BLUNT FORCE – Lynda La Plante
Jane Tennison Series – Book 6
Zaffre Books
ISBN-10: 1499862474
ISBN-13: 978-1499862478
ASIN: B083STRTQQ
August 25, 2020
Mystery-Thriller

London – The Present

DS (Detective Sergeant) Jane Tennison and DS Spencer Gibbs are partners, both of whom have been sidelined from higher levels in their jobs. Tennison was dismissed from the prestigious Flying Squad when a fellow officer is wounded protecting her. She is now taking lessons on using firearms at a high security private shooting club. Spencer made a mistake. They now work out of the Gerald Road police station in the Knightsbridge area, one of the more affluent areas in London where mostly minor crimes take place.

A neighbor upset by a constantly barking dog in an expensive basement suite calls the police. Inside, Spencer finds the beaten and disemboweled body of Charles Foxley, a well-known and very rich and powerful theatrical agent. While the police are in his dwelling, Foxley's hysterical ex-wife shows up. His murder will not be an easy case to solve.

Charles Foxley is an important theatrical agent and partner at the Foxley and Myers agency. While those remaining at the agency answer the officer's questions, they are cautious in their responses and are not only dismissive of some of the company's employees, but also of some of their clients.

The story exposes the undesirable behavior of wealthy and influential people. The more the reader learns about Foxley and his ex-wife, the more this becomes apparent. But did his ex murder him? Or perhaps a work rival or a dissatisfied client? A convoluted trail with many dead ends hinders the investigation, but Jane and Spencer's dogged determination eventually discovers the truth and may have exposed another crime. In a secondary storyline, Jane plays an important part in exposing a corrupt cop.

Robin Lee