Review by Booklist Review
When Monika Paniatowski was a lowly DS, she cracked a theft ring headed by Jordan Gough, which humiliated and enraged him--and which he's never forgotten or forgiven. Years later, Gough is one of the city's most powerful men. Now a DCI, Monika is surprised when her boss asks her to meet Gough, who claims someone's trying to kill him. But when Monika does get to know Gough, it's clear he thinks it's finally payback time and that he'll stop at nothing to destroy her career. But Monika has a murder case to investigate, so she gives Gough's thinly veiled threats short shrift. She soon finds links between the case and what she realizes are Gough's continuing illegal activities--activities that have given him the wealth and power to use in meting out his twisted brand of revenge. It's always a pleasure when the prolific Spencer returns to her Paniatowski series, and this installment--with a cracking plot, barbed dialogue, and plenty of action--is a standout.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 1981, Spencer's tidily plotted 14th mystery featuring Lancashire Det. Chief Insp. Monika Paniatowski (after 2019's Dead End) draws Paniatowski and her eclectic team into a complex web of deceit. Jordan Gough, biggest public benefactor of the town of Whitebridge, as well as owner of that city's soccer team, requests that Paniatowski come to his estate for a meeting. She's not happy with the summons since she's sure Gough, despite a lack of evidence, has been involved in criminal activities, but her superior officer forces her to comply. Gough tells her he's received anonymous threatening letters, which he refuses to show her, and fears he's being poisoned. She dismisses his worries because she believes they're fantasies--or, as she tells her boss, he's "playing some kind of elaborate game." When Gough dies of food poisoning, Paniatowski has a murder to investigate. Her interactions with well-defined supporting characters, such as Det. Sgt. Kate Meadows, "a part-time sado-masochist, and--in spite of her pixie haircut and elfin figure--a full-time scary person," creates a bit of humor amid a full complement of action and suspense. Readers will hope Paniatowski has a long career. (Nov.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
DCI Monika Paniatowski catches a case from hell. The return of Chief Constable George Baxter from compassionate leave is a mixed blessing for Monika. On the one hand, she's more than happy to see her former lover recovering from the mental distress caused by the death of his wife. On the other, his first official act is to hand her what's probably the most toxic case of her career. Multimillionaire Jordan Gough, whose holdings include the Whitebridge Evening Telegraph, demands that Baxter assign Monika to find out who's poisoning him. Monika can't find any evidence that Gough's being poisoned. But when she turns her attention to the death of Tom Crawley, a young surveyor found in his apartment with his brains bashed out, she concludes that he has very definitely been murdered, leading Gough to complain to Baxter that the chief inspector isn't taking him seriously. Monika's path becomes rockier when Gough dies after eating steak with poisoned pepper sauce. The Telegraph publishes a piece criticizing the police in general and Monika in particular for ignoring a threat that cost a prominent citizen his life. Baxter is frantic for an arrest, and Gough's brother, Arthur, is a promising suspect, but Monika still has doubts. It takes all her ingenuity and the unstinting support of her three sergeants--Jack Crane, Colin Beresford, and Kate Meadows--to foil a diabolically clever murderer. Read this one quickly, before someone spoils the surprise. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
