Rough Diamonds — Graham Ison

The shooting of a man in a taxi at Hyde Park Corner appeared to be just another event in the bizarre catalogue of crimes with which London's detectives are painfully familiar.

But when Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Fox, raffish head of the Flying Squad, is obliged to take an interest, he finds that the victim was a well-known iceman -- criminal jargon for a thief who steals diamonds. A second murder, which terminates the career of another iceman, leads Fox to enquire more thoroughly into the activities of this particular group of villains -- and its sole survivor -- who specialise in relieving rich widows and divorcées of their jewellery.

A separate crime -- a murder which took place five years previously -- assumes increasing importance in the investigation and before long Fox is convinced there is a link between the killings.

Using his current girlfriend as bait, Fox attempts to trap the killer, but the plan goes disastrously wrong and Fox is left to face one of the most difficult problems of his career.

But throughout the investigation, Fox treats police regulations -- and the law -- with his usual disdain in successfully wrapping up the case, although this time not quite in the way he wanted...