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Brock & Kolla #7
The Verge Practice: A Brock and Kolla Mystery
In The Verge Practice, Kathy Kolla and David Brock, Scotland Yard's superlative detective duo, take on a puzzling case in the posh world of big-name international architecture, and it has them chasing red herrings and hopping fences from London to Barcelona.Charles Verge, a powerful, cutting-edge architect, has disappeared into the blue, leaving behind his firm; his beloved--and pregnant--daughter; and his young and very dead wife. The case is stalled, and, after months of fruitless searching leaves the authorities desperate to save face, Detective Chief Inspector Brock and Detective Sergeant Kolla are called in.
All of London is abuzz with questions about the high-profile case, which will send Kolla and Brock to some less-than-scenic locales in Barcelona, and back to their own stomping ground--where suspicion of internal corruption comes much closer to home than they would like. As the investigation uncovers a dizzying web of possible suspects--including an ex-con gardener, a sinister doctor, and the missing Verge himself--it will reveal more than one crack in the shiny windows of the Verge practice's sleek facade.
All of London is abuzz with questions about the high-profile case, which will send Kolla and Brock to some less-than-scenic locales in Barcelona, and back to their own stomping ground--where suspicion of internal corruption comes much closer to home than they would like. As the investigation uncovers a dizzying web of possible suspects--including an ex-con gardener, a sinister doctor, and the missing Verge himself--it will reveal more than one crack in the shiny windows of the Verge practice's sleek facade.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
41 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
Barry Maitland
44 books185 followersBarry Maitland is the author of the acclaimed Brock and Kolla series of crime mystery novels, which are set in London, where Barry grew up after his family moved there.
His books have been described as whydunits as much as whodunits, concerned with the devious histories and motivations of their characters. Barry's background in architecture drew him to the structured character of the mystery novel, and his books are notable for their ingenious plots as well as for their atmospheric settings, each in a different intriguing corner of London.
Barry studied architecture at Cambridge University, and went on to work as an architect in the UK, then took a PhD in urban design at the University of Sheffield, where he also taught and wrote a number of books on architecture and urban design. In 1984 he moved to Australia to head the architecture school at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, and held that position until 2000. He now writes fiction full time, and lives in the Hunter Valley, Australia.
His books have been described as whydunits as much as whodunits, concerned with the devious histories and motivations of their characters. Barry's background in architecture drew him to the structured character of the mystery novel, and his books are notable for their ingenious plots as well as for their atmospheric settings, each in a different intriguing corner of London.
Barry studied architecture at Cambridge University, and went on to work as an architect in the UK, then took a PhD in urban design at the University of Sheffield, where he also taught and wrote a number of books on architecture and urban design. In 1984 he moved to Australia to head the architecture school at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, and held that position until 2000. He now writes fiction full time, and lives in the Hunter Valley, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 13, 2023
Here's a tricky one. The wife of a world famous architect is found in their apartment with a knife jammed between her ribs. The architect, Charles Verge, can't be found and evidence at the crime scene is almost non-existent. The obvious conclusion is that the husband has murdered his wife and then done a runner.
This is the scenario that opens The Verge Practice, the 7th book in Barry Maitland's consistent police procedural series featuring DCI David Brock and DS Kathy Kolla. Brock and Kolla are detectives with the Serious Crimes Unit of the London Metropolitan Police working out of New Scotland Yard. Both have well-founded reputations for closing cases with an unusual combination of skill and determination.
Making this case even more tricky than usual for David Brock is the fact that it is around 4 months old and has been strenuously worked by another investigative team without success. Picking up an old case, particularly one that has been investigated so closely is not an easy thing to do and the entire team is affected by the discomfort involved with taking over.
Charles Verge is an internationally renowned architect at the height of his career, possibly with his share of enemies, but it's difficult to imagine that someone hates him enough to murder him and his wife. This is the scenario Madeleine Verge, Charles' mother, would have Brock believe, insisting that her son is a victim rather than a murderer.
For his part, Brock is having none of it and pursues the case as if Verge is now sunning himself on a tropical island somewhere. The discovery of a money trail that has been used to siphon money out of the Verge Practice and into a non-existent shell company before being moved out to an off-shore account reinforces his suspicions.
The investigation largely consists of careful sifting over all of the evidence and notes that were collected by the initial team in the hopes of finding something that was missed. An anomaly in the initial forensic work picked up by Kathy's painstaking work gives Brock's team a crucial snippet of a lead to follow. It's this piece of missed evidence that gives the team the first hint that all was not well within the corporate walls of the Verge Practice, Jealousy, affairs, hatred and fear are all lurking within and any one of these emotions could be excuse enough for murder. But there's so much more at stake and Brock is being pressured by his superiors to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion.
From a very low-key beginning, this is a police procedural that grows into lively story that stretches the action from England to Spain and back again. And then it packs a few surprise punches that I just didn't see coming.
There is a comfortable, linear feel to the story as it moves forward in a neat logical progression. One small lead is followed by the resulting discovery and the case quickly begins to mount. It's the kind of structure that allows the reader to easily become engaged in the mystery and then make their own guesses as to what is going to happen.
Just as important as the progression of the investigation is the personal development of the principal characters and this is done to good effect here with the personal background of Kolla and Brock carried on from earlier books in the series. While a lot of the detail about these characters will be more meaningful to those who have read the entire series, the book would still read quite well as a stand alone.
Maitland sets up a series of possible red-herring scenarios for the reader to choose from as the investigation seemingly winds up at one point, only to explode into a multitude of unexpected directions. Throughout all of this there is a definite adversarial tone to the book, with Brock having to weather pressure both from his boss at Scotland Yard and from Charles Verge's mother. It seems that everyone would like Brock to forget about Charles Verge, whether he was a murderer or a victim.
The Verge Practice is a strongly plotted mystery that continues on a very enjoyable police procedural series. Apart from a slightly distracting side story that has Kathy chairing a Crime Strategy Working Party committee dealing with minority and gender issues, this is a completely absorbing mystery that is thoroughly enjoyable reading.
This is the scenario that opens The Verge Practice, the 7th book in Barry Maitland's consistent police procedural series featuring DCI David Brock and DS Kathy Kolla. Brock and Kolla are detectives with the Serious Crimes Unit of the London Metropolitan Police working out of New Scotland Yard. Both have well-founded reputations for closing cases with an unusual combination of skill and determination.
Making this case even more tricky than usual for David Brock is the fact that it is around 4 months old and has been strenuously worked by another investigative team without success. Picking up an old case, particularly one that has been investigated so closely is not an easy thing to do and the entire team is affected by the discomfort involved with taking over.
Charles Verge is an internationally renowned architect at the height of his career, possibly with his share of enemies, but it's difficult to imagine that someone hates him enough to murder him and his wife. This is the scenario Madeleine Verge, Charles' mother, would have Brock believe, insisting that her son is a victim rather than a murderer.
For his part, Brock is having none of it and pursues the case as if Verge is now sunning himself on a tropical island somewhere. The discovery of a money trail that has been used to siphon money out of the Verge Practice and into a non-existent shell company before being moved out to an off-shore account reinforces his suspicions.
The investigation largely consists of careful sifting over all of the evidence and notes that were collected by the initial team in the hopes of finding something that was missed. An anomaly in the initial forensic work picked up by Kathy's painstaking work gives Brock's team a crucial snippet of a lead to follow. It's this piece of missed evidence that gives the team the first hint that all was not well within the corporate walls of the Verge Practice, Jealousy, affairs, hatred and fear are all lurking within and any one of these emotions could be excuse enough for murder. But there's so much more at stake and Brock is being pressured by his superiors to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion.
From a very low-key beginning, this is a police procedural that grows into lively story that stretches the action from England to Spain and back again. And then it packs a few surprise punches that I just didn't see coming.
There is a comfortable, linear feel to the story as it moves forward in a neat logical progression. One small lead is followed by the resulting discovery and the case quickly begins to mount. It's the kind of structure that allows the reader to easily become engaged in the mystery and then make their own guesses as to what is going to happen.
Just as important as the progression of the investigation is the personal development of the principal characters and this is done to good effect here with the personal background of Kolla and Brock carried on from earlier books in the series. While a lot of the detail about these characters will be more meaningful to those who have read the entire series, the book would still read quite well as a stand alone.
Maitland sets up a series of possible red-herring scenarios for the reader to choose from as the investigation seemingly winds up at one point, only to explode into a multitude of unexpected directions. Throughout all of this there is a definite adversarial tone to the book, with Brock having to weather pressure both from his boss at Scotland Yard and from Charles Verge's mother. It seems that everyone would like Brock to forget about Charles Verge, whether he was a murderer or a victim.
The Verge Practice is a strongly plotted mystery that continues on a very enjoyable police procedural series. Apart from a slightly distracting side story that has Kathy chairing a Crime Strategy Working Party committee dealing with minority and gender issues, this is a completely absorbing mystery that is thoroughly enjoyable reading.
December 31, 2020
'The Verge Practice', a relatively early one in Barry Maitland's Brock & Kolla collection, is a rare miss, but not by much. Brock, the Detective Chief Inspector, gets involved in the investigation of the murder of a famous architect's wife and the sudden disappearance of that same famous architect, Charles Verge. Did Verge murder his wife and take off? Did the murderer kill both of them and dump Verge's body elsewhere? Are there other possibilities? Believe me there are, and both Brock and his able detective Kathy Kolla look at them all.
Kolla's an interesting character who is developed quite nicely through the series. During this investigation, it's still fairly early in her tenure in the police and her relationship to Brock is still being defined. She's in love but having some issues with her boyfriend, and is in demand as she's assigned to a time-sucking committee that is interfering with her investigatory work. She has a few uncharacteristic missteps along the way as the relatives, friends, and business partners of Verge are interviewed and analyzed, but in the end it's her aggressive work that provides the solution and nearly costs her her job.
The Brock & Kolla series (for some reason, the cover on the Verge Practice calls it 'A Kathy & Brock Mystery) is a solid one that seems very English to me, with well-spoken characters, less impulsive behavior (lacking in this one, though), tea offered at the proper times, and an overall aura of politeness. The Verge Practice breaks that mold a bit with Kolla's behavior, but I'm not sure the crime would've been solved without it. It's a nice addition to the series but it seems to me that Maitland wanted to write one of his novels about architects and The Verge Practice wasn't necessarily developed in the same way as the others in his catalog. It's still very readable, though.
Kolla's an interesting character who is developed quite nicely through the series. During this investigation, it's still fairly early in her tenure in the police and her relationship to Brock is still being defined. She's in love but having some issues with her boyfriend, and is in demand as she's assigned to a time-sucking committee that is interfering with her investigatory work. She has a few uncharacteristic missteps along the way as the relatives, friends, and business partners of Verge are interviewed and analyzed, but in the end it's her aggressive work that provides the solution and nearly costs her her job.
The Brock & Kolla series (for some reason, the cover on the Verge Practice calls it 'A Kathy & Brock Mystery) is a solid one that seems very English to me, with well-spoken characters, less impulsive behavior (lacking in this one, though), tea offered at the proper times, and an overall aura of politeness. The Verge Practice breaks that mold a bit with Kolla's behavior, but I'm not sure the crime would've been solved without it. It's a nice addition to the series but it seems to me that Maitland wanted to write one of his novels about architects and The Verge Practice wasn't necessarily developed in the same way as the others in his catalog. It's still very readable, though.
January 21, 2018
Carefully constructed
An intriguing whodunnit, written by an architect about an architect who disappears- is he alive or dead? To find the answer, Brock and Kathy have to follow several false leads. The chapters are written from the point of view of different characters, which I found interesting and successful. Great twist at the end, even though a wee bit far-fetched. Or maybe not...
An intriguing whodunnit, written by an architect about an architect who disappears- is he alive or dead? To find the answer, Brock and Kathy have to follow several false leads. The chapters are written from the point of view of different characters, which I found interesting and successful. Great twist at the end, even though a wee bit far-fetched. Or maybe not...
April 4, 2020
Quite enjoyed this book. Architecture was a feature. Brock and Kolla are great characters.
Ebook from BorrowBox
Ebook from BorrowBox
June 21, 2009
Another solid Brock and Kolla mystery- you won't see the end of this one coming! A little bit less plausible than some of the other books in the series (although it could still happen), this book looks at the disappearance of Charles Verge, prominent architect and the murder of his wife. There's also a bit of personal stuff with Kathy, but it doesn't overload the storyline. Every word Mr Maitland writes is well thought out.
A great crime series that is often sadly overlooked.
A great crime series that is often sadly overlooked.
February 29, 2020
Another great read from Barry Maitland. This was a mystery full of twists and turns that kept me reviewing my conclusions through to the final clue uncovered by Kathy in her short stint of braking and entering. I love the tenacious nature of Kathy and Brock, and Kathy's big picture view of all possibilities.
I was disappointed about Leon though, not because he's told Kathy he's gay but because I'm disappointed for Kathy. There were some interesting issues alluded to, how we view gender, stereotypes, gender bias in the police force (and it's militaristic structure which I've never thought to much about but am now). All sorts of human frailty is depicted in this most intriguing story of a famous, hugely successful, wealthy, egotistical and devious architect who is the main character.
Charles Verge - apparently loved by everyone and an absolute saint according to his mother. Divorced and remarried to a much younger woman who is found stabbed to death in his apartment, and now he's vanished. Did his business partner do it, or a stranger, did he really do it and then scarper?
Well that's the whole nub of the story, who did it and why and when they get a confession from Charles business partner the case is closed, police top brass all smiles because it has cleared Charles Verge from being a murderer and now his masterpiece Marchdale Prison on the fens, can safely be opened by the prince and attended by all the important people in the world or architecture, justice and society. But Brock isn't happy and neither is Kathy, there's no body, and they have their suspicions that Mr Verge is very much alive. Proving it is fraught with difficulty and obstruction which is why Kathy decides on impulse to go to Spain and break into the facilities of a Dr who changes peoples appearance, she's certain there will be evidence and indeed there is, but not quite what she was expecting. Unfortunately she gets caught, drugged, filled with booze and left in her rental car that's been run into a pole on the motorway.
Kathy has a bad habit of ending up tied up and/or locked up; or almost getting herself killed but luckily the uncovering of Charles Verge's secret and whereabouts doesn't end in tears, not for her anyway, she is released by her captors Luz and George after Luz has been given plenty of time to disappear with the secret of where Charles Verge is and eliminate all other possible forms of evidence.
So the mystery was solved by Kathy, but as there was no evidence, the confession of Sandy Clarke became the conclusion and official version of the murder of wife number 2 and Charles's disappearance.
The only question in my mind at the end, is what is going to happen to Leon?
I was disappointed about Leon though, not because he's told Kathy he's gay but because I'm disappointed for Kathy. There were some interesting issues alluded to, how we view gender, stereotypes, gender bias in the police force (and it's militaristic structure which I've never thought to much about but am now). All sorts of human frailty is depicted in this most intriguing story of a famous, hugely successful, wealthy, egotistical and devious architect who is the main character.
Charles Verge - apparently loved by everyone and an absolute saint according to his mother. Divorced and remarried to a much younger woman who is found stabbed to death in his apartment, and now he's vanished. Did his business partner do it, or a stranger, did he really do it and then scarper?
Well that's the whole nub of the story, who did it and why and when they get a confession from Charles business partner the case is closed, police top brass all smiles because it has cleared Charles Verge from being a murderer and now his masterpiece Marchdale Prison on the fens, can safely be opened by the prince and attended by all the important people in the world or architecture, justice and society. But Brock isn't happy and neither is Kathy, there's no body, and they have their suspicions that Mr Verge is very much alive. Proving it is fraught with difficulty and obstruction which is why Kathy decides on impulse to go to Spain and break into the facilities of a Dr who changes peoples appearance, she's certain there will be evidence and indeed there is, but not quite what she was expecting. Unfortunately she gets caught, drugged, filled with booze and left in her rental car that's been run into a pole on the motorway.
Kathy has a bad habit of ending up tied up and/or locked up; or almost getting herself killed but luckily the uncovering of Charles Verge's secret and whereabouts doesn't end in tears, not for her anyway, she is released by her captors Luz and George after Luz has been given plenty of time to disappear with the secret of where Charles Verge is and eliminate all other possible forms of evidence.
So the mystery was solved by Kathy, but as there was no evidence, the confession of Sandy Clarke became the conclusion and official version of the murder of wife number 2 and Charles's disappearance.
The only question in my mind at the end, is what is going to happen to Leon?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2024
This book makes no sense. It's the first Brock/Kolla I've read in a while. I've read all the ones that come before this, and even one after that I found at a used book store, and it just may stop me from wasting my time on any others.
I like the personal aspects of Brock and Kolla's lives, I like seeing into those. But the plot doesn't make sense and comes off as transphobic. It was written over 20 years ago, and that may account for some of the problems with this - would Maitland write the same kind of thing today? (JK Rowling probably would, but she can't write a good mystery, so that's not an issue at hand today). I don't know.
The whole thing doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that Charles Verge, who was, let's face it, an a-hole, would be so beloved and protected by the Galician police that they would ignore murders he committed before he transitioned. It makes even less sense that his own daughter wouldn't recognize Verge after said transition. I guess the "cigarette smoker's voice" was supposed to clue us in that Verge was now -- sorry, I forget her name because I read the book a few months back and got rid of it --the artist?
It makes no sense that Kolla would fly down to Barcelona and break into a building, break the law, and just happen to see the old doctor performing an operation -- just in the nick of time! Because she and Brock couldn't figure anything else out without this bit of knowledge? Sure, in a lot of thrillers and mysteries, coincidences do happen to drive the plot and a lot of those coincidences would be weird if they happened in real life, but they are somehow believable in the context of the story. This isn't the case here.
Trans people are not plotlines or jokes or big reveals to move a story along. So while I have liked other books in this series, this one is just awful. I mean, it's awful in terms of making the trans person the criminal (of course) and it's actually not well-plotted, relying on coincidences that are too unbelievable even for a novel. It's rather boring as well. But the transphobia is absolutely gross. Cannot recommend
I like the personal aspects of Brock and Kolla's lives, I like seeing into those. But the plot doesn't make sense and comes off as transphobic. It was written over 20 years ago, and that may account for some of the problems with this - would Maitland write the same kind of thing today? (JK Rowling probably would, but she can't write a good mystery, so that's not an issue at hand today). I don't know.
The whole thing doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that Charles Verge, who was, let's face it, an a-hole, would be so beloved and protected by the Galician police that they would ignore murders he committed before he transitioned. It makes even less sense that his own daughter wouldn't recognize Verge after said transition. I guess the "cigarette smoker's voice" was supposed to clue us in that Verge was now -- sorry, I forget her name because I read the book a few months back and got rid of it --the artist?
It makes no sense that Kolla would fly down to Barcelona and break into a building, break the law, and just happen to see the old doctor performing an operation -- just in the nick of time! Because she and Brock couldn't figure anything else out without this bit of knowledge? Sure, in a lot of thrillers and mysteries, coincidences do happen to drive the plot and a lot of those coincidences would be weird if they happened in real life, but they are somehow believable in the context of the story. This isn't the case here.
Trans people are not plotlines or jokes or big reveals to move a story along. So while I have liked other books in this series, this one is just awful. I mean, it's awful in terms of making the trans person the criminal (of course) and it's actually not well-plotted, relying on coincidences that are too unbelievable even for a novel. It's rather boring as well. But the transphobia is absolutely gross. Cannot recommend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
Wow, what a pile of transphobic trash. Spoilers below
I don't generally read crime novels, but this one was recommended to me by a colleague just before I went to Barcelona. I read it over 12 months from returning, but it's now done. I want these hours back in my life.
The whodunit is a trans woman. Apart from the transphobic stereotype that trans women are violent, which already sucks, one of the main characters then dead names and misgenders her. All of this is gross.
Also the writing jumps locations and characters constantly in the text, usually in the next paragraph and the reader whiplash was difficult to manage. Won't ever be reading another Barry Maitland book again.
I don't generally read crime novels, but this one was recommended to me by a colleague just before I went to Barcelona. I read it over 12 months from returning, but it's now done. I want these hours back in my life.
The whodunit is a trans woman. Apart from the transphobic stereotype that trans women are violent, which already sucks, one of the main characters then dead names and misgenders her. All of this is gross.
Also the writing jumps locations and characters constantly in the text, usually in the next paragraph and the reader whiplash was difficult to manage. Won't ever be reading another Barry Maitland book again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2019
I read this book because I had been attracted by the philatelic angle in Maitland's earlier mystery, The Chalon Heads. This detective mystery lacked the philatelic angle but it was an entertaining mystery full of engaging characters and surprising twists and turns spiced up with lots of architectural trivia.
June 15, 2022
I was a bit disappointed. The first 3/4 of the book was good, kept my interest in both the story and the development of Kathy and Brock's characters. But the ending - Kathy's return to Spain and the eventual revealing of the murderer left me cold. Almost like Maitland didn't know how to bring the plot to a close.
October 31, 2020
I really like this series but I found this book a little disappointing. It seemed so out of character that Kathy Kolla would resort to ‘breaking and entry‘ and in a foreign country too! The twist at the end left me cold also.
May 24, 2021
Another very enjoyable read from Barry Maitland in his Brock & Kolla series. He is a master of murder mysteries in my opinion. The novel is suffused with intrigue and suspense and a satisfying conclusion.
September 5, 2018
As I said earlier, fans of Barry Maitland know that all is not as it appears in the beginning. I will have to admit I was not expecting how it actually ended.
September 6, 2018
Rather an extreme version of the style. But of course uses Maitland's earlier life as an architect as background. Very realistic too
January 21, 2019
I had given up on the series, but came upon this book which caught my attention. I did enjoy it despite it's final bizarre plot twist. I'm interested enough to try another of Brock & Kolla
April 6, 2019
Well, this one was great until the last quarter, when things went completely berserk. Kathy chairing a working group was entertaining. I am now completely over the Kathy/Leon romance.
June 8, 2020
I would never have picked the ending. A great story that keeps you reading.
March 22, 2021
Another enjoyable crime read, although I felt Brock and Kolla were a little disjointed.
October 3, 2023
An intriguing mystery. I like these characters.
January 8, 2025
Entertaining enough especially the first half or more. Got a bit crazy with plot towards the end.
March 6, 2025
Big fan of the series. This one tied up with architecture.
May 12, 2025
Another good one in the series. Enjoyed it!
March 3, 2017
Once again Barry Maitland ( nor relation) has written a great mystery. Brock and Kolla are a good pair and investigate so well together! Another good read.
December 27, 2018
Charles Verge--owner of The Verge Practice, a prestigious architectural firm, is missing and his wife is dead. Brock & Kolla are called in to investigate. As they dig deeper, the mystery gets more complicated. It takes a desperate move by Kolla to get at the truth of the matter.
Good writing and interesting mystery with shocking ending.
Good writing and interesting mystery with shocking ending.
May 31, 2011
I'd give this an additional half star if I could. The story is fun and original and each book adds to Brock and Kolla's relationship and their relationships with the other members of their team. Maitland never over explains anything that's happened in previous stories, which I always appreciate. The mystery--though an absolute page turner, especially the last 100 or so pages--is a bit over the top (and "a bit" might be an understatement). But I don't read these for a realistic story; I read them for a sensational story with great characters, and on that, Maitland totally delivers. Now I just need to get my grubby paws on the next book!
January 3, 2017
Not a bad read. This is my first Barry Maitland book and I enjoyed the prose. His style is very readable and it was a quick read for me which is good, however I found the plot slightly labored in points where it seemed to go from this to that with no real direction, but maybe I was missing something.
I also found the storyline a tad implausible.
I have come in half way through the mix but the relationship between the two protagonists (Brock and Kolla) is a bit dull don't you think? Not sure.
I must say though, I loved Maitland's turn of phrase and skillful use of simile, which made me overall enjoy this reading experience.
I also found the storyline a tad implausible.
I have come in half way through the mix but the relationship between the two protagonists (Brock and Kolla) is a bit dull don't you think? Not sure.
I must say though, I loved Maitland's turn of phrase and skillful use of simile, which made me overall enjoy this reading experience.
April 3, 2015
I've skipped 2 books in the Brock and Kolla series, however this didn't affect my enjoyment as Barry Maitland doesn't reference events in previous books.
A famous architect has disappeared and his wife has been murdered. Brock and Kolla pick up the trail several months later, reviewing the work of the original team. Like Bright Air there is a lot of architectural detail which I enjoyed, particularly the visits to Barcelona.
It was a bit slow to start, but I enjoyed it. Probably a 3.5 really.
A famous architect has disappeared and his wife has been murdered. Brock and Kolla pick up the trail several months later, reviewing the work of the original team. Like Bright Air there is a lot of architectural detail which I enjoyed, particularly the visits to Barcelona.
It was a bit slow to start, but I enjoyed it. Probably a 3.5 really.
June 26, 2015
Loved the plot, seriously needs proofing
I'm partial to British mysteries and this is a good one. Characters are imperfect and likeable, plot progresses well with a twist at the end you are not likely to guess, and the writing does not get in its own way. Overall, a very good book. The typos are very distracting. I hope they are just a Kindle thing and will be corrected.
I'm partial to British mysteries and this is a good one. Characters are imperfect and likeable, plot progresses well with a twist at the end you are not likely to guess, and the writing does not get in its own way. Overall, a very good book. The typos are very distracting. I hope they are just a Kindle thing and will be corrected.
February 23, 2014
I didn't like this title as much as some of the earlier books in the Brock and Kolla series. There were times when the twists seemed a bit too contrived. However, as soon as I finished this one, I started the next (#8) in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews