Deadly Sin: An Inspector Bliss Mystery

David Bliss #8

by James Hawkins

Emotions run high when Queen Elizabeth II attempts to heal the schism between Christians and Muslims by attending a London mosque for Friday prayers. David Bliss, newly returned to duty while he tries to find a publisher for his novel, has the task of protecting the royal couple, but is caught off guard when an attack comes from an unexpected quarter. Meanwhile, Bliss’s aging friend Daphne Lovelace needs help. Her elderly neighbours have died and apparently left their house to the family from hell. While Bliss desperately tries to protect the queen, Daphne puts on her oldest coat and takes up residence in a seniors home as she tries to discover what really happened to her neighbours. Age apparently catches up with her, and in no time she appears as senile as the other inhabitants, but Trina Button in far-off Canada smells a rat and forces Bliss to take action. Is someone playing God? And what role does Jack the Ripper play?

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

James Hawkins was a police commander in the U.K. for twenty years and a Canadian private investigator for a further eight years. From 1992 to 1997, he was director of education at the Canadian Institute for Environmental Investigations. His debut mystery novel, Missing: Presumed Dead (2001), introduced his popular detective, David Bliss.

Reviews

[Cybercrone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just can't deal with this writer's style at all. It's like trying to read scrambled eggs.

It seems a little more pulled together than Fish Kisser which is the only other of his that I've read, but not worth the effort when there are so many writers I enjoy.

[Lois Rooney-Giurin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was odd. There were two or more books in each one, far too many characters and the storyline jumped around, but I wanted to finish the series. I really did care about the characters. The ending was abrupt, and the love story crises very much a "really?". Not sure what to think really.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird writing like two different people were responsible for certain characters. Some well developed some not.