Where all stories start, Mr Sketty. At the beginning. However,’ he adds, his eyes glinting brightly and malevolently in the room’s dim light as he leans forward in the wheelchair, ‘I want the truth, not your embellished version of events.’ First thoughts:- OMG, this book is good. Second thoughts, upon reflection:- This book is really, really good! Ex-DC Chris Sketty is meeting Dr Ralph Teller who whilst describing as a hero following the terrible events at Villa Amalfi, he is also regarding him with malevolence. However, the reason for the meeting predates this by fifteen years when Chris is sent undercover by SO15 (Counter Terrorism) to try to get information on a shadowy faceless figure known as Kalian Roman. He’s placed in DI Devon Andrews Gang Intelligence Unit, his target is DS Barry Cleaver - does he have a connection to Roman? Only time will tell. Chris tells most of his story with illuminating interjections by Teller, all we have to do is work out, is Chris a good cop or a bad cop??

Good Cop Bad Cop: Hero or criminal mastermind? A gripping new

Just what did happen on that fateful day 14 years ago and what part did DC Chris Sketty have in it? Is he the hero everyone thinks he is or is he the ultimate betrayer?

Sketty injured in the line of duty and praised and created by the press as a hero but he has been slowly robbed of everything he held dear - his family, his career and now he faces yet another ... issue. Not everyone believes his hero status is as deserved as the public may have been led to believe, is he an hero, or was he a bad cop !

Good Cop Bad Cop by Simon Kernick | Crime Fiction Lover

This is an great thriller that keeps you on guessing all the way to the end, and even then you are not sure if you really believe that whether Sketty is innocent or guilty, good cop or bad cop. He certainly crossed a few blurred lines. What is the truth? Look, I came here voluntarily to talk to you about the case. But I’m not prepared to be accused of being a liar.’ I put down my drink, thinking that agreeing to talk to this old man was always a bad idea. I don’t need the money and I certainly don’t need the grief. ‘Perhaps it’s best if I just leave.’What follows is Sketty's true account of the events which led to that fateful night that changed everything. Or are they? Sketty isa brilliantly realised character, inhabiting the grey world between good and bad, but just how flawed, just how guilty is he? The story twists and turns, and every time we think we’ve nailed Sketty’s character we have to think again as the layers of the story peel away. The guessing game is incredibly tense; Sketty’s story is deeply intriguing and over all this is an exhilarating read.

Good Cop Bad Cop by Simon Kernick | Open Library Good Cop Bad Cop by Simon Kernick | Open Library

The typical British police procedural can be a bit staid, perhaps a little too trusting of the inherent honesty of British policing, but there are no rose tinted spectacles here. This is riveting, raw and fresh. Apart from the hunt for Roman and Sketty’s story this novel has a strong feel of London and the gang culture in the city. A layered thriller that is genuinely chilling and gritty as hell. //London, corrupt, cops: Like Line of Duty? Luther The Calling Neil Cross, The Divinities Parker Bilal// At the same time, as the car pulled away from the kerb and I realised I couldn't breathe, Cleaver said the words I'd thought I'd never hear on this assignment, because I'd been so careful. I struggled to get through this book and almost left it unfinished multiple times, but it was gifted to me, so I struggled on. I wasn't going to leave a review, but this book currently averages 4.13 stars, and I feel like bringing it down a little out of spite.

My Book Notes

Dr Ralph Teller is in his 70s, MS has confined him to a wheelchair, but grief has driven him to investigate the night of his wife’s death. She was one of the victims of the siege. Teller has painstakingly collated information, interviewed witnesses and reconstructed the peripheral lives of those involved, finally arriving at a showdown with Sketty, the lynchpin of the whole affair. Faced with the evidence Sketty is forced to open up but how many layers of obfuscation, lying and self-justification will be admit to. Will he really come clean. Sketty isn’t the man everyone thinks he is but just how dirty is he? Like I say it started very strongly and was instantly into the novel. Good plot and an exciting finale made this a good read.

Simon Kernick books and biography | Waterstones Simon Kernick books and biography | Waterstones

The bravest men are often the most reluctant to participate in the fray,’ he says sagely, taking a sip from his whisky, and I get the feeling that this is a phrase he’s just made up, and that he makes up a lot of phrases like this. You see, I’m certain that Dr Teller (the Dr bit comes from his PhD in anthrozoology, whatever the hell that is) is not only a pseudo-intellectual, but also a fraud, the type of guy who’s always got a hidden agenda, and the playfully cunning look in his eye as he observes me over the rim of the glass just reinforces my impression. As Sketty works with Cleaver he gets involved in taking down estate gangs and drugs rings. It’s a long time before a particularly nasty assault on a young girl bonds him to Cleaver. Eventually he offers Sketty a way into a clandestine group dedicated to weeding out criminals by any means. Sketty thinks this might get him closer to Roman. SO15 are waiting patiently but they aren’t aware of all the things Sketty has been going through undercover.So, over one night, Sketty will share his brutal tale of betrayal, ruthlessness and corruption, finishing with a revelation so terrifying and unexpected that it will change everything. Is Sketty a brave hero, crippled in the line of duty, or the most ruthless mass murderer the country has ever seen?