February 9, 2015
In Cutler’s enjoyable sixth Fran Harman mystery (after 2014’s Double Fault), newly retired Fran, a former detective chief superintendent, and her new husband, Mark Turner, also retired from the force, volunteer to assist the West Mercia police in a 20-year-old cold case involving a mortally ill baby left alone in a car parked on a lonely stretch of road by Wyre Forest. The infant’s mother and an older brother haven’t been seen since and are presumed dead. The local police, challenged by budget issues and riven by internal rivalries, resent the intrusion of two civilians. But working together, they uncover discrepancies, ill-informed assumptions made by the original investigators, and outright deceptions from witnesses in the old case. The procedural business moves slowly at times, with a great deal of emphasis on the miserable weather and unforgiving geography. The interactions between blissful newlyweds Fran and Mark will please the romantically inclined. The surprising conclusion definitely satisfies.
August 4, 2014
This sparkling first in a new traditional series from Cutler (Double Fault) stars Jodie Welsh, a rich business whiz, who moves to rural Kent to marry a widowed minister. Jodie adapts to life in Lesser Hogben (“Not even Greater Hogben”), keeping a London pied-à-terre that allows the newlyweds a little privacy. When Jodie hires a local lad called Burble to help take care of her garden, some of the church busybodies disapprove, but Jodie has a do-gooding impulse to make a difference in the life of the disaffected youth. She lends Burble an expensive camera, and asks him to take pictures for a new website—and then Burble and the camera go missing. What initially appears to be just a bit of nicking soon grows more ominous when mysterious remains are found and a suspicious fire is lit. A tight plot complements the diverse and entertaining cast of characters. Fans of Katherine Hall Page’s Faith Fairchild series will find a lot to like.
April 1, 2015
In their sixth case (after 2014's Double Fault), recently retired cop Fran Hartman and her new husband and fellow former cop, Mark Turner, volunteer their assistance to the local Kent police force to solve a 20-year-old cold case: a critically ill baby was abandoned in a car near Wyre Forest, his mother and older brother never to be seen again.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2015
A cold case turns into trouble for recently married and retired police officials Fran Harman and Mark Turner. Contracted to look into the 20-year-old disappearance of Natalie Foreman, wife of a prominent footballer, and her four-year-old son, the pair soon find that someone doesn't want them digging up the past. The police official who hired them is abruptly retired, their team of assistants shrinks, the cottage they rent is flooded when a culvert is deliberately blocked, the owner of the B & B they move to is assaulted, and their belongings are ransacked. Even the elements seem to be against them, as historic rains batter the area. When the police appear to be part of the activity, the question becomes whom can Harman and Turner trust. This sixth entry in the Fran Harman series (after Double Fault, 2014) is another solid British police procedural notable for the unspoken understanding and banter between the two principals as they play to each other's strengths. It's a pleasure to see vibrant retirees in starring roles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)