Illegal guilt

Detective Constable Ron Perry is understandably distressed when he learns that his niece, seven-year-old Elaine, has been kidnapped. Being a copper, he knows firsthand about the unthinkable things that can happen to a young child who's been taken. So despite the police force's rule that detectives may not work on a case involving a relative or close friend, Perry sets out to find Elaine before the worst can happen, eventually putting together evidence that leads him to a local farmer. Unfortunately, his chief has other ideas he's convinced Perry is barking up the wrong tree and, fearing a charge of police harassment, threatens to take Perry off the case. The chief is determined to stick to the rules, but Perry knows it's a race against time. Is it worth risking his entire career to prove his boss wrong? A taut plot full of surprises and a likable if sometimes foolish copper-hero make for a suspenseful and satisfying read.--Melton, Emily Copyright 2007 Booklist

Det. Constable Ron Perry runs afoul of his by-the-book superior, Det. Insp. Harry Clark, after the disappearance of Perry's young niece, Elaine Oakley, in this pallid police procedural from Ashford, author of the popular Inspector Alvarez series (An Artful Death, etc.) under his Roderic Jeffries pseudonym. In the close-knit English town of Carnford, Perry quickly finds evidence that Elaine didn't vanish voluntarily, and conceals his relationship with the kidnapping victim to remain on the case. Suspicion soon focuses on local farmer Stan Burrell, who was the last person known to have seen Elaine, but Burrell steadfastly denies his guilt. When Perry's personal connection to the case is uncovered, he's shifted to interviewing people who may have sighted the girl, an assignment that feels like a pointless dead end to the zealous officer. Clark's opposition to Perry often borders on parody, making the tension between the search for the truth and the suspect's rights less than compelling. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Ashford (Fair Exchange is Robbery, 2003, etc.) offers a creepy tale of a kidnapping that tests the limits of family loyalties. Because Elizabeth Oakley blamed her brother for the breakup of her marriage, she and PC Ron Perry haven't spoken in years. But when her seven-year-old daughter Elaine disappears into Pearce Wood after a neighbor gives her a ride partway home from school, Perry is the first person Elizabeth calls. Even though department policy expressly forbids an officer from taking on a case that involves a friend or relative, Perry quickly fixes on a suspect and tries desperately to collect enough evidence for a warrant before Elaine is killed by her captor. His superiors, DI Yates and DI Clark, are the ultimate sticklers. Even though they know Perry is likely right, they demand proof that will persuade a judge before they move ahead to a search. And once they discover Perry's relationship with Elizabeth, they sideline him into useless interviews with citizens who've reported sightings of the missing girl--all of whom naturally turn out to be mistaken. So Perry goes outside the law, risking in the process the trust of his supportive wife Sandra and the secure life they've built for each other and their daughter Moira. Britishisms like "bolshy" and "plimsolls" provide as much puzzlement as the plot, which is long on suspense but short on surprise. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Detective Constable Ron Perry is understandably distressed when he learns that his niece, seven-year-old Elaine, has been kidnapped. Being a copper, he knows firsthand about the unthinkable things that can happen to a young child who's been taken. So despite the police force's rule that detectives may not work on a case involving a relative or close friend, Perry sets out to find Elaine before the worst can happen, eventually putting together evidence that leads him to a local farmer. Unfortunately, his chief has other ideas—he's convinced Perry is barking up the wrong tree and, fearing a charge of police harassment, threatens to take Perry off the case. The chief is determined to stick to the rules, but Perry knows it's a race against time. Is it worth risking his entire career to prove his boss wrong? A taut plot full of surprises and a likable if sometimes foolish copper-hero make for a suspenseful and satisfying read. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

Det. Constable Ron Perry runs afoul of his by-the-book superior, Det. Insp. Harry Clark, after the disappearance of Perry's young niece, Elaine Oakley, in this pallid police procedural from Ashford, author of the popular Inspector Alvarez series (An Artful Death , etc.) under his Roderic Jeffries pseudonym. In the close-knit English town of Carnford, Perry quickly finds evidence that Elaine didn't vanish voluntarily, and conceals his relationship with the kidnapping victim to remain on the case. Suspicion soon focuses on local farmer Stan Burrell, who was the last person known to have seen Elaine, but Burrell steadfastly denies his guilt. When Perry's personal connection to the case is uncovered, he's shifted to interviewing people who may have sighted the girl, an assignment that feels like a pointless dead end to the zealous officer. Clark's opposition to Perry often borders on parody, making the tension between the search for the truth and the suspect's rights less than compelling. (Oct.)