Readers familiar with the Rafferty/Llewellyn series by Geraldine Evans will be interested to know she has created a new and equally entertaining police duo in the shape of DCI Will Casey and DS Thomas Catt (affectionately known as Thomcatt) who make a promising debut in this cleverly-plotted crime novel set against a background of racism in a small English town.
When young Asian widow, Chandra Bansi, and her infant daughter, Leela, die in a horrifying fire at her flat, Casey and Catt suspect arson after a recent spate of local racist attacks against Asians. Two local skinheads are initially suspected. Then a rejected non-Asian boyfriend. But set against a background of family feuds and passions - not to mention religious fervour within the victim’s extended family, it soon becomes clear that things are not all they seem.
With Casey’s politically correct Superintendent forever breathing down his neck, an interesting picture also emerges of the many problems faced by police officers dealing with serious crime in such sensitive areas. Add to that, Casey’s own colourful hippie parents, who turn up out of the blue and take over his home.
This well-researched book, with its unexpected twists and turns and intriguing
plot, maintains a good pace throughout and keeps the reader guessing until the
last page. Excellent characterisation and wry humour combine to make this a
very enjoyable read for all crime fiction fans. Highly recommended.
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Edna Jones