Praetorian

Centurion Macro and Prefect Cato are stuck in Ostia, under the order of Narcissus.  No one in Italy is to know that they are there.  A plot to harm the emperor has been uncovered.  Narcissus has discovered that members of the Praetorian Guard are involved.  He orders Macro and Cato to join the Praetorians as mere soldiers back from Britannia and search out the conspirators.

Having been in a place of power, Cato finds it hard to take orders now.  Macro seems more serene about it.  Life as a Praetorian is going to be different compared to life in the legions.  An attack by the mob on the emperor and his retinue show the loyalty of Macro and Cato when they protect Nero and Britannicus, stepson and son of the emperor.  Later, because of this action, the pair are offered the opportunity to join the conspirators.  However, will they be able to outfox the man sent to spy on them?

Cato accidentally discovers that the conspiracy Narcissus had discovered is more extensive than he had thought.  Now, what if they are discovered and compromised?  It isn't long after this that Cato comes to the conclusion that there is more than one conspiracy at play.  Macro is sure that Cato is seeing conspirators at every turning.

The pair are going to have to get down and dirty if they are going to solve the conspiracies before the emperor and his family are assassinated.  Author Simon Scarrow has plenty more action ahead for these two Roman soldiers before this historical novel draws a to a close.  A thoroughly enjoyable read, which leaves me wanting to pick up the next in the series.

47 Sorrows

Several children have discovered what they think is a monster on the lakeshore.  Thaddeus Lewis and Francis Renwell go to investigate.  They discover the monster is the body of a woman; only later when the constable and doctor arrive do they discover that it is really a man.  The only identifying thing found on the body is a bit of green ribbon.

Meanwhile, Thaddeus' son Luke is heading home from the west.  Friends out there had asked him to deliver parcels and messages on the way home.  He is shocked to discover the number of poor immigrants who are arriving on the shores of Lake Ontario.  Shortly after Luke arrives, his father is sent to Kingston by his boss on an errand.  Luke joins him.  There they discover more Irish immigrants in dire straits.  Luke decides to stay to help.

Luke works hard helping the immigrants.  His efforts are appreciated by those that he helps.  As he reads the newspapers, he comes to the realisation that there are those taking advantage of the situation.  He feels he knows some of them, but he is unsure as to what they are doing. One of the deaths that Luke attends to is a man who only has a green ribbon on him.  Later, in the early fall, Luke receives a letter from his father that his mother has suffered a second stroke.  He asks Luke to return home.  Sadly, immediately upon his return home, his mother passes on.

Luke still has a few mysteries to solve.  He turns to his grieving father for help.  They get some answers back in Kingston, but they also create more questions.  They run into trouble as they continue their investigation and attempts to help the immigrants.

Author Janet Kellough's novel ends without a complete resolution.  Thaddeus goes home, while Luke heads for Montreal to study medicine, both knowing that they have personal issues to deal with.  Kellough unfortunately used the term "emigrants" throughout the novel when she really should have used "immigrants".  Other than that, a good, quick read.

Missing, Presumed...

DS Manon Bradshaw has been called out to investigate a missing woman.  There are blood drops in her home, but nothing seems to be missing according to her boyfriend.  With the help of DC Davy Walker, it is discovered that the missing woman was supposed to be at a party on the night she disappeared.  DI Harriet Harper also informs Bradshaw that the woman is the daughter of a prominent surgeon.  Is this a kidnapping for ransom?

Fifty-four hours on and seemingly nothing.  However, a sudden discovery of the boy's cell phone being used in the area of her disappearance.  How will he react at the press conference and after?  At seventy-two hours, Detective Chief Superintendent Gary Stanton, who is now back from holiday, is prepared to say that the young woman has come to harm.

When the body of a teenager turns up in the river, the police wonder if there is any connection to the missing woman.  Things take a tragic turn when the missing woman's friend commits suicide because of articles in the news about her and the missing woman. The team feels guilt at not having better responded to her.

The police and the reader are in for some surprises as DS Bradshaw pulls together the evidence in a very puzzling case.

Author Susie Steiner presents the story through the eyes of the main characters, and how they struggle with the case and life outside policing.  Steiner is a new author for me, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed her approach.  I'm looking forward to the sequel, which comes out later this year.

Pitch Black

DCI William Lorimer has just returned from a refreshing holiday and is immediately called in to investigate the murder of a footballer.  The victim's wife has been arrested and charged with the murder, however Lorimer is unable to get a word out of her when he speaks to her.  Is there more to the killing than just an out and out domestic?  The victim had been a new signing to the club, was that related to his death?

The football team's first is marred by several controversial calls by the referee.  Following the game to referee is shot at close quarters by someone using a sawed off shotgun.  The case worsens when a second star footballer from the same team is gunned down.  What is going on?  Lorimer brings in his friend, Solomon Brightman, a psychologist who has helped him on previous cases, for another opinion.

Lorimer's interest is piqued when he is showna report that states that one of the team members has a father serving time for manslaughter.  It was also interesting that the same player had not shown up for practice.  His flat is empty as if he had pulled up stakes rapidly.  What are his connections to the killings; killer or victim?

There will be another death before Lorimer's team is able to resolve the killing spree.  Author Alex Gray had me involved right from the first page.  The read is fast paced and hard to put down.  I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

The Color of Death

It is 1772 and a home invasion has occurred in St. James.  The robbers were all black men apparently.  Sir John Fielding and Jeremy Proctor have gone to the house to begin the investigation.  After leaving there, Sir John is shot in the shoulder by a
man who appears to be black.

The following morning, Jeremy returns to the scene of the crime to find that most of the staff have been sacked.  He does manage to find the butler, and gets some questions answered.  It seems to him that the actual target of the robbery was the planned assassination of Sir John Fielding.  Someone knew that he would be drawn to investigate the crime and that would be a good opportunity to kill him.

Jeremy's next task was to determine where the jewels and other items stolen might be sold.  The following night, another burglary occurs in much the same fashion.  However, in this case, the lady's maid is sure that one of the robbers is not truly a black man.  Going back the following day, Jeremy gets more information from the cook, which confirms the fact that at least one of the crooks is white.

The aforementioned lady's maid is found in the back garden with her throat slit when a second robbery occurs at the same home.  Fielding is going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to solve this murder case and the robberies.  Can he do it before the criminals make good their escape?

Author Bruce Alexander has written an intriguing murder mystery centred around big robberies.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

White Nights

Detective Jimmy Perez is at his girlfriend's art show when a man collapses in grief after viewing a picture.  When Jimmy questions him, the man seems to be suffering from amnesia, plus he he has no identification on him.  When Jimmy goes to see if he can find any more details, the man disappears.  The following morning Perez receives a phone call about an apparent suicide.  A man has ganged himself in a boathouse.  The unusual thing is, the dead man is wearing a mask.  Perez feels that it is the man from the previous evening.

The doctor called to examine the body is sure that it isn't a suicide; looking at the marks on the neck, he feels that it is a murder.  A second opinion confirms the diagnosis - it is murder.  Due to fog, it is a day later before DCI Ron Taylor and his crew from the mainland are able to get to the island.  Taylor makes an appeal through the national press in hopes of identifying the dead man.

The identity of the man is found out when Perez discovers the person who gave him a lift.  Taylor is also successful when a person who works for him identifies him through the press appeal.  Taylor travels to his home in Yorkshire to gather information on who he was.

Not long after this, a young man is found dead at the bottom of a cliff.  Coincidence? Accident?  Murder or suicide?  Perez is sure that it is murder, but what is the connection to the first killing?  When the murder scene is examined more closely, a human thigh bone is found.  Is this an older murder?  Perez has more questions than answers.

Author Anne Cleeves answers those questions in the remaining pages.  The answers are a surprise to the reader.  An engaging read, hard to put down.

Maisie Dobbs

Maisie Dobbs has just set up her own private investigation firm with the help of her former employer, Lady Rowan, and her mentor, Maurice Blance.  Like many young women during the Great War, Maisie had served as a nurse.  Ten years on after the war, she was setting out on her own.  Her first case is that of investigating a woman whose husband thinks that she is having an affair.  Maisie soon learns that the woman is visiting a grave on those days.  Not long after this she gains the confidence of the woman.

Maisie wants to know why the man buried in the grave was simply known as 'Vincent'.  She learns a bit from the man who takes care of the building that houses her office Billy Beale, but needs more.  She learns that Vincent had spent time on a farm after the war where men injured in the war pooled their resources so that they could live away from those who abhorred their injuries.  However, she is shocked to learn that the son of her former employer wants to go and live there.

One of the things required of those who join the farm is to sign all their possessions over to the founder of the farm.  They will get them back upon leaving the farm.  Maisie is asked to investigate the farm.  She asks Billy to help her in her investigation.  While Billy is doing his part, Maisie and Maurice learn that deaths at the farm all seem to have occurred at 5:00 a. m.  Can the three of them act before any more deaths occur?

Author Jacqueline Winspear's post-Great War murder mystery is well written and engrossing.  The middle third of the novel gives the story of how Maisie Dobbs got to her position as investigator.  This novel is the beginning of a series and I look forward to reading more.