Summary
Summary
Lambert & Hook discover that interrogating professional actors is an impossible business in the latest intriguing mysterySam Jackson is not a man who suffers fools - or anyone else - gladly. A successful British television producer who fancies himself as a Hollywood mogul, he makes enemies easily, and delights in the fact.It is no great surprise that such a man should meet a violent death. Detective Chief Superintendent Lambert and Detective Sergeant Hook deduce that the person who killed him is almost certainly to be found among the company of actors who are shooting a series of detective mysteries in rural Herefordshire. But these are people who make a living by acting out other people's fictions, people more at home with make-believe than real life - and the two detectives find interrogating them a difficult business. How can Lambert and Hook fight their way to the truth when faced with a cast of practised deceivers?
Author Notes
J.M. Gregson, a Lancastrian by birth and upbringing, was a teacher for twenty-seven years before concentrating full-time on writing. He is the author of the popular Percy Peach and Lambert & Hook series, and has written books on subjects as diverse as golf and Shakespeare.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The 29th entry in British author Gregson's police series featuring Det. Chief Supt. John Lambert and Det. Sgt. Bert Hook (after 2015's Skeleton Plot) feels like a reunion with old friends-new place, new crime, but comfortable as a cozy tea party. Sam Jackson, the ill-tempered and vindictive producer of a popular TV detective show, looks to old-time Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn of MGM as his role model. While the show's stars and crew are on location in Herefordshire, someone strangles Sam with his own necktie in his caravan. When Lambert and Hook interview persons of interest, it appears that all have a motive, most have the means, and just as many had the opportunity. Gregson lets his sharply drawn ancillary characters carry the weight of the plot, as one by one their theatrically crafted facades begin to break down and the real killer is exposed. Fans can trust Gregson's attention to detail to win the day. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
The hit TV series Inspector Loxton is filming on location in the British countryside when the unthinkable happens. The show's producer, Sam Jackson, is found strangled to death in his trailer. Detective Superintendent Lambert and Detective Sergeant Hook are called to the scene to investigate the killing. They soon find a plethora of suspects, as Jackson was universally loathed by the cast, crew, and a good many others for his boorish behavior. Lambert and Hook focus on the people who would have had the most to gain by Jackson's death, which includes the cast, the assistant producer, and the director. Another murder complicates matters, raising questions of motive. Similar in style to an Agatha Christie thriller, but with a modern-day feel, this is an easy, satisfying, and entertaining read that will suit a wide range of mystery readers: procedural fans, of course, but also the theatrical-thriller crowd, especially admirers of Simon Brett's Charles Paris series.--Melton, Emily Copyright 2016 Booklist