Question of Motive

February 22, 2010
Last seen in 2009's Sun, Sea, and Murder
, Mallorcan Insp. Enrique Alvarez reluctantly investigates Englishman Robin Gill's fatal fall from a high rock in this lackluster entry in Jeffries's long-running series. A postmortem suggests murder rather than suicide or accident, which means an investigation that will interfere with Alvarez's preferred routine of food, drink, and rest. It also means plenty of phone contact with his boss, Superior Chief Salas, and the inevitable insults, exhortations, and misunderstandings that Salas fires at him. Alvarez interviews Gill's niece, Mary Farren, who lived with the victim, and is smitten by her. Gill's household servants, friends, and financial dealings give Alvarez a list of suspects who might have a motive. Despite Salas's insistence that Farren is the chief suspect, Alvarez chooses to eliminate other, unlikely suspects first, which only serves to make Farren stand out more. Series fans will be left thinking it may be time for Alvarez to retire.

January 1, 2010
Charming rascal and crime-buster extraordinaire Inspector Alvarez returns in another likable Mallorcan mystery. When Alvarez receives a call informing him that a mans body has been found at the foot of a cliff, he hopes fervently that the case will not be assigned to him. But his hopes are dashed, and he quickly finds himself forced to give up his afternoon siesta to investigate. At first, it seems the victim, wealthy British ex-pat Seor Gill, may have committed suicide, but the more Alvarez learns, the more he becomes convinced that Gill was murdered. One of the prime suspects is Gills niece, Mary Farren, who stands to inherit Gills fortune. Because Alvarez finds himself strongly attracted to Mary, he has difficulty believing she is Gills killer, but he also has trouble coming up with other likely suspects. With his querulous and exacting boss demanding results yesterday, Alvarez realizes hed better forget his morning cognac and focus his attention on the case. A delightful and entertaining series that never seems to lose a step.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)