Spider Trap

July 23, 2007
This gripping and complex ninth installment of Maitland’s Brock and Kolla series (after 2006’s No Trace
) ties past and present in London’s West Indian community. After the bodies of two young girls are found in South London, both shot through the head, media attention precipitates a Scotland Yard investigation. A schoolboy exploring a deserted Brixton rail yard uncovers three unidentified bodies shot with the same gun some 24 years before, at a time of civil unrest and riots. Det. Sgt. Kathy Kolla investigates the girls’ murders, while DCI David Brock feels compelled to follow the slim leads to the past as the investigation widens to include an agent from Special Branch and aging ex-con “Spider” Roach. Some of Spider’s family and associates have risen to wealth and prominence, and Brock’s queries run up against a suspicious number of walls. Though character development is somewhat lacking, the intricate plot, spot-on dialogue and vivid descriptions will keep readers turning the pages.

September 1, 2007
When human bones dating from a riot 20 years ago are found in a poor section of London, Detective Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sargeant Kathy Kolla ("No Trace") are called in to investigate and get drawn into the West Indian community. Then their old nemesis, Spider Roach, returns, and the duo faces an onslaught of danger that culminates in the nerve-wracking final pages. For readers of Quintin Jardine and those who remember J.J. Marric (aka John Creasey). Maitland lives in Australia. [See Mystery Prepub, "LJ" 6/1/07.]

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2007
The British crime-solving team of Detective Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla returns. During a murder investigation, human bones are uncovered that date back 20 years and appear to be connected with the infamous 1985 riots that swept the south London area of Brixton. While trying to find out to whom the bones belong, Brock and Kolla run up against an old nemesis, Spider Roach, and their investigation gets a whole lot more complicatedand dangerous. Fans of the Brock and Kolla series will enjoy the usual banter and procedural-style investigation with overtones of something darker. The series shows no signs of slowing down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)