What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Parry #6
Practise to Deceive
Dr Howell, co-owner of the private Howell Clinic for stroke victims is under suspicion after the murder of Kevin Rees, Auxilary Nurse.When DCI Parry digs deeper into Rees' background he finds unsavoury aspects of the young man's life.
MP3 Book
First published November 1, 2003
3 people want to read
About the author
David Williams
32 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
David Williams (June 8, 1926 – September 26, 2003) was a Welsh advertising executive who became a crime writer after suffering a stroke.
Williams was born in Bridgend in Wales. He started in advertising as a medical copywriter, rising through the ranks to head one of the largest advertising agencies in the country. He suffered a severe stroke in 1977 and realised that he would not be able to return to the stresses of life in the advertising industry. He had written crime fiction in his spare time, with Unholy Writ being written before his stroke in 1976. He turned from advertising to writing "whodunnits": he wrote 23 novels in all, most featuring Mark Treasure, Oxford graduate and vice-chairman of a merchant bank, and his successful actress wife Molly. A second series of books featured Chief Inspector Merlin Parry of the South Wales Constabulary, together with Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. His books were twice shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award and he was elected as a member of the Detection Club in 1988.
David Williams (June 8, 1926 – September 26, 2003) was a Welsh advertising executive who became a crime writer after suffering a stroke.
Williams was born in Bridgend in Wales. He started in advertising as a medical copywriter, rising through the ranks to head one of the largest advertising agencies in the country. He suffered a severe stroke in 1977 and realised that he would not be able to return to the stresses of life in the advertising industry. He had written crime fiction in his spare time, with Unholy Writ being written before his stroke in 1976. He turned from advertising to writing "whodunnits": he wrote 23 novels in all, most featuring Mark Treasure, Oxford graduate and vice-chairman of a merchant bank, and his successful actress wife Molly. A second series of books featured Chief Inspector Merlin Parry of the South Wales Constabulary, together with Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. His books were twice shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award and he was elected as a member of the Detection Club in 1988.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 29, 2015
Successful industrialist Denis Ingram has experienced a massive stroke which has left him paralyzed on the right side of his body and speechless. Months have gone by, and his recovery has only been marginal. His wife, Angela, has taken him to numerous neurologists, none of whom have been successful in helping Denis recover. In desperation, she calls upon Edwin Howell, a neuro-psychiatrist who is the director of the Howell Clinic in Cardiff, known for their innovative approaches. Howell convinces Mrs. Ingram that he can help Denis, who then becomes a patient at the clinic.
As promised, the treatment is quite successful and Ingram makes good progress in his recovery. Much of this improvement can be attributed to the efforts of an auxiliary nurse by the name of Kevin Rees. Although he's had some professional and personal difficulties, everyone agrees that Kevin has a natural talent for nursing. However, when he is found stabbed to death on the grounds, some more sordid aspects of his character come to light. At first, a gardener by the name of Phil Collit is under suspicion, for they had an argument about some lottery winnings. But as might be expected in a closed community such as Howell Clinic, there is no shortage of other suspects to be considered. O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive, and this applies to most of the characters in the book.
The investigation is headed by Inspector Merlin Parry of the South Wales Police Department, ably assisted by Detective Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. He has a team of detectives who tirelessly chase the trail of clues and close in on the perpetrator. Williams did a superb job on the procedural aspects of the book. Rather than just focusing on Parry, he followed each of the team members as they conducted their interviews, which added depth to the characterization while more intimately involving the reader in the investigation. Parry himself is a superb role model for the team and knows just how heavy a stick to wield as the case progresses and the deceptions of many of the players emerge.
PRACTISE TO DECEIVE is an excellent book. It is a solid police procedural with top-notch plotting, characterization and use of dialogue. Williams built in unexpected twists all along the way but always played fair. I absolutely knew who the killer was, but I was wrong. My only complaint about the book is that some of the segments ended too abruptly and without a smooth transition into the succeeding section.
David Williams is the author of more than 20 crime novels, with 6 featuring Inspector Parry and 17 in the Mark Treasure series. It's hard to believe that I have never heard of him before. As the book jacket blurb states, "PRACTISE TO DECEIVE is an intriguing and elegant mystery from the pen of an accomplished writer." I can't say it any better than that.
As promised, the treatment is quite successful and Ingram makes good progress in his recovery. Much of this improvement can be attributed to the efforts of an auxiliary nurse by the name of Kevin Rees. Although he's had some professional and personal difficulties, everyone agrees that Kevin has a natural talent for nursing. However, when he is found stabbed to death on the grounds, some more sordid aspects of his character come to light. At first, a gardener by the name of Phil Collit is under suspicion, for they had an argument about some lottery winnings. But as might be expected in a closed community such as Howell Clinic, there is no shortage of other suspects to be considered. O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive, and this applies to most of the characters in the book.
The investigation is headed by Inspector Merlin Parry of the South Wales Police Department, ably assisted by Detective Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. He has a team of detectives who tirelessly chase the trail of clues and close in on the perpetrator. Williams did a superb job on the procedural aspects of the book. Rather than just focusing on Parry, he followed each of the team members as they conducted their interviews, which added depth to the characterization while more intimately involving the reader in the investigation. Parry himself is a superb role model for the team and knows just how heavy a stick to wield as the case progresses and the deceptions of many of the players emerge.
PRACTISE TO DECEIVE is an excellent book. It is a solid police procedural with top-notch plotting, characterization and use of dialogue. Williams built in unexpected twists all along the way but always played fair. I absolutely knew who the killer was, but I was wrong. My only complaint about the book is that some of the segments ended too abruptly and without a smooth transition into the succeeding section.
David Williams is the author of more than 20 crime novels, with 6 featuring Inspector Parry and 17 in the Mark Treasure series. It's hard to believe that I have never heard of him before. As the book jacket blurb states, "PRACTISE TO DECEIVE is an intriguing and elegant mystery from the pen of an accomplished writer." I can't say it any better than that.
Read
January 21, 2020Excellent Inspector Parry mystery. Very good command of English with a nice understated sense of humour.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews