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Brock & Kolla #9
Spider Trap
When human bones are discovered in Cockpit Lane, a poor area of inner south London, D.C.I. David Brock and D.S. Kathy Kolla of Scotland Yard are called in to investigate. The first twist in the case comes when Brock and Kolla learn that the victims died over twenty years ago, during the Brixton riots, information that leads the two of them on a dangerous journey into the heart of the West Indian community in London. Making matters worse, a formidable old antagonist, Spider Roach, returns, weaving together past and present in an intricate web of deception and intrigue. Now the two have to uncover the truth of those long ago deaths, and be able to prove it with a crucial piece of evidence, in order to prevent the violence of the past from revisiting itself on them.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2006
7 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Barry Maitland
44 books185 followersBarry Maitland is the author of the acclaimed Brock and Kolla series of crime mystery novels, which are set in London, where Barry grew up after his family moved there.
His books have been described as whydunits as much as whodunits, concerned with the devious histories and motivations of their characters. Barry's background in architecture drew him to the structured character of the mystery novel, and his books are notable for their ingenious plots as well as for their atmospheric settings, each in a different intriguing corner of London.
Barry studied architecture at Cambridge University, and went on to work as an architect in the UK, then took a PhD in urban design at the University of Sheffield, where he also taught and wrote a number of books on architecture and urban design. In 1984 he moved to Australia to head the architecture school at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, and held that position until 2000. He now writes fiction full time, and lives in the Hunter Valley, Australia.
His books have been described as whydunits as much as whodunits, concerned with the devious histories and motivations of their characters. Barry's background in architecture drew him to the structured character of the mystery novel, and his books are notable for their ingenious plots as well as for their atmospheric settings, each in a different intriguing corner of London.
Barry studied architecture at Cambridge University, and went on to work as an architect in the UK, then took a PhD in urban design at the University of Sheffield, where he also taught and wrote a number of books on architecture and urban design. In 1984 he moved to Australia to head the architecture school at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, and held that position until 2000. He now writes fiction full time, and lives in the Hunter Valley, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 24, 2020
When two young girls were found murdered; left in an old shed huddled and defenseless, Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla were called in to investigate. In the course of their investigation bones were discovered in an area called Cockpit Lane – these turned out to be quite old, possibly dated over twenty years prior. But it was when they realized there were three individuals in the area, and identified the time back to the Brixton riots, that Brock and Kolla found themselves embroiled in dark secrets, crime and events that certain people didn’t want uncovered. Would they manage to solve the old crime while finding out who had killed the two young girls?
Spider Trap is the 9th in the Brock & Kolla series by Aussie author Barry Maitland and it was the usual gritty, intense crime thriller that this author always provides his readers. Heart in mouth type of reading, the pages flew by while I tried to work out the answer. A highly addictive series, I have no hesitation in recommending Spider Trap highly.
Spider Trap is the 9th in the Brock & Kolla series by Aussie author Barry Maitland and it was the usual gritty, intense crime thriller that this author always provides his readers. Heart in mouth type of reading, the pages flew by while I tried to work out the answer. A highly addictive series, I have no hesitation in recommending Spider Trap highly.
May 13, 2023
The 9th book in Barry Maitland's consistently strong police procedural series featuring DCI David Brock and DS Kathy Kolla, Spider Trap returns Brock to Lambeth where he began his career as a detective. As part of Scotland Yard's Serious Crimes Unit he takes the lead in a murder investigation that will have him crossing paths with an old enemy, crime boss Spider Roach. It's an investigation that will bring back memories from 20 years ago, few of them pleasant.
The discovery of a couple of young Jamaican girls, shot dead in a Cockpit Lane garage sparks a massive police investigation in the area. Compounding the intrigue is a seemingly unrelated accident involving a boy who was crossing the nearby railroad tracks and accidentally touched the third rail which would have gone unnoticed except that he had a human jawbone in his pocket. He had found the bone in a wasteland that bordered Cockpit Lane and a subsequent search by the police forensic team uncovers the 20 year old remains of three bodies.
The 20 year old skeletons are almost certainly the remains of 3 Yardies*, local Jamaican gangsters who had been involved in drug dealing and petty crimes. They had been shot in the head execution-style and then buried in shallow graves in the wasteland. As far as Brock is concerned the killing bears all the hallmarks of some kind of gangland retribution and it just so happens that the bodies were buried smack dab in the middle of Spider Roach turf.
DCI David Brock is a Scotland Yard detective but back when he was a Detective Sergeant he was stationed at Lambeth and the discovery of the remains brings back memories from all those years ago. His wife walking out on him, the Brixton race riots and an organised crime family headed by Spider Roach who controlled the area are all part of a turbulent past. These days the Roach family appear to be respectable entrepreneurs heading a series of successful businesses, but Spider still controls Lambeth and Brock is certain that the old criminal and his sons are far from reformed men. If anything they are to be even more feared now that they can hide behind a legitimate facade.
It’s one thing to have your suspicions about someone's guilt but it's a completely different matter to have the evidence to make an arrest and this is exactly the problem facing Brock. His connection to Roach through his past makes it appear that Brock is unreasonably obsessed with the man and his attention could be viewed as harassment, so progress on the case has to be made very carefully, like traversing a minefield.
Kathy Kolla's part in the case is largely influenced by her blossoming relationship with a Special Branch officer, Tom Reeves, who specialises in undercover operations. He shows an interest in the case and gets himself seconded onto the team bringing an added dimension to the investigation, but also bringing a tendency to proceed without proper authorisation. He's the kind of guy who makes things happen, but sometimes that may put the entire case, and everyone working on it, in jeopardy.
Spider Trap unfolds in a manner that is typical of many police procedurals beginning with what appears to be a straightforward murder investigation that grows more complex as more details are uncovered. In this case the original murder investigation is almost completely overshadowed by the older, more intriguing triple murder thanks to some significant involvement by some high profile political figures. The early going is fairly slow with a lot of legwork taking place, followed by theories and research before the case explodes in pandemonium. Naturally, the pandemonium serves to take Brock and Kolla significantly out of their comfort zones, leading to a seemingly inevitable showdown with Spider Roach.
Brock finds himself in the unfamiliar position of having his competence and his motives questioned by his superiors thanks to an antagonist who knows enough about his enemies to reveal every real or imagined skeleton in their closet. The entire case is conducted under a shroud of uncertainty with plenty of circumstantial evidence pointing in one direction without the hard facts required to back them up. But the strength of the story lies in the way in which Maitland manages to gather together a series of disparate clues to tie them together into a neat, sustainable and completely credible scenario.
Together both Brock and Kolla form the ideal team complementing each other to form a comfortable professional unit. They are each distracted by personal issues that threaten to take their attention away from their job but, where others might fall apart they are able to provide the right level of support for one another without ever crossing the line into intrusiveness.
Spider Trap continues what has become a fresh and varied series combining clever, intuitive police work with solid, likable characters. Although the most advisable way to enjoy the book is to have already read some of the earlier books in the series, it can just as readily be picked up and read as a quality stand alone mystery.
* Yardies is the term applied to Jamaican-born gangsters operating in Britain. The name refers to criminals from the impoverished back yards of Kingston, Jamaica.
The discovery of a couple of young Jamaican girls, shot dead in a Cockpit Lane garage sparks a massive police investigation in the area. Compounding the intrigue is a seemingly unrelated accident involving a boy who was crossing the nearby railroad tracks and accidentally touched the third rail which would have gone unnoticed except that he had a human jawbone in his pocket. He had found the bone in a wasteland that bordered Cockpit Lane and a subsequent search by the police forensic team uncovers the 20 year old remains of three bodies.
The 20 year old skeletons are almost certainly the remains of 3 Yardies*, local Jamaican gangsters who had been involved in drug dealing and petty crimes. They had been shot in the head execution-style and then buried in shallow graves in the wasteland. As far as Brock is concerned the killing bears all the hallmarks of some kind of gangland retribution and it just so happens that the bodies were buried smack dab in the middle of Spider Roach turf.
DCI David Brock is a Scotland Yard detective but back when he was a Detective Sergeant he was stationed at Lambeth and the discovery of the remains brings back memories from all those years ago. His wife walking out on him, the Brixton race riots and an organised crime family headed by Spider Roach who controlled the area are all part of a turbulent past. These days the Roach family appear to be respectable entrepreneurs heading a series of successful businesses, but Spider still controls Lambeth and Brock is certain that the old criminal and his sons are far from reformed men. If anything they are to be even more feared now that they can hide behind a legitimate facade.
It’s one thing to have your suspicions about someone's guilt but it's a completely different matter to have the evidence to make an arrest and this is exactly the problem facing Brock. His connection to Roach through his past makes it appear that Brock is unreasonably obsessed with the man and his attention could be viewed as harassment, so progress on the case has to be made very carefully, like traversing a minefield.
Kathy Kolla's part in the case is largely influenced by her blossoming relationship with a Special Branch officer, Tom Reeves, who specialises in undercover operations. He shows an interest in the case and gets himself seconded onto the team bringing an added dimension to the investigation, but also bringing a tendency to proceed without proper authorisation. He's the kind of guy who makes things happen, but sometimes that may put the entire case, and everyone working on it, in jeopardy.
Spider Trap unfolds in a manner that is typical of many police procedurals beginning with what appears to be a straightforward murder investigation that grows more complex as more details are uncovered. In this case the original murder investigation is almost completely overshadowed by the older, more intriguing triple murder thanks to some significant involvement by some high profile political figures. The early going is fairly slow with a lot of legwork taking place, followed by theories and research before the case explodes in pandemonium. Naturally, the pandemonium serves to take Brock and Kolla significantly out of their comfort zones, leading to a seemingly inevitable showdown with Spider Roach.
Brock finds himself in the unfamiliar position of having his competence and his motives questioned by his superiors thanks to an antagonist who knows enough about his enemies to reveal every real or imagined skeleton in their closet. The entire case is conducted under a shroud of uncertainty with plenty of circumstantial evidence pointing in one direction without the hard facts required to back them up. But the strength of the story lies in the way in which Maitland manages to gather together a series of disparate clues to tie them together into a neat, sustainable and completely credible scenario.
Together both Brock and Kolla form the ideal team complementing each other to form a comfortable professional unit. They are each distracted by personal issues that threaten to take their attention away from their job but, where others might fall apart they are able to provide the right level of support for one another without ever crossing the line into intrusiveness.
Spider Trap continues what has become a fresh and varied series combining clever, intuitive police work with solid, likable characters. Although the most advisable way to enjoy the book is to have already read some of the earlier books in the series, it can just as readily be picked up and read as a quality stand alone mystery.
* Yardies is the term applied to Jamaican-born gangsters operating in Britain. The name refers to criminals from the impoverished back yards of Kingston, Jamaica.
November 4, 2013
Imagine a British John Gotti, a Teflon Kray brother, if you will; now you have Edward “Spider” Roach, a ruthless but brilliant kingpin who began in the Jamaican expat area of London known as Cockpit Lane but now preys on folks across the British Isles.
Spider Trap contains so many twists upon surprising twist that almost anything one says about it would prove a spoiler. Let’s just say that the police have been trying to nab Spider Roach and his three menacing sons for so long — and so unsuccessfully — that the higher-ups have given orders to leave them alone so as to not be humiliated — and accused of harassment — yet one more time. However, the deaths of two teenage girls leads Chief Inspector David Brock’s team to discover three more corpses in the same field — corpses of “Yardies” (Jamaican immigrants) — dating back to the 1980s, when Brock was assigned to that very area.
Spider Trap’s very title is an irony — although to explain why would be to reveal too much. As Brock gingerly begins to investigate the Roach family yet again, he hopes that, for once, he will be able to pin at least some of the murders, drug trafficking and mayhem that Spider Roach has wrought at his door. However, in the ensuing decades, Roach has cultivated the air of a legitimate businessman and his financial and social ties reach into the police department and into the very halls of Parliament. Roach fancies himself invincible. Can Brock find a chink in that armor? As the many corpses in Roach’s wake testify, Brock’s playing a very dangerous game.
Readers of course will be thrilled by the suspenseful story — one that will keep you reading late into the night. (Newcomers to the series won’t have any trouble beginning with Spider Trap.) But longtime fans of Brock and his loyal and fearless Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla will be interested in learning more about Brock’s early career. As with all of Barry Maitland’s novels, Spider Trap provides an education to readers — particularly those of us outside of the UK; in this case, we learn so much about the violence-laden history of Jamaica and of the Jamaican diaspora to the Brixton district of South London — including the 1981 Brixton riot and the conditions that led to it. I learned so much, but it never detracted from the superb plot. Don’t miss this one!
Spider Trap contains so many twists upon surprising twist that almost anything one says about it would prove a spoiler. Let’s just say that the police have been trying to nab Spider Roach and his three menacing sons for so long — and so unsuccessfully — that the higher-ups have given orders to leave them alone so as to not be humiliated — and accused of harassment — yet one more time. However, the deaths of two teenage girls leads Chief Inspector David Brock’s team to discover three more corpses in the same field — corpses of “Yardies” (Jamaican immigrants) — dating back to the 1980s, when Brock was assigned to that very area.
Spider Trap’s very title is an irony — although to explain why would be to reveal too much. As Brock gingerly begins to investigate the Roach family yet again, he hopes that, for once, he will be able to pin at least some of the murders, drug trafficking and mayhem that Spider Roach has wrought at his door. However, in the ensuing decades, Roach has cultivated the air of a legitimate businessman and his financial and social ties reach into the police department and into the very halls of Parliament. Roach fancies himself invincible. Can Brock find a chink in that armor? As the many corpses in Roach’s wake testify, Brock’s playing a very dangerous game.
Readers of course will be thrilled by the suspenseful story — one that will keep you reading late into the night. (Newcomers to the series won’t have any trouble beginning with Spider Trap.) But longtime fans of Brock and his loyal and fearless Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla will be interested in learning more about Brock’s early career. As with all of Barry Maitland’s novels, Spider Trap provides an education to readers — particularly those of us outside of the UK; in this case, we learn so much about the violence-laden history of Jamaica and of the Jamaican diaspora to the Brixton district of South London — including the 1981 Brixton riot and the conditions that led to it. I learned so much, but it never detracted from the superb plot. Don’t miss this one!
May 18, 2019
The weakest in an excellent series.
January 1, 2012
Interesting setting and a bit of history about the Brixton riots in 1981. Brock and Kolla are convincing both
in the way they do their detective jobs and the way they often use work to avoid thinking too much or feeling too
much in their private lives.
I've read almost all of Matiland's mysteries and I like them (obviously) very much, but
the last two I've read on Kindle have had so many formatting and other errors they have nearly made
me stop reading to protest. In this book, every single time the writer uses the word I'll, it appears as I'llTil.
And in other words with I', there's an upper case T after the apostrophe. In addition to this, dialogue lines which
should start on separate lines run together, so you aren't sure who's talking. And there
are sentences without periods at the end, words of pure gibberish and some of the common variety of typos that editing should catch.
Surely, a major publisher would and should edit/check? On Kindle, it's still possible to go in and fix this stuff, so maybe the publisher will see this and fix these things. Someone should.
If the major publishers are going to look down on smaller, indie publishers, they should
work on their own quality control first.
in the way they do their detective jobs and the way they often use work to avoid thinking too much or feeling too
much in their private lives.
I've read almost all of Matiland's mysteries and I like them (obviously) very much, but
the last two I've read on Kindle have had so many formatting and other errors they have nearly made
me stop reading to protest. In this book, every single time the writer uses the word I'll, it appears as I'llTil.
And in other words with I', there's an upper case T after the apostrophe. In addition to this, dialogue lines which
should start on separate lines run together, so you aren't sure who's talking. And there
are sentences without periods at the end, words of pure gibberish and some of the common variety of typos that editing should catch.
Surely, a major publisher would and should edit/check? On Kindle, it's still possible to go in and fix this stuff, so maybe the publisher will see this and fix these things. Someone should.
If the major publishers are going to look down on smaller, indie publishers, they should
work on their own quality control first.
December 16, 2020
'Spider Trap', a relatively early entry in Barry Maitland's 'Brock and Kolla Mystery' catalog, is a prime example of what you get with that series: good writing, intricate plot, likeable and humane characters, and excellent procedural work. It's not the most exciting set of mysteries out there, but for consistency you can't beat it.
Dave Brock is the grizzled veteran chief detective of the pair, with Kathy Kolla an up and coming member of his team functioning as a sort of understudy. They're nice characters with both skills and weaknesses. In fact, that's one of the real strengths of the series: Maitland's ability to humanize his main characters. They're neither automatons nor loose cannons- they exude competence in their work while exhibiting vulnerability in their personal lives.
Spider Trap begins with the London police investigating a pair of murdered young girls in a warehouse. That segues into the discovery of 3 skeletons in a nearby field which are later proved to have been murder victims from the time of the Brixton riots in the early 1980s. Since the early killings took place in an area and at a time when Brock was beginning his career, his interest is piqued, especially when the name of his longtime nemesis, Spider Roach, turns up. It seems old Spider and his boys are still involved in various businesses nearby, which are mostly legitimate (but maybe not). An ex-boyfriend of Kathy's is transferred in to help with the cases, and his aggressiveness leads to some successes and one huge late failure. Both old and new cases are worked simultaneously and seem to have possible connections, but the passage of time since the original murders proves problematic. Justice prevails in the end, with a nice mixture of forensics, good old investigatory procedures, and intuition being keys.
Spider Trap is a fine procedural that fits well in the Brock and Kolla series. There really are no surprises in how each novel plays out, except with their twisty plots.
Dave Brock is the grizzled veteran chief detective of the pair, with Kathy Kolla an up and coming member of his team functioning as a sort of understudy. They're nice characters with both skills and weaknesses. In fact, that's one of the real strengths of the series: Maitland's ability to humanize his main characters. They're neither automatons nor loose cannons- they exude competence in their work while exhibiting vulnerability in their personal lives.
Spider Trap begins with the London police investigating a pair of murdered young girls in a warehouse. That segues into the discovery of 3 skeletons in a nearby field which are later proved to have been murder victims from the time of the Brixton riots in the early 1980s. Since the early killings took place in an area and at a time when Brock was beginning his career, his interest is piqued, especially when the name of his longtime nemesis, Spider Roach, turns up. It seems old Spider and his boys are still involved in various businesses nearby, which are mostly legitimate (but maybe not). An ex-boyfriend of Kathy's is transferred in to help with the cases, and his aggressiveness leads to some successes and one huge late failure. Both old and new cases are worked simultaneously and seem to have possible connections, but the passage of time since the original murders proves problematic. Justice prevails in the end, with a nice mixture of forensics, good old investigatory procedures, and intuition being keys.
Spider Trap is a fine procedural that fits well in the Brock and Kolla series. There really are no surprises in how each novel plays out, except with their twisty plots.
March 10, 2017
A stunning crime thriller that ticks every box - and more. The story begins with the murder of two teenage girls with the simultaneous discovery of 3 skeletons in wasteland in south London. DSI Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla of Scotland Yard's Serious Crimes Branch start a long and detailed investigation which features death and drugs in London's Jamaican community, a crusading Member of Parliament, a rogue cop, a dodgy lawyer, murderous Jamaican "Yardies" and at least one corrupt politician.
Hovering in deep background are shadowy figures, most from the criminal word but some from Britain's intelligence service, who may be working a deal with one of London's oldest and most vicious crime organisations - the aptly named Roach family.
From a slow start, as the police try to discover the identities of the skeletons, Brock and Kolla combine with their team of detectives and forensics experts to find out why these 3 men died, each with their hands tied with wire and a single bullet through the head. The story soon gathers pace, switching from the the poorest to the richest areas of London and thunders towards an explosive stand off in a desolate part of Wales. Throughout, Brock and Kolla explore the greyest of grey areas as the plot twists and turns to the very end.
It's 20 years since I read and very much enjoyed "The Marx Sisters", the 1st of the Brock and Kolla series - and I can't for the life of me understand why it's taken me so long to read another (this is the 9th in the series). An incredibly gripping read with detailed police procedure, violence, murder, political intrigue, drug dealing on a major scale and more than a little history of the past 50 years of of Jamaican immigrants in Britain's capital city. The people and atmosphere of London come across vividly. This story works as a standalone novel, but I'll have to add more from the Brock and Kolla series to my to-read list. Highly recommended.
Hovering in deep background are shadowy figures, most from the criminal word but some from Britain's intelligence service, who may be working a deal with one of London's oldest and most vicious crime organisations - the aptly named Roach family.
From a slow start, as the police try to discover the identities of the skeletons, Brock and Kolla combine with their team of detectives and forensics experts to find out why these 3 men died, each with their hands tied with wire and a single bullet through the head. The story soon gathers pace, switching from the the poorest to the richest areas of London and thunders towards an explosive stand off in a desolate part of Wales. Throughout, Brock and Kolla explore the greyest of grey areas as the plot twists and turns to the very end.
It's 20 years since I read and very much enjoyed "The Marx Sisters", the 1st of the Brock and Kolla series - and I can't for the life of me understand why it's taken me so long to read another (this is the 9th in the series). An incredibly gripping read with detailed police procedure, violence, murder, political intrigue, drug dealing on a major scale and more than a little history of the past 50 years of of Jamaican immigrants in Britain's capital city. The people and atmosphere of London come across vividly. This story works as a standalone novel, but I'll have to add more from the Brock and Kolla series to my to-read list. Highly recommended.
September 27, 2018
While I am a very big fan of Barry Maitland, this book just didn't do it for me. Just kept slow plodding along. I was a bit disappointed as most of his books are much more interesting. Also, this book took me ages to read as others were a much quicker read.
April 13, 2020
I really enjoyed this mystery. It starts off with the discovery of two murdered girls, but it leads to a very nasty old crime committed in the 1980's around the time of the Brixton Riots (I had to have a little side track to read up the details of those as all I could really remember were the news headlines at the time). Kathy's Special Branch friend from Without a Trace turns up again and worms his way into Brock's team, which Kathy has mixed feelings about and her concerns grow as he seems to be off on a tangent of his own and undermining Brock.
The body count was starting to rival Hamlet, and you began to wonder if Special Branch were up to something in the background, and have doubts about what Kathy's boyfriend was really up to and what kind of mess she was getting into this time.
It had some interesting historical insights into that particular era of history for Jamaican migrants in London.
STOP HERE A COUPLE OF SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I did start to get a bit fed up with the repeat depiction of Kathy at times as a gullible woman who always picks men who seem a bit shifty, or want to take advantage of her work, contacts or intelligence for their own ends without her knowing it until it's a bit late, and also with the theme of her recurring insecurities about how others see her. She's a very smart, brave and thorough detective. She is creative in the way she approaches solving the puzzle of who's up to what, and able to sniff out when a crook is a crook and telling lies so her inability to assess the characters of boyfriends is an irritation. She did manage to get the best of her former boyfriend though - the sneaky lawyer.
The body count was starting to rival Hamlet, and you began to wonder if Special Branch were up to something in the background, and have doubts about what Kathy's boyfriend was really up to and what kind of mess she was getting into this time.
It had some interesting historical insights into that particular era of history for Jamaican migrants in London.
STOP HERE A COUPLE OF SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I did start to get a bit fed up with the repeat depiction of Kathy at times as a gullible woman who always picks men who seem a bit shifty, or want to take advantage of her work, contacts or intelligence for their own ends without her knowing it until it's a bit late, and also with the theme of her recurring insecurities about how others see her. She's a very smart, brave and thorough detective. She is creative in the way she approaches solving the puzzle of who's up to what, and able to sniff out when a crook is a crook and telling lies so her inability to assess the characters of boyfriends is an irritation. She did manage to get the best of her former boyfriend though - the sneaky lawyer.
September 10, 2021
A while back I read Maitland's wonderful 'Bright Air' so I thought I'd give this a go. The first Brock and Kolla novel I've read and I was really impressed by it. I thought it started out rather thin: lots of plot but little character depth, but that changed and it developed into a really well plotted drama with humanity. The focus is on Jamaican immigrants in Brixton, the terrible conditions they escaped from in their own country (caused by British slave owners), the subsequent Brixton riots and their exploitation by white crime bosses.
May 20, 2024
Another excellent instalment of the Brock and Kolla series by Aussie author Barry Maitland, set in London. His sense of place is, as always, perfect.
Brock and Kolla and called in to investigate the murder of two young girls and uncover the bones of three bodies nearby. These bodies date back to the Brixton riots over twenty years ago.
Are the two cases linked?
Maitland has again written a tightly plotted page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed, without losing them along the way.
Highly recommended.
Brock and Kolla and called in to investigate the murder of two young girls and uncover the bones of three bodies nearby. These bodies date back to the Brixton riots over twenty years ago.
Are the two cases linked?
Maitland has again written a tightly plotted page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed, without losing them along the way.
Highly recommended.
April 10, 2019
I didn't enjoy this one much. Police procedurals about organized crime are never as interesting to me as those about more personal crimes. This was also rather slow. The best part was the parliamentary committee (words I thought I'd never write!)
Also, I'm getting tired of Kathy's poor choice in men, although very thankful the author has paired her with Brock in a non-romantic working partnership.
Also, I'm getting tired of Kathy's poor choice in men, although very thankful the author has paired her with Brock in a non-romantic working partnership.
December 27, 2018
When old bones are found, Brock and Kolla are called in. The victims turn out to be 20 years old and are related to the Brixton riots. They may also be related to an old criminal mind, Spider Roach.
Well-written and interesting police procedural.
Well-written and interesting police procedural.
August 17, 2019
Easy read, but I found some of the plotting a bit predictable. Like who's going to turn out to be the bad guy. Although, to Maitland's credit, I wasn't always right! Haha.
February 26, 2024
I was not a big fan of this one. I didn't think the crime was particularly compelling or interesting, and their personal lives didn't go anywhere either. Meh
April 11, 2025
Good enough, with the vague sense that I’d read it before.
September 18, 2012
The more I read books in this series, the better I like them. Two teen-age girls are found murdered and it looks like a professional hit but why? To add to the mystery, the bodies of three young mean who appear to have been killed in a similar manner are found buried in a nearby waste ground and they have been there for years. Brock and Kolla are on the case and the murders bring back memories to Brock who worked in the area twenty years before. And then up pops the infamous Spider Roach and his nasty sons, who have controlled crime in the neighborhood for years and appear in other books of the series. Are they involved in these murders? The story has many twists and turns and we get a glimpse into the personal lives of Brock and Kolla before a solution is reached. This is a quick read but a good one for the fan of police procedurals.
August 17, 2011
It's certainly not the best, but it did the trick with a little Brock & Kolla fix. The story is too convoluted--not as much as The Verge Practice, for sure, but still a bit much for me. It doesn't have the same great atmosphere that No Trace does, and as a result I just didn't get into the story and peripheral characters. And although Maitland did an okay job with the Jamaican accented dialogue, it was occasionally a bit forced. There is a Brock-related bombshell that's dropped, and although it's potentially a big deal, it, too, felt contrived. But I'll wait to see what the newest one gives us. It had better be good.
November 27, 2015
A compelling mystery that also offers an inside look at the wave of Jamaican immigration to Britain and the 1981 Brixton riots. The mystery is set in the present, but the three skeletons discovered in waste ground date back to a period of extreme social unrest in England. The"Yardies" were fleeing gang warfare and rampant corruption in Jamaica, but in some cases they brought violence and large-scale drug trafficking with them. The good and the bad are inextricably bound in this entry in Maitland's Brock and Kolla series. Highly readable--and also relevant to today's migrant crisis in Europe.
March 18, 2016
Maitland is a dynamite writer. I have read 9 of these in close proximity & every one of them has riveted me. I'm becoming increasingly queasy, though, about the fact that he seems racist, bigoted about LGBTQ folk, and, with the exception of Kathy Kolla, one of the viewpoint characters, rather unpleasant about women. And yet. I've already started #10, reminding myself we all like problematic things. I acknowledge these books are problematic. But totally riveting. This is a really dangerous combo isn't it?
November 25, 2007
Another in the Brock and Kolla mystery series. Maitland continues this well written series involving the usual multilayer plot which unravels slowly until the last page. Suspenseful and thoughtful as Brock and Kolla work together to unravel two sets of murders twenty years apart that seem to be connected.
November 23, 2008
Unfortunately, not one of my favorites in this series. The characters aren't growing very much for me. Brock is still a somewhat rebellious older Detective, and Kathy still can't find someone to have a relationship with, and still gets herself in a bit of trouble toward the end. It was worth finishing, but I was disappointed.
February 28, 2012
this was really good. It was a slow build, well-written, and you really do feel like you're in a 'Spider Trap'. This is my first in this series, and it makes me wonder how his other books are paced. Is this his style or did he make it this way to play to the title? (or vice versa). Anyway, look forward to reading more from the series.
did-not-finish
August 3, 2013I absolutely love the Brock and Kolla series. This particular book, however, I could not get into. I tried on two different occasions and gave up. I cannot pinpoint exactly what caused my disinterest... the strong characters should have swept me along regardless of the plot... but they didn't. Sadly, I've shut the book for the final time and have moved on.
January 31, 2016
Another excellent Brock & Kolla mystery. This one involves Jamaican immigrants, multiple murders & false identities. Also, there's a reappearance of a former love interest for Kathy which ends as all her romances do. The English perspective of the immigrants is interesting compared to the American perspective. Another good one.
January 27, 2008
The prior book in this mystery series veered onto an overly weird path but in this Barry Maitland returns to more solid footing. I'm not sure why his books aren't more popular, the characters are well rounded and memorable, the writing is good and the mysteries are well thought out.
December 15, 2011
Damn Barry Maitland and his riveting, twisty plots! I was up way too late finishing this one. Reminded me a lot of a Prime Suspect. Great villains. For someone who lives in Australia, Maitland has London down pat.
February 3, 2013
As an architect I love the way Barry Maitland builds up atmosphere using descriptions of the location, in particular the built environment. I felt this trait was missing in this book which still makes it a good murder mystery but missing that extra element that I associate with Maitlands writing.
June 15, 2010
An excellently written detective story with well-developed characters- set in the UK - filled with twists and turns, keeps the reader guessing until the end.
May 1, 2011
This is a series best read in order. I don't understand why it doesn't get more press in the US - it's rather good.
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