Blood Line

DCI Anna Travis has been asked to investigate the disappearance of a young man by Superintendent Langton.  It is not the normal purview of a murder detective.  The man has been missing for a few weeks now, and his father is sure that he has been murdered.

As Travis and DS Paul Simms begin their investigation, they learn that the missing man was generous to a fault.  However, the following day, they learn from neighbours that they had seen the girlfriend of the missing man had purchased a large quantity of bleach and carpet cleaner at about the time that he had gone missing.

With a warrant Travis and Simms inspect the flat where the couple lived.  Underneath the bed they find bloodstains under the carpet.  The girlfriend denies knowing anything about it.  With no body, they are unable to hold her.

The forensic evidence from the flat proves to be very interesting on several factors, causing Simms to conjecture that the missing man could be the murderer.  Had he killed someone and then disappeared?  As the investigation progresses, it appears that the victim led a double life.

With evidence piling up, Travis is confronted by Chief Superintendent Langton.  He doesn’t believe she is on the right track.  She needs to focus on the girlfriend.  Travis has a lead in Cornwall, that she wants to check out.  Langton tells her only after the girlfriend is put under pressure.

Will Travis find the information she needs in Cornwall or will it be a wasted trip?  Author Lynda La Plante has the reader wondering about the deceased and the killer throughout this murder mystery.  Is he dead or is he the killer?  La Plante once again proves that she is a top notch author of murder mysteries.