This second book in the (hopefully extensive) series is even better than the first. I loved the strong sense of place, in the historic town of Tours, and the differences between the French and English detective procedures. M Juge is a lonely figure since the death of his wife, and is aware that his character quirks can be annoying to his colleagues. He is a fascinating lead character as he directs the investigations of the headless corpse and missing teenager. I thoroughly recommend this book.

The second in the Juge Lombard series, sees our protagonist overseeing the case of a dead.man decapitated whilst the disappearance of a young woman from a family of medical researchers keeps him busy. I like the charismatic character of the Anglo French judge and the French criminal investigation culture is interesting and a huge difference to a British or American police procedural. Fast paced and a very enjoyable read.

This was a strong sequel in the Judge Lombard series, it kept what I enjoyed about the first book and genre. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish and couldn't put it down. Ian Moore has a great overall feel that worked with the genre. I hope there is more in this mystery series and that Ian Moore continues to write.