Matthew Upson, a history professor at Gloucestershire University, is reported missing by his wife. Not that she is in any hurry to get him back.
Initially, the fact that a grown man has been missing for a few days does not raise a sense of alarm, but when Upson's mother seeks an interview with Superintendent John Lambert, Lambert develops an uneasy feeling that this may be more than a missing person case.
DS Bert Hook and Superintendent John Lambert are the main draw in this book; both are likable characters whose long relationship on the job gives them a sense of camaraderie that works well. There are some wryly funny scenes on the golf course that made me smile and the plot and minor characters kept my interest.
I enjoyed the writing and the characters in An Academic Death, and will be happy to read more.
NetGalley/Endeavor Press
Police Procedural. 2001; 2016. Print length: 172 pages.
Walk into Silence by Susan McBride is the first book in a series featuring Detective Jo Larsen. Jo Larsen has left her previous job in Dallas for a small town on the outskirts of the city with fewer incidents of serious crime.
Patrick Dielman's files a missing person report for his wife and seems genuinely concerned about her. (Yep, another missing person case.) Jenny Dielman had a bad first marriage which collapsed after the death of her son. Unable to get over the loss of her only child, Jenny has battled depression and grief for several years despite her efforts to start fresh with her marriage to Patrick.
Jo wonders if Jenny needed an escape from her husband, who apparently adores her, but seems controlling, or if Jenny's grief over her son's death has finally overwhelmed her.
Jo's investigation appears to offer a third option--Jenny did not leave by choice. And if foul play is involved, who would want Jenny dead...and why?
I found Walk into Silence an interesting introduction to a series--allowing room for further character development in succeeding novels.
Kindle First
Police Procedural. 2016. Print length: 370 pages.
Funny that both books involved missing persons. They both sound good; which one did you like best?
ReplyDeleteI liked An Academic Death best because of the scenes between Lambert and Hook on the golf course. The dialogue has such a human touch as Lambert instructs Hook, who is new to the game, and Hook curses inwardly at both his mistakes and at the advice. Can't help but grin and recognize the situations. :)
DeleteBoth sound interesting and what coincidence they feature on missing person cases!
ReplyDeleteBetter than two in a row about amnesia or fugue states! :)
DeleteBoth sound pretty good to me. This is my go-to genre. I just finished a missing child book: The Cold, Cold Sea. I recommend it. I'm not sure about jumping into a series at #14, but it seemed to work for you.
ReplyDeleteMost long series work well as stand-alones, and I am always happy to find a series I enjoy when I can go back and read more--in order. :)
DeleteI selected McBride's book this month too. I am glad to see you enjoyed it, Jenclair. It sounded promising from the description. Gregson's book sounds interesting as well. I read several mysteries in a row recently and am taking a short break from them to read other books in my TBR pile. I had hoped to spend the month reading Science Fiction for Science Fiction November, but my reading took me in another direction.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both of these books. Although I will always read mysteries and police procedurals, I love science fiction, too. Just finished N.K. Jemison's The Fifth Season, which was a compelling dystopian/scifi novel.
DeleteOh I've seen the JM Gregson books but didn't realize there were so many in the series! Both do sound good although I'm leaning more towards the first book for the locale. Great finds!
ReplyDelete