Limestone Cowboy

Charlie Priest #9

by Stuart Pawson

Times are good for Yorkshire DI Charlie Priest. His last murder case has been neatly sewn up, the weather is fine, and he has fallen for the charms of Rosie Barraclough, teacher of geology at the local high school. Chasing petty criminals is a low stress occupation, just what Charlie needs, but when two people nearly die after eating contaminated food from a local supermarket the race is on the find the culprit before it becomes a murder hunt. After Rosie learns that Charlie is a detective her feelings for him change, and he discovers that she has a dark secret. A television company is trying to make a film about her story and she cooperates with them, against Charlie’s advice. He promises to help her, but sometimes helping only makes things worse...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Stuart Pawson lived in Fairburn, Yorkshire, with his wife, Doreen.

After a career as a mining electrical engineer, he worked part-time for the probation service for five years, mediating between offenders and their victims. This gave him a good insight into the criminal justice system, and it was during this period that he started to write his first book, The Picasso Scam.

Stuart believed he must have some cowboy genes somewhere in his genome because he always had a strong affinity for the American West. His first visit to the USA was to work for a month at a Wyoming coalmine, and he holidayed over there many times. Although tone-deaf (some would say stone-deaf) he always thought it would be good fun to be a songwriter. The thought of composing a three-minute song as opposed to a 300-page book had a certain attraction. He managed to combine the two themes - song writing and the West - in the opening chapters of Laughing Boy, and he enjoyed writing that one immensely.

Reviews

[MARK D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected

The cruel things people do to each other. The end is a surprise. Not being English or British, reading British murder mysteries teaches me a lot about British culture, history and geography. Being a Czech-German American I've never been that big on Spanish or British American popular history. You don't really get European History in the US. Most of my peers used to assume I was Roman Catholic. They don't know what a Hussite is or think it's some kind of Mennonite or they just think you're white. I don't see people that way. Whatever I read, even if it's a romance novel, I learn something. Good book!

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had put off continuing in the series for a few months, as the last couple of books weren't quite as good as the first few. But Pawson is back on track in this one...or maybe it's just that absence makes the heart grow fonder. DI Charlie Priest is back on form as he plows into several ongoing investigations as well as an old, cold case brought to light by a new lady friend. As always, a nicely balanced mixture of Charlie's personal life with his police life and the author's nice, flowing, pleasant to read writing style make this series a treat to read.

[Rebecca Hock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read a few in the series and enjoyed them but this one was by far the best I've read by Mr. Pawson. The ending was really good. Very unexpected ending. I highly recommend this book to others.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am progressing through this series in order, and keep coming back to them. I am a big fan of Charlie Priest. This one had some unpleasant subject aspects but still a very good and entertaining read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read ready for the next in series.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 2.75

[Sreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining read.

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its not the 'who-done-it' in the story that I find so enjoyable although there is usually an element of that in these tales, but the way the story is told. If I say that the stories are all much the same, I dont mean that they are boringly similar in detail but the feeling that you get when you start another of the DI Charlie Priest series is akin to slipping on that favourite old warm jumper on a cold day.
I think that I have said before how much I appreciate the humour written into these stories but the reference, in this book, to the shop selling 3 pairs of trousers for £10 made me laugh. Perhaps that comes from the humour that I picked up around the area of Yorkshire in which the books are set, where I lived for 10 years.
For me this series of books is just right. Good friendly characters - no gratuitous sex or violence ( Oh God, I am getting old !!)interesting problems to solve in an area that I know and good old Charlie's private life as a backdrop.
I have at least 2 more of this series lined up to read next - if this is any recommendation.

[Patricia Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart Pawson is one of my favorite mystery authors. As far as I know there are no American editions of his books, but they can be got online. In Limestone Cowboy, D.I. Charlie Priest of the Heckley, Yorkshire C.I.D. works on two mysteries -- the contamination poisoning of food in a certain chain of grocery stores and the decades old murder of a schoolgirl. In the latter case, Charlie's new girlfriend is trying to clear her father who confessed to the crime and committed suicide in his cell. The mysteries are good, full of well rounded characters with baggage. Charlie's sense of humor and relationship with his police buddies balance the darker aspects of the crimes, just as they must for real policemen. Women are always handled sensitively and well in Stuart Pawson's books.

[Alan Denham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has a darker start than most Pawson - not particularly violent, but it makes the reader aware of the tragic stultifying existence that the less fortunate members of society sometimes face - sometimes enough to drive them over the edge into madness. That sad story runs parallel to Charlie Priest (our hero) finally getting a decent prospect of a good relationship - and then losing it, in a set of tragic twists. Little violence, little excitement in the usual modern sense, but a good yarn, a thorough examination of how life sometimes just goes wrong - with dry Yorkshire humour from time to time, to lighten the mix and make this into a very good read.

[Virginia Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yorkshire DI Charlie Priest is in a cheerful mood and even has a new love interest, Rosie Barraclough, teacher of geology at the local high school. Low level crime - a knicker thief and a dog fight ring - is easy enough to handle but things change when two people nearly die after eating contaminated food from a local supermarket. And Rosie confesses she is working with a television company ito make a film exhonerating her father from an old murder charge. Humour, brilliant plotting and appealing characters make this a dleigth to raed. But be warned: animal lovers should skip the foru or so pages about the dog fighting.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

D.I. Charlie Priest has a lot on his plate: knicker thefts, poisoned jars of food on market shelves--even his new geology teacher, who he'd like to get to know better, has a mystery she'd like solved. A very enjoyable series. hadn't read one in a while and forgot that they are well leavened with humor. Well plotted, good characters. Highly recommended.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started in a dark way which made me think that this book was going to be heavier reading than the rest of the series. It soon returned to it's normal genre which I really enjoy, story telling in a gentle way, however saying that this has was the best book in the series so far, taxing me a little bit more than usual

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series very much.

[Srabcatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read again like all his books are

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series.