Tony Bassett, Heir to Murder (The Book Folks 2023)
A neighbourly dispute over loud music results in trouble. And murder. The noise-maker, Miles Kenworth, son of Lord Culverton, has had his skull mutilated by an axe. Residents had seen Jake Harris knocking down his door brandishing a bat.
The tales features detective DS Sunita Roy, whom we know from previous novels in the series.
Charles Laxton, Rupert Faulkner and Miles’ ex-girlfriend Ursula Grey enter the investigation. Stephanie has photos of someone in a compromising position in a hay barn, and her sister Bella tries to dissuade her from using them for blackmail. Laxton hasn’t told the truth. Logan Price has a motive. The list of suspects reaches seven. The murders multiply, and one two years earlier on the Costa del Sol may be linked, so DS Sunita Roy and Brett Dawson jet off to follow the lead. Sunita follows her instincts, and it pays off.
The investigation builds gradually, and we experience some setbacks, building suspense for the climax.
In Bassett’s detective novels, the plot builds right along with the police investigation. We see peeks inside the suspects’ private lives, as we are fed the detectives’ leads. This makes for good pacing and good suspense. I like how realistic the cops are. There’s a team of them, of mixed genders and ethnicities, as in real life, each with individual roles and talents, and their dialogue is natural with enough banter to make it fun. When the plot becomes complicated, there is always a helpful summing up—either a team meeting or Sunita mulling things over at bedtime.
A perfect detective thriller. I was given an ARC by the author.
Susie Helme 
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