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Plain Dealing: A police procedural mystery (The Ryder Quartet Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Ian Patrick (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 73 ratings
Midnight on a moonlit beach. Six cops execute four thugs after a heinous crime. They are unaware that there is a witness to the executions… Thrilling page-turning action as ‘plain dealing’ cops face scrutiny in an emotional journey through choices made in the day-to-day confrontation with evil.
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  1. Book 3 of 4
    The Ryder Quartet
  2. Print length
    227 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    4 Aug. 2015
  6. File size
    1.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 4 books in this series.

Product description

About the Author

Ian Patrick writes full-time from his home in the United Kingdom. After working as an actor, director and teacher in theatre, film and television, he turned to an academic career and for some years published scholarly essays in a range of international academic journals. 'Not particularly page-turning stuff,' he says. 'Then one day the editor of a journal with a slightly more commercial and business-oriented focus, who had solicited an essay from me based on my scholarly research, asked me what my fee was. I had never considered the possibility that anyone might want to pay me for publishing anything I wrote, so I suggested that he pay me whatever he thought appropriate. He did so. After the resulting pleasant surprise I considered that there might be another dimension to writing.' He believes that his years as an actor and director now play a modest part in his writing, as does his past experience in scholarly research. 'My fiction is based to the best of my ability on research and field work. I have to believe every word my fictive characters say, every action they undertake,' he says. 'I endeavour to make my fiction plausible and authentic. This requires exhaustive work and detailed research, and friends on occasion express surprise that it takes me at least a year of full-time work to write an eighty thousand word crime thriller. In my view, however, although it is clearly desirable to arrive at one's destination by bringing a work to publication, it is the journey that is the really exciting and enjoyable part of writing. I can only hope that readers will also enjoy the journey of discovering my characters and their foibles, their actions and their experiences. I hope, too, that they will inform me about and forgive me for any lapses in my work or any errors of detail.' --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01263D7VC
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 4 Aug. 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 3 of 4 ‏ : ‎ The Ryder Quartet
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 73 ratings

About the author

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Ian Patrick

Ian Patrick

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After working as an actor, director and teacher in theatre, film and television, followed by a long academic career, Ian is now a full-time writer. His background plays a modest part in his writing, he says. 'My fiction is based to the best of my ability on research and field work. I have to believe the words my fictive characters speak, and the actions they undertake.' Which explains why he has accompanied detectives to the front line, interviewed victims of crime and forensics investigators, taken courses on forensics, crime scene management, and DNA analysis, and spent many hours scouring actual locations for his crime scenes: many of them based on actual events. 'I endeavour to make my fiction plausible and authentic. I can only hope that readers will also enjoy the journey of discovering my characters and their foibles, their actions and their experiences. I hope, too, that they will inform me about and forgive me for any lapses in my work or any errors of detail.'

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
73 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's action sequences well-established and thrilling, with one review noting its fast-moving plot. Moreover, the character development receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting the believable tender human relationships between characters.

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5 customers mention ‘Action sequence’5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the action sequences in the book, describing them as well-established and thrilling, with one customer noting the fast-moving plot that drives the story relentlessly forward.

"...thought provoking and adds a new dimension to the by now well established thrilling action, superb characterisation and fascinating forensics...." Read more

"...Anyone looking for a compelling crime story which sheds light in passing on the criminal underworld of contemporary South Africa, and some of the..." Read more

"...Like the best detective stories there are central characters who one comes to know, one on the good side of the law, the other not - the “devil”..." Read more

"...I read ‘Plain Dealing’. It was enthralling. The book describes the inter-relationships between criminals and police and the occasional crossover...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Character development’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer highlighting the tender moments of interaction between characters and another noting the intricately written lead characters.

"...dimension to the by now well established thrilling action, superb characterisation and fascinating forensics...." Read more

"...There are lovely moments of humour and believable tender human relationships. It's a novel about life in this country, and not just a thriller." Read more

"...detail spot on and if you like crime drama with intricately written lead characters then this is for you." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Jonathan and Sally Hood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Adds a new dimension to the by now well established thrilling action, superb characterisation and fascinating forensics
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2015
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    This author continues to improve with every book, this is the best to date and I can’t wait for the fourth of the Ryder quartet - it’s quite hard not to abandon life’s practicalities and read straight through to the end.

    The great difference between this book and its predecessors is the moral dimension. It’s an entirely credible ethical dilemma for the straight cops; so many of the most depraved and violent criminals get away with it due to witness intimidation and murder, and a bribable judicial system close to breakdown from the overwhelming tsunami of crime. So, why hold back if you can execute them and get away with it?

    Meanwhile the villains see routine murder, even of police officers and the more horrible the better, as an acceptable solution to even the most trivial slight or obstruction.

    Either way the author demonstrates how they reach this state of mind. When looking at the police force he subtly illustrates how the rules can be stretched and how hard it is to define the difference between stretched and broken. It’s thought provoking and adds a new dimension to the by now well established thrilling action, superb characterisation and fascinating forensics.

    I suspect that in no time at all we will see these books established on TV as a gripping police drama of the American precinct style such as The Shield..
    2 people found this helpful
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  • DMB
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the squeamish
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2016
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    At the end of Plain Dealing a policeman breaks the jaw of one of the baddies, kicks his ribs in, puncturing his lungs in the process, snaps one arm in two places above the elbow and then stomps on the other arm, breaking it in three places - and the policeman is one of the good guys. The detached matter-of-factness of the violence is chilling. This is not a book for the squeamish - but crime novel enthusiasts tend not to be particularly squeamish and Ian Patrick's rendering of the criminal underbelly of post-apartheid society is persuasive. Violence begets violence and the original violence in this instance, both literal and figurative, was that of the apartheid state.

    Plain Dealing's plot is fast-moving and compelling and the motivations and characterisation of the main characters are almost always convincing. The one minor exception to that rule seemed to me to be the journalist, Mike Pullen, where Ian Patrick's evident contempt for tabloid journalists - however well-merited it often is - led to a verbal Spitting Image caricature. My only other reservation lay with some of the dialogue, particularly the banter between Ryder's colleagues, which seemed a little forced at times.

    Anyone looking for a compelling crime story which sheds light in passing on the criminal underworld of contemporary South Africa, and some of the ways in which at underworld is policed, would do well to pick up this novel - provided he or she doesn't need to be in any hurry to put it down.
    One person found this helpful
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  • brenda gourley
    5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2016
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    This is a terrific story that holds your attention from the first page to the last. Like the best detective stories there are central characters who one comes to know, one on the good side of the law, the other not - the “devil” from whence the title of the series. The story is set in Durban, South Africa and uses quite a lot of local phrases which add local colour. The plot-line describes with accuracy the current realities of post-apartheid South Africa: the baggage of the apartheid system with all its inequalities and violence as well as the corruption and casual disregard for human life that is not unique in the underbelly of most societies. One gets a sense of the life of the policemen in these situations, good and bad, hardened and never hardened enough for what they are forced to witness in the discharge of their duties. The book is written with a lightness of touch that never makes it dark and the narrative is racy and full of humour. I strongly recommend it.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • h e roffey
    4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant view into a real and difficult through fiction.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2016
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    I don’t normally read crime novels however, having casually picked up ‘Gun Dealing’ by Ian Patrick. I found myself wanting to read other books by this author. I read ‘Plain Dealing’. It was enthralling. The book describes the inter-relationships between criminals and police and the occasional crossover. What makes it come alive is the covert action taken by lone police officers who become frustrated by administration and flawed justice and want the job done effectively. Woven within the story is the often touching and amusing side of the men and women within the force cutting across racial boundaries.
    The relationships within the marriages of some officers are idealized and sentimental and there is one too many crimes, however, to those unfamiliar with South Africa, the intensity of crime may appear to be exaggerated; sadly, I know it’s not. I recommend this compelling read as fiction looking through a window into a real and difficult world.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Stephen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Action from page one
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2017
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    I liked this from the opening moments. Page one starts with a bang and there are quite a few bangs all the way through. But more important than the exciting action are the tender moments of interaction between characters. This is not only a clever police procedural and a solid crime thriller. It is also a novel about life in a country that is fraying at the edges as crime takes over and all citizens have to question their morality. With corruption at the top of the tree it's important for someone to hold the line. Some of the cops do. Some don't. The guessing game is a good one and it drives the action relentlessly forward, with a solid plot line. It's not all thrills and spills, though. There are lovely moments of humour and believable tender human relationships. It's a novel about life in this country, and not just a thriller.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kate Foster
    4.0 out of 5 stars great new author - attention to geographical detail spot on ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2016
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    great new author - attention to geographical detail spot on and if you like crime drama with intricately written lead characters then this is for you.
    One person found this helpful
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  • MC24
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2017
    Three down, one to go! I am loving these novels - despite the grim topic. Really enjoying how some of the characters have developed and wait with baited breath each time to see if they survive or not. These novels have been an eye opener to me about the state of affairs in South Africa post apartheid. Highly recommended.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • David Harris
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fun romp of a police series!
    Reviewed in Canada on 8 December 2018
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    Although very violent and the protagonists have almost superhuman powers when it comes to fighting and shooting, this series by Mr. Patrick is extremely enjoyable. Very hard to put down (even if the criminals are not)!
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  • Patrick T. Kelly
    4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoy reading books set in other cultures and I am ...
    Reviewed in the United States on 14 September 2017
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    I enjoy reading books set in other cultures and I am assuming the author is South African. The story is good, the characters well done, the book is well written and free of egregious errors. I do have one question. On page 166. "I'll take the Fifth Amendment on that question." The right to remain silent is the Fifth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution but it seems to be section 35 in the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution. Is this an error or is it alluding to the prevalence of U.S. television shows?

    Enjoyed the book.
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  • Jackie B
    5.0 out of 5 stars As a South African I thoroughly enjoyed a book which took me to places I know
    Reviewed in the United States on 1 November 2015
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    As a South African I thoroughly enjoyed a book which took me to places I know. I found the book very relevant to the situation as I know it in S.A. with high crime rates and police trying to handle situations to the best of their ability considering their own frame of mind and their daily experiences. There are some really good cops, some really bad cops and then there are cops that can be good or bad depending on the readers own moral sense which can prompt the kind of debate which takes place daily in South Africa. A page turner.
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  • Roger Deming
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 December 2018
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    Well written book of action and suspense fast paced action that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole w
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  • helen stewart
    4.0 out of 5 stars Plain dealing ..... Good read!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 November 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Fast paced
    Like the South African settings
    Locals would relate well to the characters and ways of expressing themselves
    Hope readers from other countries would get a feel for some of the realities of crime
    I would recommend to friends who enjoy crime thrillers
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