Suspicious Minds

Harry Devlin #2

by Martin Edwards

Harry Devlin is at it again, when he's asked to help his client, Jack Stirrup find out the truth of his missing wife's whereabouts. Has she been murdered? And if so, is Jack Stirrup guilty? Harry is just beginning to unravel the details when Stirrup's only daughter turns up missing as well. And there've been a number of rapes happening in the city lately by a perpetrator known only as "The Beast." Falling for Valerie Kaiwar's charms, Harry Devlin finds himself deeper and deeper into the mystery of Jack Stirrup's life and trailing certain suspects to find out who the Beast is. But will Harry be up to the challenge? And will he be able to hold onto Valerie's heart?

Martin Edwards was born at Knutsford, Cheshire in 1955. He is married with two children and they are all now living in Lymm. His series character, solicitor Harry Devlin, has appeared in seven novels; in addition, he is the author of a psychological suspense novel, Take My Breath Away, and two Lake District Mysteries.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, British Literature

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story from cover to cover. At first I thought that it was surely a five star book, but, in the end, I gave it four. Harry Devlin is growing one me...

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the Lake District series, so I thought I would give these, mostly earlier, books a try. The story is ok, but the main character, Harry Devlin, is not as likeable as the main characters in the Lake District books.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Liverpool and featuring a solicitor whose client's wife has disappeared, this was a solidly entertaining read with nice characterizations and a suspenseful plot.

[John Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first Harry Devlin book All The Lonely People in this new series from Martin Edwards,which was set in the urban and dark streets of Liverpool.
Suspicious Minds is again set in Liverpool but set in the hottest summer on record,which bring a few rays of sunshine into Harry’s life,literally and metaphorically.
Harry and his latest client Jack ‘Jock’ Stirrup in the seaside resort of New Brighton on the Wirral peninsula and across the River Mersey from Liverpool.
Jack’s wife has disappeared believed dead or just vanished and the local police suspect foul play,but Harry wonders if he has something to hide.
But when Jack Stirrup’s Daughter and her boyfriend go missing as well,Harry finds himself hunting a brutal murderer.
For me (Martin Edwards) this is his second Harry Devlin book has out done himself again and I still got another six books to read in this series.
The law and legal profession,play a crucial part in this book and if you didn’t know that in real life Martin Edwards has a first class honours in law from Balliol College in Oxford England,and is a highly respected lawyer specialising in employment law.
This book packs a lot of human life in to the story lines within this book and would recommend you read this book and has people have asked ‘do I need to read these books in order’ I’d say no,but I first read The Lake District books by Martin Edwards in order and that was the right thing to do.
Enjoy

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of Martin Edwards' Liverpool mysteries featuring his solicitor/sleuth Harry Devlin. This one opens with a disappearance which then fans out into a number of related crimes.

It's a short read with a clutch of deftly drawn characters and a number of twists and switches. That said, it does drift here and there despite its brevity and the solution, while not conjured out of thin air, could have stood some stronger cluing.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I got a kick out of the various references and nods to classic movies, so probably a solid 3 and a half stars would be a fair assessment.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first Harry Devlin book and this one, while a little meandering at times, kept my interest until the end. The strength of this book is the characterisation - if I walked through a downtown Liverpool street or entered a bar, I feel sure the characters described would be apparent.

[Amy Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. Not in the all time favorites group but steady and reliable. Expect further reviews as I work my way through.

[Jason Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

#2 in the series. What begins as a missing person's case quickly becomes a murder investigation, as a serial rapist accelerates to murder. Solid entry in the series.

[Peggy Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with the likable Harry Devlin as a lawyer. I’d like to read more in this series. Strong character development.

[Shirley Erstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Hilary Mccarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good crime thriller .
Different to most crime novels as not written through the eyes of the police but a solicitor .I like Harry Devlin , he is quite both determined and laid back
Fast moving and a complicated plot .

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it, next!!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. I had no clue who the murderer was until the end.