Corpse in Waiting

Marital tensions arise at the outset of British author Duffy's solid 14th Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard mystery (after 2009's Souvenirs of a Murder) when the couple, colleagues in the Serious Organized Crime Agency, take a badly needed holiday to nearby Bath. There, at a party in the Roman baths, they run into an old flame of Patrick's, Alexandra Nightingale, who invites Patrick to join her on a house-hunting tour. A jealous Ingrid insists on going, too. To Alexandra's chagrin, Ingrid, a successful novelist, discovers the perfect house for her own writing needs. On opening a cupboard, however, Ingrid finds herself "eyeball to partially empty sockets with someone's head." Ingrid and Patrick soon get on the trail of various nefarious characters, including the murdered woman, her nephew, and mobsters. Gun battles, car chases, and close shaves help build suspense. The solution to the murder comes almost as an afterthought. (Oct.)