Murder in Hindsight

A homicidal vigilante is on the loose in Cleeland’s diverting but flawed third romantic mystery featuring Scotland Yard’s Kathleen Doyle, newly promoted to detective sergeant, and her husband, Det. Chief Insp. Michael Sinclair, Lord Acton (after 2014’s Murder in Retribution). Meanwhile, an old nemesis of Acton’s seems to be plotting against him from prison, and this kicks Doyle’s protective instincts into high gear. More attention is paid to machinations against the unconventional Acton, and fallout from past events, than the vigilante killer case, so some plot nuances may be hard to follow without having read the previous books. Cleeland writes with a light and witty touch, and there’s never a shortage of clever banter and interesting characters, but some readers may tire of Doyle’s constant self-deprecation in the face of her husband’s well-bred upbringing, in spite of instincts that rarely fail her and a sixth sense that makes her a virtual human lie detector. [em]Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Apr.) [/em]