Bullet Hole

Alan Saxon is an English professional golfer who won the British Open early in his career and hasn't won anything big in the eighteen years since. Trouble seems to follow him and he uses the investigative genes he got from his policeman father to figure out the who, what, when, where, whys and hows. The investigative skills he's grateful for, however - his father he can do without. Dad believes he should have done something honorable with his life - like be a cop. And golf is a waste of time. Being an Open Champion means less than nothing to good ole' dad. Meanwhile, Alan has an ex-wife named Rosemary, with whom he has a love-hate relationship with (more hate than love); a teenage daughter named Lynette who he adores; a current love named Fiona that he wants to keep in his life; a journalist, Clive Phelps, who promotes him just as much today as when he won the Open; a recreational vehicle named Carnoustie (after the site of his Open victory); and a string of dead bodies littering his attempt to win the Open at St. Andrews Old Course this year. Saxon hasn't been on form for a while, but this might be his year. But someone doesn't want it to be. He gives a lovely young hitchhiker a ride on his way to St. Andrews - and three days later she's murdered. His caddie stays off the sauce long enough to help Saxon mount a charge in the first two rounds - and then is almost killed to keep him from continuing his march. Saxon spends almost as much time being interviewed by the police as he does the press. And his disdain for his father comes across as a reluctance to cooperate with the local constabulary. And Saxon's penchant for investigating, when he should be informing the police, doesn't sit well with them either, especially when they think he's either the killer - or the real target. Miles keeps a fast pace as he skillfully weaves the story between rounds of the Open championship, descriptions of key figures in the championship itself, Saxon's personal struggles and investigations, and the politics and economics of big-time golf. Whether you're a golf fan or a murder mystery aficionado there's plenty to keep you engrossed in Bullet Hole.