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    An Unsafe Pair of Hands
    An Unsafe Pair of Hands
    An Unsafe Pair of Hands
    Ebook447 pages6 hours

    An Unsafe Pair of Hands

    By Chris Dolley

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    About this ebook

    "I gave up sleep so that I could read to the surprising and satisfying ending. I laughed out loud in public in response to the quirky plot twists. An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley is a masterful addition to the British mystery genre." -- Barth Siemens

    Peter Shand is a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he's thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman's body is discovered in an old stone circle ... with another woman buried alive beneath her.

    The pressure on Shand is enormous. The media is clamoring for answers, but every lead he chases down makes the case even more baffling. Then a local journalist singles out Shand as the reason for the lack of progress, and goads him at a press conference. Shand responds by inventing a lead, and keeps on lying - to the press and his boss - telling himself he'll solve the case before anyone finds out.

    And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?

    Shand begins to doubt his ability. He's desperate, increasingly unpredictable, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock.

    Which will break first? The case, or Shand?

    Chris Dolley is a New York Times bestselling author

    REVIEWS

    "This book started off with a bang and sped quickly down a steep hill with more twists than a twisty thing. I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down!" -- Diane Johnstone

    "This mystery is so much fun. The humor is delightful and the plot is complex enough to keep you turning pages to the end. And the characters are marvelous, from the snobby London "incomers" the Marchants to The Moleman and even a cock-a-doodle-dooing chicken, all of whom are suspect at one time or other. This is by far one of the best summer reads of 2011." -- Jensview

    "This is a very good read. You will want to be sure to have a day off or a quiet weekend ahead of you, because this book is very hard to put down once you get started reading it." -- Kathleen Kempa

    "This is one of those crime stories that grips one from the opening paragraph, and doesn't let go until the last. I had theories all the way through the book and was confident, going into the denouement, that I had cracked the case just ahead of our detective - WRONG! I was not even close but, when our hero explained his reasoning, yes, it was all there for me." - Ken Petersen

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBook View Cafe
    Release dateJun 28, 2011
    ISBN9781611381108
    An Unsafe Pair of Hands
    Author

    Chris Dolley

    Chris Dolley is a New York Times bestselling author, a pioneer computer game designer and a teenage freedom fighter. That was in 1974 when Chris was tasked with publicising Plymouth Rag Week. Some people might have arranged an interview with the local newspaper. Chris created the Free Cornish Army, invaded the country next door, and persuaded the UK media that Cornwall had risen up and declared independence. As he told journalists at the time, 'It was only a small country, and I did give it back.'In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games.In 2004, his acclaimed novel, Resonance, was the first book plucked out of Baen's electronic slushpile.Now he lives in rural France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris's identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, and got a book out of it - the International bestseller, French Fried: One Man's Move to France With Too Many Animals And An Identity Thief.He writes SF, Fantasy, Mystery, Humour and Memoir. His memoir, French Fried, is an NY Times bestseller. What Ho, Automaton! - the first of his Reeves and Worcester Steampunk Mysteries series - was a finalist for the 2012 WSFA Small Press Award.

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    Reviews for An Unsafe Pair of Hands

    4/5

    68 ratings29 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I enjoy reading the subtle and dry humor of the British and this book was no exception. I kept guessing along with the detective throughout the book so to me the ending was a surprise. I really enjoyed this book and would like to read more of this author's work.
    • 3/5
      I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I have read, and enjoyed, Chris Dolley's books before, but I found this one hard to get into. The protagonist, a policeman, seemed strangely inept, or inexperienced. There was an awful lot of internal introspection about what he should, or should not, have done, to the point where I just didn't really care. I should probably give it another try, but for now, this is one that I wasn't interested in finishing.
    • 4/5
      A thoroughly entertaining read! This is one of those crime stories that grips one from the opening paragraph, and doesn't let go until the last. I had theories all the way through the book and was confident, going into the denouement, that I had cracked the case just ahead of our detective - WRONG! I was not even close but, when our hero explained his reasoning, yes, it was all there for me.I will not say too much about the plot, I do not want to spoil it for any potential reader or, remind me in a few years time, when I shall happily re-read this (guessing the correct criminal just before the detective, this time!). Suffice to say, the opening sentence begins; 'The woman's body lay face down inside the ancient stone circle....' - I told you that it gripped from the start, none of the long introductions to our detective, the local community, etc., etc.I shall look out for more of Mr Dolley's work.
    • 3/5
      Not bad, but I just kept wanting Dolley to STOP giving us the "who-coulda-dun-it" and get down to the "whodunit" once and for all! The setting is a part of England I happen to know fairly well, and I kept trying to guess which town the author was half-describing -- mostly to no avail -- but the book was over-long and I found it hard to believe that Shand (a) had never seen a dead body and (b) would therefore be assigned to that case. There are some funny parts, but the whole "is my wife cheating on me?" thing got old very fast. Think I've read enough Chris Dolley for one lifetime ...
    • 3/5
      This was my first novel by this author and I enjoyed the premise of the book although found it a little strange that such an inexperienced police officer would get this case. It is a good romp to read and, like others have said, has many elements of a good English detective story. Could have been a little shorter to keep the action going, but an enjoyable read.
    • 2/5
      I found it hard to finish this book. The story was mildly interesting, but I didn't really care; I just wanted it to be over. The lead detective seem incompetent; the issues with his wife seemed unnecessary. The revelation as to "who done it" at the end was surprising, but made sense. I like police procedurals, but Harry Bosch is much more interesting.
    • 3/5
      This is a hard book to review. On the one hand, the underlying mystery was good, I didn't guess whodunnit even though the clues were all there, and there were some genuinely funny bits that made me laugh out loud in public. On the other hand, the angst about the wife served only to annoy me, I never did understand how the lead detective got to be lead detective without ever having seen a dead body, and the book was about a fifth too long.
    • 3/5
      Decent enough mystery hindered by an unlikeable, and worse, incompetent main character. I found it hard to sympathize with him, and the subplot of his troubled marriage was so underdeveloped that it seemed unnecessary. The tone also seemed inconsistent to me -- wacky introductions of a renegade chicken and a bubbly psychic only detracted from the main plot.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this book. Good, old-fashioned story telling. The premise of the mystery is clever and the frustration of the main protagonist in solving the crime is described in such a way that I felt frustrated too. The characters are developed well. A good solid and satisfying read.
    • 4/5
      DCI Peter Shand was transferred from his area of expertise as a desk pilot at London headquarters where he had been capably administrating and training personnel for fifteen years. His boss assured him that it was essential to garner some field experience for promotion eligibility and promised that he would find him a billet in the most crime-free corner of the country saying "one year as a DCI in the sticks and you'll be back on the fast track. Chief constable within ten years." Now, his second day on the new job and he is dispatched to investigate his very first homicide. It is a doozie! Field work is much different from the relaxed atmosphere typical of the training environment where he excelled. On the case, public outcry, hounding newsmen, political considerations added pressure he had never had to deal with in the past. Shand found himself riddled with self doubt and fear of failure, something that he hadn't experienced since his rookie days. He finds himself jumping between leads and forming progressively unlikely suppositions. Every new lead has him changing priorities and straining the confidence of his team. Shand struggled through his self doubts and conflicting leads, trusting his team to separate the wheat from the chaff. This is a compelling mystery that will keep the reader guessing along with DCI Shand. I rushed through it in one fast read becoming just as confused as Shand. Thankfully, the story resolved in a satisfactory conclusion. The twists along the way and deliberate confounding of clues contributed to the enjoyment of this story. I recommend it as an entry into the procedural aspect of English criminal investigation. The description of "Village Life" with gardens, manors, hedges, pubs and the characters that populated the story was well worth the visit. Treat yourselves to a trip away from home!
    • 4/5
      Frustrating but simultaneously riveting. As a detective fiction and true crime fan, I was repeatedly infuriated by the protagonist. He repeatedly leapt to more and more absurd conclusions based on little to no evidence. And yet, despite the fact that I generally hated the main character, I couldn't stop reading. I literally struggled to put the book down, only doing so hours after I should have been asleep. As a book read for entertainment, it definitely succeeds. The conclusion is mostly satisfying, with most of the loose ends of the story and all of the loose ends of the case tied up nicely. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will give Dolley's other books a shot if I get a chance.
    • 4/5
      Chris Dolley has done it again. A rather standard murder mystery story is made better by having the policeman be completely on the edge. His marriage is failing (well, it would be if his wife would talk to him), he's carrying out his first murder enquiry (despite the fact that he's an outsider to the village) and his bosses can't decide whether he's a genius or an idiot in the wrong job.The story has many twists and they are all pretty realistic and left me thinking "oh yeah, wonder why I didn't notice that". Dolley has a very light touch with his characters and they all feel like people who should exist. The moments of comedy left me chucklng.I hope that there are more cases for DC Shand, I'd certainly read them.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It is not your typical British mystery. DC Shand's life is in transition. He has just transferred to a village after being a "press office" teacher in London. He is also having doubts about his marriage and his wife's fidelity.His first day of his new job comes with a murder at an ancient worship site. He is suddenly thrown into practice instead of theory.Each time he thinks he is about to crack the case a new clue shows up to dispel his conviction. On top of everything he has to deal with a reporter that is trying to make him seem inadequate for the job and a superior officer that wants to side with the reporter.The writing conveys the frustration that I think most police officers go through on their cases. I really enjoyed the humor that the psychic brought to the story. The psychic was another of Shand's frustrations...I really enjoyed the ending of the book and look forward to the next pages of Shand's story.
    • 4/5
      This book embodies the phrase "those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Shand is an academic of police procedure who needs field experience to get a promotion. His first day on the job he's faced with a murder...and it goes on from there. While the book was well written, the story got a little tedious as it went on. For a supposedly learned person, Shand bounced from one thing to another, trying to make the evidence, or lack of it, fit one theory after another. I started to wonder why he didn't follow what he was apparently successful at teaching. His self-doubt began to wear on the reader. I found it somewhat unbelievable that, as a Londoner transplanted to a bucolic village, and put in charge of a team, there was no friction or resentment from his team or the villagers. On the plus side, there were humorous situations and scenes that were well written and kept the story from bogging down. It was also fast paced, especially in the beginning, with short chapters. As the story went on the chapters got longer and the pace slowed down. And what was with all the marriage issues for Shand? At first it wasn't even explained that she was his wife. And we were left up in the air with no resolution. Not sure if this was a set up for a sequel As an e-book, it was well-formatted, no strange line or page breaks, odd words, etc.
    • 5/5
      I read the other reviews and I agreed with what they have to say. This was the first murder case for DCI Shand who was a teacher of crimicalogy, a lecturer and publicity. He had to solve this murder case to prove himself. However, he realizes that teaching crimicalogy and actually dealing with the crime scene, evidences and suspects is totally different. He is taken out of his comfort zone. He is no longer "safe pair of hands". He makes errors and cleverly covers them up. He has a journalist making him out to be a clown instead of a detective. He has a troubled marriage, which you wonder how that ends. Maybe in the next story. He analysises the evidence and the suspects. The author keeps your interest and keeps the story moving. I enjoyed reading this and would not mind reading another novel by this author.
    • 4/5
      From the first page I found the story interesting and funny. It was a fast, nice read with some unexpected twists and left me laughing out loud at the end. The characters are well rounded and believable. I liked the DCI very much and took pity when he was attacked by the venomous journalist yet another time - on the other hand I found his jealousy slightly annoying. I would like to learn more about his future as DCI.
    • 4/5
      DCI Peter Shand shows up at what looks to be a ritualistic killing of a woman inside a circle of stones. It's his first murder case since he took the promotion and is just starting out on the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the small town of Athelcott. There are suspects galore as he learns almost everyone in town hated her. Beneath the dead woman, a burial of a living woman is discovered when she reaches through the dirt to grab Shand's leg. Why bury her beneath the corspe?Shand struggles to find answers and keeps coming up with questions. When he flubs up something, he turns it around saying that is the way it was done in London. He gets results even with these 'errors'. While he is trying to find the answers to all his questions, his wife seems to be having an affair in London with somebody named Gabriel. She either won't come to the phone or when she does, hardly says anything. I suspect that this is a plot point left open for further books.I enjoyed the mystery and Shands covering up his mistakes. Made him extremely human. And it says something about people from big towns moving into small villages and trying to remake them to suit their purposes.
    • 4/5
      A surprisingly good mystery. Well-written and it kept my interest the entire time. Lots of unforeseen twists and turns. DCI Shand is watching his life fall apart as he investigates his first real murder case. Odd things happen and even odder people merge into the story. There is no shortage of suspects and he even wrestles with Satan at one point. Easy to read with one small exception. Several British terms took a second to comprehend, but that was the only issue. Once I got past that very small bump in the road, it read so well. I would definitely recommend it as a good read.
    • 4/5
      This was a very enjoyable book. I couldn't put it down. There were many twists and turns and I couldn't wait to find out "who done it". The author did a great job painting a picture of the main character, Detective Shands, the residents of the small village where the crimes were committed, and the bizarre crime scenes. It was not predictable like so many other books and the only item the reader was left wondering in the end is whether Detective Shands' marriage was going to make it or not. The subject was touched on several times throughout the story so I was surprised it wasn't mentioned in the ending....maybe there's a book 2? Hopefully, I would welcome another book like this one.
    • 3/5
      A woman's body is found inside an ancient stone circle. Shand, the DCI in charge of the case, has never seen a body before. He has had a successful career as a police lecturer and publicity man, but needs some experience in the field in order to qualify for promotion. "Shand waited. A thousand thoughts running through his mind. Was this the killer, was he armed, should he call for assistance?" Shand is a confused and frightened man with a serious punctuation problem. Strand meets a junior officer: "He reminded Shand of a puppy a friend of his had had." Shand describes a suspect's decor: "The hi-fi in the corner was enormous and speakers circled the room like acoustic standing stones." The speakers are not the only inanimate objects set in motion by the author's confusing sentences. The ancient stones seem to be up and about too. "The stones crowded around the body like silent mourners."The bad writing was a distraction. This book needs a good editor.
    • 5/5
      Peter Shand has a reputation as a careful, competent, and informed detective - a safe pair of hands. In order to fast track his career, he has accepted a safe, one-year post as a DCI in the "quietest, most crime-free corner of the country." But his first case is anything but quiet. And DCI Shand is shocked at the risky actions that he will entertain to solve the case and save his career. I gave up sleep so that I could read to the surprising and satisfying ending. I laughed out loud in public in response to the quirky plot twists. _An_Unsafe_Pair_of_Hands_ by Chris Dolley is a masterful addition to the British mystery genre. I look forward to reading more by this author.
    • 5/5
      This book started off with a bang and sped quickly down a steep hill with more twists than a twisty thing. Shand is a police pencil pusher, sent to a quiet village to do some active duty but walks right into a murder mystery. There's a body laid out in a stone circle and it's laying on top of another grave, but the body in that grave isn't dead. There are a few suspects and Shand is never quite sure he's running the investigation properly. He has no experience and doesn't always trust his own judgment or conclusions. Many of the suspects and potential witnesses have things to hide and he barks up the wrong tree more than once, dogged by a tabloid journalist who only makes things more difficult for him and his reputation. I thought I had it figured out. I didn't but I was close. I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down! It's well written, has good dialogue and fairly well thought out characters. The pace was good and the conclusion satisfying. I'd read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      First of all, let me explain the stars: 5 stars are reserved for a masterpiece, 4,5 is a fantastic read and 4 means a very good book. And that's what it was: a very good book: fast paced, amusing and well written. The dialogues sound natural, the main character is believable and the plot interesting (though I guessed who the culprit was, ha!) - what else can one want for a lazy afternoon?
    • 3/5
      DCI Peter Shand is a trusted and well-liked police detective working at a desk job in London, a "safe pair of hands". Before his promotion, he is transferred to rural Britain to gain some field experience and on his second day gets handed his first murder case.A body of a woman is found lying in the middle of Stonehenge-like circle of stones. While inspecting the body, a hand shoots out from the ground and grabs his ankle. After some frantic digging he finds an older woman buried under the dead body, still alive thanks to a tube stuck through a cardboard box covering her head. Why would someone bury a woman alive and place the body of another woman on top of the grave, all in the middle of a circle of stones?Touching air flowA very promising beginning for this crime story, that does not disappoint to the very end, when DCI Shand solves the case and finds the surprising murderer. This is a very enjoyable read, a compelling story that takes us through the ups and downs of Shand’s investigation. False leads and assumptions that create twists in the tale and keep the reader on edge. Set against the social tensions between the original villagers and the new "city incomers", the identity of the murderer remains elusive till almost the very end of the book. That is surely what makes a crime book a good read.Two things I liked best about this story. First, in most crime books the detective is wreck. His personal life is a shambles or he’s a borderline alcoholic, or both. Shand has some trouble with his "life in the fast lane" wife, but this side of the story does not become a suffocating backdrop to the book, as it all too often does in this genre.Second, Dolley’s humour. True to British tradition, it is subtle and understated. A second body is found, and the police arrest a chicken. The press have a field day. A psychic by the name of Saffron accompanies Shand’s pursuit of the murderer, much to his irritation. And, most enjoyably, Shand finds himself wrestling with Satan. Not the Devil, but an aptly named dog with a short temper. When his boss hears about this, he comforts Shand: “You can’t blame Satan for everything, Shand. There is such a thing as free will.”
    • 4/5
      I’m glad that I gave Chris Dolley another go in An Unsafe Pair of Hands, a twisted tale of murder set in the UK. Dolley gives the reader a nicely paced story complete with low-key humor. There were enough plausible possibilities to keep me guessing. Nicely done Chris.
    • 4/5
      DCI Peter Shand shows up at what looks to be a ritualistic killing of a woman inside a circle of stones. It's his first murder case since he took the promotion and is just starting out on the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the small town of Athelcott. There are suspects galore as he learns almost everyone in town hated her. Beneath the dead woman, a burial of a living woman is discovered when she reaches through the dirt to grab Shand's leg. Why bury her beneath the corspe?Shand struggles to find answers and keeps coming up with questions. When he flubs up something, he turns it around saying that is the way it was done in London. He gets results even with these 'errors'. While he is trying to find the answers to all his questions, his wife seems to be having an affair in London with somebody named Gabriel. She either won't come to the phone or when she does, hardly says anything. I suspect that this is a plot point left open for further books.I enjoyed the mystery and Shands covering up his mistakes. Made him extremely human. And it says something about people from big towns moving into small villages and trying to remake them to suit their purposes.
    • 4/5
      An Unsafe Pair of Hands is an intriguing mystery. After the opening very strange couple of crimes, clues are uncovered through the eyes of a detective who has been on the job for two days. We learn that Detective Chief Inspector Peter Shand has been very successful in London. In an attempt to qualify himself for advancement, he has taken a detective position in the country. During his investigations, he is mentally trying to compensate for his lack of experience and for his urban background. He has the additional emotional burden of suspecting that his wife is deliberately avoiding him and probably is having an affair with a man named Gabriel. Chris Dolley unfolds the story from inside Shand’s mind. Dolley very deftly lets us live inside DCI Shand with all of his insecurities and doubts. This narrow perspective provides tension as we question, with Shand, whether he really can, or will find the murderer. There are too many clues and too much distracting conflict for anyone to resolve the convoluted mysteries. And in the middle of the tension and doubting, Dolley’s quirky sense of humor reaches out of the grave, or stumbles down a stair, or knocks on a car window, just to be sure we are still paying attention. This is a very good read. You will want to be sure to have a day off or a quiet weekend ahead of you, because this book is very hard to put down once you get started reading it.
    • 4/5
      DCI Shand is a man out of his depth. A London desk jockey farmed out to a sleepy village in order to get some hands-on experience and so facilitate his career path, he is plunged immediately into a murder scene. Loads of suspects, bundles of evidence and a succession of weird characters are not enough for Shand to crack the case because, frankly, he’s not very good. Beset with doubts about his absent wife’s fidelity, his own competence and occasionally his own sanity, Shand struggles to make a breakthrough in the case.This is a fairly standard and maybe even old fashioned ‘who-dunnit’ which is competently written with an air of dark humour simmering below the surface. I think it may have been better as an out and out farce; it reminded me a little of the early Tom Sharpe novels in the characterization but without the mayhem. I quite liked the analytical way that Shand has of looking closely at the evidence and then coming to the wrong conclusion, but in the end it was flawed by ridiculous situations and unbelievable motives. Too much time was spent in covering every tiny piece of evidence and too little in giving any depth to Shand or his colleagues. We know that Shand is losing his grip on his marriage, but there is little background into this sub-plot, and less about the people he works with; their names were soon interchangeable.Overall it was a good read without being particularly memorable; judging by the blurb on his other novels I’m sure that this is not Chris Dolley’s best work.
    • 5/5
      It's straight into the action in this book, and the story continues to move along at a good pace, which made me want to keep reading. There are some issues with editing, but the plot was good enough to overlook these. My only criticism would be the sub-plot regarding Shand's wife, it seemed extraneous, and I think one of the reasons why the story moved along so well was because, in general, the reader isn't bogged down in unnecessary descriptions of people or places. To me Shand's personal life isn't relevant. I enjoyed this book and I will definitely read more by Chris Dolley.

    Book preview

    An Unsafe Pair of Hands - Chris Dolley

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