Two pieces of news await Detective Chief Inspector Anna
Travis, as she is barely back from a restful cruise. Her
superior informs her she will be spending some time in
the USA, for some training at Quantico, but part of this
exchange is the arrival in London of Agent Jessie Dewar,
whose work has been behind a desk, doing research for her
Ph.D. in forensic pathology. The other event is a cold
case that is suddenly reopened on the word of a man who
is in jail for armed robbery. DCI Travis is assigned the
case, but she will have Agent Dewar in tow; the latter
has no practical experience but seems nevertheless intent
on running the show and disrupting everything.
Oh the joy of reading the perfect British suspense novel!
WRONGFUL DEATH is the latest in the Anna Travis
Mysteries series and Lynda La Plante outdid herself!
Not only is Anna dealing with an agonisingly puzzling
case, but she has to work with FBI Agent Jessie Dewar who
is exceedingly competent, professional, but who doesn't
even attempt to fit in. Jessie is self-assured, rather
unpleasant, and she had me rolling my eyes in disbelief,
which is exactly how the author intended it: I felt
exactly like the members of the London police towards the
FBI agent. Agent Dewar is almost unbearable and yet, I
hope we get to see her again because she is an
extraordinary friend/foe for DCI Travis.
WRONGFUL DEATH had me hooked from page one, literally,
first because the dialogues simply wowed me throughout
the book for several reasons: they helped define the
characters, their positions, the power struggles, and
especially to highlight the tension between Dewar and
Travis! WRONGFUL DEATH is extremely well-written, fast-
paced, and positively riveting. The plot is extremely
complex, and so meticulously thought-out that it is still
very easy to follow. I love how Ms. La Plante inserts all
sorts of details and background information, whether
technical of from the human point of view, which make the
story even more interesting, without ever being
superfluous. There are several unexpected turns of
events, a mesmerising villain, and well fleshed-out
characters all around. But the icing on the cake was the
ending: in typical British fashion: the reader has to
wait until the very last pages for WRONGFUL DEATH to
reach its true conclusion. A brilliant book!
London’s Detective Chief Inspector Anna Travis must decide
where her loyalties lie, duty to the job or personal
ambition, in this masterful tale of suspense from the
award-winning, international bestselling author of the
Prime Suspect series—one of today’s finest crime writers,
alongside such talents as Sophie Hannah, Ruth Rendell,
Kate Atkinson, and Ian Rankin.
Six months ago, London nightclub owner Josh Reynolds was
found dead. Ruled a suicide, the police investigation was
closed. Then a young man, awaiting trial for armed
robbery, tells his guards that Reynolds was murdered, and
that he has information to share.
DCI Anna Travis is scheduled to leave for training at
Quantico, as part of an exchange between the Met and the
FBI. But before she can leave, she’s got to review the
case thanks to her boss, DCS James Langton. Joining her
team is senior FBI agent and crime scene expert Jessie
Dewar.
The American’s brash manner quickly ruffles feathers
throughout the Met, and what should have been a simple
matter of tying up loose ends becomes a political powder
keg when the competence of the original investigation team
is challenged. Suddenly, Anna is faced with a dangerous
choice. Will she close ranks to protect her people, or
push to find the truth no matter what the consequences?