Stone Dead

This novel was very well written and kept me at the edge of my seat for the entire novel. The way the author uses different techniques just leaves you in awe, and wanting more. The storyline is incredibly original and unique. The classic good verse bad mottefe was given a shock and rude awakening. Peter Foster comes home to a dead corpse in which the identity is unknown. Chief inspector Neil Paget and his partner Sgt. John Tregallas are assigned to help unravel this mystery. After some fine police work they come upon the murderer. I would recomend this book to everyone and for a mature age group specifically.

Photographer Peter Foster shot an intruder who entered the bedroom he shares with his lover Lisa Remington. The police investigate and discover a badly decomposed corpse whose face had been blown away lying at the bottom of a nearby well. Peter insists that the body is that of Lisa's former spouse, Sean Merrick until the alleged deceased suddenly appears very much alive. Instead, Lisa is seemingly in France on a model shoot. Shropshire Chief Inspector Neil Paget and his partner Sergeant John Tregallas investigate the case. They interview the local villagers to get a better feel for the participants. Meanwhile, the usually gloomy Neil finds himself attracted to Grace Lovett from the Office of Scenes of Crimes, who joins the two male officers on their inquiries. The trio quickly realize that they must peel away a veneer of lies that the country residents hide the truth behind if they are to solve the murder mystery. The second Paget-Tregallas who-done-it is an outstanding British police procedural that will grip readers with its complex murder mystery and wonderful characters. The law enforcement threesome are well-developed players whose varying personalities add much depth to the tale, while the suspects are a viable lot with motives that match their personality traits. The story line is intriguing with cleverly integrated sub-plots moving the novel forward. Fans of the British police procedural will want to read this book and its predecessor (FATAL FLAW) as the two novels are some of the best representatives of the sub-genre. Harriet Klausner