The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori

Having survived the malice of A Little Local Murder (1988), British detectives Charlie Peace and Mike Oddie must now investigate the murder of a young man whose body is found in a car parked outside an Indian eatery in the small town of Haworth. Their roundabout search eventually leads to an unusual group of eccentrics living in a community devoted to the worship of the distinguished painter Ranulph Byatt. As Barnard develops these quirky characters--including an ex-convict, his sister and Byatt's aging yet protective wife--and as the detectives tread deeper into their midst, it becomes clear that any one of them can be the murderer, regardless of their seeming innocence (or ignorance). Peace and Oddie are faced with not only determining the identity of the corpse and the killer, but also with uncovering the how and why of the crime. Though eight-time Edgar nominee Barnard's new mystery isn't particularly suspenseful, its devious, seamless plot will keep readers guessing, and Oddie and Peace fans will enjoy being back in their company. (Apr.)