The Man Who Couldn't Lose

January 14, 2008
In British author Silverwood's engaging ninth whodunit to feature Det. Insp. Michael Angel (after The Umbrella Man
), Angel must track down the murderer of Joshua Gumme, a Yorkshire businessman known as “The Man Who Couldn't Lose” for having won more than 200 straight games of pontoon, a card game with a large element of chance, over a 10-year period. The suspects range from Gumme's son, who was left a pittance out of an estate worth millions, to a heroin dealer, but the universe of those who wished the ethically challenged Gumme dead is large enough to keep Angel and his team busy. As usual, Angel must battle his own superior, Superintendent Harker, to run the case his own way. In a nice touch, Angel's wife helps him figure out how Gumme cheated, but it's the policeman's down-to-earth common sense and doggedness that lead him to a satisfying solution of the crime. Once again Silverwood combines a classic mystery plot with well-developed characters.