She Treads Softly: The Book Club Killer

Sunday, October 19, 2025

The Book Club Killer

The Book Club Killer by Ross Greenwood
11/5/25; 384 pages
Boldwood Books
DI Barton #8

The Book Club Killer by Ross Greenwood is a highly recommended police procedural/mystery and the eight book featuring Detective Inspector Barton.

After Jones and Singh, a local accounting firm's book club composed of current and former colleagues and their spouses meets before Christmas, Rhys Jones, one of the members and founding owner of the firm, dies that night. Initially it is thought to be a heart attack, but Mortis, the forensic pathologist, lets Barton know that it is suspicious death. It is determined to be a poisoning/drugging. Now Barton and the team need to question the book club members and the group seems to be reluctant to tell it all and are holding all manner of secrets. Barton also reveals that he is planning to retire so this will be his last, big case with the team.

This is exactly the well written procedural I expected. The investigation logically and intelligently follows all the clues and asks the right questions uncovering many of the secrets the group withheld at their initial questioning. Poisoning someone is very personal, but a clear suspect is not evident at first. Someone is holding a deeply held grudge, but who and why. The plot keeps you guessing as the tension rises when it seems that the killer could strike again. There is some humor and time spent with his family along the way too along with a surprise at the end.

The Book Club Killer is a great choice for anyone who enjoys a well written procedural/mystery. Thanks to Boldwood 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.