Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce

Cambridge Blue, first published in the UK in 2008, was a debut novel for Alison Bruce.  She has written two more in this series featuring Gary Goodhew, the young DC whose eagerness to solve crimes sometimes leads him to unauthorized behavior.

DC Goodhew is well-liked by most of the department, but remains something of a loner.  His unorthodox actions have him in hot water with his superior DI Marks, and I can't disagree with Marks' irritation.  In fact, although Goodhew shows promise as a developing character,  DI Marks has a distinctive personality that I hope is developed in the next two novels.  He certainly deserves more time.

Not a novel in which you can easily determine the murderer, as Bruce keeps the information she releases under tight control to keep you guessing.  A cast of unpleasant characters and a truly dysfunctional family provide many possibilities for a guilty party.

In addition to her fictional series featuring DC Goodhew, Bruce has written two nonfiction books:  Cambridgeshire Murders and Billington: Victorian Executioner.

Fiction.  Mystery/Police Procedural.  2009.  256 pages.