Tony Parsons (1) (1953–)

My first Tony Parsons was Man and Boy and the book was filled with a great understanding and love of family and human nature. That same quality is what makes the Max Wolfe series such a joy to read. Max Wolfe living above Smithfield meat market in a spacious luxurious flat with his daughter Scout (homage to, To kill a mockingbird) and their family dog with the wonderful name of Stan. Stan is getting older and a little tired, and Scout is on the verge of entering the terrible teens but shows herself as a very caring and thoughtful young lady. In Murder for busy people Max is investigating corrupt policemen using their position of power to sexually abuse and rape, a storyline that reflects recent events in todays world. However it is the writing style and thoughtful prose that makes Tony Parsons a real joy to read……”I just don't know what to say to her, Mrs Murphy. You don’t have to say anything. You two - you’ll be fine, I know you will. And we need these hard times - the sad times - the difficult times so we can cherish the happy times when they come. And they will…..”The years to come will fly - for all of us - faster and faster and faster. I know they will - and Stan will be gone and one day I will be gone too”......
Wonderful writing and a big welcome back to Max and family :)… (more)

The final volume in the trilogy featuring Harry Silver, finds him remarried for 10 years and with a son, stepdaughter and a daughter with his second wife, Cyd. His son, Pat is entering his turbulent teens, when Harry’s first wife, Gina, reappears after a long absence and now wishes to mend fences with Pat. Parsons explores their growing relationship as Pat struggles with problems at school and Harry befriends an old army companion of his now deceased father. The stormy relationships that arise from these, make for a fascinating and revealing tale, the outcomes of which are in doubt right to the end.… (more)

I am one of those readers who likes to read in bed, and I was that engrossed by The Slaughter Man, that I ended up staying up all night just to finish it.

The book is a fast paced mixture of gory violence and a loving relationship between a father and his daughter. Fast paced, but gives the reader sufficient time to digest what is happening before throwing in the next twist in the tale! The plot evolves in a way that the reader might not expect, and the whole story ends up being more than just a typical murder crime thriller.

It is really well written and set in contemporary London with a new cop hero by the name of Max Wolfe, a nard as nails detective and single father of a young daughter called Scout. The relationship between father and daughter bring another level to the story and is a breath of fresh air, needed at times. There are some fairly graphic violence and I like the excessive goriness tbh! It is also a really great touch adding the explanations of the science behind the gruesome stuff. It's good to have an explanation as to why most gun shot wounds to the gut are fatal for example.

A wealthy family are murdered on New Year's Eve and their youngest son vanishes. Max has to find the killer and hopefully locate the missing boy.

The crime resembles one which happened years ago, for which a man was imprisoned and now has been released.

Wolfe and the team have to work out whether the same man could be responsible for these deaths.

It seems Max has miraculous healing powers as he is stabbed, buried, ripped apart, knocked out and drugged and still has only one overnight hospital stay. There was definitely some disbelief that needed suspending throughout! He makes James Bond seem soft and that man should be dead years ago! But, I loved this guy long may he continue! :-)

I'd worked out quite early on "who done it" but what I hadn't worked out was why and there were plenty of surprises.

I will be looking forward to the next book from Tony Parsons and eagerly awaiting the return of Max Wolfe!

Highly Recommended Reading!… (more)