Gift Wrapped

June 24, 2013
An elegantly constructed plot and a sly ending more than compensate for some stilted prose in Turnbull’s entertaining 23rd mystery featuring Vale of York policemen Det. Chief Insp. George Hennessey and Sgt. Somerled Yellich (after 2012’s The Altered Case). Julia Bartlem brings four postcards she’s received on consecutive days to the police, each bearing the word murder in German, Italian, French, and Latin; the same eight numbers on each appear to be map coordinates. When Hennessey and Yellich search the location indicated by the coordinates, they find a skeleton that’s soon identified as that of a man missing for 10 years, James Wenlock. Routine police work solves a murder if not Wenlock’s, and also uncovers yet another missing person’s case. Solving the question of who sent the postcards, and why, may be the key to identifying a pair of highly clever killers, but can the police prove their guilt? Fans of contemporary British police procedurals will be satisfied.

July 15, 2012
Two old friends stir up a hornet's nest when they report a murder they witnessed as schoolboys. DC Reginald Webster can hardly believe that two middle-aged businessmen would make up such a tale. So when Cyrus Middleton and Tony Allerton come in to report discovering a newly dug grave in a field close to the village of Catton Hill, Webster's boss, DCI George Hennessey (Aftermath, 2011, etc.), has no choice but to investigate. Problem is, Middleton and Allerton found the grave back when they were 15. Sure enough, in a field owned by irascible landlord Thomas Farrent, Hennessey's men dig up five skeletons. Four are alike enough to be a family, similarly short in stature. The fifth is taller and perhaps unrelated. Slogging through 30-year-old missing-persons cold cases, DC Carmen Pharoah reads about the Parrs: father, mother and two adult daughters who disappeared from the posh King Henry Hotel at about the right time. But why did the Parrs leave their bohemian home in Camden Town for the Vale of York? Who was the taller girl traveling with them? And most important: Who wanted these gentle, harmless people dead? While Hennessey's team struggles for answers, Farrant's wife goes missing, adding a new urgency to the decades-old puzzle. Brisk and businesslike, Turnbull's latest in the series proves a worthy addition to his reliable franchise.

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August 1, 2013

DCI George Hennessey's team investigates a series of postcards that announce that a murder has been committed. Since the postcards also give the location of the victim's body, the detectives quickly take care of an unsolved missing person report. Figuring out who buried the body is trickier, though. Surprisingly, this case leads the detectives further afield (pun intended) when a second body is located at yet another venue. Hennessey and his officers gradually realize that they are working with a killer who relishes a bit of gamesmanship, and the police are not about to be played. VERDICT Refreshingly traditional--old-fashioned prose and all--this latest British procedural will delight puzzle lovers. Once again, Turnbull mines cold case territory (after The Altered Case), neatly unfolding a twisty plot using all his usual team members to great effect. While leisurely paced, the book is a short read and perfect for an afternoon's diversion. This is number 23 in a consistently reliable series that has been going strong since 1999.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
Turnbull's well-mannered, courteous coppers and genteel writing style juxtaposed against grim, murder-filled stories make oddly intriguing reading. His latest is typical of this distinctive blend of style and content. Almost 20 years ago, two teenage boys saw what could have been a fresh grave in a farmer's field. They did nothing at the time, but the incident has bothered them for decades, and they finally decide to contact the York police. After locating the spot, the police uncover five skeletons. Further investigation reveals that four of the skeletons are from the same family, but the fifth isn't related, and the cause of death isn't immediately obvious. This is definitely a cold case that seems impossible to solve, but DCI George Hennessey and his team aren't deterred. Their investigation leads them to a feud dating back hundreds of years. A satisfying and entertaining read from a veteran and very distinctive writer of British procedurals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)