Stars
The Laundry Man is the second 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!
The Laundry Man is the second 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!
July 6, 2017
I received an eARC from thHardboiled-ish British crime story; extremely cinematic in its description and dialogue (there are lots of "old sons" and "sod yous" to go around). The reader can easily imagine DCI Fox heaving his well-dressed shoulders through London, set to an funky and obscure bit of '70s white guy soul, in a Guy Ritchie film. So, if you enjoy that kind of movie, this should be right up your alley. My only criticism is the sheer numbers of villains on offer here as, by the ending to this briskly paced novel, the strings holding them together are a bit confusing. A very fun time.
e publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
e publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2018
Tommy 2 is a better outing for Fox. While he seems more of a person, so less of a caricature, he's got his quirks: lying to villains [be they incarcerated or on the loose] is a good, if not certain, way to get them to tell you the truth; when faced with a complicated problem assign some underling to solve it by telling them to 'go among them' ie the baddies, with an airy wave, and sure to be told, the next paragraph has the solution. Still, definitely a better read, which nonetheless leaves you wondering how Tommy funds his dashing duds.
May 25, 2017
Thank you Net Galley. I loved this book. A well written police procedural with plenty of humor. Wonderful. Highly recommended.
May 8, 2019
Murder and fraud. A Tommy Fox mystery.
Tommy Fox of the Flying Squad investigates a murder and fraud. Written with insight of police procedures and great wit. An enjoyable read.
Tommy Fox of the Flying Squad investigates a murder and fraud. Written with insight of police procedures and great wit. An enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews