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When retired botany professor Lawrence Kingston gets a phone call from the wife of his old friend and colleague Stewart Halliday, and is told that Stewart seems to be missing, he agrees to look into it. Kingston and Halliday used to do crossword puzzles and word games together and so Kingston is able to find clues amongst his friend's notes that the police didn't see. Kingston discovers that his friend had been working on the idea that he could crossbreed water lilies and get a plant that would absorb the salt from ocean water and leave the remaining water drinkable. Kingston learns that if this is true, it would mean a big help to the peoples of the world – and it would also mean big profits to those who own that process. As he investigates, some of the people Kingston speaks to are soon found dead, and so he understands that the group who wants to own the desalinization process means deadly business. Kingston is written as an educated man who is rather smug and proud of his quick mind. Some readers might find him charming, if they are the type to be certain that he would think that they are worthy of his friendship. I don't see Kingston and I getting along, and so I see him as an annoying entitled rich man. This is the third in this horticultural cozy series. The main character mentions the other cases he has had and they sounded very interesting, in fact more interesting than this one, which seemed to go on for far too long a time. I also found that Kingston seems to be too much of a fantasy persona for the writer. Though Kingston is retired and therefore is not a spring chicken, he is described as 6ft 3ins with thick unruly gray hair and without an ounce of fat on his frame. I found this strange especially as the readers are told all about each bit of food that Kingston takes in and none of those meals are in the least bit healthy or low calorie. He is also never winded or tired from whatever physical difficulties he has to undergo. He also rides around in a sporty 1964 TR4 convertible and tends to permit himself treats of pricey high-class drinks with food that he has from his lists of favorites with no thought as to price or money spent. Kingston's life is the dream of many a man. I found Kingston to be a bit too much of a male self-delusion and for me, it took away from the book. In fact the whole book was ruined by the way the writer, Anthony Eglin, seemed to forget totally logic with the solution of the mystery. He just permitted the bad guys' plans to self-destruct while Kingston just walked through it. Now, even after I've finished the book there are still things that don't make sense to me. THE WATER LILY CROSS will be welcomed by old fans of the series who adore Kingston and his opinionated ways and posh, educated lifestyle where a good drink and a crossword puzzle is seen as a grand rollicking good time. As long as these fans don't really care about a tight and logical ending, they will probably read this and look forward to the next in these English Garden mysteries. Newcomers to the series might do better to skip this book.
Reviewed by A. L. Katz, June 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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