Review by Booklist Review
In a departure from his critically acclaimed Tom Thorne series, Billingham launches a fresh one about seaside resort DI, Declan Miller, who is returning to work a mere six weeks after his wife, Alex, a police officer, was murdered. Declan is assigned a case involving the deaths of two men killed in adjacent hotel rooms. One of the victims was the son of a major gangland boss, whom Declan suspects was involved in his wife's death. With help from his ballroom dancing friends (you read that right!), two endearing informants, and Alex's occasional ghostly manifestations, Declan solves the mystery in an amazing "aha" moment. Declan, a bore with a biting tongue, takes some getting used to, but readers should persevere. When his new partner, Sara Xiu, whom he calls "Posh Gravy," finally blows her cork, her rage and the torrent of pejoratives she hurls at him fill nearly a full page. A jaw-dropping conclusion suggests more will be coming for Declan and Sara. Recommend to fans of Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Billingham (Sleepyhead) launches a cracking new mystery series featuring the charming, sarcastic British Det. Sgt. Declan Miller. Miller's wife, Alex--also a detective--was recently murdered on the job. Afternoons spent in the company of his pet rats and punctuated by visits from Alex's ghost are not enough to keep Declan away from work for long, though, and he returns, grieving, after a six-week hiatus. The first case assigned to Miller and his new partner, Sara Xiu, is a double murder. It initially appears that the two victims--an organized crime heir and an IT consultant--have nothing in common, but after Declan taps into a network of sources spanning his and Alex's ballroom dancing friends, an old informant, and Alex's ghost, he starts to fear a complex conspiracy is at hand. Meanwhile, Declan's friend, prison snitch Gary "Chesshead" Cole, tries to find Alex's murderer, with tragic results. Billingham imbues Miller with a brilliant sense of humor and populates the margins of this well-paced mystery with lovable, fully fleshed characters whom readers will adore. This is the author at his best. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Readers looking for a fresh voice in the thriller genre might have found their man in Detective Sergeant Declan Miller, star of the first in a new series Billingham, author of the Tom Thorne series. Detective Sergeant Miller personifies the duality of comedy and tragedy within, all delivered with a cynical wit. After just six weeks and against all advice, DS Miller returns to work following the murder of his wife, Alex, a police officer and champion ballroom dancer. Alex had been investigating a local crime family--the Cutlers--when she died. Declan is teamed with DS Sara Xiu, a heavy-metal and motorcycle fan, who is utterly baffled by her new colleague as they investigate a double murder at a local hotel. As one of the victims is Adrian Cutler, son of the local gangster, they surmise it to be a contract killing gone wrong, but why two victims? Declan calls on all his resources, including retired police officers who share his love of dancing, to solve the case. VERDICT Exuberant, apposite, and very amusing, Miller's wit and his observations about modern life and policing will delight new fans.--Penelope J.M. Klein
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