Alan Macaulay

I used to enjoy Archer's books in the last century and this is the first I have read for many years but either I have changed or he has. This book is simply dreadful and utterly predictable. It is full of clichés and the main hero of the book, supposedly one of the smartest officers in Scotland Yard is a complete fool. He continues to brag at length how he will catch the master criminal yet then follows paths that even an inexperienced community support officer wouldn't go down. Towards the end I had to skim the pages as it became harder and harder to get any enjoyment from it and I just wanted to finish it. There is no building of characters but just plenty of juvenile exchanges. Simply I would believe it if this was written by a child for other children, it is complete rubbish.