Candles For The Dead (Wwl Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent British Police Procedural
Review: A rather bleak, but very good book. CANDLES centers around the murder of a woman victimized by three separate assaults on the last day of her life. And she had endured a lot of misery before that, too. DCI Luke Paget, coping with the imminent third anniversary of his wife's death, investigates, assisted by a whole lot of other coppers. There's an incident room coordinator, various sergeants, criminologists, and many other police personnel. I enjoyed the depiction of these characters' work roles and relationships, and found the book excellent, well-plotted, and very well-written. Smith's FATAL FLAW is also terrific.

Rating:
Summary: another excellent Inspector Paget mystery
Review: Candles for the Dead is a wonderfully written British police procedural that had me guessing until the very end. Smith is a very talented author, (Fatal Flaw and Stone Dead are good reads as well), and I can't wait for the next Inspector Paget mystery to arrive.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Paget entry
Review: Everyone involved in the investigation seems a bit stunned by the murder weapon and the location of the crime scene. Someone used a candlestick to pound widow Beth Snakewood to death inside the St. Justin Chapel. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Paget and his junior partner Sergeant John Tregalles investigate the brutal slaying.

The problem confronting the two police officers is that the victim seems to have several individuals who have strong motives to kill her. Her former peer on the job is obviously jealous of Beth's recent promotion, which he feels she gained through her figure rather than her figuring. Her boss raped but promoted Beth. The woman's violent son loses his control very quickly. Then there is the unknown person who tipped the police off on many of their early inquiries. The only thing the two cops know is that they have their work cut out for them if they want to identify the killer.

CANDLES FOR THE DEAD, the third Paget mystery (see FATAL FLAW and STONE DEAD) is an invigorating village cosy who-done-it that will grip readers from start to finish. The investigation takes center stage in the engaging story line. However, a subplot involving Paget's personal life adds much depth to the tale. Frank Smith provides fans of the regional (outside London) British police procedural sub-genre with a fast-paced, old fashion, but enjoyable detective story.

Harriet Klausner