Det. Constable Ron Perry runs afoul of his by-the-book superior, Det. Insp. Harry Clark, after the disappearance of Perry’s young niece, Elaine Oakley, in this pallid police procedural from Ashford, author of the popular Inspector Alvarez series (An Artful Death
, etc.) under his Roderic Jeffries pseudonym. In the close-knit English town of Carnford, Perry quickly finds evidence that Elaine didn’t vanish voluntarily, and conceals his relationship with the kidnapping victim to remain on the case. Suspicion soon focuses on local farmer Stan Burrell, who was the last person known to have seen Elaine, but Burrell steadfastly denies his guilt. When Perry’s personal connection to the case is uncovered, he’s shifted to interviewing people who may have sighted the girl, an assignment that feels like a pointless dead end to the zealous officer. Clark’s opposition to Perry often borders on parody, making the tension between the search for the truth and the suspect’s rights less than compelling. (Oct.)
