View source for London Calling: An Inspector Carlyle Novel by James Craig

{{infobox1
|title=London Calling: An Inspector Carlyle Novel
|author=James Craig
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Crime
|summary=A raunchy and fast-paced investigation as members of the Merrion Club are targetted by a murderer during a General Election.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=312
|publisher=Robinson
|date=May 2011
|isbn=978-1849019668
|website=http://www.james-craig.co.uk/
|video=8obY1sggZ8M
|cover=1849019665
|aznuk=1849019665
|aznus=1849019665
}}

The current government had been looking a little sickly in the polls for a while and it seemed that Edgar Carlton – charismatic and ruthless – had only to get to the finish line to be the next Prime Minister.  His twin brother, Xavier, would be the next Foreign Secretary.  Then a murderer targets former members of the Merrion Club – an exclusive, hedonistic group of undergraduates at Cambridge University – and this includes Edgar, Xavier and the current mayor of London, Christian Holyrod.  Inspector John Carlyle of the Metropolitan Police doesn't take that long to work out why this is happening and who is at risk – but ''who'' is doing it is an entirely different matter.

I'm not quite certain why I thought this book would be a cerebral look at murder within the political classes but what I found was a fast-paced and very raunchy story of the deeds and misdeeds of the Westminster village.  There are nods a-plenty to current and recent politicians – you might need to switch to Oxford University to spot the members of the current cabinet or look at the disreputable behaviour of the Bullingdon Club in its early days, but you'll have no problems in spotting many of the similarities along the way – I just hope that what happens is beyond the realms of possibility!

Power is everything in this book and being a policeman who simply wants to do the job isn't easy, but I liked the character of John Carlyle – dogged, determined but not always the brightest where his own best interests are concerned.  I did find the book a little too raunchy for my personal tastes, but if the sex-and-violence police procedural appeals to you then you can add half a star to my rating.  It's the first book in a series – and my doubts about the raunchy aspects don't preclude my wondering about what will happen in the next book.  Make what you will of that!

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[Kiss Me Quick by Danny Miller]] or [[The Whistleblower by Robert Peston]] although we had some doubts about the last one..

[[Inspector John Carlyle Novels by James Craig in Chronological Order]]

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