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Too Clever for His Own Good

Jon Fordham, a retired building society general manager and county cricket executive director, has followed up his two successful non-fiction books with his debut crime novel: Too Clever for His Own Good, the first in the D.I. Steve Hardcastle trilogy. Born and bred in south east London, Jon is married with three grown up sons. He is a life-long supporter of Charlton Athletic Football Club and a keen follower of Kent County Cricket Club.

If anyone is looking for a suitable Father's Day present, you might care to consider Too Clever for His Own Good. At 402 pages long, it is being released on 31 May, RRP £12.99. It is now available to pre-order online from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, Foyles, Gardners and all other major book shops.  

SYNOPSIS: Within the space of three days, two men are found brutally murdered. Their only connection is that they were both involved in the same cricket match. But the complete lack of evidence left at both crime scenes leaves Detective Inspector Steve Hardcastle in a quandary. Is he searching for one killer or for two?

The few lines of enquiry he and his team are able to follow up quickly lead them down a succession of blind alleys and Hardcastle comes under increasing pressure from his senior officers to make an arrest.

And when a third man who was also involved in the match suddenly disappears without a trace, Hardcastle knows that it is only a matter of time before he is taken off the case. With his career prospects disappearing with each dead end, he is left with just one last throw of the dice.


Comments

  • Jon Fordham, a retired building society general manager and county cricket executive director, has followed up his two successful non-fiction books with his debut crime novel: Too Clever for His Own Good, the first in the D.I. Steve Hardcastle trilogy. Born and bred in south east London, Jon is married with three grown up sons. He is a life-long supporter of Charlton Athletic Football Club and a keen follower of Kent County Cricket Club.

    If anyone is looking for a suitable Father's Day present, you might care to consider Too Clever for His Own Good. At 402 pages long, it is being released on 31 May, RRP £12.99. It is now available to pre-order online from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, Foyles, Gardners and all other major book shops.  

    SYNOPSIS: Within the space of three days, two men are found brutally murdered. Their only connection is that they were both involved in the same cricket match. But the complete lack of evidence left at both crime scenes leaves Detective Inspector Steve Hardcastle in a quandary. Is he searching for one killer or for two?

    The few lines of enquiry he and his team are able to follow up quickly lead them down a succession of blind alleys and Hardcastle comes under increasing pressure from his senior officers to make an arrest.

    And when a third man who was also involved in the match suddenly disappears without a trace, Hardcastle knows that it is only a matter of time before he is taken off the case. With his career prospects disappearing with each dead end, he is left with just one last throw of the dice.


    Thank you for this. Jon is a great guy, and as you said a huge fan as are his boys. He also wrote a book about The Great Train Robbery, that was also very good. 
  • Going away for a couple of weeks mid June. I only read books when on holiday so pre ordering this in hope it turns up before we go.

    Thanks for bringing to my attention.
  • I see anything about “too clever “, I immediately think people are talking about me.
  • Jon Fordham, a retired building society general manager and county cricket executive director, has followed up his two successful non-fiction books with his debut crime novel: Too Clever for His Own Good, the first in the D.I. Steve Hardcastle trilogy. Born and bred in south east London, Jon is married with three grown up sons. He is a life-long supporter of Charlton Athletic Football Club and a keen follower of Kent County Cricket Club.

    If anyone is looking for a suitable Father's Day present, you might care to consider Too Clever for His Own Good. At 402 pages long, it is being released on 31 May, RRP £12.99. It is now available to pre-order online from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, Foyles, Gardners and all other major book shops.  

    SYNOPSIS: Within the space of three days, two men are found brutally murdered. Their only connection is that they were both involved in the same cricket match. But the complete lack of evidence left at both crime scenes leaves Detective Inspector Steve Hardcastle in a quandary. Is he searching for one killer or for two?

    The few lines of enquiry he and his team are able to follow up quickly lead them down a succession of blind alleys and Hardcastle comes under increasing pressure from his senior officers to make an arrest.

    And when a third man who was also involved in the match suddenly disappears without a trace, Hardcastle knows that it is only a matter of time before he is taken off the case. With his career prospects disappearing with each dead end, he is left with just one last throw of the dice.


    Throwing dice to identify the murderer ?, no wonder his career was under threat…
  • Is there a kindle version available?
  • edited May 2022
    Yes, Kindle version will be available from Amazon from 31 May, priced at £3.50.
  • Did Ben Garner do it?
  • Launched yesterday, pre-orders and first day sales have exceeded all expectations, so a big thank you to all who took the plunge.
  • Did Ben Garner do it?
    Not confirmed...or is it....?
  • Launched yesterday, pre-orders and first day sales have exceeded all expectations, so a big thank you to all who took the plunge.
    No bother, Jon.
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  • I bet they killed each other.
  • Jon’s an old mate of mine, big fan as are his boys…..Jon if you are reading reading this, hope all is good with you…….Mick S
  • edited June 2022
    Jon if you are checking this thread im the lad from Bowmans Road that you took to the Valley for the Hull match in 1981. I'm 55 now and still going. Thought of you at Ipswich at the end of this season as it was the first time id been back there to see CAFC since you took my brother and I to the FA  Cup match back then. Always wondered if you were still going. How could I have doubted.  Id like to thank you for what I will always think of as golden days.
  • edited June 2022
    Jon’s an old mate of mine, big fan as are his boys…..Jon if you are reading reading this, hope all is good with you…….Mick S
    Hi Mick, great to hear from you. All good with me, hope you are likewise. Have some great memories of watching Charlton home and away with you, Tim, Roy, Russell, Peter, Kevin, Ray, Jim, Vince, Todman etc - and then we all grew up, got married, had kids and got old! I’m soon to become a grandad to a baby boy - another Charlton fan in the family.
    I hope we get to meet up again sometime in the not too distant future Mick.
    Take care my old friend.

  • Jon if you are checking this thread im the lad from Bowmans Road that you took to the Valley for the Hull match in 1981. I'm 55 now and still going. Thought of you at Ipswich at the end of this season as it was the first time id been back there to see CAFC since you took my brother and I to the FA  Cup match back then. Always wondered if you were still going. How could I have doubted.  Id like to thank you for what I will always think of as golden days.
    Can’t believe that that was over 40 years ago. I seem to remember that you and your brother were Chelsea fans at that time - and then you saw the light! I remember that trip to Portman Road well, crammed into the home end with around 7000 other Charlton fans. And when we got back to the car at the end of the game I found I’d got a parking ticket!
    I’m still going to most home games, the only advantage of being 68 is that you get a cheap season ticket!
    Thank you for your kind words, but it was my pleasure, I always enjoyed your company.
  • edited June 2022
    Going away for a couple of weeks mid June. I only read books when on holiday so pre ordering this in hope it turns up before we go.

    Thanks for bringing to my attention.
    Well, read it and enjoyed, waiting for the follow up!
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