Blurb
Love can be a truly terrible thing.
Marriages are tricky at the best of times, especially when one of you is dead.
Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times, has never believed his wife died despite emphatic evidence to the contrary. Now, against all odds, it seems he may actually be proved right; but what lengths will he go to in an attempt to rescue her?
With Banecroft distracted, the shock resignation of assistant editor, Hannah Willis, couldn’t have come at a worse time. It speaks volumes that her decision to reconcile with her philandering ex-husband is only marginally less surprising than Banecroft and his wife getting back together. In this time of crisis, is her decision to swan off to a fancy new-age retreat run by a celebrity cult really the best thing for anyone?
As if that wasn’t enough, one of the paper’s ex-columnists has disappeared, a particularly impressive trick seeing as he never existed in the first place.
Floating statues, hijacked ghosts, homicidal cherubs, irate starlings, Reliant Robins and quite possibly several deeply sinister conspiracies; all-in-all, a typical week for the staff of The Stranger Times.
My Review
Hannah Willis, assistant editor, and the glue that holds the staff at The Stranger Times together, has left and they are falling apart. Even DI Tom Sturgess isn’t sure what’s going on either and mourns the loss of a fledgling relationship.
Hannah had a visit from her soon-to-be-ex-husband who seems to have had a personality transplant and persuaded her to consider taking him back. So she’s left to attend a self-improvement course.
Banecroft is more irascible than usual. Betty, the replacement assistant editor appears out of nowhere, intent on winding up Banecroft and Grace (a bad move). Sturgess is investigating a man kidnapped because the kidnappers think he’s … well I can’t tell you that because it would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, things aren’t looking good for the staff at The Stranger Times. And though the book, thing just get darker and darker.
In this installation of the series, we meet all the usual characters, and they are all brilliant as usual. Even Cogs and Zeke are great. We also meet some new characters, notably Betty, who is more than she seems – of course. And Moira the Sarcastic, that’s my take anyway. Moira particularly appeals to me, can’t imagine why.
Anyway, we have all the usual twists and turns in this one, the reappearance of the Founders, more information and back story of our regulars uncovered, oh it’s an absolute joy. This will surprise you. It will make you laugh. It may even make you cry. The point is – read it.
Highly recommended.
GB Williams Crime Blog 