When Julie, the young daughter of well-to-do writer Daniel Winterton, suddenly vanishes in this winning police procedural from British veteran Curzon (Cold Hands), Thames Valley Supt. Mike Yeadings has little doubt that all is not well on the Winterton home front. Eight years earlier, he helped investigate the disappearance of Winterton's wife, Caroline, and he's been unsatisfied with the results ever since. The deeper Yeadings digs, the more certain he is that another look into Mrs. Winterton's case may well shed light on Julie's disappearance. The author masterfully intertwines the old case with the new, and the outcome includes enough clever twists to keep even the quickest-thinking readers scrambling for clues right alongside the police. As usual, Curzon lays a rock-solid foundation for her supporting cast. Yeadings's wife, Nan, offers intelligent insight plus palpable glimpses into the superintendent's home life, while Hook, Caroline's brother, is both to be pitied and suspected. Even though this and previous Yeadings mysteries are self-contained, longtime fans will appreciate the connective tissue that links past books and hints at crimes yet to come. Newcomers will want to get their hands on earlier works featuring Yeadings so they, too, can follow the development of this sharp-witted detective. (Feb. 18)
FYI:Curzon's Guilty Knowledge was the winner of the 2000 Herodotus Award for the Best First International Historical Mystery.
