In Charles’s ninth Det. Insp. Christy Kennedy mystery, one of the strongest in an impressive series (Sweetwater
, etc.), Kennedy of the Camden Town CID faces a particularly challenging puzzle—the murder of a former colleague, retired Supt. David Peters, who dies in a Guy Fawkes bonfire atop London’s Primrose Hill. The investigators discover no shortage of suspects, ranging from the victim’s ungrieving widow, who wastes little time in taking up with someone new, to the many criminals Peters sent to prison. More than one ex-con claims that the superintendent, who often put ends over means, crossed the line into outright corruption. A decent man with a passion for his work, Kennedy makes an appealing sleuth, even though series regulars on the lookout for a surprise solution may put the pieces together before he does. Veterans and newcomers alike will appreciate the smart writing and ingenious planting of clues. (Oct.)
