BARLOW AT CHRISTMAS:

The obvious suspect for a murder is the ghost of a man long dead, not that Barlow dare suggest that. He has enough problems already because Ballymena now has a newly arrived woman police sergeant. A woman with a reputation for giving stations sergeants an ulcer. A second body is found in the town dump. Belfast criminals try to set up a protection racket in Ballymena, and Barlow has damning evidence that a youth brutalised and killed a prostitute, except… Meantime, ne’er-do-well Geordie Dunlop takes on an honest job that could see him jailed for life. Major, the Honourable Edward Adair, gentleman and town drunk has been relegated to living in his tarred hut under Curles Bridge by his out-of-patience fiancé, and Barlow’s daughter, Vera, is kidnapped by a ruthless gang who will return her piece by piece if Barlow doesn’t give them back jewellery that he doesn’t have.