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Reichs, Kathy

Deadly Décisions
A Dr. Temperance Brennan Mystery

London, Heinemann. 333 pp. £15.99.

Runnin' down the road tryin' to loosen my load
Got a world of trouble on my mind

Dr. Temperance Brennan was an expert on bones. She had begun her professional life on archaeological digs but then joined the police. This powerful mystery novel begins with the body of a nine-year old girl caught in the crossfire of biker wars. Tempe Brennan doesn't care what the bikers do to each other, but the fate of the innocent nine-year old affects her and she is determined to find out who did it.

The bodies of bikers pile up, but so do her personal problems. Her lover is under suspicion of corruption, her nephew is caught up with bikers because he is a Harley-Davidson freak and they have the best ones both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border. An exhumation brings up another possible innocent girl slain by bikers.

There are gold nuggets of information about police work in Quebec (and in the U.S.) from which we learn that the good guys (that's the cops) are not outgunned at all. They have the best equipment and the best technical staff to operate them. The bikers may put up a show with their weaponry, but at the end of the road, they are simply no match for the forces of law and order (at least Quebec's).

Love, sex, teenage growing pains, the lure of the unknown and dangerous, the difficulties in getting to know the people one works with and depends on, families (Tempe has a sister that drives her and will drive you nuts) are all skilfully woven into a powerful, informative mystery novel. The pages just skip through your fingers.

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for North Caroline and Quebec.

Reichs, Kathy

Death du Jour

New York, Scribner. 382 pp. US $25.00.

The sleuth is Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist for Quebec and also an American academic. She is working on two cases simultaneously. Scorched and twisted bodies are found in a burning chalet with babies cruelly murdered. At the same time, she is digging for the corpse of Sister Elisabeth Nicolet, dead for over a century, and a candidate for sainthood. On a personal level, she has a combustive relationship with Homicide Detective Andrew Ryan (is her own sister involved with him?), and must find time for her own daughter attending college.

To get at the answers, the trail leads us through a controversial sociologist (sociologists tend to get a bad press), people who wants power over others, a mysterious commune, a primate colony (providing scenes both funny and horrific), Montreal's cold climate, the warmth of the weather in the American south. Both forensic science and an understanding of the human character are spelt out. The author explains what disillusion leads to, the importance of group acceptance and a sense of worth, the danger exemplified by those who proffer simple answers to all questions - a little drug therapy to make things palatable.

A many-layered novel, perceptive about cults and the hold the strong in character exercise.

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for Quebec and North Carolina, and a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina. This is her second crime novel.

Rendell, Ruth

Harm Done

London, Hutchinson. 394 pp. £16.99.

In Kingsmarkham two young women go missing in mysterious circumstances, and when they reappear, neither are willing to talk about what happened to them. Thomas Orbe, a convicted paedophile has served his sentence and is released back into the community he c came from. In the ensuing riot, a policeman is killed with a petrol bomb. Chief Inspector Wexford's daughter, Sylvia (never before his favorite) involves herself in a program to help the victims of domestic violence. A three-year old child is abducted from her bed. Wexford discovers that the child's mother had arranged the "abduction" to save it from an abusive father (otherwise a model of middle-class respectability). The press is its usual blind irresponsible self.

Through all this Wexford pursues his investigations, often deciding against logic, scientific method and the demands of competing police work what requires police resources most. He is often caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The affair of the missing young women is resolved by a policewoman who has broken police regulations and practice. What should he do? Tick her off as regulations require, or commend her, as good management recommends? Should a three-year-old be returned to its father who will definitely abuse her but against whom the mother is too frightened to say a word?

A multi-faceted book with investigative and moral challenges.

Ruth Rendell and her alter ego, Barbara Vine, has been elevated to the Lords by the Labor government.

Rhea, Nicholas

Death of a Princess

London, Constable. 207 pp. £16.99.

A bizarre death on a country estate. A woman is shot in a remote and lovely place, with many places to aim from. She was the owner of the estate, did not flash her money, but did flash her pedigree of which she was the last one. She had done everything she could to be a member of the country community, but people did not warm to her. But then, this is Yorkshire, and there are more friendly parts of the world and friendlier people. Her nickname, "Princess" was more of pejorative nature, than a title of respect.

The sleuths are Detective Superintendent Mark Pemberton and his colleague, woman, best friend and partner in life, DC Lorraine Cashmore.

Since the "Princess" was the last of her line, the tenants have a vested interest in her death. Once she is no more, they can buy their rented properties. Nobody else seems to have anything against the woman who was a good landlord and did not exploit her tenants.

As usual, the roots go back a very long way and when the murderer is found claims that the action was justified and in a good cause. Pemberton disagrees. Will you?

Nicholas Rhea is the pen-name of Peter Walker, a former Yorkshire policeman, and author of the TV Constable series plus much, much more.

Rhea, Nicholas

Superstitious Death

London, Constable Crime. 208 pp. £16.99.

Crickledale's annual ceremony of Shoggling. A Pluke had always been prominent in the festival. This year it is the role of Detective Inspector Montague Pluke, (dark-rimmed spectacles, vintage coat of tatty colors, Panama hat with blue band, spats and blue bow tie), whose efforts had led to the revival of the Shoggling in our times. A new set of shoggling sticks had been donated by a modern benefactor, Eric Burholme. But is Pluke happy that day? No, Mrs. Cholmondeley's bay tree died for no accountable reason. Pluke is an authority on customs and myths: it means the death of someone ...

The ceremony and Pluke's important role in it is disrupted by Detective Sergeant Wayne. The body of a young woman is discovered in a shallow grave, with a mirror beside it. Pluke knows this is a Swedish custom. The young woman must be Swedish. Pluke's investigations (he asks for thirty detectives) are hampered by his chief, who doesn't wish to spend his precious budget investigating the case, and wants it to be declared definitely not a murder, anything but a murder. The investigation leads to the philanthropist Eric Burholme, at which point the British Secret service steps in and says, investigate anyone you like, but hands off Eric Burholme.

Pluke solves the case, sees Burholme cleared, keeps his boss happy, and leaves the reader gasping as he proves a Swedish connection, and what an unusual connection it is!

Nicholas Rhea retired from the North Yorkshire police to ensure he got his score of published books to a hundred before the millennium. Of course he did!

Richardson, Robert

Victims

London, Vista (Cassell). 256 pp. £5.99.

Two money-hungry undergraduates plan to murder a Suffolk farmhouse stuffed with antiques. The attempted robbery turns into mass murder. Three adults and two children are killed. The perpetrators escape.

TV watchers and crime buffs know that murderers will often attend the funeral of their victims and so watch all the people present. In a subtle variation on this theme, one of the murderers returns to the place where it took place and takes up residence there. A woman falls in love with him. They have an affair.

The book shows profound insight into the nature of a murderer and raises the issue of the leader and the led in such cases. What if a murderer wants to adopt an otherwise blameless life after the murder? Are the police right when they say, once a murderer, always a murderer, so let's get him and put him away?

Richardson writes unhurriedly, allowing us to savor every insight along the way, every irony of fate, every fallout from every relationship, and every step of a faultless investigation.

Robert Richardson's, The Latimer Mercy, won the John Creasey Award for best first novel. He wrote six Augustus Maltravers mysteries before turning to insightful psychological novels.

Rosenberg, Robert

An Accidental Murder

New York, Scribner. 283 pp. $22.00.

Avram Cohen is retired, inherited lots of money and, alas for his piece of mind, decides to write his memoirs. The memoirs promise to be a great success and poor Avram Cohen becomes what he hates most, a celebrity. The chamber maid in his hotel room is murdered. An attempt is made to murder him. His former assistant Nissim, whom he loved as a son, is murdered.

Avram Cohen is told to leave things with the police, but he won't. He doesn't think much of his former colleagues. Besides, when his cat is murdered, he understands, as they do not, that there is a very personal element in the attempt.

Private nightclubs. Massage parlors. The new mafia kingpins of Israel. The trail goes to them, through them and past them. It is the darkness in the country's past that is the motive, a darkness which at the time some, including Avram Cohen, thought was light.

A page-turner, despite the presence of fifty characters. Suburbs and streets ostensibly familiar to us and yet unfamiliar. A very subtle motif.

Robert Rosenberg is a Tel Avivian. This is the fourth in the Avram Cohen mysteries.