“Feet of Clay” is the nineteenth novel in Terry Pratchett’s hugely popular Discworld series, was first published in 1996 and is the third to focus on Sam Vimes and Ankh-Morpork’s City Guard.

Sam is the now the Commander of the City Guard, and – having married Lady Ramkin – a member of the nobility. It’s fair to say he’s not your typical hero : he doesn’t like the Undead (particularly vampires), Assassins (they keep trying to kill him) and – in keeping with an old family tradition – Kings (not an ideal musketeer then). Sam has quit drinking – though it’s still something of a struggle – and smokes the occasional cigar to ease the blow.

Although numbers among the ranks are rising, Sam tends to rely on those he knows best. His most capable officer is Captain Carrot – who was born human, although raised as a dwarf. Carrot is an incredibly innocent and very honest character and is widely believed to be Ankh-Morpork’s rightful King. (Sam has – to date – refrained from beheading him). Carrot’s girlfriend, Angua, is also a member of the City Guard though – being a werewolf – she isn’t quite so popular. Sergeant Detritus, a troll who deals roughly with troll drug-dealers, seems a natural – not to mention likeable – cop, though Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs (a confirmed slacker and probably human) are the most experienced officers. The one newcomer is Cheery Littlebottom, an ex-alchimist dwarf who becomes quite useful in the City Guard’s newly established forensics department. (Cheery left the Guild of Alchemists after, accidentally, blowing up the Guild Council. Alchemy is an unusual profession for a dwarf, though Cheery – as it turns out – isn’t your usual dwarf).

“Feet of Clay” gives Sam a good, old-fashioned mystery to solve – a mystery that includes a couple of rather unusual murders. One of the victims is Father Tubelcek, who Sam considers to be one of the neatest corpses he’s ever seen : eyes closed, arms neatly folded across his chest…and a slip of paper with some strange writing on it in his mouth. The other victim was Mr Hopkinson, curator at the Dwarf Bread Museum. Dwarf bread is much more useful on the battlefield than on the breakfast table, and Hopkinson had unfortunately been beaten to death with a loaf. There is a little white clay and a suspicion of Golems hanging around, but the murders are puzzling…however, it’s difficult to focus on a puzzle, when you’ve also got to investigate the poisoning of the Patrician. (He’s surviving, but only barely). The difficulties aren’t confined to professional matters – there’s even bad news for both Sam and Nobby at a personal level. Following a visit to the Royal College of Heralds, Sam learns he is ineligible for a Coat of Arms. (An ancestor, Old Stoneface, killed Ankh-Morpork’s last king). To make matters even worse, news of his rejection is delivered by a vampire called Dragon King of Arms. Nobby, on the other hand, is devastated to learn he is Earl of Ankh.

Another very funny book from Pratchett, with a storyline ‘underneath’ it all that your standard murder-mystery writer would love to tell. Excellent stuff, highly recommended !