Inspector Gambrelli has been called to help with solving the murder of a young lady on the Island of Q. She has been having an affair with a prosecutor who Gambrelli has not really been friendly with but will do his best to find what really happened. Gambrelli has trouble with his boss and the government of the island who want it all solved and neatly done in short order. There is more here than meets the eye so Gambrelli keeps digging until he finds out what really happened and who all is involved. Great detective work.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

This novel is set in France during the 1930’s. The French are worried about a second war with Germany.

Jean Michel Bertrand senior prosecutor at the Justice of Ministry is arrested for the crime of murder. The murdered woman, Annette Cuomo, is someone with whom he was having an affair. Indeed he had considered marrying her.

Chief Inspector Arthur Gambrelli is handed the case. He was specifically requested to be on the case by Bertrand himself. Right away Gambreli thinks that there are too many unanswered questions to prosecute Bertrand at this time. He questions Bertrand and sets off for the City to investigate, for he feels that the answers are there.

As he sets his team to investigate the murder, Gambrelli’s unease grows. What was Annette Cuomo involved in? Who were these men following her? What does her sister Lisa have to do with the case?

AS Gambrelli and his team go about getting answers to these questions, we are also treated to brief interludes with Gambrelli’s wife and family. These provide welcome information about his family and do not intrude in any way on the story.

This book is very well written and plotted. I enjoyed it tremendously. The pace and suspense level was perfect. Mr. Giliotti is a very good writer. I look forward to reading more about Chief Inspector Gambrelli.

My only complaint would be that there were left unanswered questions left. What happened to the head bad guy? What about Lisa?

I want to thank Netgalley and Chateau Noir Publishing/AuthorBuzz for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book to read.

France, circa 1934 and a public prosecutor is accused of murder. Perhaps he was framed, perhaps not. A no nonsense detective is assigned the case at the request of the accused, although the two have no love for each other. Sir Walter Scott’s quote springs to mind, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!” The writing is crisp and the plot does weave a tangled web. The author does not clutter the story with foreign phrases which many writers insert to show off their linguistic abilities and which I find a distraction and certainly an impediment to reading enjoyment. I hope the ending of this book may be the start of the next in a series. Easily a five star read.