Death Dance

Rafferty and Llewellyn Police Procedural Series #13

by Geraldine Evans

The brand-new Rafferty and Llewellyn Mystery - Detective Inspector Joseph Rafferty has just left his wedding rehearsal when Sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn calls to say that a local man has come home to find his wife dead – strangled – on the kitchen floor. Adrienne Staveley is soon revealed to be a woman with many secrets and several lovers, and there is no shortage of suspects.  But to Rafferty’s horror, his fiancée Abra’s fingerprints are among those found in the dead woman’s house . . .

Genres: Procedural, Mystery, British Literature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

aka Geraldine Hartnett.

I'm a British author and live in Norfolk, England. I write mystery/detective novels and have two series on the go: Rafferty & Llewellyn and Casey & Catt.

Series:

* Rafferty and Llewellyn Mystery
* Casey and Catt Mystery

I also write historical novels, of which my first is Reluctant Queen: The Story of Mary Rose Tudor, the Defiant Little Sister of Infamous English king, Henry VIII.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of people who didn't like Adrienne Stavely. When she's murdered, Rafferty and Llewellyn have many suspects with motives, but no evidence against any of them. Rafferty, distracted by his coming marriage to Abra, is under pressure to solve the case before the wedding. The pressure gets even worse when Abra's fingerprints are found in the dead woman's house. Finally they get a break in the case--but Rafferty is still not sure that they've captured the right person.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Another one sitting volume.

[Saundra Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

These delightful police procedurals by Geraldine Evans are addicting! The great characters and their growth throughout the series keep you coming back for more. This is number thirteen and Rafferty and Llewellyn are still going strong.

Rafferty’s wedding to Llewellyn’s cousin, Abra, is fast approaching. In less than a fortnight he will be happily married. That is if he can solve an inconveniently timed murder.

A housewife was discovered strangled in her kitchen by her husband. Upon investigation, it seemed that no one in the immediate family or in-laws cared for the woman, except perhaps her husband. But as he hasn’t a creditable alibi, even he can’t be ruled out.

To muddle things further, Abra’s fingerprints are among the many at the murder scene. The last thing Rafferty wants to do is question Abra in his murder investigation. She already left Rafferty once, moving back to her own apartment when they disagreed on the wedding costs. He certainly doesn’t want that to happen again, but how did her fingerprints get all over that house?

Can Rafferty and Llewellyn outwit this killer in time for the wedding? What explanation can Abra offer? Will Rafferty work up the courage to find out?

[Jack Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geraldine Evans follows this formulaic police procedural with problems one should not have, not only does the hero have to catch the murderer but also has to worry about his coming wedding. If he fails to solve the case before his day in front of the altar he may have to cancel; something his wife to be may not mind but he hasn't paid the insurance.
The suspect list is long with no suspects forcing themselves to the front, not something one enjoys when one has a Superintendent like theirs hanging around the back of their necks. Great read to take with you on a journey or on holiday, not too savage for those of mild disposition.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery was like a cookbook recipe.

One dead not particularly likable woman
Two detectives who would rather be elsewhere
Three or more lovers in to the mix
A dash of fingerprints that are out of place
Miix well and you will have a rather flat concoction
That you will be happy to take out of the oven

[Kabrada · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was boring and repetitive. The story would easily have fitted into 20 pages.