Will readers miss Rankin’s long-running protagonist, John Rebus (Exit Music, 2008, etc.)? Don’t see why they should. Bonus:...
Rankin adds another Edinburgh cop to his repertoire.
Malcolm Fox, five years sober and still missing the vodka, has spent almost that long as an Inspector in the Complaints and Conduct Department of Lothian and Borders Police, where his purview is to investigate cops who might be dirty. Having just wound up his enquiry into the possible malfeasance of Glen Heaton, a longtime pal of Fox’s boss, Chief Inspector McEwan, he’s asked to look into another Heaton associate, DS Jamie Breck, who might be a pedophile. Things get complicated when Breck is charged with looking into the death of Vince Faulkner, the abusive boyfriend of Fox’s sister, Jude. Fox and Breck, mutually mistrustful but each needing a friend once it becomes apparent that both are being set up to take a fall, join forces to learn how and why they’ve become personae non gratae. Their investigation leads them to an old murder in Dundee and back to Edinburgh and the staged disappearance of formerly rich developer Charlie Brogan, who was disrespected by his father-in-law, in hock for millions to a sleazy creditor, and lied about by his posh wife. Hidden agendas abound, not only among career criminals but among various coppers, including the Chief Inspector and the Chief Constable.
Will readers miss Rankin’s long-running protagonist, John Rebus (Exit Music, 2008, etc.)? Don’t see why they should. Bonus: Rankin’s plotting and prose are as compelling as ever.Pub Date: March 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-03974-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
An appealing, three-dimensional heroine and some clever plot twists make this an enjoyable, quick read.
In this mystery novel, somebody’s been killing the proprietors of a prestigious inn, and the newest innkeeper is determined to find out why before she becomes the next victim.
Doyle (The Infidelity Pact, 2008, etc.) is a self-described “foodie” and an avid cheerleader for the quaint village of East Hampton, New York, and she indulges both of these passions in this first installment of her new Hamptons Murder Mysteries series. Recently transplanted from California following a nasty divorce, 35-year-old protagonist Antonia Bingham has bought the Windmill Inn from the estate of Gordon Haslett, who died suddenly, apparently from a heart attack. An inventive, passionate chef, Antonia has just reopened the inn’s restaurant when she learns from two of her regulars, Len and Sylvia Powers, that the circumstances surrounding Gordon’s death were suspicious. Worse, he wasn’t the first owner of the inn to experience an untimely death. Now, strange things are happening to Antonia—someone removes a stepladder while she’s installing a light bulb, someone locks her in a supply closet, and more. Her new buddy, Joseph Fowler, a 60-something widower, joins in the amateur sleuthing as they try to sort out the possible motives of a multitude of suspects; Gordon, they discover, was universally disliked. Doyle is an enthusiastic guide for Long Island’s East End village; she details each street and shop, the spectacular beaches, and the unique play of sunlight that has been a siren call to artists for more than a century. She also gives readers plenty of opportunities to vicariously indulge in every mouthwatering bite that Antonia and her restaurant patrons consume—especially if the item is loaded with butter, sugar, or some other comforting dietary no-no. Doyle also pays careful attention to housing décor, wardrobe selections, and the hairstyles of every character, which perhaps stems from her experience as a screenwriter (Intern, 2009). The generally smooth prose maintains a gentle pace, although there are one or two unnecessarily awkward lead-ins, such as “an odd incident occurred that unnerved Antonia and once again gave her pause about her own mortality.” The dinner-table gathering of suspects isn’t an original device, but it’s fun and satisfying nonetheless.
An appealing, three-dimensional heroine and some clever plot twists make this an enjoyable, quick read.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9972701-4-3
Page Count: 410
Publisher: Dunemere Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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A good one in the tough school, in which private detective Marlowe is hired to investigate a blackmailing and finds himself bucking a well-run gang, several murders, and the D A's office. Hard-boiled, fast paced, plenty of action, some sensationalism. Not for conservatives.
Pub Date: Feb. 5, 1938
ISBN: 0394758285
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1938
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