February 1, 2021
An unflinching look at the dangerous effects of the malicious gossip spread by social media. DCI Anderson and DI Costello of Police Scotland have caught the case of medical student Aasha Ariti, who was found floating in the Firth of Clyde. She was last seen leaving a pub with another student who'd once complained online about "Asians buying themselves places at Scottish universities." So Aasha's companion is accused of prejudice and possibly murder. Costello, who's been shopping for her elderly neighbor in the time of Covid, finds the woman unconscious and calls an ambulance; she's later accused by a daughter the neighbor never mentioned of stealing a large sum of money from her mother's flat. Anderson must deal with the trauma of having his beloved dog put down. The pair are astounded when they're suddenly taken off Aasha's case to investigate the murder and mutilation of an old man found sitting in a chair in his own attic, facing the frozen movie image of a naked toddler. The deceased, who was using a false name, is identified as one of the Peacocks, three friends who danced in the clubs of the late 1950s along with Birdie Summer, who dated one but married another of them. Anderson and Costello, who smell something political and dangerous in this ice-cold case, must deal with rumors of pedophilia that only complicate their task. An incisive novel by the queen of character-driven procedurals.
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March 1, 2021
When the body of 23-year-old medical student Aasha Ariti is found in the Firth of Clyde, it's just the first in a string of investigations for Glasgow-based Detective Inspector Colin Anderson and Detective Sergeant Winifred "Freddie" Costello. Just as they're getting started on the case, they're sent to Invernock, where a neighbor has found 81-year-old pensioner Jimmy Pearcey tortured to death in his home. Both cases grab attention in Scotland. Speculations arise that Ariti's murder was racially motivated and that Pearcey was a pedophile. Anderson and Costello keep in touch with colleagues on the first case while trying to find who is stirring up people on social media about the second case. Pearcey's murder has unusual connections to three men who were involved in a tragic murder 40 years ago. Even while they work the case, the two officers deal with personal issues. Anderson's wife is caught up in a con man's sting, and Costello, after finding an elderly neighbor bleeding, is accused of theft. VERDICT The multiple cases and personal story lines in this well-written police procedural will only be appreciated if someone has read the series. There's a great deal of backstory in this follow-up to Red, Red Snow, too much for new readers.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
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March 1, 2021
Scottish coppers Anderson and Costello have their hands full. First, a young woman is pulled from the River Clyde, and the detectives suspect she was murdered by her former boyfriend. Then Costello finds her elderly neighbor Vera with a serious head wound, and it looks like someone tried to rob her. Then the detectives are called to a brutal murder scene where a man has been tortured to death in his attic. Suddenly, Anderson and Costello are pulled off all three cases to investigate a 40-year-old murder. Does their boss know something he's not sharing? The plot is fast-moving and complex; the characters are quirky, with plenty of foibles; and the outcome is both satisfying and surprising. Readers new to the series may find the plethora of characters and their relationships puzzling at first, but those who stick with the twisty tale will be rewarded in the end. Fans of British procedurals who don't know Anderson and Costello should remedy that situation quickly.
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