Exit Stage Left

April 20, 2015
In Ison’s captivating 14th mystery featuring Det. Chief Insp. Harry Brock and Det. Sgt. Dave Poole of London’s Homicide and Major Crimes Command (after 2014’s Reckless Endangerment), someone sneaks up on stage actor Lancelot Foley while he’s walking one snowy evening to his lover’s Chelsea flat, breaks his neck, and dumps his body in a street excavation. Since Foley, a wealthy womanizer, had a penchant for cheating everyone, the list of those with a murder motive is long—especially actress Debra Foley, the victim’s estranged wife, who never had plans to let him creep away easily or leave her penniless. While many women expect the charming Foley’s fortune to fall to them, it turns out that only one particular lady had his heart. Brock’s investigation, though, leads far beyond a few scorned women to much darker and sinister suspects in Foley’s circle. Witty dialogue, sharply defined characters, and a satisfyingly layered story distinguish this contemporary police procedural.

May 1, 2015
When actor Lancelot Foley is found dead of a broken neck, the case falls to DCI Harry Brock and his team. There's no doubt the victim was murdered, since Foley's broken neck was clearly the work of a skilled martial-arts expert. Interviewing possible suspects, Brock finds that most people who knew Foleyincluding his soon-to-be ex-wife, Debra, and his fellow thespiansdisliked or even hated him. The plot thickens when Brock discovers that Debra is a part-time prostitute, that Foley was worth 15 million pounds, and that Debra's brother is an ex-military man skilled in martial arts. But while there are plenty of potential suspects who could have killed Foley, the problem for Brock is to weed out the could haves and find the did do. Another smartly written, twist-filled, engaging entry in this consistently good British police procedurala good choice for Peter Robinson readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)