An Initial Countdown

DARK COMEDY:  One dark and stormy night, Dr. Haszard and his girlfriend, Sabrina, witness a man being run off the road and killed. When a vicar is later murdered in a most imaginative manner Haszard can’t help but investigate, despite the advice of the police, his friends, and his girlfriend. After all, with a name like his, can trouble be far behind?

Haszard may have bitten off more than he can chew this time when the vicar’s wife is murdered, a homeless man killed, and a mysterious commune comes to light. Things REALLY get sticky when Haszard’s best friend runs away from his girlfriend – and she puts the moves on Haszard! Can he keep his head above water long enough to solve the case?

“An Initial Countdown” reads like an old 1970s British TV adventure show, with a cheeky main character, a band of loveably eccentric friends, quirky scenarios, and more pub visits than would be legal here in the States. Though this is book nine in the series, new readers will have no trouble catching on. Character development is in fits and starts - the situation between Haszard, the best friend, the girlfriend, and Sabrina is handled well, but in a detached manner - and the prose, while exuberant and lively, never really draws the reader in. It is a fun adventure and anyone who enjoys British humor will get a kick out of this.

Janice Martin