Review by Kirkus Book Review
Grimes (The Anodyne Necklace, etc.) continues to extract maximum entertainment value from quiet, handsome Superintendent Richard Jury and his titled, unofficial sidekick Melrose Plant--who this time investigate a series of bloody murders aimed at Honeysuckle Tours, an exclusive US travel-outfit for very rich tourists. The killer strikes at Stratford-on-Avon, where the victims include: dumpy, twittery Gwendolyn Bracegirdle; Amelia Farraday, the flashy, amoral second wife of rich, amiable tourist James Farraday; and Honey Belle, Farraday's step-daughter. The suspects, of course, include the other tour members--from the remainder of the large Farraday clan. . . to Lady Violet Dew (aged, colorful) and toadying niece Cyclamen. . . to brash Harvey Schoenberg, who travels with portable mini-computer and a Christopher Marlowe fixation. And Farraday's miseries are compounded by the disappearance of a young adopted son--plus another murder--before Jury begins to see the light. The plot and solution stretch belief to the near-breaking point here--making this somewhat less satisfactory than Grimes' previous, contrived-yet-controlled puzzles. But fans can count on her customary vivacity, charm, and wit: an imaginative, if somewhat outlandish, diversion. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
