One of Manifold's most famous stories was the revelation in 1972 that the then head of the Flying Squad, Commander Kenneth Drury, had been on holiday with a pornographer.

BBC: Tabloid tactics

But unlike so many pretentious works of fiction today, Estleman's hardboiled, Detroit-based tales of intrigue, wrongdoing and, ultimately, justice develop three-dimensional, often unforgettable characters (among them in this book, a Larry Flynt-like pornographer) set in finely wrought, factually described settings.

FORBES: Fact And Comment