It is 1975 and a newly promoted sergeant has been assigned to collect "dirt" on a London police officer named "Ruff". The Commissioner has pledged to free his force of "bad apples" and the team Inspector believes Ruff is one of the bad guys. With cockney slang and authentic police jargon used from start to finish, this "duty statement" describes a period in London history when police wages were too low to live on, and officers were poorly equipped, inadequately supervised and very  badly trained. The Met Police faced a critical manpower shortage even though populations were expanding and crime was increasing. Women had yet to find equality within the service... but things were at a turning point. Will the new sergeant gather enough evidence to prove Ruff's conduct brings the Force into disrepute? And what kind of an effect will the new WPC have on the team? The author served on 'the manor' as a Constable during this period and affirms these events are based on authentic memories.

Into Disrepute

In a medieval world, song and music are suppressed by the almighty church. A group of strolling friars brings melody to those in need. But a fearsome brotherhood known as The Black Hounds hope to eradicate music. They regularly observe the operations of the Music Bearers and aim to hunt them to extinction. The secret musical order embraces a teenager named Elis and raises him to be one of their last carriers of song. He must fulfil his mission, while the Black Hounds seek to destroy him. Although Elis never speaks about a childhood romance, he feels great sadness about how his relationship with a girl ended and he now faces a life of celibacy. The longing he suffers will interfere with his musical quest. Meanwhile, an earnest Black Hound newcomer is resolved to make a name for himself by seizing an important undercover Music Bearer's agent. Can he pick up this secretive operator? Or will his talented rival, the ruthless music-hunter, Zadock, get to her first? Will the Black Hounds eliminate music utterly? Will the light of harmony be yielded? Can a single young person rescue euphony? And will this uprooted foundling care whether music lives or dies? Wouldn't he sooner walk away from such a desperate ministry?

The Last Music Bearer

Can a person with channelled aggressive personality disorder be a good cop? Can an intensely competitive, utterly insensitive person, ever become a capable investigator? Should a person with no regard for personal boundaries, and an intolerance of weaker individuals, even be in the police service? Wouldn't such a person exploit and victimize others? Or could they be employed as an effective investigator because they wouldn't let anything get in the way of justice? Can Valerie Brading apply her 'internal brakes' once she's on a mission? Can she harness her aggression for pragmatic purposes? Does she have to go into every single event with an "I win, you lose" mentality? Will her newly posted partner soften her confrontational characteristics? The pair are allocated a child abduction case... but the clues are deceptive and their investigations are impeded by institutional failures. They work under flawed leadership, and with a pool of dysfunctional workfellows. In such circumstances, will A/DS Brading ever find the missing child? Can she bring an offender to justice? Or will the powers-that-be strip her of the temporary rank before she solves the crime?

Curiosity Killed The Chicken

La connaissance est un ding-a-ling dangereux…

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