Demolition

March 26, 2012
Oldham’s solid 17th Henry Christie mystery (after 2011’s Facing Justice) finds the Lancashire detective superintendent living with his 23-year-old daughter and a new love interest way too soon in his mind after the death of his wife—even though, during their rocky time together, Henry had enjoyed other love affairs. Amid this emotional turmoil, Henry looks into the brutal murder of college student Natalie Philips. While the most obvious suspect is her boyfriend, Natalie had taken a recent shine to characters more generally profiled as Islamic terrorists. Henry’s friend of a dozen years, former FBI man Karl Donaldson, works the terrorist angle. The complex plot thickens as investigations lead to a one-time narcotics detective out of Blackpool, Steve Flynn, whom Henry had drummed out of the force, as well as constable and sex offender Paul Driver, who comes out of nowhere to make a startling confession. Despite the muted tone, Oldham keeps readers on edge through the local and international mayhem.

September 15, 2022
Retired cop Henry Christie is content to run the pub he owns in the picturesque English village of Kendleton, although at times he misses being on the force. So when his old boss asks him to serve as a civilian investigator and work on two brutal murders in Kendleton, Henry is delighted. The two victims were business partners with dubious reputations, and Henry is pretty sure their deaths are linked to some aspect of their shady pasts. Supporting Henry on the case is DS Debbie Blackstone, who's an excellent copper despite her pink hair and punk-rocker style. But the two murders aren't the only problems in Kendleton. Henry also finds himself both trying to stop a teenage gang that's terrorizing the village and helping some resolute villagers solve an 80-year-old murder. The protagonist's investigative skills, combined with his pure bloody mindedness, serve him well here, in an entry that effectively juxtaposes the village setting against the high-voltage action and graphic violence that have always been hallmarks of the series. Best of all, Henry remains as smart and tough as he is gentle and empathetic.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.