Silent Scream

May 10, 2010
In La Plante's disappointing fifth mystery to feature London's Det. Insp. Anna Travis (after 2009's Deadly Intent), Travis looks into the stabbing murder of 24-year-old movie star Amanda Delany in her Belgravia mews house. The case is a jumble of dead-ends from the start, even though Delany had a reputation in the film community as a drug user prone to affairs with her male co-stars. But without a murder weapon, usable fingerprints, or even a motive, Travis and her team struggle to find viable leads. Complicating matters is the arrival of Det. Chief Supt. James Langton, Travis's former flame and ex-boss, who wants fast results. Eventually, Travis discovers not only that Delaney had been writing a scandalous memoir but that she suspected someone close to her was stealing her money. Travis is no longer a rookie (in fact, she's up for promotion to detective chief inspector), but her detecting skills are elementary at best, and the predictable plot doesn't give her much room to shine.