A crew of cowboy builders take things too far when an attempt at theft results in a violent murder. Bliss is drawn in as SIO and leads the team in tracking down the gang. However, the best laid plans are sometimes not quite good enough, and when the four men scatter further lives are lost.
Meanwhile, somebody Bliss once put away and who remains in prison has information for him. What he has to say leads to a cold case in which the daughter of a local villain was found murdered, her supposed killer thought to be on the run for the past ten years. But while somebody has confessed to his involvement on that fateful night, all is not as it seems, and the team are led to conclusions they would rather not consider.
As the two investigations come to the boil, Bliss questions his own priorities and fears both cases may be slipping from his grasp. Because the more the teams learn the less they understand, and further acts of violence are never far away.
It is such a pleasure to be sharing my review of The Honourable Rogue today. Many thanks to Tony J. Forder for inviting me and for sending me an advance digital copy of the novel.
The Honourable Rogue is the thirteenth book in a series I have loved from the start and it will be eagerly snapped up by Tony J. Forder’s many fans, but anybody new to the Bliss novels can easily start here. I would, however, recommend reading at least the previous book, Something More To Say, if you can as that was the first in the series reboot, which follows Jimmy Bliss after his retirement from the police.
Jimmy is still investigating crimes but he is now a civilian SIO and also heads up a new unsolved investigations team. Events here take place a few months after the previous book, which means Jimmy has settled into both new roles – however, as the story progresses, his frustrations also become clear. When an elderly woman is viciously beaten to death in her home, he leads the investigation into her murder. She was recently scammed by a team of cowboy builders and it looks as though they returned for more. Despite the changes in his life, Bliss is still working with Penny Chandler – now acting detective inspector – and the rest of his previous team, although one is notably absent for most of the proceedings. The trust and respect they have for one another is a real feature of this series; as Bliss continues to re-evaluate his life, he is both supported and mercilessly teased by the colleagues who have become his friends and their banter means the humour feels natural and believable throughout. I’m also enjoying the development of his relationships with his new team, especially Beth Greenhill, who is a fantastic addition to the cast.
Meanwhile, his cold case finds Bliss coming face-to-face with a figure from his past. It’s a strange, discomfiting moment for him but Tony J. Forder’s character development has always been outstanding and it’s intriguing to see his response which, although impressively measured, still acknowledges the emotional weight of the encounter. He learns that a witness claims to know who murdered the daughter of a local villain ten years ago, and it’s not the man who was the main suspect before he apparently did a runner. This proves to be a tricky investigation; a bitter rivalry between two local crime families means Bliss and his cold cases team have to figure out who they can trust while also trying to ensure re-opening the case doesn’t result in violent recriminations. To make matters even more complicated and much to Bliss’s disgust, there are also whispers of bent coppers.
One of the highlights of this series is that Tony J. Forder really understands how to create a dynamic, exciting thriller while still reflecting the realities of police work. Both investigations stall and things don’t go to plan but as with real life, an unexpected break can suddenly change everything. The twists and turns throughout The Honourable Rogue are superb and it’s a real credit to the writing that the two cases are given equal weight, which meant I was totally invested in the outcome of them both.
This is a real rollercoaster of a book; it’s often a dark, breathtakingly tense read and yet there are several scenes which had me laughing out loud. Meanwhile, the tragedies behind the murders and the physical and emotional toll on the officers investigating them is never forgotten. The Honourable Rogue is Jimmy Bliss and Tony J. Forder at their very best; this is a first-rate crime novel and one I very highly recommend.
About the Author
Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. There is also a prequel novella available called Bliss Uncovered.
Tony’s other books include two action-adventure thrillers, Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun, featuring reluctant hero Mike Lynch. Also, The Huntsmen and The Predators, feature DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May, both police procedural novels set in Wiltshire. In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.
Tony’s first 8 novels were originally released by a publisher specialising in crime fiction. In 2020, Tony decided to strike out on his own, and subsequently negotiated the return of all publishing rights to himself. Each of those 8 books has subsequently been re-released under his own imprint, Spare Nib Books.
Tony lives with his wife in West Sussex, UK, and is a full-time author. His first love was music, and he is currently gobbling up as many remastered vinyl albums as he can. Tony has played guitar since his early childhood, and despite selling off his collection at one point he has somehow managed to reacquire a new range and is up to 5 without knowing how.
