A solid police procedural stemming from the horrific murder of a young woman in her own home. Kathy has been transferred to Brock's team, so that makes it easier to account for their working together. My favourite yet, although the motive for the murders was contorted and unlikely in the extreme. Kathy managed not to be attacked, although she was asking for it at one point towards the end. ( )

It's been a treat getting back into the Brock & Kolla series after a couple years' layoff. Barry Maitland's novels seem like 'retro' procedurals to me- 'whodunits' set in Britain with 'nice' characters, solid procedures, very little sex or violence (except for, you know, the murders....), and pleasant writing. They aren't Don Winslow crime novels, that's for sure, and the settings typically aren't in Guy Ritchie's Britain.

In this early installment in the series, Kathy Kolla has just begun to work as a detective under Dave Brock. She's quickly thrown a gruesome murder case that the cops fear is a one-off by a madman they'll never catch, but it turns into a classic serial killer investigation, as they identify other victims.

As with most stories in this genre, there has to be a twist to differentiate it from all the others, and in this case it has to do with the theater. That brings a number of odd characters and situations into the mix, which did make it interesting. There's a nice change up at the conclusion that wraps things up for all of us.

This is a solid B & K effort that makes one appreciate the wide range of styles and stories in this genre. ( )

This series has proved interesting for the first book. The good news is that there are many more. Back in London, Kolla's first investigation of a murder turns into a search for a serial killer that seems to be related to an amateur theater group. Seeking the connections and culprit(s) leads her to join the group as a reader. Does she resemble the victims and become a target are possibilities that she must consider as she unravels this year's old set of murders. ( )

quite liked tis book, believable and differently written to other crime books i have read - i reccomend it . ( )

If you like crime fiction you'll love this. Intelligent and well written.

http://wp.me/p20PAS-bi ( )