Missing Link

Fizz & Buchanan #9

by Joyce Holms

Fizz has always been a magnet for weird folk of all kinds but Mrs Sullivan really takes the biscuit. The old dear is – or claims to be – convinced that she is guilty of a brutal murder, one for which a man has already been convicted. She may be delusional, she may be lying, she may actually be guilty, but at least she is wealthy and able to pay generously for someone to settle the matter one way or another. Fizz, newly fledged as a solicitor, has too much on her plate to get involved but she does know someone who has plenty of time on his hands and who badly needs the money. Buchanan is currently finding his feet as an advocate: briefs are thin on the ground and he is, for the first time in his life, feeling the pinch. The idea of taking money from a nutty old lady does not appeal to him but, as Fizz points out, someone is doing time for the murder and they guy might be totally innocent. If Mrs Sullivan – who does appear totally rational – really did cave in someone's head with a hammer somebody ought to be able to find evidence to prove the fact. Was the murdered woman really the respectable Scottish landowner she appeared to be or the scruffy little slut that Mrs Sullivan alleges? Was low-life brothel keeper, Terence Lamb, framed for the murder? Will Fizz and Buchanan get together at last or will he throw her to the ground and jump on her? Anything is possible.
Praise for Joyce Holms writing.
VAL McDERMID: Engaging and entertaining, it builds to a spectacular climax. Deft, daft and definitely delicious. Holms is a magician. - the reader is so busy laughing, the clues slip by unnoticed. (Manchester Evening News)
IAN RANKIN. : Delightfully quirky. For Joyce’s stories you don’t need a strong stomach, though you may find your sides aching with laughter. Her humour is sharp without being nasty, her characters well-drawn and her Edinburgh a place you’ll want to spend time in.
SUNDAY TIMES: The writing is deft and smooth, the characters well-drawn and Fizz and Tam are a couple worth keeping an eye on.
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A cleverly plotted story. The characters are well-drawn and the story moves along at an enjoyably brisk pace.
SHERLOCK HOLMES MAGAZINE: Diverting humour and nifty characterization. Go on – go out, get it, gasp and giggle.
BIRMINGHAM POST: a good story, light-hearted, full of fascinating characters .
SHOTS MAGAZINE:
SCENES OF CRIME REVIEWS: Holms has a gift for writing light, pacey mysteries with an engaging pair of central characters in Fizz and Tam.
THE SCOTSMAN: delightfully quirky.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[P.D.R. Lindsay]

An Original twist on crime solving, set in Scotland, and written with a light hand and a dry humour. Pleasant read and entertaining.

An amusing whodunit with an advocate and a solicitor working as a bickering team to solve a crime. A dear little old lady claims to have committed a murder and wants to confess as an innocent man has been convicted. Seems a simple task to prove that she is slightly gaga, alas things soon become highly complicated. All the action gives Fizz lots of opportunity to annoy Tam and half the fun is reading about this modern Beatrice and Benedick bickering away until they stumble on the truth.

A good read for anyone who enjoys crime without the four letter words, excess gore and hard men!

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new author for me. I quickly got into the unusual premise of the story and felt that the two main characters we easy to imagine. I wonder if that was because the makeup of this twosome is quite familiar ie Male - by the book; conservative. Female - a bit off the wall; spontaneous. Chalk and Cheese. Will they -wont they?
I did think that there was a glitch in the storyline. Why didnt Buchanan ask Chloe what she was doing down by the pool after he fell?