The Last Straw

DCI Warren Jone, Book 1

By: Paul Gitsham

Narrated by: Malk Williams

When Professor Alan Tunbridge is discovered in his office with his throat slashed, the suspects start queuing up. The brilliant but unpleasant microbiologist had a genius for making enemies.

For Warren Jones, newly appointed Detective Chief Inspector to the Middlesbury force, a high-profile murder is the ideal opportunity. He’s determined to run a thorough and professional investigation but political pressure to resolve the case quickly and tensions in the office and at home make life anything but easy.

Everything seems to point to one vengeful man but the financial potential of the professor’s pioneering research takes the inquiry in an intriguing and, for Jones and his team, dangerous direction.

©2014 Paul Gitsham (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Cosy British detective story

Enjoyable even though not suspenseful or fast paced. I did find the way the main character DCI Jones has to constantly pander to his wife throughout the story annoying.
Narrator did a great job!

Exactly we’ll done, but...

Yep, I totally enjoyed Mark Williams’ reading of Paul Grisham’s cop-procedural tale. But, it’s a bit hard for a Yank like me to assimilate the Brits’ slower paced momentum. I own that problem and am working on it. Which means I shall buy the next DCI Warren Jones book very soon and, well, work on my problem as I enjoy - I hope - that book as much as this one.

Slow but steady

As someone who enjoys the clipped prose of Michael Connolly, Paul Gitsham's work takes a bit to adjust. As the first in the Warren Jones series, I realize this is character background. As the story progressed it was absorbing and a mystery that kept you interested and guessing. We are sure to continue the series on Audible.

Slow but good 3.5 stars

I felt the author tried to explain too much every member of the CIDs life and even though the story was long and slow, I really enjoyed it and will try book 2.

instantly addicted to new series

This gripping mystery has crusty veteran coppers, attractive newbys, a twisting and twisted plot, lots of action, internal politics, and a truly nasty collection of murderous villlians. The author moves the story briskly along and I couldn't stop listening. The closing epilogue neatly ties everything up. The narrator does well with most of the voices except I had difficulty sometimes distinguishing between the two lead policemen. Lots of good police work and heroism make for a strong start for this series. Fans of British procedurals should be happy.

Okay, but not special

In my way of thinking, five stars is perfection, four stars a superior accomplishment, and three stars notes a solid performance, but nothing special.

A couple things took away from a rather good idea for a story. The most annoying was that so many of the characters in the book were essentially cardboard cutouts who obviously exist just for the main character to bounce off of. Wifey was one-dimensional and seemingly too stuck up her own rear to be compassionate for a husband who just got a big promotion and has had a lot dumped on his plate very quickly. It's just cheap writing.

This was all the more disappointing since there was so much to like about the story.

The best contemporary British police procedurals have great interplay between the members of the team who are usually stacked with memorable characters. Not so here. I barely remember the names of the persons who weren't that lead or his first assistant.

Since the days of the earliest Sherlock Holmes tales, such stories usually end with a debriefing where the hero investigator explains the elements of the crime.

Some of the best of modern crime fiction accomplishes this task by sprinkling this information throughout the closing chapters instead of dumping it into one final monologue. Well, here we get one final monologue that is partially a dialogue helped along by useful if completely predictable and inane questions.

Slow start worth the build

Good characters, story and narrator. I almost gave up several times. Eventually got there. Hope to read the next one soon now that characters introduced.

Good Start To The Series

I was looking for a good English police procedural series, and this fits the bill!

Very Enjoyable

This was a really good story, great characters and storyline. I really enjoyed how the ending explained the motives and how it all came together. Narration was great now onto the next in the series.

Just OK

Lots of extra details that don't make it any better. Holes in the plot that made me want to yell at the characters.