In Death a la Carte, bad-boy Police Inspector Jack Mowgley has jumped before being pushed and taken early retirement. With no prospects in England, he has moved across the Channel to set up in Cherbourg as a private investigator. His intentions are to live off the colourful band of British expats in the area while funding the restoration of his mostly-ruined manor house in the Normandy countryside. He expects to encounter nothing more demanding than cases of marital infidelity and financial irregularities, but soon finds himself involved in people trafficking, drug smuggling and a series of murders most foul. This must be read to the shocking end: Extracts: It occurred to Mowgley that the body on the bench was more like a shop window mannequin being prepared for display than a mutilated corpse. The comparison came to mind because there were no hands protruding from the cuffs of the sleeves, or head from the collar of the snow-white shirt... Coco Lecoq looked like an uncomfortable cross between an Old Testament prophet and the mad professor in Back to the Future. He had a shock of red hair, a moustache to rival Asterix the Gaul, and possibly the worst set of teeth Mowgley had seen in Normandy, which was saying something: An all-round arts enthusiast, Coco also staged regular open concerts in the square beside the pub. Last year he had arranged an exchange deal which involved the St-Sauveur Ladies Glee Club travelling to perform in a punk venue in East Dulwich, while the club had sent as its representatives a band called 'We Hate Fucking Foreigners': What readers say about Mowgley: 'I was totally absorbed as the tale unfolded. Not so much by the plot, but by waiting for the next assault on political correctness.' 'Our dysfunctional detective hero is no Morse or Rebus, and thank goodness for that. Mowgley is refreshingly sordid, and I was secretly pleased to find he had absolutely no redeeming characteristics': NB. All the events and situations relating to drug and people smuggling in the book are based on fact. The latest reports are that these activities are increasing most rapidly in northern France:

About the Author
George East is not everyone's idea of an author. After leaving school at 16 with no qualifications, he set out on a varied career path which included (failed) Rock god, Impressionist (house) painter, plumber, welder, demolition engineer, pickled onion manufacturer, private detective, male model, lorry driver, brewer's drayman, PR and Marketing guru, magazine editor, freelance journalist, hotel manager, snooker hall owner, seamstress, night club bouncer, DJ and radio and television presenter and pub landlord: After winning the title of Britain's Worst Publican for two years running, George and his wife Donella decided to see what life across the English Channel had to offer. They bought a ruined mill on ten acres of meadows, woods, streams and mud in Normandy, and set about surviving from self-sufficiency: As they struggled to survive, George wrote a book warning other Brits about the perils of buying property in and moving to live in France. To the surprise of the Easts and the astonishment of their bank managers on both sides of the Channel, Home & Dry in France (A year in Purgatory) was a best-seller. More books about the East's adventures and travels in rural France followed: Then George turned his hand to crime fiction and wrote the Mowgley Crime series about a seedy detective in charge of Portsmouth ferry port: He based the books on his experiences in travelling to and from France, and of his time behind bars when his pub was the local for a squad of CID officers on which the characters are loosely sketched: George continues to travel and write about his experiences and divides his time between France, England and the rest of Europe writing travel and crime books, and, as he says, winkling out the best and cheapest bars and restaurants. To find out more about George and his work, his website can be found at www.george-east.net

Reviews
I was totally absorbed as the tale unfolded. Not so much by the plot, but by waiting for the next assault on political correctness: Mowgley is refreshingly sordid, and I was secretly pleased to find he had no redeeming characteristics: J.Veale, Writeaway



Book Information
ISBN 9781908747327
Author George East
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint La Puce Publications
Publisher La Puce Publications
Weight(grams) 222g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 133mm * 11mm