The Company

March 1, 2021
A publisher battles to overcome a cascading barrage of losses. When Rob Conroy's grandfather Charlie started his furniture company after the war, he remembered one thing from his military service: Always establish a clear chain of command. As Conroy Enterprises grew and diversified, he parceled out the day-to-day management of various divisions to whomever he thought would run them best while keeping control of the corporation tightly in his own hands. He gave Rob's brother, John, Mid-Cheshire Mechanical, a maintenance company that provides enough salary and prestige to suit John's ambitious wife, Lydia. And he saved Cormorant Publishing, a small independent press, for Rob, an Oxford graduate. With the help of a blockbuster first novel from the unknown Andy McBride, Cormorant enjoys modest success. But after Rob's brother, father, and uncle are all killed in a car crash on their way to an acquisition meeting with Western Haulage, Rob has to fight his cousin to maintain control of his press because the line of succession in his grandfather's will leaves control of the family empire to his Uncle Tony, and on Tony's death, to his son, Philip. Losing most of his family is just the latest blow for Rob, whose college girlfriend, Jill, was killed during their first summer together. As he heals from the car crash, he's preparing for another loss: Marie O'Hara, the first woman he's been attracted to since Jill, has dropped out of sight. But Chief Inspector Owen Flint has more bad news for his old friend Rob: The crash was no accident, and there's every reason to believe that whoever cut the brake lines on the car will come back for the survivors. Spencer nicely balances family drama with old-fashioned detection.

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April 9, 2021

In 1991, four members of the Conroy family and an executive assistant are crammed in a rental car, running late for a business meeting. Rob Conroy is a little gleeful and also angry. His Uncle Tony, the car's driver, deserves a comeuppance, but his plans for the family-owned Conroy Enterprises could also shutter Rob's beloved publishing house. The car speeds up, Tony loses control of the vehicle, and they crash into a military truck. Afterward, Rob wakes up in the hospital to find that his uncle, father, and brother are dead, and there's a policeman waiting to talk to him. Two hours before the crash, family patriarch Charles Conroy had died, making his will of great interest to the surviving members of the Conroy family and to the police. Police soon discover that the car Tony was driving had been sabotaged, and Chief Inspector Owen Flint informs Rob that the intended victim of the car crash might still be alive. After two years recuperating from a mental breakdown, Rob isn't prepared to analyze his family's secrets. He and Flint can't quit though, after an employee disappears and there's another murder. VERDICT Spencer, author of various series featuring police officers ("Jennie Redhead"; "Monika Paniatowski") offers an intense, convoluted stand-alone. It's not always easy to piece together Rob's twisted thoughts and the police investigation, but readers who enjoy Spencer's works might want to try.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2021
Spencer is well known for her police procedurals and PI series, but her latest departs from her usual fare. Although it features a murder investigation, it's primarily a complex family saga focusing on the Conroys, whose patriarch, Charlie, founded Conroy Enterprises. Under his iron control, the firm has become a successful conglomerate, each arm run by one of the younger Conroys. Only Rob Conroy has no interest in the company, but Charlie, determined to keep Rob part of the family business, gives him a small publishing company to run. Rather surprisingly, Rob makes it successful. But then tragedy strikes when a car crash kills most of Rob's family. Rob is devastated, but when he learns that the crash was not an accident, he vows to find out who targeted his family and why. To do so, Rob must delve into the Conroy family's past, unearthing dark secrets. This is a gripping read featuring Spencer's keen understanding of human nature, her knack for drawing readers in with twisty plots and intriguing characters, and her fine storytelling.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 3, 2021
Set in Cheshire, this engrossing suspense novel from British author Spencer (The Stalker) revolves around Conroy Enterprises, a conglomerate run by Charlie Conroy. Both feared and respected, Charlie is preparing to retire when a car accident in South Wales kills multiple family members, including his heir apparent, Tony. Only two survive the crash: grandson Rob Conroy, and Tony’s executive assistant, Bill Harper. Another family member, Rob’s cousin Philip Conroy, was not on the road trip. As Rob recuperates, Charlie dies of natural causes, and the will puts Philip in charge of the company. Bill supports Philip in the anticipated fight for control, but Rob has no objections and wants only to run his small publishing company. Two others, however, have a vested interest in the future of Conroy Enterprises and its new regime: Chief Insp. Owen Flint of the South Wales Police, who attended Oxford with Rob, and private detective Marie O’Hara. Owen and Marie each have a theory about the accident, which wasn’t an accident at all, and why it may have happened when it did. A solid plot, intriguing characters, and plenty of red herrings add up to a winner. Spencer consistently delivers the goods.