Severn House Publishers, 1997, ISBN 0-7278-5297-3, 218 pages.Nick Hadley-Jones has always landed on his feet. He has been told he is amoral, irresponsible, a womaniser, and even once a psychopath. This time his heavy gambling debts have led to him making a a drug run on the continent, on the understanding that it will wipe out his debt to Tony, the very nasty owner of the Red Slipper nightclub in London.
Nick decides to store the suitcase containing the drugs in the storage room in the basement of his apartment block until Tony gives him delivery instructions. But he never gets to carry out those instructions, as he is shot dead at a wedding reception the next day. Enter John Sansom a private eye engaged by Nick's father to find out why his son was killed.
While the story is interesting enough, THE SUITCASE KILLINGS is marred by loose plotting and minimal character development. Miles Tripp (1923-2000) began writing in 1952 and this is his second to last novel. He wrote 14 other John Sansom titles over a 27 year period, and perhaps I would have enjoyed THE SUITCASE KILLINGS more if I had been familiar with earlier titles.
My rating: 3.6
Miles Tripp wrote also as John Michael Brett, and Michael Brett.
Check out other titles at Fantastic Fiction.
3 comments:
I haven't read this one, but my favourite Tripp novel is the bizarre but gripping Five Minutes With a Stranger.
Thanks for the recommendation Martin
This sounds vaguely familiar. I think I've read it but must have been before I started keeping note of the books I've read. I wish I had started earlier :)
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