Det. Insp. Christy Kennedy and his London police team—particularly Det. Sgt. James Irvine and Det. Constable Anne Coles—are a fine ensemble, and in their fifth outing, British author Charles (Last Boat to Camden Town, etc.) uses his working knowledge of the music industry to fashion an absorbing and entertaining tale. The death of singer/songwriter Esther Bluewood appears to be another tragic rock 'n' roll story—a sensitive, suicide-prone star succumbs too young. Her carefully arranged body is found near the open oven door; she had a history of failed suicide attempts; and her husband, a lover and a nanny are all eager to pronounce the death a suicide. But Kennedy, an admirer of Bluewood's classic album Axis; Kennedy's on-again off-again lover, journalist ann rea (always lower case); and others aren't so sure. The team's cautious and thorough approach to the forensic evidence is matched by a thorough probing into the tangled, tortuous relationships Bluewood forged while coming to terms with her craft. Charles paints a convincing portrait of an artist who fashioned her art out of her own pain and managed to give it near universal appeal. The parasites feeding off her success are not a pretty lot, but did one of them cause her death, and if so, how? A good puzzle, memorable characters and an elegant, if not simple, solution should help move Charles's series into the top rank of British police procedurals. (Apr. 5)
