Description:
Pity poor Inspector Alvarez: surrounded by arrogant British expatriates, scorned by his bad-tempered superiors, at the mercy of his cousin Dolores's equally bad temper and culinary whims, and--as always--in wistful need of a coñac and a siesta. But don't be surprised if, as loyal Roderic Jeffries fans already know, you find yourself taking just a little pleasure in the Mallorcan inspector's misfortunes. Jeffries's cynical treatment of such slings and arrows--and Alvarez's phlegmatic acceptance of them--are the best things about the always amusing Inspector Alvarez series (21 volumes and still going strong). So stifle any sneaking feelings of guilt and relish the insults that pepper An Enigmatic Disappearance. When beautiful young Sabrina Ogden disappears, Alvarez doesn't share her husband Bevis's worry: foul play seems a much less likely scenario than an extended lover's tryst. But then--"The phone rang and it was in a carefree spirit that [Alvarez] reached for the receiver. Which went to prove that a man was most likely to fall into a hole when he was looking up at the stars." Sabrina's body has turned up at the bottom of a gorge, and the island is rife with suspects: Might the murderer be Rino Ruffolo, Sabrina's lover, afraid of losing his plum position as a very ugly, very capricious, very wealthy woman's pet? Or is Bevis's despair less a widower's grief than an attempt to draw suspicion away from what might have been a life-insurance fraud gone violently awry? Jeffries has polished his "expatriate cozy" mystery genre to a diamond shimmer, with just enough Mallorcan sun, sea, and dust to frame his sharp-edged character sketches. Fans of the Alvarez series can settle in for another Mediterranean treat, and newcomers will enjoy browsing through the earlier titles after this island outing. --Kelly Flynn
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