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Anna Travis #9
Wrongful Death
Six months after the body of Josh Reynolds, a London nightclub owner, was found and determined by police and coroner to be a suicide, DCS James Langton tasks DCI Anna Travis to review the case. Reynolds died from a single gunshot wound to the head, the gun held in his right hand. But details are emerging that suggest someone else may have fired the gun... As soon as she wraps up the case, Langton tells Anna, she can join him at the FBI Academy in Virginia for training. Meanwhile, a Senior FBI Agent, Jessie Dewar, crime scene expert, is seconded to Anna's team as part of her research and immediately the competence of the original investigation team is questioned...
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2013
364 people are currently reading
1619 people want to read
About the author
Lynda La Plante
123 books1,825 followersLynda La Plante, CBE (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
October 9, 2017
This is the 9th book in the Anna Travis series by author Lynda La Plante.
I have read all of this series in order and I am sure this is the only way to get the full enjoyment of all the sub plots and character building I have witnessed along the way. Lynda La Plante does not rush her novels which some readers find irritating, but it works for me as I enjoy the interaction of the lead characters and by the end of each book feel I really know them. I don't think this book would work as a stand-alone but having read the previous books and knowing the background it answers a lot of the previously unanswered questions. Maybe everything is a bit too convenient in the end but this is fiction after all.
Not sure if this is the last book in the series but either way I feel satisfied. The series remains as fresh as the very first book in the series and could easily continue but the story is also at a stage where there are no real outstanding issues.
I have read all of this series in order and I am sure this is the only way to get the full enjoyment of all the sub plots and character building I have witnessed along the way. Lynda La Plante does not rush her novels which some readers find irritating, but it works for me as I enjoy the interaction of the lead characters and by the end of each book feel I really know them. I don't think this book would work as a stand-alone but having read the previous books and knowing the background it answers a lot of the previously unanswered questions. Maybe everything is a bit too convenient in the end but this is fiction after all.
Not sure if this is the last book in the series but either way I feel satisfied. The series remains as fresh as the very first book in the series and could easily continue but the story is also at a stage where there are no real outstanding issues.
March 18, 2015
I'm a big fan of the Anna Travis books but found this one disappointing. The parts involving the FBI I found were very unnecessary and just ended up stretching the story. Going back to the Fitzpatrick story was also very annoying, it should of been left how it ended 3 books ago. Very far fetched and unbelievable. I found myself not wanting to pick this book up as I became really uninterested :(
April 11, 2016
There is no way I could do a book review without doing a review of the entire series.
I started with the Anna Travis books from the very beginning. Anna was very young, new to the homicide department. She was also a little on the shy side, not very concerned about her looks, her dress. And she has a crush on her supervisor/mentor James Langton.
Langton is a selfish man, a bit arrogant, brash to the point of rudeness. But he sees something special in Anna.
They eventually have an affair, at one time living together while Langton recovers from injuries suffered on a case. Needless to say, the relationship was a failed one. The feelings of love eventually become a great affection and trust between them.
Each book (this one is # 9) follows cases, some cold, some not. Anna has to prove herself to the team and she does so brilliantly. She sees things that others do not ... she's like a professional problem solver.
In Wrongful Death, Anna is now leading her own team. It has been so much fun seeing how she has grown and matured.
I feel this book is most likely the end of the series. Hope I'm wrong, but that's the impression I have. Langton retires and Anna has a new love interest ... a member of the FBI at Quantico.
I have loved the series and highly recommend it to anyone who likes Brit police procedurals.
I started with the Anna Travis books from the very beginning. Anna was very young, new to the homicide department. She was also a little on the shy side, not very concerned about her looks, her dress. And she has a crush on her supervisor/mentor James Langton.
Langton is a selfish man, a bit arrogant, brash to the point of rudeness. But he sees something special in Anna.
They eventually have an affair, at one time living together while Langton recovers from injuries suffered on a case. Needless to say, the relationship was a failed one. The feelings of love eventually become a great affection and trust between them.
Each book (this one is # 9) follows cases, some cold, some not. Anna has to prove herself to the team and she does so brilliantly. She sees things that others do not ... she's like a professional problem solver.
In Wrongful Death, Anna is now leading her own team. It has been so much fun seeing how she has grown and matured.
I feel this book is most likely the end of the series. Hope I'm wrong, but that's the impression I have. Langton retires and Anna has a new love interest ... a member of the FBI at Quantico.
I have loved the series and highly recommend it to anyone who likes Brit police procedurals.
April 11, 2024
Great police procedural! Be sure to keep track of the characters or it will be difficult to follow. I listed the characters with a brief description of each. It really helped me; mostly because Lynda La Plante's characters are all full-blown characters with back stories that are fascinating.
Was Josh Reynolds' death suicide or murder? Read and find out.
Was Josh Reynolds' death suicide or murder? Read and find out.
December 18, 2013
WRONGFUL DEATH is the ninth book in the Anna Travis series from Lynda La Plante. Which therefore requires a confession. I started to struggle with this series around book 4 (DEADLY INTENT), and never managed to finish book 5 (SILENT SCREAM) or book 6 (BLIND FURY). So on the upside, I did manage to finish WRONGFUL DEATH. On the downside it was a disappointment.
Whilst the central premise, the re-investigation of the death of Josh Reynolds was an interesting idea, the cast of characters flat out didn't work for me. Can't remember the last time I've encountered so many characters that it was almost impossible to understand or connect with. In the earlier books I did finish, Anna Travis was a complicated and prickly character, but a dedicated investigator. In WRONGFUL DEATH she's still prickly and complicated, but considerably less convincing about it. A caricature.
Having said that, for the life of me I could not work out why Senior FBI Agent Jessie Dewar. What on earth she was doing there, why she had to be so universally unpleasant, difficult, opinionated, escaped me completely. Unless she was there to be the token out of step foreigner? Still can't get it straight in my own mind.
Then there's the rest of the office staff with the token over-worked, put upon one; the lazy, flittery one who never does anything but makes a lot of noise anyway, and the steady bloke in the background. Just a few too many caricatures.
Not helped by the presence somewhere in the upper echelons of DCS James Langton which also seemed odd. He seemed to bounce in, all in charge, and then bounce out all flustered by the higher up-upper echelons having it in for him. And then there was something about his marriage, and his past relationship with Travis, and then... to be honest I lost interest. Not quite before Travis heads off to the US, gets into another relationship, solves the local problems and steams back to the UK all ready to pick up the Reynolds case and solve it in one big bound....
And therein lies the biggest problem with this book, it starts out as slow as treacle, with only the characters to engage interest. And they don't. The plot then heads off into somewhere-else land and when everything's righted there, our hero returns to the UK to save that day as well. Which left me wondering even more what on earth Senior FBI Agent Jessie Dewar was there for.
Reading, as I do, rather a lot of crime fiction in a year, it's normally possible to find something positive. In the earlier books, even in the last one I finished, Travis was a good character who could lift a book's ranking, even one that has a flawed plot, or a lot of filler, or some daft red herrings. In WRONGFUL DEATH, however, she's not strong enough for that much heavy lifting.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Whilst the central premise, the re-investigation of the death of Josh Reynolds was an interesting idea, the cast of characters flat out didn't work for me. Can't remember the last time I've encountered so many characters that it was almost impossible to understand or connect with. In the earlier books I did finish, Anna Travis was a complicated and prickly character, but a dedicated investigator. In WRONGFUL DEATH she's still prickly and complicated, but considerably less convincing about it. A caricature.
Having said that, for the life of me I could not work out why Senior FBI Agent Jessie Dewar. What on earth she was doing there, why she had to be so universally unpleasant, difficult, opinionated, escaped me completely. Unless she was there to be the token out of step foreigner? Still can't get it straight in my own mind.
Then there's the rest of the office staff with the token over-worked, put upon one; the lazy, flittery one who never does anything but makes a lot of noise anyway, and the steady bloke in the background. Just a few too many caricatures.
Not helped by the presence somewhere in the upper echelons of DCS James Langton which also seemed odd. He seemed to bounce in, all in charge, and then bounce out all flustered by the higher up-upper echelons having it in for him. And then there was something about his marriage, and his past relationship with Travis, and then... to be honest I lost interest. Not quite before Travis heads off to the US, gets into another relationship, solves the local problems and steams back to the UK all ready to pick up the Reynolds case and solve it in one big bound....
And therein lies the biggest problem with this book, it starts out as slow as treacle, with only the characters to engage interest. And they don't. The plot then heads off into somewhere-else land and when everything's righted there, our hero returns to the UK to save that day as well. Which left me wondering even more what on earth Senior FBI Agent Jessie Dewar was there for.
Reading, as I do, rather a lot of crime fiction in a year, it's normally possible to find something positive. In the earlier books, even in the last one I finished, Travis was a good character who could lift a book's ranking, even one that has a flawed plot, or a lot of filler, or some daft red herrings. In WRONGFUL DEATH, however, she's not strong enough for that much heavy lifting.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
March 20, 2019
This is a book I desperately wanted to like and desperately failed at liking. I am a fan of the TV adaptation written by the author of the novels and of some of her other TV work. But La Plante is a good screenwriter and a bad novel writer. There is a lot of telling and not enough showing in these books which makes her characters feel like cardboard cut outs moved around in service of a plot that frankly isn’t interesting enough to bear the weight. Our heroin Anna Travis is given the case of a suicide which may not be quite what it seems and the assistance of an FBI profiler Jesse Dewar whose main characteristic seems to be her abrasiveness, forcing a confrontation between the two women which seems all too familiar. The story also features the reappearance of some familiar faces, members of the team who if you’ve been a reader of the series you should be familiar with already including Detective Langton Who has moved from potential romantic interest to scorned lover to mentor and father figure in the course of the series. Most of these back story details are signaled enough that you should be able to follow along without having read the previous novels. Honestly, I’d recommend finding something more interesting to read.
December 28, 2018
Applaud La Plante for at least trying to mix this up a little. Unfortunately, I did not especially care for the new characters. Still feel as if the character of Langton is dead weight. The new love interest was also a real downer. This is the second time Anna falls for a guy in less than 24 hours. I bought the first one since we've all experienced "love at first sight." But twice? Almost makes Anna seem needy and weak.
The mystery is really a mystery within a mystery. It was okay.
I'm glad this book is the last book in the series and think maybe it should have ended sooner as I am starting to dislike most of the characters.
The mystery is really a mystery within a mystery. It was okay.
I'm glad this book is the last book in the series and think maybe it should have ended sooner as I am starting to dislike most of the characters.
October 4, 2013
i really didn't like this book, it felt like crime fiction by numbers and almost like the author had a deadline to meet and just dashed a book out at short notice. There were a large number of sectons where the plot was really obvously recapped so you knew what all the clues were. Definitely one to avoid
August 7, 2014
I find La Plante's writing annoying (too many unnecessary adjectives), but the stories are always gripping and this one is no different, so no doubt I'll read the next one when it appears on the library shelf.
May 5, 2022
It wasn't one of her best and I was hoping for some kind of satisfying conclusion to this nine book series but it wasn't there. This isn't a book that can be read as a stand alone as lots of the past cases pay a prominent role, especially for Langton.
She did try to mix it up a bit introducing a FBI agent on a kind of an exchange programme but agent Dewar is probably one of the most irritating characters she has ever written.
She did try to mix it up a bit introducing a FBI agent on a kind of an exchange programme but agent Dewar is probably one of the most irritating characters she has ever written.
April 21, 2024
Guessed the outcome but was still a good read
September 21, 2020
Way too long ..story good but dragged on.
February 6, 2023
A little bit contrived but tied up the series quite well, enjoyed the series and still available on ITV streaming service
October 6, 2025
Not a very complicated mystery but fun and light read.
August 19, 2020
PLEASE BE ADVISED this review contains spoilers for Deadly Intent, so if you haven’t read it yet, you may not want to read on. Well where to begin?..... Ahh yes, firstly, what a fuck up! I’m now convinced that LLP didn’t actually write this book, at least not exclusively. A taboo subject that many reviewers on Goodreads often wonder about the other books in this series, but a topic I always reserved judgement on until reading Wrongful Death. There are several cases being covered in this novel in both the UK and USA; one in particular is Langton’s continued search of an Anthony Fitzpatrick, the main antagonist in Deadly Intent (Anna Travis #6); an international drug kingpin who evaded capture at the end, predominantly due to the team not having a recent picture of Fitzpatrick and him having very recent and extensive plastic surgery, allowing him to (roughly midway through the book) come to the MET station to speak with Langton claiming to be a DCI John Marlow from the Fraud Squad investigating a David Rushton, pulling wool over all their eyes and giving Fitzpatrick access to the intelligence they had on him including where his hidden drugs were stashed. A cheeky little manoeuvre that made for good reading. However in Wrongful Death it appears LLP cannot remember her own storylines or character arcs, as when referring back to this incident within the first few pages of Wrongful Death, LLP states that Fitzpatrick had come into the MET pretending to be an agent from the FBI investigating Fitzpatrick??? At the end of Deadly Intent he also escaped by piloting a private plane, Langton had wanted to use his car to cut the plane up on the runway in a last ditch attempt to abort Fitzpatrick’s take-off, but was rightly convinced against it by Travis due to Fitzpatrick having his young son and DAUGHTER onboard too. Flash forward to Wrongful Death and he apparently had left with his ONLY SON!
How can she get it so wrong? How can LLP not remember her own plots and characters? If LLP has hired a team of writers then at the very least have them do their research before submitting work. To me this was written more as a screenplay which is maybe why the story was changed, but if it was then decided to be released as a book after-all then at least remember to change it back for continuity.
Also LLP gives a long-winded acknowledgment of gratitude to her staff including (her words) ‘some of the best editors and publicist in the business’ yet ironically this book is full of spelling mistakes and at times, very poor grammar.
On a positive, I did find this book enjoyable and got through it in a couple of days, as I was intrigued to who the culprit was. I started off enjoying the first three Anna Travis books, but unfortunately I found them to decline in quality as the series progressed, the main characters aren’t likeable and the stories became predictable. However, I’ve plowed on to the last book and it appears LLP has upped her game, at least from a story perspective, perhaps read some of the reviews and took them on board, regardless LLP has shook it up a bit; the story is engaging, I genuinely enjoyed the whodunnit element being taken up a gear and actually looking forward to finding out who the killer was, rather than the usual reader knowing the killer from the start and just going through the process of finding evidence. There isn’t the standard unnecessary repetitiveness which was a common issue of the previous four books, but still there is LLP’s insistence on regurgitating her characters histories for those who have just picked up the book and not read the others. As I said, I did enjoy the story but I can only muster a one star due to the characters being 2D, the unrealistic conversations and way of speaking to each other but mainly the very poor grammar, spelling and missing words. If I pay for a book written by somebody as popular and acclaimed as LLP, then I expect better quality not the standard of a year eleven student handing in their coursework for an English Language GCSE.
How can she get it so wrong? How can LLP not remember her own plots and characters? If LLP has hired a team of writers then at the very least have them do their research before submitting work. To me this was written more as a screenplay which is maybe why the story was changed, but if it was then decided to be released as a book after-all then at least remember to change it back for continuity.
Also LLP gives a long-winded acknowledgment of gratitude to her staff including (her words) ‘some of the best editors and publicist in the business’ yet ironically this book is full of spelling mistakes and at times, very poor grammar.
On a positive, I did find this book enjoyable and got through it in a couple of days, as I was intrigued to who the culprit was. I started off enjoying the first three Anna Travis books, but unfortunately I found them to decline in quality as the series progressed, the main characters aren’t likeable and the stories became predictable. However, I’ve plowed on to the last book and it appears LLP has upped her game, at least from a story perspective, perhaps read some of the reviews and took them on board, regardless LLP has shook it up a bit; the story is engaging, I genuinely enjoyed the whodunnit element being taken up a gear and actually looking forward to finding out who the killer was, rather than the usual reader knowing the killer from the start and just going through the process of finding evidence. There isn’t the standard unnecessary repetitiveness which was a common issue of the previous four books, but still there is LLP’s insistence on regurgitating her characters histories for those who have just picked up the book and not read the others. As I said, I did enjoy the story but I can only muster a one star due to the characters being 2D, the unrealistic conversations and way of speaking to each other but mainly the very poor grammar, spelling and missing words. If I pay for a book written by somebody as popular and acclaimed as LLP, then I expect better quality not the standard of a year eleven student handing in their coursework for an English Language GCSE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2018
In the beginning the book lacked suspense and as a result I didn’t become hooked on the story line. However, it is worth persevering as the pace lifts towards the middle of the book and by the end I was reluctant to put it down. The FBI agent, Jessie Dewar, was in my opinion an unnecessary addition to the homicide team. Overall despite the slow start I enjoyed reading it.
October 5, 2013
With the murder squad’s newly renovated headquarters looking much better than had been expected, DCI Anna Travis gazed around on her return from a welcome break – a holiday which had left her tanned and relaxed. As each of her team members arrived, they were told to expect DCS James Langton for a meeting – he had a special case which required their attention. It turned out to be a case which had been closed six months previously, deemed suicide. A prisoner awaiting trial had told a guard that Josh Reynolds had been murdered – DCI Travis was put in charge of finding out the truth.
Langton also informed Anna that she would have a special FBI Agent who was a crime scene expert to help her out. Jessie Dewar was doing special research so the FBI had sent her to the MET in London to work with the murder investigation squad. But Jessie made no friends with her abrupt and know-it-all manner; Anna’s team, including Anna herself, immediately had their noses out of joint, being told by someone from the USA what to do in the UK – she didn’t even know the road rules!
Meanwhile, Anna was invited to the FBI Academy in Virginia for a ten week training course. She had been nominated by Langton after another detective had been unable to go, accompanying him for the special course. But he also told her to get the Reynolds case finalized before she could leave.
With the investigation gaining momentum, it was coming to light that the original team had been incompetent – the level and depth of research, testing and foot-work just wasn’t there. To Anna’s dismay, it seemed there were more questions than answers. Determined to discover the truth, feeling that Jessie was wrong in her sureness of the guilty person, Anna felt exceedingly frustrated.
Her America trip rapidly approaching, and the Reynolds investigation more confused than ever, Anna realized she had to make a decision – leave Dewar in charge, and hope she didn’t mess things up, or forgo her once in a lifetime opportunity at FBI headquarters. What would she do?
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would and I think it’s not one of La Plante’s best. The plot was good, it actually had great potential, but the actions of some were unrealistic. I felt the story dragged in places, and one particular character was badly portrayed in my opinion. I enjoyed the by-play between Anna and Langton; I always do. There were other characters which were very well developed and enjoyable, but I think the book was spoilt for me by the one person…
If you enjoy La Plante's work, give it a go.
Langton also informed Anna that she would have a special FBI Agent who was a crime scene expert to help her out. Jessie Dewar was doing special research so the FBI had sent her to the MET in London to work with the murder investigation squad. But Jessie made no friends with her abrupt and know-it-all manner; Anna’s team, including Anna herself, immediately had their noses out of joint, being told by someone from the USA what to do in the UK – she didn’t even know the road rules!
Meanwhile, Anna was invited to the FBI Academy in Virginia for a ten week training course. She had been nominated by Langton after another detective had been unable to go, accompanying him for the special course. But he also told her to get the Reynolds case finalized before she could leave.
With the investigation gaining momentum, it was coming to light that the original team had been incompetent – the level and depth of research, testing and foot-work just wasn’t there. To Anna’s dismay, it seemed there were more questions than answers. Determined to discover the truth, feeling that Jessie was wrong in her sureness of the guilty person, Anna felt exceedingly frustrated.
Her America trip rapidly approaching, and the Reynolds investigation more confused than ever, Anna realized she had to make a decision – leave Dewar in charge, and hope she didn’t mess things up, or forgo her once in a lifetime opportunity at FBI headquarters. What would she do?
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would and I think it’s not one of La Plante’s best. The plot was good, it actually had great potential, but the actions of some were unrealistic. I felt the story dragged in places, and one particular character was badly portrayed in my opinion. I enjoyed the by-play between Anna and Langton; I always do. There were other characters which were very well developed and enjoyable, but I think the book was spoilt for me by the one person…
If you enjoy La Plante's work, give it a go.
October 28, 2013
Book number nine (nine?!?!) in the Anna Travis series and probably one of the best books in the series, maybe the best one actually. I said in my review of Backlash how it was nice to see how much Anna had changed from the person and detective she was in the first book and that was especially the case in this book. It makes me want to go back and read the first book all over again. La Plante writes believable crime stories containing an excellent cast of characters. None more so than Travis and Langton. That's what I like most about La Plante's door stoppers, she doesn't need to rely on OTT stunts or unbelievable characters or plots, she just writes a story with a ridiculous amount of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end.
Also with this being book nine there was the question of whether the series, as with many other crime fiction series when they approach double figures, would start to get a bit stale. Well in this one Anna heads off to Quantico but before doing so has the help (or hindrance) of an FBI profiler working alongside her. Special Agent Jessie Dewar was a fantastic character, and a frustrating one. Also having Anna going to work for the FBI helped to keep the series fresh, although she wasn't there for too long! There was also the twist with Langton and Fitzpatrick who fans will remember from Deadly Intent.
The storyline in this book was fantastic. There were so many twists and turns along the way that it was impossible to fully work out what was going on. I had suspicions about many characters and was right about some things but wrong about others. You could really feel the frustration Anna felt, especially towards the end of the book! The last 200 or so pages especially have kept me turning nonstop for the past couple of hours.
I really hope La Plante continues with this series, I feel there is plenty of life left in it. Although the ending did seem to bring closure so some storylines and relationships I still feel there are more stories to tell. La Plante's 2014 book release doesn't seem to be a Travis one but I still hope one is in the works. Anna is a fantastic character and probably one of my favourite fictional detectives. Overall a fantastic read that I could not out down.
Also with this being book nine there was the question of whether the series, as with many other crime fiction series when they approach double figures, would start to get a bit stale. Well in this one Anna heads off to Quantico but before doing so has the help (or hindrance) of an FBI profiler working alongside her. Special Agent Jessie Dewar was a fantastic character, and a frustrating one. Also having Anna going to work for the FBI helped to keep the series fresh, although she wasn't there for too long! There was also the twist with Langton and Fitzpatrick who fans will remember from Deadly Intent.
The storyline in this book was fantastic. There were so many twists and turns along the way that it was impossible to fully work out what was going on. I had suspicions about many characters and was right about some things but wrong about others. You could really feel the frustration Anna felt, especially towards the end of the book! The last 200 or so pages especially have kept me turning nonstop for the past couple of hours.
I really hope La Plante continues with this series, I feel there is plenty of life left in it. Although the ending did seem to bring closure so some storylines and relationships I still feel there are more stories to tell. La Plante's 2014 book release doesn't seem to be a Travis one but I still hope one is in the works. Anna is a fantastic character and probably one of my favourite fictional detectives. Overall a fantastic read that I could not out down.
February 25, 2017
Love this author and while it's not one of her best,it's still worth a read.
May 27, 2018
I only read one-third through this book and lost interest, which is disappointing for me as this is my first Lynda La Plante novel and I know she is an acclaimed crime writer. What didn't I like? Well... primarily, I found the pace very slow. I think she could have cut out some of the Anna/Agent Dewar interactions and got on with the plot. Maybe it's because this is the ninth in a series, maybe it's because Lynda La Plante's reputation goes before her, but I felt little effort was made to engage me, the reader, from the start.
January 1, 2014
The writer should decide either he writes a crime novel or media-tie-in adaptation. Honestly I was surprised by Lynda La Plante's Note to the Readers in which she explained why suddenly Fitzpatrick didn't have two small children but a teenaged son. She changed circumstances from the book series because of the changes that were made in the TV series... Excuse me, but what's the point of doing this?! Did either Bernard Cornwell or Elizabeth George change the details in the consecutive books because their Sharpe novels and Lynley mysteries respectively were adapted into TV series? Sharpe is still a dark-haired man, although Sean Bean obviously is not. The same with Lynley and Nathaniel Parker, the book Lynley keeps his blond hair, though TV Lynley is a dark-haired man.
As a reader I feel confused and undervalued because my commitment into reading the previous books in the series is rated as less important than that of TV viewer who suddenly will start reading La Plante's books after watching Above Suspicions TV series.
I would also wish to remind our dear author that she explained in detail how to approach and interrogate sociopaths in her first Anna Travis novel, Above Suspicion, so Travis should not be such a novice with dealing with one in Wrongful Death. She shouldn't have needed to be explained what sociopaths were like and how much dangerous they were after her investigative experiences with Alan Daniels...
As a reader I feel confused and undervalued because my commitment into reading the previous books in the series is rated as less important than that of TV viewer who suddenly will start reading La Plante's books after watching Above Suspicions TV series.
I would also wish to remind our dear author that she explained in detail how to approach and interrogate sociopaths in her first Anna Travis novel, Above Suspicion, so Travis should not be such a novice with dealing with one in Wrongful Death. She shouldn't have needed to be explained what sociopaths were like and how much dangerous they were after her investigative experiences with Alan Daniels...
March 20, 2015
Bloodline, Backlash and now this one.....released in TERRIBLE states full of mistakes. I'm pretty appalled and disgusted that Lynda La Plante thinks it's just fine to release her e-books in such messes !! Well, this is the last I'm buying. I've never packed one of hers in till this one, either. It had already taken me 4 days to reach 31% as I'd been loathe to pick it up again but enough's enough.
I love the Travis stories but I'm cheesed off beyond belief at them, now.
First of all, yet again, and I've mentioned it a lot, any book released by Simon & Schuster always loses its cover art once downloaded. THEN right at the beginning we have "Also by Lynda La P.0lante"......really ? That should have tipped me off that this was going to be in the same pi**poor state as the others, you'd think. But I thought that maybe she'd read some of the reviews and thought better of her readers......it wasn't to be.
Once again she's gone with American spelling-authorized/apologized/modernization...there were missing speechmarks and dropped commas, there were apostrophes missing as well for variation.
Then randomly added extra words-"The best thing about the dinner was that during the whole evening was they hardly..." and "...at the time he of his death" and finally, at my jacking-this-tripe-in point we had "...only ever recalled seeing the Josh and Donna in a blue Mini".
It's a joke expecting us to pay for this rubbish and she needn't think I'm ever bothering again.
I love the Travis stories but I'm cheesed off beyond belief at them, now.
First of all, yet again, and I've mentioned it a lot, any book released by Simon & Schuster always loses its cover art once downloaded. THEN right at the beginning we have "Also by Lynda La P.0lante"......really ? That should have tipped me off that this was going to be in the same pi**poor state as the others, you'd think. But I thought that maybe she'd read some of the reviews and thought better of her readers......it wasn't to be.
Once again she's gone with American spelling-authorized/apologized/modernization...there were missing speechmarks and dropped commas, there were apostrophes missing as well for variation.
Then randomly added extra words-"The best thing about the dinner was that during the whole evening was they hardly..." and "...at the time he of his death" and finally, at my jacking-this-tripe-in point we had "...only ever recalled seeing the Josh and Donna in a blue Mini".
It's a joke expecting us to pay for this rubbish and she needn't think I'm ever bothering again.
December 29, 2013
Although I read this book less than a month ago I can't remember for the life of me what this book is about and then it all came back to me like last night's curry. What can I say other than I hope Anna closes in on retirement as quickly as she closes in on the perp. Don't worry if you haven't read the other books in the series because La Plante conveniently includes numerous recaps a bit like how that USA soap The Bold and the Beautiful does to allow the causal viewer to fully enjoy the action, although I suspect La Plante's motivation is about padding (coz she is paid by the word count right??!!) I did not get that whole FBI/USA part of the novel (SPOILER ALERT) and in my head I imagined Tosh from The Bill (aka Langton) running in and almost destroying the FBI's op, with David Caruso screaming at him "God damn it, you nearly f**k the whole Op! If god damn people don't follow orders people god damn die, god damn you!" And then (SPOILER ALERT) of course there is the obligatory Anna romance, can't remember how it pans out, I think he dies in an Operation Tosh f**cks up.
September 19, 2013
So fast paced you can hardly put it down but hey! that's the joy of another Anna Travis case. Very flawed with a rather unnecessary leap across the Pond and several irritating character traits within the team. However, a full-on complex plot and a relatively credible outcome so long as you use the few drops of suspending belief in detective fiction because you love it so much!
March 10, 2016
I think this is my lowest rating for a lynda la plante novel. it's not that the storyline is bad or that the characters were underdeveloped it's simply that the winning concoction this time wasn't there.
good enough read but lacked the usual suspense her other novels have and the characters were more mopey and less interesting than in her other books.
good enough read but lacked the usual suspense her other novels have and the characters were more mopey and less interesting than in her other books.
November 29, 2017
I started this book, but gave up just a few chapters in. I cannot understand this author's popularity. Her writing is bad and her dialogue just dire. Life is far to short to waste any more time on the book.
December 4, 2015
Very disappointing book. Too much going on that had nothing to do with the crime. The writing was not her best either!
January 6, 2015
First one of hers I've read. Enjoyed it as a good detective yarn. Unfortunately my copy was full of poor proof reading errors, which annoyed me intensely.
August 26, 2024
Love the above suspicion series but considering this was the final one, it felt slightly anti climatic. Travis deserved a big end to her arc and didn't get that in this book. Personally I feel that the FBI parts of the story really diluted what was happening back on the main case, and took away from what was becoming a very good story. I feel as though had that part of the book not been added in (and perhaps that could have been another Anna Travis story in its own right), it wouldn't have missed it, and more could have gone in to ending the series on a high. I do understand that was how the introduction of Dewar was made, but it wasn't necessary and detracted from what could have been a better book. Additionally, why the whirlwind romance was needed (again) for a character like Anna doesn't seem in keeping with who we have come to understand her character to be. It seems like La Plante needed something to stretch this final novel out.
As others have said, I wouldn't recommend this as a book to pick up and randomly read. You need to read the rest of the series to understand a lot of the characters, their relationships and references to past cases. Without knowing that, it becomes a lot more confusing. So it isn't a standalone book.
On a separate note, my copy of this book seemed to have a fair few editorial issues which was a bit off putting.
As others have said, I wouldn't recommend this as a book to pick up and randomly read. You need to read the rest of the series to understand a lot of the characters, their relationships and references to past cases. Without knowing that, it becomes a lot more confusing. So it isn't a standalone book.
On a separate note, my copy of this book seemed to have a fair few editorial issues which was a bit off putting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2025
I just finished reading this book and found it to be an engaging read from start to finish. I am already a huge fan of the series, but for me, the mystery has always taken second place to the story between Travis and Langton. Since LLP started adapting the books for TV, it has been obvious that their relationship is heading towards a solely mentor/protégé dynamic. This is because Ciaran Hinds, cast as Langton in the TV show and whom I am a fan of, is somewhat unbelievable as the Lothario envisioned in the books written before the TV series.
LLP has thrown in a bit of lingering looks, lingering touches, and that kiss into "The Red Dahlia" to keep us readers and lovers of the "will they/won't they" relationship intrigued. Considering that these characters lived together in the books and Travis is back from a near-death incident, their relationship is much deeper than just looks and a romantic kiss.
I thought that now the restrictions of the TV show were over, we would get something more from them. The mysteries in the book are good, as always. If Langton goes, Travis turns into Jane Tennyson, and frankly, I will stop being a fan because I've been there, done that, and worn the t-shirt. It was as much about him as it was about Travis. Good read, though.
LLP has thrown in a bit of lingering looks, lingering touches, and that kiss into "The Red Dahlia" to keep us readers and lovers of the "will they/won't they" relationship intrigued. Considering that these characters lived together in the books and Travis is back from a near-death incident, their relationship is much deeper than just looks and a romantic kiss.
I thought that now the restrictions of the TV show were over, we would get something more from them. The mysteries in the book are good, as always. If Langton goes, Travis turns into Jane Tennyson, and frankly, I will stop being a fan because I've been there, done that, and worn the t-shirt. It was as much about him as it was about Travis. Good read, though.
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