She Treads Softly: Heartless Crimes

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Heartless Crimes

Heartless Crimes by Michael Hambling
12/12/24; 284 pages
Joffe Books
Sophie Allen # 13

Heartless Crimes by Michael Hambling is a recommended procedural. Even though this is the thirteenth book in the DCI Sophie Allen series, it can be read as a standalone novel.

Three people who work at the same company, EcoFutures, need assistance from the police. Bryony O’Neil experiences an attempted car-jacking and ends up hospitalized. Justine Longford had someone break into her home, but it appears nothing was stolen. Finally Robin Pryor sets off along a clifftop path at Lyme Regis and never comes home. Later his body is found by the path. Detective Inspector Barry Marsh has to lead the team because Chief Superintendent Sophie is hospitalize and recovering from a vicious assault and Polly Weston is on another case.

This is my first Sophie Allen novel and it was easy to jump right into the story. There is also a list of the cast of characters at the beginning if readers need some extra help keeping characters straight. Sophie does end up playing a role in the investigation so she's somewhat involved in the case.

Heartless Crimes moves at a slow pace throughout the procedural. It does carefully follow clues, follow up on the information, and carefully question those involved. This makes it a good choice for those readers who enjoy procedurals. I like procedurals, but prefer those that move at a faster pace with surprising clues and building tension along the way. The actual case never really grabbed my complete attention. Thanks to Joffe Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.