The year is 1940. And the German bombs aren’t the only thing that could get you...
Two-faced Golly Goldfinch likes his victims young, female and unsuspecting.
Armed with piano wire and the ability to go unnoticed despite a facial deformity, Golly hears voices telling him who to target.
After the mutilated body of a popular BBC announcer, Jo Benton, is discovered in her London home, inexperienced Detective Sergeant Susannah Mountford finds herself hopelessly out of her depth in charge of the investigation.
It quickly becomes clear that Jo Benton has intimate connections across London society and it is WDS Mountford’s job to untangle the sordid web of her personal life.
But, as the number of similar corpses mounts, the question must be asked — are these killings the frenzied work of a madman, or is something altogether more organised going on?
With bombs dropping every night and death all around, WDS Mountford must fight the general prejudice against women in the police force to be taken seriously.
Then Golly hears her name...
Bottled Spider is a gripping and atmospheric thriller, delving into the seedy underworld beneath the Blitz Spirit.
Praise for John Gardner:
“Richly textured, wonderfully atmospheric and ironical, the novel shows Gardner as a smooth, polished master of the form” Publishers Weekly
‘A master storyteller at the height of his power’ - Len Deighton
“Fascinating story ... a satisfying book from a seasoned pro” Booklist
Before coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker. Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series. **
From Publishers Weekly
In this first of a new historical series, prolific British veteran Gardner (License Renewed and 15 other James Bond novels; The Liquidator and seven other Boysie Oakes novels; etc.) offers two books in one: the first, a poignant and spellbinding memoir of London during the Blitz; the second, a routine and plodding police procedural. Despite seemingly insurmountable male opposition, Woman Police Constable Suzie Montford is promoted to detective sergeant when the military draft creates a shortage of male police officers. The serious-minded Suzie doesn't get much chance to prove herself professionally before being matched with DCS Tommy "Dandy Tom" Livermore. Tommy is "an anomaly, a rarity, seen only once in a generation: a gentleman detective." Oh my, someone call central casting at once. See if Bill and Myrna are still available. The two are faced with a series of murders of young women, including a popular BBC announcer, strangled with piano wire, the handiwork of Golly Goldfinch, a grotesquely ugly man-child who obeys voices that order him to kill. He may appear simpleminded, but he is a dangerous quarry. Unfortunately, Golly is more pathetic than frightening and never believable. The best parts of the book describe WWII London and are very fine indeed. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
First in a new series, this historical features a young, inexperienced policewoman in World War II-era London. She investigates a frightening serial murderer who has been strangling young women with piano wire. A promising work from a practiced hand. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Description:
The year is 1940. And the German bombs aren’t the only thing that could get you...
Two-faced Golly Goldfinch likes his victims young, female and unsuspecting.
Armed with piano wire and the ability to go unnoticed despite a facial deformity, Golly hears voices telling him who to target.
After the mutilated body of a popular BBC announcer, Jo Benton, is discovered in her London home, inexperienced Detective Sergeant Susannah Mountford finds herself hopelessly out of her depth in charge of the investigation.
It quickly becomes clear that Jo Benton has intimate connections across London society and it is WDS Mountford’s job to untangle the sordid web of her personal life.
But, as the number of similar corpses mounts, the question must be asked — are these killings the frenzied work of a madman, or is something altogether more organised going on?
With bombs dropping every night and death all around, WDS Mountford must fight the general prejudice against women in the police force to be taken seriously.
Then Golly hears her name...
Bottled Spider is a gripping and atmospheric thriller, delving into the seedy underworld beneath the Blitz Spirit.
Praise for John Gardner:
“Richly textured, wonderfully atmospheric and ironical, the novel shows Gardner as a smooth, polished master of the form” Publishers Weekly
‘A master storyteller at the height of his power’ - Len Deighton
“Fascinating story ... a satisfying book from a seasoned pro” Booklist
Before coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker. Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series. **
From Publishers Weekly
In this first of a new historical series, prolific British veteran Gardner (License Renewed and 15 other James Bond novels; The Liquidator and seven other Boysie Oakes novels; etc.) offers two books in one: the first, a poignant and spellbinding memoir of London during the Blitz; the second, a routine and plodding police procedural. Despite seemingly insurmountable male opposition, Woman Police Constable Suzie Montford is promoted to detective sergeant when the military draft creates a shortage of male police officers. The serious-minded Suzie doesn't get much chance to prove herself professionally before being matched with DCS Tommy "Dandy Tom" Livermore. Tommy is "an anomaly, a rarity, seen only once in a generation: a gentleman detective." Oh my, someone call central casting at once. See if Bill and Myrna are still available. The two are faced with a series of murders of young women, including a popular BBC announcer, strangled with piano wire, the handiwork of Golly Goldfinch, a grotesquely ugly man-child who obeys voices that order him to kill. He may appear simpleminded, but he is a dangerous quarry. Unfortunately, Golly is more pathetic than frightening and never believable. The best parts of the book describe WWII London and are very fine indeed.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
First in a new series, this historical features a young, inexperienced policewoman in World War II-era London. She investigates a frightening serial murderer who has been strangling young women with piano wire. A promising work from a practiced hand.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.