Critique du Library Journal

The disappearance of a prominent missionary in London and the murder of a widow in an isolated Lancashire farmhouse at first appear to be unrelated events-until Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge unravels a case that involves an assumed identity, an inconvenient wife, a village love triangle, and red herrings aplenty. Todd's (charlestodd.com) 12th Inspector Rutledge entry-following A Matter of Justice (2008), also available from BBC Audiobooks America-features less angst and more deduction than earlier episodes of this series, set in post-World War I England. Veteran British actor/narrator Simon Prebble's (www.simonprebble.com) subtle performance complements this complex tale. A stylish and classic mystery that stands on its own and is sure to appeal to fans of this pseudonymous mother-and-son writing duo as well as to mystery lovers new to the series and fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. [The Morrow hc was recommended "for Anglophiles who love cozy, historical mysteries with a detective who is bent but never completely broken," LJ 12/09.-Ed.]-Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.