Cold Wrath

July 15, 2012
Two old friends stir up a hornet's nest when they report a murder they witnessed as schoolboys. DC Reginald Webster can hardly believe that two middle-aged businessmen would make up such a tale. So when Cyrus Middleton and Tony Allerton come in to report discovering a newly dug grave in a field close to the village of Catton Hill, Webster's boss, DCI George Hennessey (Aftermath, 2011, etc.), has no choice but to investigate. Problem is, Middleton and Allerton found the grave back when they were 15. Sure enough, in a field owned by irascible landlord Thomas Farrent, Hennessey's men dig up five skeletons. Four are alike enough to be a family, similarly short in stature. The fifth is taller and perhaps unrelated. Slogging through 30-year-old missing-persons cold cases, DC Carmen Pharoah reads about the Parrs: father, mother and two adult daughters who disappeared from the posh King Henry Hotel at about the right time. But why did the Parrs leave their bohemian home in Camden Town for the Vale of York? Who was the taller girl traveling with them? And most important: Who wanted these gentle, harmless people dead? While Hennessey's team struggles for answers, Farrant's wife goes missing, adding a new urgency to the decades-old puzzle. Brisk and businesslike, Turnbull's latest in the series proves a worthy addition to his reliable franchise.

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April 1, 2019
British coppers Hennessey and Yellich return in another twisty whodunit. Gardener Miles Law works for Anthony Garrett, a wealthy recluse. Law's routine is the same every day: arrive at Garrett's secluded mansion, give his special knock to inform Garrett he's on site, and get on with his work without ever speaking to his employer. So when Law sees a kitchen window standing open, it's so unusual for the extremely security-conscious Garrett that Miles decides to investigate. His grisly find means a new case for Hennessy and Yellich. Garrett seems to have no family, friends, or associates. So who killed him, and, more important, why? An observant neighbor gives the coppers their first good lead, and, from there on, it's a matter of painstakingly unravelling the evidence. Although the case is finally cracked, the conclusion is as frustrating as it is bizarre. Turnbull's slightly eccentric writing style, the likably human Hennessy and Yellich, a clever plot, and an authentic-seeming glimpse into the intricacies of modern policing make this a good pick for fans of the British police procedural.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)