Final Moments

This classic English procedural from veteran Page (Scent of Death, Cold Light of Day, etc.) begins with the murder of attractive divorcee Venetia Franklin. Inspector Kelsey, assisted by the able Detective Lambert, starts his investigation with the victim's former husband, who found the body. Ray Franklin has married again and both he and his new wife have clearly chafed under burdensome financial obligations to his first family. Their alibis seem airtight at first, as does that of Philip Coburn, manager of the local bank, who reluctantly admits having recently broken off an affair with Venetia. Another suspect is an intense young man whom Venetia had met shortly before her death. With admirable thoroughness, Kelsey follows every lead, including his own perceptive instincts about each suspect. The death of a mentally disturbed man reveals different perspectives on existing suspects and introduces a new possibility. Step by step, readers are led along the path of Kelsey's investigation, privy to no more information than he has. Reading this tightly crafted mystery is very like working on a complicated jigsaw puzzle. (April)