Waterloo Sunset
A
Harry Devlin Mystery
Martin Edwards
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-441-4 (1590584414)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-441-5 (9781590584415)
Publication Date: April 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis
(from
the publisher): A notice announcing that Harry Devlin died suddenly on
Midsummer’s Eve arrives at the office of his law firm one
June day. Harry isn’t happy to read it – especially
as Midsummer’s Eve is less than a week away. His partner Jim
Crusoe treats the message as a joke, but Harry isn’t so sure.
From that moment on, his world starts to fall apart. Who is his unknown
enemy? The list of people who might want rid of him lengthens, and soon
someone close to him is savagely attacked and left for dead.
Meanwhile, young women are being murdered in Harry’s home
city of Liverpool. When a friend who has asked to meet him becomes the
latest victim, Harry is dragged into the investigation and becomes a
suspect. He finds himself fighting for survival on two fronts. But even
as he unravels the shocking secret behind the murders, the clock keeps
ticking. Harry must discover and confront the enemy who wants him dead
- if he is to live to see Midsummer’s Day.
Review:
Liverpool attorney Harry Devlin attempts to prevent the published
announcement of his death from becoming reality in Waterloo Sunset,
the eighth mystery in this series by Martin Edwards.
One day in mid-June Harry notices a blank envelope on his desk with no
name or return address. He opens the envelope to find his own death
notice, declaring that he is to die on Midsummer’s Eve. At
first, he and his law partner, Jim Crusoe, think this to be
someone’s idea of a practical joke. After all, who would want
to see Harry dead? And why on Midsummer’s Eve? Shortly
thereafter Jim is savagely beaten and left for dead. After the
meaningless attack on Jim had set in, Harry’s thoughts turn
to the subject of his own death. The notice of his death was not a
prank. Someone was setting out to kill him. In the meantime, three
women have been killed. They were all strangled, their tongues cut out.
Was this the work of a single person, or was there a copycat involved?
Or was this the work of the person who wanted Harry dead, practicing
for the final kill?
Although he is not a criminal lawyer, Harry starts making a list of
past clients who may have not received satisfactory verdicts in their
cases and may have blamed him. And then he finds himself a suspect in
the murders of the women. He had an appointment to meet one the women
at the place and time she was killed. He claimed he was there, but she
didn’t show up. To save himself (both literally and
figuratively), Harry starts an investigation to find who hurt Jim and
who killed the women. All the while, he must keep himself vigilant and
aware that there is still someone out there who wants him dead.
Waterloo Sunset
is a winning whodunit. There are many suspects, and many more who
probably should be but aren't. The intricately plotted storyline keeps
the reader guessing as to how the seemingly unconnected crimes could be
related. The stunning conclusion that brings a climatic closure to
Midsummer's Eve is completely unexpected and justifies how terrific
this book really is.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Waterloo Sunset and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
All the Lonely
People
Five Star (Hardcover), December 2003
ISBN-10: 1-59414-069-3 (1594140693)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-069-3 (9781594140693)
Suspicious Minds
Five Star (Hardcover), January 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59414-382-X (159414382X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-382-3 (9781594143823)
I Remember You
Yesterday's
Papers
Eve of
Destruction
Foul Play Press (Hardcover), September 1998
ISBN-10: 0-393-04635-4 (0393046354)
ISBN-13: 978-0-393-04635-9 (9780393046359)
The Devil in
Disguise
First Cut is the
Deepest
Waterloo Sunset
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), April 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-441-4 (1590584414)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-441-5 (9781590584415)
Omnimystery keywords for Waterloo Sunset ...
Location(s) referenced: Liverpool.