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Rating: 
Summary: Good who-done it
Review: His estranged wife Liz, who he has not seen since she deserted him for Mick Coghlan two years ago, sits in his living room waiting for attorney Harry Devlin to come home. When he arrives she asks him if she could crash here as she is scared of Mick, whom she is leaving for a married man. Still wanting Liz, Harry reluctantly agrees.Two mornings later, Detective Inspector Skinner and his partner D.S. MacBeth question Harry on his whereabouts as someone killed Liz. The police believe an angry Harry stabbed his wife numerous times over her using him. Harry feels Mick is the culprit. However, he is shocked when a reporter friend tells him that Liz was two months pregnant. Realizing that he remains the prime suspect, Harry begins making inquiries into Liz's life, especially since she walked out on him. While the amateur sleuth investigation occurs somewhat late, the tale effortlessly switches back and forth between legal thriller and police procedural. Harry serves as the glue and the focus of the varying sub-genre subplots. The support cast either enhances the murder whodunit or enables the audience to better understand Harry. Martin Edwards serves up an electrifying story line that traverses the mystery realm. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Good who-done it
Review: His estranged wife Liz, who he has not seen since she deserted him for Mick Coghlan two years ago, sits in his living room waiting for attorney Harry Devlin to come home. When he arrives she asks him if she could crash here as she is scared of Mick, whom she is leaving for a married man. Still wanting Liz, Harry reluctantly agrees. Two mornings later, Detective Inspector Skinner and his partner D.S. MacBeth question Harry on his whereabouts as someone killed Liz. The police believe an angry Harry stabbed his wife numerous times over her using him. Harry feels Mick is the culprit. However, he is shocked when a reporter friend tells him that Liz was two months pregnant. Realizing that he remains the prime suspect, Harry begins making inquiries into Liz's life, especially since she walked out on him. While the amateur sleuth investigation occurs somewhat late, the tale effortlessly switches back and forth between legal thriller and police procedural. Harry serves as the glue and the focus of the varying sub-genre subplots. The support cast either enhances the murder whodunit or enables the audience to better understand Harry. Martin Edwards serves up an electrifying story line that traverses the mystery realm. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Pity poor Harry Devlin.
Review: It's a bittersweet moment for Liverpool attorney Harry Devlin when his troubled ex-wife comes back into his life after a two-year absence, asking if she can stay with him for a few days. Harboring secret hopes for reconciliation, he agrees. Sadly, he never gets the chance to pursue his plan, as she is brutally murdered only hours after appearing on his doorstep. Devlin, who barely spent any time with her in between, is as confused as the police, who naturally zero in on him as a suspect. Still obsessed with her, he undertakes an investigation into her death, a search which exposes him to the sordid details of her recent past, and to unexpected peril. Although Devlin's been a fixture on the UK mystery scene for well over a decade, this is his first US appearance. Surprisingly, the book reads like it was written just yesterday, with nary an anachronism in sight. In Devlin, Edwards has created a smart, sympathetic character, one readers can identify and sympathize with. The attorney's obsession with his wife drives the action, never stretching credulity. In Edwards' hands, Liverpool comes to life in all its sordid glory, its dingy and dank locales providing a vivid backdrop to the book's action. Devlin also manages to insert a bit of social commentary as well, including the poor, the middle class and the absurdly rich in his cast. Add to that a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final scene, and you have a portentous US debut, one which will leave its audience primed for future installments.
Rating:
Summary: Pity poor Harry Devlin.
Review: It's a bittersweet moment for Liverpool attorney Harry Devlin when his troubled ex-wife comes back into his life after a two-year absence, asking if she can stay with him for a few days. Harboring secret hopes for reconciliation, he agrees. Sadly, he never gets the chance to pursue his plan, as she is brutally murdered only hours after appearing on his doorstep. Devlin, who barely spent any time with her in between, is as confused as the police, who naturally zero in on him as a suspect. Still obsessed with her, he undertakes an investigation into her death, a search which exposes him to the sordid details of her recent past, and to unexpected peril. Although Devlin's been a fixture on the UK mystery scene for well over a decade, this is his first US appearance. Surprisingly, the book reads like it was written just yesterday, with nary an anachronism in sight. In Devlin, Edwards has created a smart, sympathetic character, one readers can identify and sympathize with. The attorney's obsession with his wife drives the action, never stretching credulity. In Edwards' hands, Liverpool comes to life in all its sordid glory, its dingy and dank locales providing a vivid backdrop to the book's action. Devlin also manages to insert a bit of social commentary as well, including the poor, the middle class and the absurdly rich in his cast. Add to that a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final scene, and you have a portentous US debut, one which will leave its audience primed for future installments.
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