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Detective Kate Farrar has, with some trepidation, returned to work after the traumas she suffered when she was abducted and held prisoner. Now she is back at work she is confronted by arson and a charred body. The body is that of a teenager, one who has recently given birth. There is no sign of a baby at the site of the fire. There is, however, a baby bag with milk staining one of the nappies it contains. Kate is now partnered with Detective Oliver Parke. He tells Kate that he is the father of four children with another on the way. Because Oliver is so knowledgeable about babies, he is able to give insights into the case that might otherwise have taken longer at which to arrive – if they became obvious at all. There is another thread to the tale – that of police corruption. Kate and her colleagues find themselves distrusting each other, wondering who is on the take. Who, too, will be investigating their case? Meanwhile, a girl is missing and her sister flies home from London. Then there is another case of arson, in which a potential witness is incinerated. As is customary with this author, the tale is extremely well plotted. All the threads are followed through to logical – if, at times surprising – conclusions. The characters are as carefully constructed as the plot, from the traumatised Kate through to the loathsome boyfriend of one of the victims, Mark Dobbie. The bodybuilder would seem to be more in love with himself than he is with his purported girlfriend. Although the reader only really gets an external view of Oliver Parke, he comes across as an attractive person. I wonder if he will feature in future mysteries or simply vanish, leaving not a ripple in his wake. Kate herself (interesting to note her initials and compare them with the author's – and, for that matter, to remember that Kate is often a contraction for Kathryn) is beautifully drawn. Her suffering and the effect it has had on her life and her job is certainly credible. One assumes Fox, a practising doctor, has read a bit about psychology, as well as her interest in forensics. Fox's two previous novels, MALICIOUS INTENT and WITHOUT CONSENT set a very high standard and it is pleasing indeed to see that she has been able to maintain the standard in this, her third outing.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, November 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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