Moondrop to Murder

The 15th book about retired detective chief superintendent Simon Kenworthy (A Passion in the Peak is smooth and absorbing. Colonel Neville's wife secretly hires Kenworthy to watch over her 75-year-old husband during his sentimental journey back to the scene of his World War II intelligence foray into Occupied France. Neville confronts Kenworthy, however, and they subsequently become almost-friendly traveling companions, until Neville suddenly eludes Kenworthy, who encounters unexpected obstacles as he searches for his charge. A legendary heroine of the Resistance, possibly Neville's lover of 40 years before, offers only sporadic help; other ex-Resistance members are oddly secretive. Kenworthy still manages to uncover the old facts of wartime treachery, murder and bastardy. When the detective finally ties all the ends together, Neville is revealed as a foolish, selfish romantic who tends to bring down disaster upon all around him. As ever, Kenworthy is urbane, intelligent and thoroughly likable. (May 19)