To Catch A Rabbit

Travel Guide

Doncaster

Not the kind of Doncaster you would want to visit apart from in a novel. The streets where the sex workers ply their trade, a dead woman slumped up against a snack bar van on a recreation ground, and a wet behind the ears PSCO who soon finds himself out of his depth.

“You have to go in the fields if you want to catch a rabbit”

A unique premise – for the work of a PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) and  those involved with Sean  Denton as he tries to work out the reasons for a woman to end up slumped against a burger van . He’s not your usual hard nosed, alcoholic copper and his naivety leads him to places and situations he might not have otherwise stumbled into. Makes for a lot more interesting trip and stumble around Doncaster itself!
The world of the PCSO is not one we’d read about in crime fiction before and this gave a unique spin on the crimes and investigation within the novel. They were only introduced in the UK in around 2002 but this is the first time we’d read of one in a leading crime fiction role. We knew little of them but have learned a great deal thanks to this novel. Their minor role would normally end when the police take over but Sean Denton knows Lizzie, the crime scene manager and so is able to investigate with her. his local knowledge also helps to drive the case forward.
The role of the PCSO is further examined with the tension between Denton and those that think him and his role inferior to theirs. He’s called Plastic Percy which means ‘ Fake pig’ but this doesn’t put Denton off one little bit. It’s  because of no -one taking him seriously that he is able to detect, observe and take part in plain sight.