Corpse in Waiting

August 2, 2010
Marital tensions arise at the outset of British author Duffy's solid 14th Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard mystery (after 2009's Souvenirs of a Murder) when the couple, colleagues in the Serious Organized Crime Agency, take a badly needed holiday to nearby Bath. There, at a party in the Roman baths, they run into an old flame of Patrick's, Alexandra Nightingale, who invites Patrick to join her on a house-hunting tour. A jealous Ingrid insists on going, too. To Alexandra's chagrin, Ingrid, a successful novelist, discovers the perfect house for her own writing needs. On opening a cupboard, however, Ingrid finds herself "eyeball to partially empty sockets with someone's head." Ingrid and Patrick soon get on the trail of various nefarious characters, including the murdered woman, her nephew, and mobsters. Gun battles, car chases, and close shaves help build suspense. The solution to the murder comes almost as an afterthought.

September 1, 2010

A holiday in Bath designed as a little break from household routine plunges the vacationers into danger.

Ingrid Langley is recovering from childbirth, and her husband Patrick Gillard still isn't back to normal after being drugged in his last case for SOCA, the Serious Organized Crime Agency (Souvenirs of Murder, 2009, etc.). When they meet Alexandra Nightingale at the Roman Baths, she makes a dead run at Patrick. Much to Ingrid's dismay, he seems interested enough in his old flame to help her house-hunt. Ingrid's discovery of a run-down Bath residence that she and Alexandra both think has the potential to be the perfect town home would doubtless heighten the tension between them even without the decapitated corpse inside. The official investigation is in the hands of Patrick and Ingrid's pal DCI Carrick, but Patrick's untoward interest in Alexandra involves them in another case that might be right for SOCA. Alexandra claims to run an agency in London providing home help. Is it also providing cover for a group trafficking women? Uncertain about Patrick's true feelings for Alexandra, Ingrid continues to help him investigate the white slavers, who may be associated with the Mafia. Danger lurks on every side, but the intrepid duo never give up on any of the crimes.

Duffy continues her winning ways with this pleasing combination of James Bond thriller and police procedural, sometimes predictable but never boring.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Married couple Ingrid and Patrick (Souvenirs of Murder) are vacationing in Bath when they run into an old girlfriend who cajoles Patrick into helping her find a house to buy in the area. On a viewing of one house, Ingrid discovers a beheaded corpse in a cupboard, launching the pair into another thoughtful homicide investigation. VERDICT A sort of 21st-century Nick and Nora Charles, Ingrid and Patrick share witty repartee and moments of pent-up hostility, providing a lot of entertaining fun for the reader. Duffy is as delightful as Veronica Heley.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Mystery buffs unfamiliar with Duffys Gillard and Langley series are in for a treat. Often compared to Nick and Nora Charles, Patrick Gillard and Ingrid Langley are likable in their daily life but lethal when it comes to crime busting. Once a member of Britains MI5, Patrick retired after a serious injury, and now both he and Ingrid serve as special consultants to the Serious Organized Crime Agency. In their latest caper, the reappearance of an old girlfriend of Patricks leads to a new and deadly case involving a headless corpse, a daylight raid on a posh London jewelry store, and a human-trafficking plot. Wry humor and a bit of lightheartedness to soften the tension, plus plenty of suspenseful twists and a satisfying conclusion, add up to a very entertaining entry in Duffys popular series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)