Did the drowsy patient fall from the clock tower, did he jump, or was he pushed?
Narrator Billy Boyle, captain with the American Allied Expeditionary Force and frequent sleuth, finds himself a patient at Saint Albans Pauper Lunatic Asylum in England, with little recollection of how he got there and only slightly clearer memories of his sidekick, Kaz. Both Boyle’s lover, Diana, and Kaz’s sister, Angelika, have been taken to the Nazi prison camp of Ravensbrück. A moment after Billy spots two men in the asylum’s clock tower, one of them—Thomas Holland, the only survivor of a unit that was captured by the Germans and repeatedly tortured—flies through the air to his death. Billy grows suspicious under the aggressive questioning of Dr. Robinson, the head of the asylum. He searches the facility until he finds Kaz, who suggests that Billy break into Robinson’s office, where Billy pores over Holland’s file. Strangely, Robinson’s notes on Holland are sparse. But both Kaz and Holland have been treated with Robinson’s unusual “sleep cure”; could Holland’s tumble be an accidental fall? The arrival of Billy’s old pals Big Mike and Lt. Feliks Kanski, along with the no-nonsense Maj. Charles Cosgrove, provides possible reinforcements in Billy’s search for the truth. The multilayered plot leaves the asylum grounds to follow the exploits of the Special Operations Executive as well as the eponymous resistance group and a possible link to some at Saint Albans.
Benn's latest caper has fascinating historical roots and nicely balances action and investigation.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-641-29100-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Soho Crime
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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Past and present collide on a trail of death in the second in the authors’ Nora Kelly series, begun with Old Bones (2019).
When a local sheriff investigates the illegal activity of relic hunters in an abandoned, middle-of-nowhere New Mexico gold-mining town called High Lonesome, he discovers a mummified corpse and a fabulous cross of gold. The discovery is on federal land, so the FBI gets involved. Special Agent Corrie Swanson would have liked a juicier assignment than checking out some old bones in the high desert, but she has a degree in forensic anthropology, and she’s a rookie. She persuades a reluctant Dr. Nora Kelly, senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, to help puzzle out what happened to the man, as it’s unclear whether a crime has been committed. Forensics determine that the gold is slightly radioactive, and there’s a pack animal skull with a bullet hole. And by the looks of the decades-old corpse, the poor man suffered a horrible death. High Lonesome is on the Jornada del Muerto, or Dead Man’s Journey, the bleak and dismal trail that connected Mexico City and Santa Fe during Spanish colonial rule. The authors are expert plotters and storytellers with smart, engaging characters—Kelly is an experienced pro who thinks Swanson “looked very much the rookie.” Newbie Swanson had barely passed her firearms qualification, and being a lousy shot may bring tragic consequences and a guilty conscience. Luckily, Sheriff Watts has practiced his quick draw since he was a preschooler. Meanwhile, some of those relic hunters are dangerous men searching for an object—not the gold—unknown to Kelly and Swanson. To a descendant of the dead man, “most people would have thought his precious item fit only to line a henhouse with.” Expect nice twists, hairy danger, and good old-fashioned gunplay.
This one’s an attention grabber. Get a copy.Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5387-4727-8
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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In December 1926, mystery writer Agatha Christie really did disappear for 11 days. Was it a hoax? Or did her husband resort to foul play?
When Agatha meets Archie on a dance floor in 1912, the obscure yet handsome pilot quickly sweeps her off her feet with his daring. Archie seems smitten with her. Defying her family’s expectations, Agatha consents to marry Archie rather than her intended, the reliable yet boring Reggie Lucy. Although the war keeps them apart, straining their early marriage, Agatha finds meaningful work as a nurse and dispensary assistant, jobs that teach her a lot about poisons, knowledge that helps shape her early short stories and novels. While Agatha’s career flourishes after the war, Archie suffers setback after setback. Determined to keep her man happy, Agatha finds herself cooking elaborate meals, squelching her natural affections for their daughter (after all, Archie must always feel like the most important person in her life), and downplaying her own troubles, including her grief over her mother's death. Nonetheless, Archie grows increasingly morose. In fact, he is away from home the day Agatha disappears. By the time Detective Chief Constable Kenward arrives, Agatha has already been missing for a day. After discovering—and burning—a mysterious letter from Agatha, Archie is less than eager to help the police. His reluctance and arrogance work against him, and soon the police, the newspapers, the Christies’ staff, and even his daughter’s classmates suspect him of harming his wife. Benedict concocts a worthy mystery of her own, as chapters alternate between Archie’s negotiation of the investigation and Agatha’s recounting of their relationship. She keeps the reader guessing: Which narrator is reliable? Who is the real villain?
A compelling portrait of a marriage gone desperately sour.Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
Categories: HISTORICAL FICTION | LITERARY FICTION | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE
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