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Wilson & McLeish #6
A FATAL GASP an absolutely gripping classic British whodunnit
INTRODUCING A CLASSIC BRITISH WHODUNNIT FEATURING SCOTTISH DETECTIVE JOHN McLEISH AND SPARKY CIVIL SERVANT FRANCESCA WILSON.
‘A mastery worthy of P.D. James’ warm heart and cold eye.’ Kirkus
Murder is on the menu for Detective John McLeish at the fashionable Café de la Paix in Covent Garden. Charming restauranteur Selina Marsh-Hayden is found dead in her chest freezer.
The restaurant was for sale and the deal ready to be signed.
Except Selina was refusing to sell.
There is no shortage of suspects for McLeish. Francesca Wilson has already shown him that all involved in the restaurant deal had a lot of money to lose.
The sale had to happen.
Then Selina’s husband is found dead from an overdose. McLeish is convinced it’s murder. And when further attacks continue on the restaurant staff McLeish realises the killer has another motive.
Something far more sinister . . . and deadly.
Fans of P.D. James, Robert Galbraith, Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie will devour this classic crime series full of twists.
Please note this was previously published as To Die For.
***A FATAL BLOW WAS WINNER OF THE JOHN CREASY NEW BLOOD DAGGER 1988***
PRAISE FOR JANET NEEL’S WILSON AND McLEISH
‘An outstandingly good first novel.’ Times Literary Supplement
‘A stylish debut by a literate and witty writer.’ Washington Post
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Ten Stars.’ Christine S
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fascinating stories with well developed characters.’ Suzanne
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I would recommend this to lovers of mysteries.’ Caroline
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A captivating set of central and peripheral characters in tales of murder deftly told by a master storyteller.’ Michael H
MEET THE DETECTIVES
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JOHN McLEISH may have been brought up in the south of England, but he is very much a Scotsman through and through. Having worked his way up through the ranks of London’s finest, he fervently believes that the Met, like the armies at Waterloo, could not function without the Scots in its ranks. Standing at six feet four — and with the physique of a rugby forward — he cuts a striking figure, but is every inch the gentleman.
Bright young FRANCESCA WILSON worked her way up through the man’s world of the civil service to become a much-respected figure in the Department of Trade and Industry. But don’t be fooled by her dazzling eyes and snappy haircut — her sharp mind and photographic memory mean she is more than a match for her male counterparts. And, as those close to her know, she cut her teeth taking care of four younger brothers from the age of ten, who still continually get into scrapes.
‘A mastery worthy of P.D. James’ warm heart and cold eye.’ Kirkus
Murder is on the menu for Detective John McLeish at the fashionable Café de la Paix in Covent Garden. Charming restauranteur Selina Marsh-Hayden is found dead in her chest freezer.
The restaurant was for sale and the deal ready to be signed.
Except Selina was refusing to sell.
There is no shortage of suspects for McLeish. Francesca Wilson has already shown him that all involved in the restaurant deal had a lot of money to lose.
The sale had to happen.
Then Selina’s husband is found dead from an overdose. McLeish is convinced it’s murder. And when further attacks continue on the restaurant staff McLeish realises the killer has another motive.
Something far more sinister . . . and deadly.
Fans of P.D. James, Robert Galbraith, Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie will devour this classic crime series full of twists.
Please note this was previously published as To Die For.
***A FATAL BLOW WAS WINNER OF THE JOHN CREASY NEW BLOOD DAGGER 1988***
PRAISE FOR JANET NEEL’S WILSON AND McLEISH
‘An outstandingly good first novel.’ Times Literary Supplement
‘A stylish debut by a literate and witty writer.’ Washington Post
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Ten Stars.’ Christine S
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fascinating stories with well developed characters.’ Suzanne
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I would recommend this to lovers of mysteries.’ Caroline
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A captivating set of central and peripheral characters in tales of murder deftly told by a master storyteller.’ Michael H
MEET THE DETECTIVES
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JOHN McLEISH may have been brought up in the south of England, but he is very much a Scotsman through and through. Having worked his way up through the ranks of London’s finest, he fervently believes that the Met, like the armies at Waterloo, could not function without the Scots in its ranks. Standing at six feet four — and with the physique of a rugby forward — he cuts a striking figure, but is every inch the gentleman.
Bright young FRANCESCA WILSON worked her way up through the man’s world of the civil service to become a much-respected figure in the Department of Trade and Industry. But don’t be fooled by her dazzling eyes and snappy haircut — her sharp mind and photographic memory mean she is more than a match for her male counterparts. And, as those close to her know, she cut her teeth taking care of four younger brothers from the age of ten, who still continually get into scrapes.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
77 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Janet Neel
18 books10 followersAka Janet Cohen
Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico is a British lawyer and crime fiction writer. She was educated at South Hampstead High School, Hampstead, London, England and graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Honours, Law.
She started to work as a practising solicitor in 1965. She married James Lionel Cohen, son of Dr. Richard Henry Lionel Cohen, on 18 December 1971. She was a Governor of the BBC between 1994 and 1999. She was created Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, in the City of Westminster (life peer), on 3 May 2000 and sits as a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
As Janet Neel and Janet Cohen she is the author of crime fiction novels.
Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico is a British lawyer and crime fiction writer. She was educated at South Hampstead High School, Hampstead, London, England and graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Honours, Law.
She started to work as a practising solicitor in 1965. She married James Lionel Cohen, son of Dr. Richard Henry Lionel Cohen, on 18 December 1971. She was a Governor of the BBC between 1994 and 1999. She was created Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, in the City of Westminster (life peer), on 3 May 2000 and sits as a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
As Janet Neel and Janet Cohen she is the author of crime fiction novels.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 1, 2024
Another devilish plot to keep the reader guessing!
I like the characters in this mystery series. DI McLeish is tough but likable along with Davidson. Each book can be enjoyed as a single, but the plots develop better if read from the first Fatal Blow to Number 7.
I like the characters in this mystery series. DI McLeish is tough but likable along with Davidson. Each book can be enjoyed as a single, but the plots develop better if read from the first Fatal Blow to Number 7.
May 9, 2020
Murder mystery around finance. Has inconsistencies.
April 5, 2025
It's well-written and characterised, but the solution to the mystery is a bit of let-down.
February 5, 2011
When one of the shareholders in a popular London restaurant is found dead, the other partners come under suspicion. Fortunately, one of them knows Francesca Wilson, the newly pregnant (again!) wife of Scotland Yard detective John McLeish. Francesca's whole musician family is on hand, as brother Tris is singing in the nearby opera house. Another death seems to solve the crime, in John's opinion, but then attacks on the staff continue. Neel is reliably delightful, and writes beautifully about food.
Read
June 26, 2016Difficult to follow plot, clever ideas but not really enjoyable
June 8, 2015
Least favourite of her books but still love her writing style. On to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews