SimisolaDoubleday Canada, 1997 - 336 pages Black residents are highly visible in a small English country town like Kingsmarkham. Yet Dr. and Mrs. Akande's daughter, Melanie, fresh from university but a disappointment to her career-driven parents, has disappeared into thin air. She was last seen at the Employment Centre, where she has just signed on for social assistance, when she inexplicably vanished. Now Inspector Wexford finds himself with an investigation complicated by Melanie's feckless boyfriend, his own eye for a too-pretty employment counsellor, and a bizarrely incompetent burglar...as well as a systematic adulterer, a vengeful wife, a treacly politician... and a perplexing corpse. The case will take Wexford from a sunny, soigne garden party to the greyness of unemployment in a derelict shack and finally onto the streets. Here his endless fascination with the peculiarities of human nature leads him from a volatile mix of motives and suspects straight into an explosion of snobbery, sexism, racism--and brutal murder in blood both hot and cold. |
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Page 3
... Akande called , ' Come in . ' This was only the second time Wexford had been to him since Akande joined the practice on Dr Crocker's retirement , and the first visit had been for an anti - tetanus injection when he cut himself in the ...
... Akande called , ' Come in . ' This was only the second time Wexford had been to him since Akande joined the practice on Dr Crocker's retirement , and the first visit had been for an anti - tetanus injection when he cut himself in the ...
Page 14
... Akande spoke his magic words . He had no intention of going back for a mere check - up and even disobeyed the doctor in taking no days off . From time to time he thought about that question , the one that asked how the victim of ...
... Akande spoke his magic words . He had no intention of going back for a mere check - up and even disobeyed the doctor in taking no days off . From time to time he thought about that question , the one that asked how the victim of ...
Page 72
... Akande seemed calm but his hands gripped the arms of his chair and the knucklebones showed white . ' Do you . . . ' he began . ' Do you have any news for me ? ' ' We've nothing specific , sir . ' Wexford read a lot into that emphatic ...
... Akande seemed calm but his hands gripped the arms of his chair and the knucklebones showed white . ' Do you . . . ' he began . ' Do you have any news for me ? ' ' We've nothing specific , sir . ' Wexford read a lot into that emphatic ...
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Common terms and phrases
Akande's Annette Bystock Annette's Anouk Khoori Benefit Office British National Party Burden called chair client Cookie d'you dark daughter dead Dora Dr Akande Epson Euan eyes face father flat gave girl gone hair hand happened head High Street husband Ingrid Pamber Inspector Wexford Karen Kashyapa Kimberley Kingsmarkham knew Ladyhall Court laugh Laurette Akande Leyton living looked Marks and Spencers Mavrikiev mean Melanie Akande Mhonum Mike Miss Bystock morning mother murder Mynford Myringham Neil never night Ollerton Percy Hammond perhaps Peter Stanton police Raffy Range Rover remember road round Ruth Rendell seemed seen smile Sojourner someone Stanton Stowerton suppose sure Swithun Sylvia talk tell There's thing told took tracksuit Vine voice waiting walked Wednesday Wexford asked Wexford thought wife window Winster woman women Yoruba young Zack