“Naked Flames” in the latest in the DCI Harry Brock and DS David Poole series, written by Graham Ison.
(Ison also writes an excellent historical series with Inspector Hardcastle.) This one features the death of a nudist at a naturist club, as they’re called on the other side of the pond. A “clothing optional” resort, as it were. The man’s been burned to death – “naked flames,” get it? I knew you would.

Told in first person, thus Brock fills us in on all the personnel right away. We know everybody on the team and what their duties are. Right. Off we go.

Robert Sharp was a philanderer and a womanizer -- the wife didn’t do it, tho -- she doesn’t care. But how about the little doxie he came with? Or an unhappy husband or boyfriend, then? Seems like a good bet. Lots of women probably wanted him dead, and they can be included on the list. We find out the dead guy was also a crook and a con man. Thus we find out that money is at the root of it -- a rip off by the victim -- with phony antiques -- or a woman ripped off -- with thoughts of living “happily ever after.” Just the nice, usual motive for murder. Ah, the good old days.

All the women in this story have something to hide. But they are characters, that’s for sure.

Brock kind of jumps to a quick conclusion in regards to a suspect -- of how the fire was started. Been watching too many movies, he has. And he manages to work in the name of the book. You gotta love Ison and how he uses his words to charge up the pages. Although the book might be considered a bit slow in the middle; it’s more a study in people than anything else at certain places, with mention of the personal lives of our policemen; perhaps more than some readers like, but it does bring them to life.

Then the husbands and boyfriends start to come into the picture. The suspects soon begin to fill up the Albert Hall. Crooks double crossing other crooks. And a missing prisoner -- where’s he got to?

There’s nothing difficult about this book, it’s easy reading, a simple police tale, as our coppers criss cross the south of England, following up clues, interviewing witnesses. But then everything segues into something else and the murder of a con artist moves into very different territory. But Brock and Poole know their business, and our DCI sees everything come to a satisfactory end in court.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

Robert Sharp was a con man and a rat to women so there are lots of suspects when he's found murdered in his hut at a nudist camp. DCI Harry Brock and DS Dave Poole must work their way through them- as well as a variety of motives- to find the real villain because no matter how odious the victim, there's still a murderer out there. This plot didn't plow any new ground but the interplay between Brock and Poole is good. I wasn't familiar with the series; this was fine as a standalone. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. Suspect fans of the series will enjoy this immensely.

Suspects Aplenty.....
A Brock and Poole mystery and a new case for the detective duo. A fire at a nudist club has claimed a life and circumstances are more than suspicious. Nicely done with suspects and motives aplenty,credible characterisation, a swiftly moving plot and with some surprises along the way. An engaging read and a worthy addition to the series.

DCI Harry Brock is called to the scene of a suspicious death. At a naturist camp called the Pretext Club. Initially thought to have been burnt in the fire, it is discovered that the man - Robert Sharpe - was first shot. On discovering that Sharpe was a con man the list of suspects lengthen.
An interesting well-written crime story which I liked but didn't love, nor did I have much interest in the main characters as none of them really grabbed my attention as individuals.

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Brock and his Murder Team have quite a case. A dead body is found burned in a cabin at Pretext, a nudist camp near Harrow. The apparent victim was Robert Sharp, at least it was his assigned cabin that was deliberately torched. Robert Sharp was, the coppers found out, a good-looking, womanizing conman who seemed to specialize in picking up women at nudist camps, romancing them and disappearing with their money. The police also found out that he was overdrawn on all his credit cards, married, and behind on his mortgage. The line of suspects kept growing as more female victims made themselves known. But who had motive and opportunity? DCI Brock and company kept pulling on strings until the con came clear. And the case ended with a whimper as justice was served properly. An nice, twisty case of murder and chicanery run awry.

Pedestrian

This is a Brock and Poole mystery – apparently the 13th in a long line. A burned body has been discovered at a naturist resort. Investigating the murder is DCI Harry Brock and his sidekick, DS Dave Poole, and the more they dig into the past of the deceased, Robert Sharp, the more they discover people he has previously deceived and cheated who would have been more than happy to have disposed of him in the nastiest possible way.

The plot is very similar to hundreds you will find at your local book store. A murder occurs, the investigation uncovers history and pointers to the perpetrator and then comes the inevitable twist at the end. How this is done determines whether the story is interesting and captures the imagination. Sad to say this story offers neither.

There was little change of pace, and the plot was plodding and pedestrian. The language at times was stilted and tortuous. It just did not ring true. The author's apparent distaste for almost everyone on the planet may well be a hangover from his days at Special Branch but didn't sit well with me. There were other issues, as well. Brock's insistence at being called by his full title of Chief Inspector was at odds with his exchange of first names with anyone he encountered who was remotely linked to the Job. All members of the public he interviewed called him Mr Brock, which also seemed really weird. Personally, I would address a police officer by his rank.

I have awarded 3 stars as the writing itself despite being boring was correct grammatically and did not often offend my literary OCD (only once did I spot "no-one" is followed by the plural of the verb – pet hate). However, as a detective story, it sadly lacked in detecting, and as a mystery, there were no clues – just facts presented in a somnolent manner. The ending was rushed, almost as if the requisite number of pages had been reached, so the book had to be drawn to a swift conclusion. One to be avoided.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Brock is enjoying quality time with his friend Lydia in Esher when he is contacted by the Police Incident room. He is collected by Detective Sergeant Dave Poole and is driven to a nudist camp in Harrow. The victim Robert Sharp has burned to death on his bed in his room.
Over the next few days they learn that Sharp is married with a child and another on the way, his wife is neglected, whereas he is a philanderer and a conman with money illegally earned. An Airline Hostess Madison Bailey, also a member at the Nudist club, seems to be close to Sharp.
Their searches take them down to Brighton as well as different parts of London. They learn that petrol had been smuggled into the Nudist club and used to ignite the fire. Sharp had been shot prior to setting his body alight.
This is a complex investigation and Brock and Poole are determined to bring the killer to justice.
The author had a thirty year career in the Police. This is the thirteenth book in this series. The author has three other long running series. A very prolific writer! Well recommended. I will review on Amazon when the kindle version is published early August.

My thanks to Severn House,.Mr. Ison, and Netgalley.
Not bad. Not great?
Heck, I'm still not sure if this is cozy, or cozy max.
This wasn't for me. I didn't even finish. I've tried this author before, and didn't get very far. So, of course I had to try again! It's just not my thing. I can't gripe about it. This book doesn't suck. It's not even horrible. It's not my thing. I think others will enjoy this. Just not me.

Naked Flames is the seventeenth book in the DCI Harry Brock and DS Dave Poole series, and it's a great addition to a superb series which surprisingly has not lost steam as of yet; in fact, this is the perfect starting point for new readers as it is the most compulsive and gripping to date. I love these mystery-thrillers as they are so different from everything else in the genre, and each instalment can be read independently without issue. They are also fitting for those who enjoy this genre but prefer it without graphic violence or profanity but none of the interest missing.

The story revolves around a wanted conman, Bob Sharp, who literally has so many innocent female victims and has destroyed the lives of many. He wines and dines them until they are sufficiently attached to him before taking them for all they have; he's even married a few of them despite already having a wife! Sadly, being handsome and charismatic means women are easily attracted to him and he uses this to maximum advantage. When he is found burned to a crisp in his chalet at the nudist camp known as the Pretext Club it is clear from the beginning that he was murdered. But by whom?

There are a plethora of possible suspects each with a strong motive for killing this vile creature and this makes it a very unpredictable read. From the first chapter, I was invested and compelled to keep turning the pages. It was great to catch up with Brock and Poole and once again their nonstop hard work in a challenging case pays off and they manage to collar the culprit. The writing flows beautifully from page to page. It's an intricate and proficiently plotted police procedural and an excellent, clean read. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Severn House Publishers for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
DCI Harry Brock is relaxing with his girlfriend when he receives a call regarding the murder of a man at a nudist colony. The man, Robert Sharp, was found burned in a cabin on his bed.
He was a con man who 'married' or promised to marry quite a few women who he then stole money from and promptly disappeared. He met most of them at nudist camps. He was a charming, good-looking man, easily luring the women into falling in love with him. This poses a problem for Brock and his team; there are numerous suspects who had a strong motive for wishing 'Bob' Sharp dead.
The book interested me at first, but as it went on I lost more and more interest. I didn't really like Brock, but did like his Australian sidekick, she was a sharp, no-nonsense policewoman.
However, the ending was exciting and surprising, a welcome turn after the slight boredom I experienced in the second half of the story. Therefore my rating is 3.5 rounded up from 3.

This was my first Brock and Poole book that I had read but it certainly will not be the last.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the police characters in the story. It is about a murder at a nudist
colony and the victim was a horrible conman who took women’s money and destroyed so
many lives. I was hooked immediately. DCI Brock is quite an interesting man and DS Poole
really grew on me.

5 stars

DCI Harry Brock is relaxing on his day off with his girlfriend when he receives a call to the scene of a suspicious death – at a nudist camp called the Pretext Club. (Although the participants prefer them to be called “naturist” camps.) The man was burned to death in one of the camp's “chalets.”

The man's name was Robert “Bob” Sharp. He was at the camp with a young woman.

DCI Brock’s team discovers that Bob was a con man who was wanted in several districts for conning wealthy and not-so-wealthy women out of their savings and running up charges on the credit cards. Then he disappears. He has so many victims that I had some trouble keeping them all straight. And he was a bigamist. He was already married when he proposed and married many of the women he was conning. All in all a thoroughly unlikable guy.

The team then finds out that good old Bob was murdered. They obviously have too many suspects and the owners of the camp are no great shakes, either.

It turns out to be a complicated and somewhat intricate case. There are circles within circles in the investigation that lead the team down several false paths. Bob was a man who made many enemies and they police need to interview them all and sort out the alibis.

A surprise is in store for the reader as the book draws to a close. It is a delicious twist to the story.

This is perhaps the best DCI Brock story that I have read to date. Mr. Ison has really outdone himself on this one. The book is extremely well written and plotted. The transitions are seamless and smooth. The characters are engaging and likable. (Well the police team is...) The book is interesting and doesn't have gore. It is a very competent study of a police investigation. I really liked this book and recommend it to all who like police procedurals or just a darn good read.

I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review.