This is the 27th Sharon McCone book apparently! I started reading them in about 1995 when they were published by the Women’s Press (who published stacks of underrated female authors and are now defunct as far as I can tell) and the earliest books were getting on for twenty years old then. I’ve read the last seven or eight in hardback and each time I brace myself to be disappointed, because there’s no way Muller can keep up the quality for that long is there?

Once again I’m pleased to report that Muller & McCone are still going strong. Of course there is variation in quality between the books and this isn’t one of the top class ones but it’s not at all bad. McCone is recovering from the debilitating problems she had in the last book. The plot here did feel rather like things that had happened in the series before - I’d quite like there to be a book with a smaller scale mystery again, something that doesn’t involve the US government gone bad - but it didn’t feel like a rehash or like Muller had run out of steam.

I’ve said before that one of the things I like about long series is checking in with all the old friends you’ve made and seeing what they are up to now. This book is good for that because it’s written as an ensemble piece with sections alternating between long term characters like Sharon’s husband Hy, office manager Ted, colleagues Adah & Craig etc. But, unlike some series I could mention, all the little catching up details of the in-book universe don’t overwhelm the main story. And I’m pleased that, again unlike some other authors, Muller hasn’t felt the need to start writing huge blockbuster length books when she’s great at writing tight well plotted mysteries.

If you’re new to this series then this probably isn’t the place you ought to start, but I don’t think a newcomer would feel too much adrift in a sea of past remembrances here, which is good.

I’m looking forward to the 28th book already.