Judas Horse

Lynda La Plante

Mar 2021 · Detective Jack Warr Book 2 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Not all killers can be tamed... The thrilling second book in the Sunday Times bestselling Detective Jack Warr crime series.

Wild mustangs are difficult to rope, their lead stallion wary and protective of his herd. To capture that special stallion takes time. He is separated, roped, and lead back to the ranch. Once tamed, he is sent back into the wild. And before long, he will lead the entire herd back to the ranch. He is given the name 'Judas Horse'. When Detective Jack Warr identifies an informer, the terrified man begins to give details of a massive robbery planned by a team of unscrupulous and dangerous men. These men have already orchestrated many audacious robberies, leaving terrified victims in their wake. And they have already killed to get what they want. Detective Jack Warr and his team must use their informant as a 'Judas Horse' to draw in the unsuspecting robbers, so that they go ahead with the planned robbery. However, one false move, and more blood will be spilled . . .

Ratings and reviews

Detective Jack Warr and his team must catch a team of robbers, who have already pulled off multiple heists, before they leave more destruction in their wake. By using an informant as a "Judas Horse" (a wild mustang that is caught, tamed, and released back into the wild so that it will lead the other wild horses back to the ranch), Detective Warr tries to draw in the unsuspecting group of robbers. However, one false move could lead to disaster. I have read two other books from Lynda La Plante and I tend to find her writing a bit choppy but usually the stories are still enjoyable. This one wasn’t my favorite from her but it wasn’t a bad book. This is book 2 in the Jack Warr series. I have read the first one also but this one can work as a standalone too and can be understood without reading the first one. The first one adds more background details to Jack's life but isn't necessary to know.

Good story. But there were many times when it got tedious to read. If/when it's made into a TV show, those drawn out passages will make great TV and whiz by. BRW, I happened to watch an Agatha Christie movie with Lynda Marshall, who later became Lynda Laplante in a role. The movie was Why didn't they ask Evans? I recognized her from a BBC interview she did when Prime Suspect first aired. Anyway, hope this book makes it to a serial because the characters are a delight.

Two young boys see a group of crows surrounding a box in the middle of a lake. Of course, they go to see what it is not realizing that they would stumble across a body. It takes a little for the plot to finally get around to how this ties in to the rest of the story, but I like that because in the back of your mind you know something that the character don’t at first, because of course it is going to come around to being involved in the case they are working. The story starts off with the ending investigation in one set of burglaries and we get to quickly see that crime solved. But because Jack understands how criminal minds work, he is asked to help in another town with burglaries they can’t seam so solve. This right away reminded me of those crime shows like NCIS and Bones. It starts off with people living their lives, normally it’s a scene of criminals or people doing something illegal or at least questionable but then they run across a body. That’s exactly what happened in this book and I’m glad that’s how the author started it off. It truly draws the reader in by starting the book off with something that will grab our attention. It also makes it more entertaining as we read about the characters knowing that it’s going to lead to people dying. And just for those who are wondering, I haven’t read the first book in the series, but I was still able to follow along with everything in the story. Of course, I could tell there were things that had happened that I’m not sure about but everything relating to reading and understanding this stories plot was explained so I had no trouble following along. This book had something for everyone. Murder, Burglaries, Informants, Blackmail, Undercover Work. I wish it was more of a mystery as you know who is doing the crimes and there really isn’t much shock in any of the book. It is just simply following how they try to catch the guy and his gang. But I do like that is escalated to more than just burglaries, which just put even more stake on the table. The story also had some personal elements of Jack’s life. We get to see as him and Maggie’s relationship grow as they welcome a baby into their life. There is also some side story line with the pregnancy of a friend. But I liked seeing their relationship which is what truly drives Jack. There wasn’t only well depict romantic relationships, but also some interaction of coworkers and of them biting heads a little about people who have more authority than Jack, who are brought into the case. The book was okay, but there wasn’t really anything special. It wasn’t slow or fast paced. Nothing really jumped out but there also isn’t anything wrong with the book either. It is in the middle of the road. If you like a simple small crime novel then this is for you, but I prefer something with a little more sustenance.

About the author

Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She is the author of nearly forty novels, all of which have been bestsellers. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National theatre and RDC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing—and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series Widows.

Lynda's original script for the much-acclaimed Prime Suspect won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Lynda is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Best Writer's Award in 2000. In 2008, she was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and Charity.

Lynda La Plante is the first lay person to be awarded an honorary fellowship to the Forensic Science Society. In 2020 she launched the acclaimed Listening to the Dead podcast with former CSI Cass Sutherland, exploring forensic science and its impact on solving crimes.