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5 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying read, Jan 14 2002

By	Angel L. Soto (USA) - See all my reviews

Kathy Kolla is sent to Jerusalem Lane to investigate the suspicious death of an elderly woman named Meredith Winterbottom. She is surprised when she is teamed up with David Brock, a hotshot from Scotland Yard, who has been in the news lately for solving notorious cases. The author throws a few red herrings in the plot but in the end everything turns out right with the world.

I appreciate that the author split the book in two parts. In Part One, Maitland teams up Kolla and Brock in the first book of his series. He comes up with a reason to team them up and investigate the crime. It is not until Part Two that we learn the real reason that Brock wanted to meet Kolla. Kathy is not happy at first, but later understands the reasoning.

I liked the characters on this novel and am planning on trying to read the other three books in the series. The characters are fresh as well as human. Kolla is having an affair with a married man and she does not like it. There is still more to be learned about Brock. There were some hints near the end but it just makes me want to read THE MALCONTENTA and learn more about these detectives.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A truly outstanding mystery, Nov 30 2001

By	Roger Lee (Jacksonville, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I have read quite a few mysteries in my time, but only a very few that were as good as this one. The detectives are very likable and three-dimensional. The cast of suspects are very colorful and also well-developed. I liked the way Maitland takes his time developing his two main characters; he allows the reader to become curious about what Kathy and David are really like, and then slowly reveals their personalities and backgrounds. The plot is satisfyingly complex, taking many twists and turns until the final surprising conclusion. The thing that makes this book unusually good is the fact that it combines the great plotting of British mysteries with a faster, more American-like pace. I will definitely be reading this entire series, assuming it continues to be even close to as good as this installment.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite a Police Procedural, Oct 20 2000

By A Customer

Maitland has succeeded in creating an intact universe. The depiction of Jerusalem Lane is atmospheric and consistent, with some great throwaway, tantalizing details. The characters by and large react to each other consistently with the action, the plot requirements and the setting.

Until the end.

It is totally unbelievable that an injured police officer would put him/herself in jeopardy not once but twice in such an insane manner, particularly struggling out of a hospital bed when already seriously injured to explore, unassisted, and in pitch darkness, a hazardous building site. This puts us in the land of the inanities of the "Had I But Known" genre. All that was lacking was the billowy white nightie. Any police officer guilty of such a phenomenal lack of judgement would find him/herself jobless at the very least.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Positively dripping with atmosphere and intelligence
It came as no suprise to me that Barry Maitland has an architectural background, as this book is as much about place as people. Read more

Published on Aug 31 2000 by omnireader

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story
I thought the characters, atmosphere, plot, etc. were great. The only thing I could find fault with (and this is kind of a nitpick) was the explanation of the Marx family (Karl,... Read more

Published on Aug 29 2000 by Kathy Cole