Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 1929, Adams's solid fifth mystery featuring Det. Chief Insp. Henry Johnstone of the Metropolitan Police (after 2019's The Clockmaker) takes Johnstone and his sergeant, Mickey Hitchens, to Southwell, Nottinghamshire, to investigate the murder of Martha Mason, who left her physician husband and the friends she was mixing with at the local racecourse to go in search of an acquaintance she had supposedly spotted. Her body was later discovered in a horse box away from the track, her skull smashed by a single blow. Who would kill "a woman that everyone accepted was a good wife and model citizen"? The two detectives soon figure out that Martha had an ambiguous and possibly murky past; they also uncover various criminal activities among suspects who range from members of street gangs to lords of the realm. Mickey, who "usually mitigated what was often referred to as Chief Inspector Johnstone's sharpness and lack of tact," does the heavy lifting, while Henry quietly ponders the clues. Appealing characters compensate for a convoluted plot. Fans of historical police procedurals will be satisfied. (May)
Kirkus Review
London copper DCI Henry Johnstone (The Clockmaker, 2019, etc.) brings his famous murder bag to the country to investigate a grisly killing. In 1929, there's no better place for the citizens of Newark-on-Trent to spend the spring bank holiday than Southwell Races. In addition to a chance to see the magnificent thoroughbreds put through their paces, there's betting for the punters, rides for little ones, and a place to have a picnic lunch in the open air. It's little wonder that Dr. Ephraim Phillips and his wife, Nora, make for the fairgrounds with their three small children or that their close friends Dr. Clive and Martha Mason go with them. Even though the Masons have not been blessed with children, their friendship with the Phillipses gives outgoing Martha the chance to exercise her charm on Nora's unruly brood. Unfortunately, of the four friends who venture out to the fairgrounds, only three are destined to return, and the brutal death of the fourth sends shock waves through the village. And once he views the body stashed away in the empty horsebox, head bashed in by a blunt object, Sgt. Emory knows that this is no job for the local police. He calls the Central Office of the Metropolitan Police to have DCI Johnstone and Sgt. Mickey Hitchens sent up to help. Johnstone is no paragon of tact: His blunt interrogations have ruffled more than one witness. But his reliance on data and scientific methods, including the equipment in his murder bag, make him the ideal detective to crack a case that brings a new twist almost daily. It takes an investigator who takes nothing for granted to solve a murder where nothing is as it seems. Fast-paced fun. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Dr. Clive Mason and his wife, Martha, are enjoying a day at the races with their friends Dr. Ephraim Phillips; his wife, Nora; and their children. The year is 1929, the place, Southwall, England. Both men are police surgeons. When officers summon Mason to examine a body found in a horse stall, he is shocked when he realizes the victim is his wife. Her friend Nora said Martha recognized someone in the crowd, went to say hello, and never returned. The local constables need help with the investigation, so they call Detective Chief Inspector Harry Johnstone and his sergeant, Mickey Hitchens. They immediately rule out a robbery gone wrong and begin looking into the victim's life. She was a popular, respected member of the community, but her past reveals dark secrets. The author's vivid depiction of England in the twenties and her well-constructed plot will appeal to the Downton Abbey crowd.