Unlucky For Some

Starred review from December 13, 2004
Thirteen proves to be a lucky number for British author McGown, as the 13th outing for her detective chief inspectors, Lloyd and Hill, amply justifies her selection by the London Times
as one of last century's Masters of Crime. Her engaging husband-wife team find themselves matched with an extremely cunning serial killer. The bludgeoning of a bingo winner seems to be a simple mugging gone bad, until the police discover that the victim's winnings were left behind, displayed on the corpse in a perverse arrangement that hints at a cryptic deeper significance. Lloyd and Hill are put under additional pressure by the presence at the crime scene of a legendary reporter who had shown up the police two decades earlier by singlehandedly averting a miscarriage of justice through his identification of the real South Coast murderer, a serial slayer. With this entry, which may strike some as an homage to Agatha Christie's classic The ABC Murders
, McGown's series can legitimately be compared to Peter Lovesey's outstanding Peter Diamond novels, blending police procedural and twisty whodunit tropes with sardonic humor and byplay between members of the police force. While she's not yet a household name in U.S. mystery circles, this excellent effort could—and should—change that. Agent, Vanessa Holt (U.K.).

January 1, 2005
The new entry into McGown's Lloyd/ Hill series (Death in the Family 2002) is a puzzler that will keep the reader guessing until the end. A woman is killed shortly after she wins a lot of money playing bingo, but the money isn't taken. On the scene is Tony Banks, a reporter who 20 years earlier made the police look bad when he proved that the person they arrested wasn't the serial killer. Soon Tony and his tabloid receive anonymous notes from the killer. Was this more than a simple mugging gone wrong? When a second murder appears to confirm that married Detective Chief Inspectors Lloyd and Hill are put in charge. Proving that spouses can work together, even when the wife is heading the team and home life isn't perfect, they and their team put the little puzzles together and find a real solution. McGown is in top form here. Her characters are engaging and the solution isn't easy. Highly recommended for collections where British procedurals are popular.-Deborah Shippy, Moline P.L., IL

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2005
Adult/High School -What at first appears to be an accidental murder by a mugger in a hurry turns out to be just one in a series of killings in which money is spread across the victims' bodies. Danny Lloyd and Judy Hill, both Detective Chief Inspectors and married to one another, take on the case. Stepping up to help with the investigation, journalist Tony Baker provides clues and details as the only eyewitness. Baker, who had made his journalistic name through investigating a previous serial-murderer case, adds another layer of complexity to the plot as he becomes the focus of a blackmailer. Except for brief scenes of action, the story is told from character interactions or scenes featuring the individuals mulling over the deaths. The numerous characters tend to make following the investigation challenging at first, but individuals become more clearly defined as the story moves along. Police procedurals give a feeling of reality to the situation. The 13th book in McGown's series featuring this couple, the story stands well on its own." -Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.