Gillard’s Sting

At the start of Duffy’s convoluted 22nd mystery featuring Ingrid Langley, mystery novelist and mother of five, and her husband, Patrick Gillard, a former agent for Britain’s National Crime Agency and now an insurance fraud investigator in Somerset (after 2019’s Stone Cold, Stone Dead), they’re visited by Patrick’s old NCA boss, who persuades Patrick to quietly investigate the disappearance of John Brinkley, a recently retired senior Metropolitan Police officer believed to have been in the pay of London mobsters. Ingrid and Patrick head to Brinkley’s last known address, where black magic wizards enter the mix of mobsters, corrupt cops, and simple thugs. In their quest to find Brinkley, the couple run into a host of acquaintances whose extensive backstories slow the action. Despite Patrick’s advanced age and a prosthetic leg, he manages to come out on top none the worse for wear in fights with multiple villains. Some readers may feel it’s time for Patrick and Ingrid to retire and devote more time to their children, who are merely window dressing here. This is not the place to start for newcomers. (Mar.)