Foul Play at Four

Set in the English village of Long Farnden, Purser’s less than suspenseful 11th mystery featuring Lois Meade and her New Brooms cleaning service (after 2010’s Threats at Three) lets the reader know what’s going on well before Lois does. When two brothers steal the cash out of the till of Lois’s daughter Josie’s shop, and later one of them whacks her husband over the head with a jemmy, Lois sets out to catch the malefactors. She turns to Det. Chief Insp. Hunter Cowgill for help, but she leaves the inspector behind when the trail leads north to Yorkshire. A subplot involving one of Long Farnden’s leading citizens, elderly Mrs. Tollervey-Jones, offers further intrigue. In past outings, Lois’s powers of observation and cooperation with the police often led to a startling conclusion, but series fans expecting the same here may be disappointed. (Dec.)