Dead to Me

November 4, 2013
Mystery fans who value female bonding will best appreciate this prequel to the U.K.’s Bailey & Scott TV series (the rough equivalent of the U.S.’s Cagney & Lacey). Manchester Constable Rachel Bailey’s insistence on procedure—she demands that a superior, Det. Chief Insp. Gill Murray, produce ID before entering a crime scene—proves, surprisingly, to be a good career move. Three weeks later, Murray calls to offer Bailey a spot on her homicide squad. The newbie teams with Janet Scott, with whom she has the predictable preliminary personality conflicts. Even those unaware that the pair will partner in the TV series can see where all this is headed. On their first joint case, Bailey and Scott investigate the murder of 17-year-old Lisa Finn, found stabbed to death in her apartment. Amid the standard police work, with time-outs for the principals to deal with various personal issues, Staincliffe breaks no new ground. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary Agency (U.K.).

January 1, 2014
Two female detectives form an uneasy partnership in the grim back streets of Manchester. DC Rachel Bailey is thrilled when golden girl DCI Gill Murray invites her to join an elite unit for major crimes. However, the street-wise Bailey is less pleased with her partner, middle-class DC Janet Scott, especially since Scott doesn't hesitate to put Bailey in her place when they investigate the murder of Lisa Finn. The more the detectives question the people who knew the young victim--the boyfriend who got her back onto drugs, the alcoholic mother who gave her up to foster care, the social workers who tried to help her, the cab driver who saw her last--the more perplexing the case becomes. Determined to prove herself and unwilling to risk Scott's criticism, Bailey goes maverick and, though she puts the case and herself at serious risk, finds an important clue from Lisa's past. Bailey, Scott and Murray all have their own pasts, which affect their judgments and make them more human--but also put the brakes on the pace. A grudging trust between Bailey and Scott provides a stronger payoff for the tale than the solution of the mystery. Staincliffe (Crying Out Loud, 2011, etc.) devotes nearly as much attention to her three leads' struggles with their personal lives as she does to the procedural itself. Sympathetic though they are, one keeps wanting them to stop agonizing and just get on with the case.

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January 1, 2014

The Manchester Murder Investigation Team (MIT) is baffled by the stabbing death of Lisa Finn, a troubled teen who spent most of her youth in group homes. Young and ambitious DC Rachel Bailey is partnered with Janet Scott, a more seasoned detective (much to their consternation), and their leader is gorgeous and brilliant DCI Gill Murray. There you have it, women detectives leading the charge and looking into a painful story that occasionally hits too close to home. Combining their expertise with their intuition, Bailey and Scott chase down suspects (boyfriend, social worker, and beyond) while Murray guides their way. VERDICT Prolific British TV screenwriter and CWA Award winner Staincliffe makes it look easy. Folks will lap up this very readable police procedural that is a prequel to a British TV series, Scott & Bailey. With its ensemble cast, assorted subdramas, and engaging procedural plot, it's sure to be a hit. Think Cagney & Lacey done British style, for the 21st century. [See Prepub Alert, 7/15/13.]

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2013
A young woman is murdered in Manchester, England, and the Murder Investigation Team, headed by the formidable Gill Murray, gets the case. Gill is good friends with one of her detectives, Janet Scott, a 25-year veteran who loves her job. Rachel Bailey, another team member, is a smart, ambitious young cop who has escaped a tough childhood. Murray teams Bailey with Scott and puts them on the case. Scott is not happy with the arrogant and overzealous Bailey, and Bailey thinks there is something wrong with Scott because she has never tried for a promotion. They uncover a rape that may be related, find a roving drug dealer who may have been the last person to see the young woman alive, and investigate an unsavory boyfriend who the mother is convinced is the murderer. Scott is a rules-oriented, methodical detective, while Bailey is headstrong and thinks and acts outside the box. Working together is a nightmare for both of them, but gradually they learn to respect each other. This is much more than just a murder mystery; these characters are well developed, idiosyncratic, and likable, and that extends to their families and coworkers as well. Most reminiscent of television's Cagney & Lacy series, the novela prequel to a popular British television programs, Scott & Baileyshould appeal to readers who enjoy female buddy books like Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Iles series and Lisa Scottoline's Rosato & Associates legal thrillers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)