ON DANGEROUS GROUND

LESLEY HORTON

Orion £10.99 tpbk Rel: June 2003

Reviewed by

Ali Karim

A very good follow-up to ‘Snares of Guilt’ set in the Leeds/Bradford corridor of Yorkshire. When a couple of children are discovered murdered in the same week, we soon learn that child prostitution is alive and well in the back alleys of urban Yorkshire. The investigation is lead by the unlikely duo of Inspectors John Handford and Khalid Ali. The trail leads them deep into the heart of the criminal underworld and shows the links that are present right into the heart of the respectable community.

In this sophomore work, Horton has really polished her ability with characterization. New figures appear and each delineated well against the large cast that pepper this tale. This novel is very gritty and those with children may find the squirm factor a little too high. As the investigation progresses, we have racial tension appearing due to the backdrop that these crimes appear to spring from, but more disturbingly, we also may have something even more sinister as a serial killer may well be at work.

Bold and pithy from a writer who has lived and worked on these mean streets, and one that is maturing. A controversial tale and one that really shows how fractured our society is, and that we are a mere veneer away from evil.