JUDAS HORSE BY LYNDA LA PLANTE

Book Review

Title.             Judas Horse

Author.          Lynda La Plante

Publisher.      Zafare - an imprint of

                      Bonier Books UK

I would say that I am metaphorically allergic to English TV cop dramas. I avoid them for most of the time although recently I have been very impressed by the last series of ‘Unforgotten’. Recently Judas Horse arrived and although I cannot recall reading a book by Lynda La Plante I got stuck into this one. The genre is obvious and so I had a vague idea of what I could be reading and after all if I didn’t want to read anymore it could go into the unread pile.

Characters drive any story on and with DS Jack Warr I developed empathy. Judas Horse is the second book in which he has appeared. Did I like him? Well not entirely but it really goes back to the old question of ‘do we want our heroes to be prefect?’ It appears that is what the media want. No one is allowed to transgress without being pilloried. I will not give anything else away but our Jack is human and he is allowed to express his feelings and do what he believes in. 

Jack is a London copper seconded (not sent!) out into the rich belly of England. Of course there is part of the story goes back into the metropolis but the most part is set amongst the hoi polloi residing in mansions with loadsa of assets. Some one else wants them too. It would be a simple story if that was it but there is so much more with many facets woven into the telling of Judas Horse. Beware there is violence too and you may not like it!

Clichés I despise but this novel is a page and chapter turner. I loved it and the author has avoided many of the things that I despise in the interactions of main characters. I will say ‘brilliantly’ written. So good and I may even read Jack Warr’s previous escapade.