Faulty bridge infrastructure derails a train travelling from Paris to Marseilles in 1919. The resulting 300-foot plunge into a rock-strewn ravine leav..Show More »es only two survivors--or possibly there was a third--and maybe even a fourth? Three years later, Scotland Yard's Joe Sandilands arrives in Simla, India, high in the Himalaya and the summer capital of the British Raj, to investigate the apparent assassination of a prominent English trading executive. On the steep final approach to Simla--at the exact spot of the first murder--Joe's traveling companion is identically shot and killed. We are now at the end of Chapter 2. It is obvious early on that we are seeing the fruits of a case of identity theft. But the repercussions of the earlier events are many, varied, and surprising, and play out in an exotic locale and with a cast of characters that adds panache. Terry Wale's narration, in the rather flat intonations of a British military officer, becomes entirely part of the action and is totally believable. Highly recommended for those who like their mysteries with color, character, and complexity.

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Barnara Cleverly writes really clever mysteries. They all seem to start out with events which happend will before the actual events in the books. In t..Show More »his case the death of a Medical Officer at the hand of native tribesman on the Khyber Pass/.

The detective is the Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands. The two books I have read have been set in India in the waning days of the Raj. The characters are rather formulaic. They always include the government of the Raj, a determined, independent lovely looking female, and assorted local figures who are prominent in the story and the mystery.

This mystery involves the muder of a native prince who is heir to leadership of his Pushto tribe. In the course of unravelling the mysters are main characters get kidneapped to the secluded fortress of the tribe with Joe Sandilands riding to the rescue.

In a way it almost felt like Zane Grey in the Raj and the mystery is never solved until the end. In fact there are so many twist and turns that everyone is a main suspect at one time or another.

However, while the book was decent I won't be reading anymore by this author. I found the formula unappealing and her female heroines are really distateful and I don't like them. I am not too fond of her detective either, who seems to be the enigmatic type that knows everything and lets the story play out.

I didn't much care for the narrator who is rather breathy. But of course this may be due to Cleverly's writings which seems to be short choppy sentences. The books goes on a little too long and drags in the middle.

Nevertheless if it still a good plot with lots of twists and turns.



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Tug of War is an entertaining period piece filled with clearly drawn characters and following an enjoyably mysterious plot. The reader is very good.

Much has changed in Sandilands. We find a career promoted Joe in 1933, with both Cleverly's prose and her packaging of the historical fiction detectiv..Show More »e formula much better than early entries in the series.

As in other similar series, character is built up over novels - so perhaps the characterization would not be as pleasing if you jump into the series here, in book 10. Other than that, it could be a stand-alone listen.

Cleverly's early novels all contained what seemed like one or two obligatory romantic scenes - - in these the dialogue would be weaker and the scene just, well, clumsy. This is a little better on that account.

If you're a fan of crime fiction featuring screenplay-like action, adventure and violence, this won't please. It's mostly the quieter type of mystery often found in British and Brit set crime fiction, with a bit of bravado at the end. Sandilands' protege (spelled Dorcus?) returns and becomes a bit of a Maise Dobbs type.

Are there "preposterous circumstances" as another listener suggests? Well, it is crime FICTION, but the theme of this mystery is not so far fetched, then or now. Compared to most in the genre (and even in this series) it was topical - although the 21st century version of these crimes is better disguised and conducted in regions other than the western world. Even LeCarre has used the theme. You do need to put up with "By God, this is England, and we won't stand for it!" - but that sounds OK by that part of the story.

Narrator Prebble is much easier on my ears than Terry Wale (Sorry, fans of Terry Wale; I know he's talented, but his narration grates on me.) Prebble can make the lapse into "by God, this is England" dialogue palatable.

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