The Altered Case

July 15, 2012
Two old friends stir up a hornet's nest when they report a murder they witnessed as schoolboys. DC Reginald Webster can hardly believe that two middle-aged businessmen would make up such a tale. So when Cyrus Middleton and Tony Allerton come in to report discovering a newly dug grave in a field close to the village of Catton Hill, Webster's boss, DCI George Hennessey (Aftermath, 2011, etc.), has no choice but to investigate. Problem is, Middleton and Allerton found the grave back when they were 15. Sure enough, in a field owned by irascible landlord Thomas Farrent, Hennessey's men dig up five skeletons. Four are alike enough to be a family, similarly short in stature. The fifth is taller and perhaps unrelated. Slogging through 30-year-old missing-persons cold cases, DC Carmen Pharoah reads about the Parrs: father, mother and two adult daughters who disappeared from the posh King Henry Hotel at about the right time. But why did the Parrs leave their bohemian home in Camden Town for the Vale of York? Who was the taller girl traveling with them? And most important: Who wanted these gentle, harmless people dead? While Hennessey's team struggles for answers, Farrant's wife goes missing, adding a new urgency to the decades-old puzzle. Brisk and businesslike, Turnbull's latest in the series proves a worthy addition to his reliable franchise.

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May 1, 2012
Turnbull's well-mannered, courteous coppers and genteel writing style juxtaposed against grim, murder-filled stories make oddly intriguing reading. His latest is typical of this distinctive blend of style and content. Almost 20 years ago, two teenage boys saw what could have been a fresh grave in a farmer's field. They did nothing at the time, but the incident has bothered them for decades, and they finally decide to contact the York police. After locating the spot, the police uncover five skeletons. Further investigation reveals that four of the skeletons are from the same family, but the fifth isn't related, and the cause of death isn't immediately obvious. This is definitely a cold case that seems impossible to solve, but DCI George Hennessey and his team aren't deterred. Their investigation leads them to a feud dating back hundreds of years. A satisfying and entertaining read from a veteran and very distinctive writer of British procedurals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)