Bad For Good – Graham Bartlett – What Do I Read Now?

My thanks to Helen Richardson for asking me to be part of the blog tour for Bad For Good by Graham Barlett. Published by Allison & Busby.

Our Author – Graham Bartlett

Graham Bartlett is the former Chief Superintendent of Brighton and Hove Police, and advisor to some of the world’s bestselling crime authors. His explosive debut novel Bad for Good
is utterly gripping and marks the start of an incendiary new series set in Brighton, centring on a murky world of vigilantes and corruption.

Graham Bartlett was a police officer for thirty years and is now a bestselling writer.He rose to become chiefsuperintendent of the Brighton and Hove force as well as its police commander. He entered the Sunday Times Top Ten with his first non-fiction book, Death Comes Knocking – Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton in 2016. He followed that up in 2020 with another non-fiction book, Babes in the Wood, the harrowing 32-year fight to bring a double child killer to justice. Both these books he co-wrote with international best seller, Peter James.

As well as writing, Bartlett is a police procedural and crime advisor helping scores of authors and TV writers (including Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, Ruth Ware, Claire McGowan and Dorothy Koomson) achieve authenticity in their drama.

‘As an ex-cop, Graham Bartlett knows what he’s talking about and he certainly knows how to tell a good story. Bad For Good is a cracking debut’
MARK BILLINGHAM

My Review – Bad For Good

For the off its clear that Graham Bartlett is a very clear and consistent writer. His characters form the plot for Bad For Good, ranging from the very top brass in policing being involved, down to the very lowest of society’s low, namely Marco who’s drug dealing ways get him mixed up with something he won’t be getting out of.

Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Cooke and Detective Superintendent Joanne Howe amongst others are trying their best, with the very worst in respect of resources, to police the whole of Brighton and Hove, with 8 officers to help them, so the average 2 hour wait for police assistance brings a caretaker at a school taking measures into his own hands and meaning that he ends up in hospital.

The death of a Phil Cooke’s son on the verge of hitting the big time having signed up to be the next best thing in the local football team, has promptly widespread chaos in the crime community. The Police suspect a vigilante group is taking matters into their own hands and decreasing the local population. How this is linked to the death of Harry, Phil’s son they don’t know and struggle to get the connection.

Just how far will Phil push and be pushed, to get answers and catch Harry’s murderer?

Graham’s knowledge of policing is evident and makes for great reading, Bad For Good is intense and compelling. Blackmail and corruption make for a fast almost thundering pace, harrowing at times with some of the detail that creates the plot. A fantastic debut and one sure to create a series and let the characters flourish further. More please Graham!