Brynliveshere (i think?)

FOR THE EMPEROR
Sandy Mitchell
This novel is written by Sandy Mitchell and is set in the war torn forty-first millennia.  The famous Commissar Ciaphas Cain (not that he wants the reputation) and his trusty, ever faithful sidekick Jurgen are sent to restore order in two imperial guard regiments which have suffered serious battle losses-while trying to avoid getting in to possibly deadly circumstances.  The regiments have their differences, one is an all female regiment and the other is an all male regiment.  The only thing they have in common is that they both originated from the ice world of Valhalla.  At first it turns into a bloody dispute between the regiments, but Ciaphas Cain manages to get the regiments to cooperate and form the Valhallan 597^th.  The regiment is sent to restore order on a backwater planet called Gravalax.
A technologically advanced alien species know as the Tau have inhabited the planet as their own.  They are living peacefully with the people of the planet, but when a Tau diplomat is shot dead at the Imperial governor’s place things turn sour and the planet turns into a deadly war zone.  Commissar Cain tries to maintain order (mainly to save his own skin).  Cain goes to what he believes to be the safest battle zone, but finds himself caught up in the dangerous actions of an imperial inquisitor and her retinue.  His adventures lead him, Jurgen and Inquisitor Amberley deep into the dark catacombs under the surface of the planet to discover a dark and deadly secret which forces Cain to make some unlikely alliances.  Cain is forced to act beyond the call of duty, while trying to preserve his own skin. His unwanted reputation of bravery and fearlessness, yet respecting the lives of his men, is increased tenfold forcing him to go into even more dangerous situations.
Commissar Ciaphas Cain     - Cain is an imperial commissar who is witty and comical while trying to keep his skin yet act as an imperial commissar should, showing bravery and fearlessness at every turn.
Jurgen- Jurgen is Cain’s companion, who, whatever the situation, manages to come up with way out, even if it is extremely blunt.  If the Commissar is stressed Jurgen always produces a flask of warm tea and a reassuring pat on the back. Jurgen is an alright bloke, except he has an extremely pungent odour.
Inquisitor Amberley-Inquisitor Amberley is a pretty normal inquisitor, searching for signs of Xeno activity, heretic citizens and any form of heresy against the Emperor of Ancient Terra.  Her adventures on Gravalax involve devilish plots, forcing her to call upon the help of Commissar Cain.
The novel is well written with little extracts from autobiographies of soldiers serving on the planet.  The whole book is written as if it is Cain’s own autobiography with narration by Inquisitor Amberley.  The characters are very likable.  The book is fairly serious with some humorous bits and a lot of detective work, plus some blood and guts.  Sandy Mitchell has written a series about Cain and his adventures.  ‘For the Emperor’ is the first book in the series, but the series also includes ‘Caves of ice’ and ‘The Traitors hand’.  I recommend this book to anybody who likes sci-fi with a twist on every page.