Published by Constable, June
2000. ISBN: 978-0-80460-5 (HB)
The shabby house at the end od
terrace of equally run-down houses, was beyond saving by the time the fire
brigade arrived. With flames shooting sky high, the screams from a neighbour that
there were two young Polish children in the house struck the knot of on-lookers
with horror, as they watched the roof cave in.
For
Detective Superintendent Gil Mayo it looks like a long night waiting for the
fire brigade to conduct their gruesome search before he can establish if he has
a case on his hands. From the neighbours the police learn that the house is
being rented by a Polish man and his two children. They discover the body of a
man, signs of arson and forensic evidence of foul play. Gil Mayo sets his young
ambitious Inspector Abigail Moon to investigate. But where are the young
children?
Recently
returned to the area, Inspector Martin Kite is investigating the brutal attack
on the elderly wife of Vicar Edgar Haldane. Cecily is in a coma, there are no
signs of a burglary, but clear signs that Cecily had been entertaining at the
time of her attack.
This is a complex story, which has its roots in the
second world war. As the story progresses, seemingly unrelated incidents become
linked, and the tenuous strands are pulled together providing a rich and
absorbing story.
Running alongside the
complicated relationships of Edgar Haldane and his children is the relationship
between Gil Mayo and Alex Jones his partner.
This is the twelfth
in this series, and it is an intriguing mystery with a fascinating
background. A compelling and enjoyable read and one which I recommend. ------ Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
Marjorie Eccles was born in Yorkshire and spent
much of her childhood there and on the Northumbrian coast. The author of thirty-three
books and short stories, she is the recipient of the Agatha Christie Short
Story Styles Award. Her earlier books featuring police detective Gil Mayo were
adapted for the BBC. Her most recent series is set after the Great War and
features DI Herbert Reardon. There are five books in the series. She has also
written a number of standalone books. She lives in Hertfordshire.
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