Echoes of the Dead

January 31, 2011
Spencer's crisp third police procedural to feature plucky Det. Chief Insp. Monika Paniatowski (after 2010's Ring of Death) offers an intriguing look at '70s style crime solving. After serving 22 years for the rape and strangulation murder of 13-year-old Lilly Dawson in 1951 Whitebridge, Lancashire, Fred Howerd, who admitted to the killing, claims his innocence in a deathbed confession to a Catholic priest. Scotland Yard sends Det. Chief Insp. Tom Hall to help Chief Constable George Baxter's team, chiefly Monika, reopen the case, which was the first big case of her retired former boss, Chief Insp. Charlie Woodend, for Scotland Yard's Murder Squad. Monika hopes the truth will clear Woodend or his then sergeant, Ralph Bannerman, of arresting or even framing the wrong man. Spencer unravels a complex cobweb of clues while smoothly flipping back and forth between 1951 and 1973.

February 1, 2011

A convicted murderer's dying declaration prompts an unexpected investigation for DCI Monika Paniatowski (The Ring of Death, 2010, etc.) and a world of trouble for her beloved Charlie Woodend.

The murder of 13-year-old Lilly Dawson shook small-town Whitebridge to its core. So the pressure on young Scotland Yard inspector Charlie Woodend, returning to his home town to investigate Lilly's death, was intense. Now, 22 years later, Fred Howerd, the man Woodend arrested, confesses on his deathbed to Father O'Brien that his admission of guilt was a lie. Sergeant Bannerman wants Howerd's statement looked into, especially because he was Woodend's sergeant on the Dawson case. So Mid Lancs Chief Constable George Baxter hands Monika Paniatowski, who was Woodend's sergeant at his retirement, an "unofficial" investigation, pairing her with Scotland Yard's DCI Tom Hall. Despite his reputation as a hotshot, Hall turns out to be an affable chap who blends well with Paniatowski, DS Beresford and DC Crane, and soon the quartet is sitting snugly at the Drum and Monkey discussing the old case. But things quickly go pear-shaped for Monika. First Howerd's mate Terry Clegg offers an alibi for the time of Lilly's abduction. Then Baxter casts doubt on the authenticity of a key piece of evidence. Soon it looks as if even her late father's Polish cavalry regiment couldn't save Charlie. Monika has to decide between loyalty to her mentor, to her young colleagues and to her own career.

Shifting seamlessly between past and present versions of the case, Spencer produces a tour de force readers won't quickly forget.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from March 1, 2011

A dying man who served 20 years for a young girl's murder reveals that he was coerced by the police to confess. DCI Monika Paniatowski is ordered to lead an unofficial investigation, but the man in charge of the original case was her old mentor, Scotland Yard DI Charlie Woodend. Moving between the two time periods, we follow Woodend as he returns to his hometown and makes a case against the suspect. Then we see Paniatowski's careful probe to find the real killer and restore Woodend's reputation. VERDICT Spencer's third series title (after The Dead Hand of History and The Ring of Death) reflects the author's empathy and understanding of human nature as her characters display a gamut of emotions and behaviors. The result is a near-perfect mix of procedural and top-notch mystery.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2011
Fans of Spencers popular Charlie Woodend series may have worried that when Charlie retired and his sidekick, Monika Paniatowski, took over, the series would never be the same. Never fear: Spencers spin-off featuring Paniatowski is just as compelling, entertaining, and cleverly plotted as the original. Monikas latest case is extraordinarily difficult, reaching back 20 years. When Fred Howerd, the man accused of raping and strangling 14-year-old Lilly Dawson two decades previously, declares with his dying breath that he did not kill Lilly, his priest feels compelled to report Howerds confessed innocence to the police. According to Howerd, he was stitched up for the murder by the just-appointed Chief Inspector Charlie Woodend. Monika is incredulousthe Charlie Woodend she worked with for so many years was one of the most ethical cops she knew. Could he have been corrupt early in his career, or is Howerds accusation just plain wrong? As Monika struggles to solve the decades-old murder and discover the truth about her beloved boss, she finds herself facing one of the most sensitive, baffling, tragic cases of her career. A plot full of unusual twists, a flawed but likable and competent heroine, and a very satisfying conclusion make this a must-read for Spencer fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)