Good Wife

December 15, 2018
In their third outing (following Death Scene, 2017), DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens suspect that the bodies they keep finding are tied to East End gangster Josiah Bailey. The problem is, nobody wants to go on record saying anything about Bailey for fear of becoming the next victim. Flashbacks from 1928 back to 1918 reveal that Dalla Beany may be the key. When Bailey's men killed Dalla's husband, Dalla took her son and daughter back to the Romany community where she was raised. In late-1920s England, Johnstone's investigation keeps leading him back to the same camp. This engaging procedural may also appeal to fans of Marjorie Eccles and Jacqueline Winspear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2020
Dr. Clive Mason and his wife, Martha, are enjoying a day at the races with their friends Dr. Ephraim Phillips; his wife, Nora; and their children. The year is 1929, the place, Southwall, England. Both men are police surgeons. When officers summon Mason to examine a body found in a horse stall, he is shocked when he realizes the victim is his wife. Her friend Nora said Martha recognized someone in the crowd, went to say hello, and never returned. The local constables need help with the investigation, so they call Detective Chief Inspector Harry Johnstone and his sergeant, Mickey Hitchens. They immediately rule out a robbery gone wrong and begin looking into the victim's life. She was a popular, respected member of the community, but her past reveals dark secrets. The author's vivid depiction of England in the twenties and her well-constructed plot will appeal to the Downton Abbey crowd.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)