All My Enemies by Barry Maitland, a Mysterious Review.

Review: DS Kathy Kolla is promoted to work in the Serious Crime Division of Scotland Yard with DCI David Brock, her first case a brutal murder, in All My Enemies, the third mystery in this series by Barry Maitland, originally published in the UK in 1996 but now available in the US.

Angela Hannaford attended a performance of Hamlet in the city alone, returned home by train, again apparently alone, but was found sexually assaulted and murdered in her bedroom. There was no sign of forced entry to her home. Kathy finds out as much as she can from the victim's family and co-workers, and learns she was a good worker, had a steady boyfriend, and loved the theater. But her boyfriend found plays boring and uninteresting, so she would usually go with other friends or alone. The night she was so viciously murdered she had two tickets for the play Macbeth, but had attended alone. Who had the other ticket? Kathy finds out Angela had given it to her friend Rhona, but Rhona had to leave town because of a death in her friend's family. So who did Rhona give the ticket to? Kathy believes this is an important area in her investigation, but there are plenty of other suspects that demand her attention, especially when it's discovered other murders committed in a similar manner. It isn't long before Kathy finds herself in a twisted case in which the victim becomes a guide to the solution of her own murder.

All My Enemies is a multi-faceted mystery that offers a glimpse into the early professional relationship between Kathy Kolla and David Brock. Brock allows Kathy some latitude in her investigation, but based on two previous cases in which they've worked, he knows that she can be a bit of a loose cannon. This fast-paced, engrossing novel with its suspenseful murder investigation will keep readers up late into the night.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of All My Enemies.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of All My Enemies for this review.

Dark Mirror
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), September 2009
ISBN-13: 9780312383992; ISBN-10: 0312383991

All My Enemies

A Brock and Kolla Mystery by Barry Maitland