Deadly Alibi

July 31, 2017
In Russell’s clever ninth puzzler featuring Det. Insp. Geraldine Steel (after Murder Ring), Steel faces a difficult murder case and personal problems that threaten her peace of mind and possibly her future with the North London police. When the beaten body of Jamie Cordwell turns up in a trash bin, her husband, Chris Cordwell, becomes the prime suspect. Louise Marshall, the woman Chris was having an affair with, tells Steel over the phone that she can alibi her lover, but then she disappears. This complication leads to Louise’s husband becoming a suspect. Meanwhile, Steel must deal with the death of her birth mother, Milly Blake, whom she barely knew, and the discovery that she has a twin sister, Helena Blake, who has drug problems. As the suspense builds, Russell offers a wickedly tantalizing clue about the identity of the killer. Readers will find this a nice addition to this solid procedural series.

September 1, 2017

In the wake of her mother's death, DI Geraldine Steel has lost enthusiasm for her job. However, she is motivated to search for a killer when a woman's body is found in a rubbish bin. Since he was previously accused in a similar case, the victim's husband becomes a prime suspect, with the disappearance of another woman only strengthening the case against him. Despite the distraction of an unknown twin sister suddenly appearing in her life, Geraldine doesn't trust the easy solution, believing the answer to be much more complicated. But newfound sister Helena could destroy Geraldine's life and career. VERDICT Like authors Archer Mayor and Ann Cleeves, Russell combines personal issues with police procedures in her ninth intriguingly twisty mystery (after Murder Ring).--LH

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