Flanders, June 1917: a British officer and celebrated poet, is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder. Douglas Kingsley is a conscientious objector, previously a detective with the London police, now imprisoned for his beliefs. He is released and sent to France in order to secure a conviction. Forced to conduct his investigations amidst the hell of The Third Battle of Ypres, Kingsley soon discovers that both the evidence and the witnesses he needs are quite literally disappearing into the mud that surrounds him. Ben Elton's tenth novel is a gut-wrenching historical drama which explores some fundamental questions. What is murder? What is justice in the face of unimaginable daily slaughter? And where is the honour in saving a man from the gallows if he is only to be returned to die in a suicidal battle? As the gap between legally-sanctioned and illegal murder becomes evermore blurred, Kingsley quickly learns that the first casualty when war comes is truth.

I got this from bookmooch for my NSS partner, as it is on her wishlist. I hope she likes it - my daddy borrowed it before I could post it to you and he says "it was a good book"

Part of my NSS surprise package!
A fourth book from my wishlist!! Thank you very much AmeliaJane, I'm sure I will enjoy reading this one.
Thank you also for all the other lovely things that were in my parcel :D

Really good book, probably my favourite Ben Elton book so far. Slightly different to Elton's other books in that it's not really a comedy, although there are still some funny bits! Written really well, and still keeps the style that I enjoyed in Elton's previous books. Definitely recommended!

Donated to The Cosy Hall OBCZ

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