Another excellent instalment of the Brock and Kolla series by Aussie author Barry Maitland, set in London. His sense of place is, as always, perfect.
Brock and Kolla and called in to investigate the murder of two young girls and uncover the bones of three bodies nearby. These bodies date back to the Brixton riots over twenty years ago.
Are the two cases linked?
Maitland has again written a tightly plotted page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed, without losing them along the way.
Highly recommended.

I read this book in a day! It’s got everything! The Russian mob; several murders; police corruption; art fraud and more!

Barry Maitland is an Australian author who lived for many years in London working as an architect. His knowledge of architecture and London makes the reader feel like they are with the characters as they traverse the busy city. I loved all the detail relating to art forgery and fraud and learnt a lot (but not enough to pick a forgery if needed!). I wasn’t familiar with the German artist Kurt Schwitters whose work play a pivotal role in the plot, so did some research to enlighten myself. I love a book that leads me down the proverbial rabbit hole and broadens my knowledge base.

DCI David Brock and DCI Kathy Kolla now work for different departments, and Maitland’s plot cleverly weaves together the different cases they are investigating. These characters are well developed, and although this is the fourteenth book in the series, it stands alone and doesn’t require the reader to be familiar with the earlier instalments.

A cracking pace makes this book a real page-turner. Highly recommended.

Another thoroughly enjoyable instalment in this police procedural series by Barry Maitland. This novel is told from Kathy Kolla’s point of view - always a gamble for a male writer, however, Kolla’s voice is spot-on.
The murders are suitably gruesome, without dwelling on the details, and the involvement of a amateur theatre troupe and the correlation with their plays is original. Maitland is particularly skilful in creating a sense of place, be it the backstage of a theatre, or the interior of an old house.
Highly recommended for lovers of a well executed police procedural, with believable characters and an intriguing plot.

I listened to this as a Bolinda Audiobook, read by Gary Files who was a great narrator.
This is a fabulous series. Barry Maitland writes a cracking good mystery, but doesn’t let the narrative stop his thoughtful approach to sensitive issues.
Fabulous stuff - highly recommended!

I really enjoy Maitland’s Brock and Kolla books, so thought I’d give his Belltree series a go. This is set in Sydney, and has a very different tone to Brock & Kolla. The story revolves around bikie gangs and some very unpleasant deaths and torture ensue. Harry Belltree is a homicide detective who has no qualms in meting out his own form of rough justice to deserving criminals.
My husband really enjoyed this book, but I found I didn’t warm to Harry Belltree, although his wife Jenny almost redeems him! Although well written, with a cracking pace, this book was not really ‘my cup of tea’!

I loved The Marx Sisters, the first Brock and Kolla mystery. The malcontenta lacks the wonderful sense of place that Maitland applied in the first novel. I found the plot a bit convoluted, and I needed to suspend disbelief with a few plot twists. I certainly will not be checking into any health spas in the near future!
However, I love the two lead characters and their mutual respect and work ethic. Brock and Kolla are fine companions and I will continue to read their further adventures.