Flanders Sky

Freeling brightens the fall season with this sophisticated and introspective murder mystery, the 14th appearance of Inspector Henri Castang and his wife, Vera. Put out to pasture, Castang has been assigned as an aide to a British jurist, Harold Claverhouse, at European Community headquarters in Brussels. When Claverhouse is charged with the murder of his wife, Castang's police instincts and skills come to the fore. After the Berlin Wall is brought down, Vera visits her mother in Czechoslovakia, a journey that gives her insight into the comparable Irish background of the murder victim. While volunteering at a center for runaways, Henri becomes involved with two girls who are being abused both physically and sexually by their father; their tragedy becomes a central issue for the defense at Claverhouse's trial. The trial itself is fascinating and turns on a surprising statement from the accused; as the story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Henri and Vera, Freeling comments on ethnic and nationalistic differences and the changing face of Europe. Neither whodunit nor mystery, this is an insightful look at the human condition. Freeling is a treasure. (Sept.)