The Cold Hand of Malice

February 23, 2009
In Smith's solid if unflashy seventh police procedural to feature Det. Chief Insp. Neil Paget (after 2008's Breaking Point
), Paget looks into a series of unsolved burglaries that have baffled the authorities in Broadminster. Before Paget can make much headway, someone bludgeons to death Laura Holbrook, co-owner of an engineering company, in the course of a break-in. When the victim's husband, Simon, acts suspiciously soon after getting the tragic news, Paget and his team begin to examine the possibility that Laura's murder was planned. There's no shortage of possible killers, including Laura's sister, who had her sights set on Simon, and Simon's attractive assistant, who was displaced when Laura joined the company. Another murder narrows the field a bit, but puts added pressure on the police to close the case. While many readers will identify whodunit before the inspector does, clean prose and credible characterizations keep the action moving smoothly to the end.

February 15, 2009
A string of bizarre, destructive burglaries end in death when the owner of an engineering firm is found bludgeoned in her bed.

There's no doubt that Laura Holbrook (ne Southern) took Holbrook Micro-Engineering Labs from the brink of bankruptcy to financial success. And there's no doubt that part of the project's appeal lay in getting its founder, Simon Holbrook, to throw over her sister Susan and marry her. Possessive of her prize, Laura warns neighbor Moira Ballantyne, one of Simon's former mistresses, quite publicly to stay away from her man. She's equally domineering at the firm, where she sacks Simon's nephew, slacker Tim Bryce, and demotes his faithful assistant Peggy Goodwin. Even so, when Simon and Moira's husband Trevor, having left the ladies home to go off to the movies, return to find Laura dead, her murder seems at first to be the work of local burglars. The MO is the same: lots of damage, little of value missing and clumps of dog hair scattered around the scene. But Scene Of Crime Officer Grace Lovett has her doubts. And the closer DCI Neil Paget (Breaking Point, 2008, etc.) looks, the more something seems off. Soon he and DS John Tregalles, along with DS Len Ormside and up-and-comer Molly Forsythe, are questioning suspects, checking alibis and searching for motive in what may not be a random act of violence.

Veteran Smith's procedural offers plenty of puzzle for the suspense aficionado.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2009
DCI Neil Paget and his team are investigating a series of burglaries that are sending shock waves through the Broadminster area when a woman is murdered in her home, and it appears to be the work of the burglars. With a plethora of suspects who have hidden agendas and secrets, Paget and his team must work quickly and carefully while sidestepping the chief superintendent's desire to rush an arrest. Smith's latest series entry ("Acts of Vengeance") showcases the author's command of character development and attention to procedural detail. Readers of Quentin Jardin and David Lawrence might like this series. For libraries where British police procedurals are popular.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2009
DCI Neil Paget and DS John Tregalles return in another top-notch British police procedural. Laura Holbrook is bludgeoned to death one night while her husband is away. At first, it looks like a burglary gone wrong, but as Paget and Tregalles investigate, they realize the case is more complex than they first thought. Laura was a partner in Holbrook Micro-Engineering, which she single-handedly rescued from bankruptcy. Her cutthroat methods won her no friends among the companys employees, save for the owner, Simon Holbrook, whom Laura married once the company was back on track. But Simon is a known womanizer, and cracks soon appear in the marriage, especially after Simon is rumored to be sleeping with Lauras sister. As Paget and Tregalles dig deeper into the case, they unearth some ugly secrets and end up with a long list of leads and possible suspects. A very good series that authentically depicts the frustrations and rewards of police work and offers an entertaining and engaging read for fans of British police procedurals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)