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The False Inspector Dew
“Absolutely riveting . . . A masterpiece. I defy anyone to foresee the outcome.” —Ruth Rendell
The year is 1921. A passionate affair between voracious romance reader Alma Webster and her dentist, Walter Baranov, has led to his wife’s murder. The lovers take flight aboard the Mauretania and the dentist takes the name of Inspector Dew, the detective who arrested the notorious wifekiller Dr. Crippen. But, in a disquieting twist, a murder occurs aboard ship and the captain invites “Inspector Dew” to investigate.
The year is 1921. A passionate affair between voracious romance reader Alma Webster and her dentist, Walter Baranov, has led to his wife’s murder. The lovers take flight aboard the Mauretania and the dentist takes the name of Inspector Dew, the detective who arrested the notorious wifekiller Dr. Crippen. But, in a disquieting twist, a murder occurs aboard ship and the captain invites “Inspector Dew” to investigate.
251 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1981
236 people are currently reading
1347 people want to read
About the author
Peter Lovesey
295 books643 followersPeter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
February 17, 2020
Completely delightful and clever mystery set aboard a transatlantic ship in 1921. While written in the 80s, I thought this felt like a mystery written decades earlier.
Dentist Walter Baranov is convinced by his rather flighty and over-romantic patient, Alma Webster, to murder his wife aboard the Mauretania when she decides to leave England to pursue an acting career in America. Alma has created rather a passionate love affair between herself and Walter in her head, and is convinced this is the right thing to do for them to be together. Alma will spend the voyage masquerading as the murdered wife, and Walter will travel on second-class and assume the name of a famous police detective, who happened to solve a very similar crime to the one they propose to commit, on another ship a decade earlier. But when there is a murder on board, "Inspector Dew" is called upon to solve it.
I enjoyed every minute of this and would recommend it to all fans of old-timey mysteries.
Dentist Walter Baranov is convinced by his rather flighty and over-romantic patient, Alma Webster, to murder his wife aboard the Mauretania when she decides to leave England to pursue an acting career in America. Alma has created rather a passionate love affair between herself and Walter in her head, and is convinced this is the right thing to do for them to be together. Alma will spend the voyage masquerading as the murdered wife, and Walter will travel on second-class and assume the name of a famous police detective, who happened to solve a very similar crime to the one they propose to commit, on another ship a decade earlier. But when there is a murder on board, "Inspector Dew" is called upon to solve it.
I enjoyed every minute of this and would recommend it to all fans of old-timey mysteries.
December 16, 2009
If I could I would give six stars. If there was something like “the perfect mystery-novel” this book would deserve that title. The “False Inspector” has everything you ask from a good crime-novel: Claustrophobic scene (crossing the Atlantic on a ship), some characters that make you curious who they really are, some confusion, some funny occurences and several twists that turn the story around without any lack of logic. The best thing: In my opinion the book contains not a single word too many. Everything is at its right place, the timing is perfect and in the (surprising) end you detect that you can interpret apparently solid facts in quite another way than you first thought.
April 8, 2022
Although this is somewhat of a mystery, it could be better classified as humor. The author, whose work I enjoy, has a real talent for capturing the personalities and lifestyles of the wealthy in the early part of the 20th century. And he does it with tongue-in-cheek in this story.
I can't go into the entire plot since there are some twists that will take the reader totally by surprise. A quick outline will give an idea of the basics:
* an overly romantic young woman falls "in love" with her dentist
* they decide to murder his wife and flee to the United States on the famed cruise ship, the Mauretania
* the dentist adopts the name of Walter Dew, the Scotland Yard Inspector who captured the infamous wife murderer, Dr. Crippin
* and then everything falls apart.
The use of real life people and incidents are woven into the story which adds more interest and, trust me, things aren't quite as they appear. What an imagination this author has! Delightful.
I can't go into the entire plot since there are some twists that will take the reader totally by surprise. A quick outline will give an idea of the basics:
* an overly romantic young woman falls "in love" with her dentist
* they decide to murder his wife and flee to the United States on the famed cruise ship, the Mauretania
* the dentist adopts the name of Walter Dew, the Scotland Yard Inspector who captured the infamous wife murderer, Dr. Crippin
* and then everything falls apart.
The use of real life people and incidents are woven into the story which adds more interest and, trust me, things aren't quite as they appear. What an imagination this author has! Delightful.
July 7, 2019
So this book was really good. What I liked best though was that I started to put it together that the Inspector Dew was actually very famous and started reading up on him last night. And then I read up on Dr. Crippen and then I found out that Netflix's series "Murder Maps" did an actual episode on this guy and I just continued to fall down a rabbit hole.
"The False Inspector Dew" follows two people who will do anything to be together. The first character is Alma Webster who has fallen madly in love with her dentist, Walter Baranov. Walter is married to a an actress, Lydia, who doesn't really care about him. When Lydia decides to leave England in order to become an American film star with Walter also having to give up his dentist practice to follow her, Walter and Alma make moves to eliminate Lydia. With Lydia setting sail on the Mauretania, Walter books passage under a false name (Inspector Dew) in order for him and Alma to get rid of Lydia. Things get tricky though when a woman's body is found in the water and Inspector Dew (Walter) is called on to help figure out who the murderer is.
First off, I disliked Walter and Alma. I was actively rooting against them. Of course I ended up laughing though because for all of their machinations, things keep getting worse for the pair. And I have to say that Lovesey did a good job with the secondary characters since they feel like they came out of a Christie novel at times.
I did enjoy the writing and it resembled Agatha Christie a bit, though I have to say that Christie is more able to get me into people's heads. For some reason I felt slightly apart from Walter and Alma throughout the book. This is the main reason why I gave this book four stars.
The setting of this book is 1920s Europe. We have a lot going on during this time period and we hear about real life things like Dr. Crippen, Charlie Chaplin, the sinking of the Lusitania. This was a nice murder mystery on a boat and definitely reads like a golden age mystery.
I thought the ending was quite clever and thought that Lovesey did a great job with this. For those who knows what happens with the real Dr. Crippen and Inspector Dew, you can guess at what eventually happens to all parties.
"The False Inspector Dew" follows two people who will do anything to be together. The first character is Alma Webster who has fallen madly in love with her dentist, Walter Baranov. Walter is married to a an actress, Lydia, who doesn't really care about him. When Lydia decides to leave England in order to become an American film star with Walter also having to give up his dentist practice to follow her, Walter and Alma make moves to eliminate Lydia. With Lydia setting sail on the Mauretania, Walter books passage under a false name (Inspector Dew) in order for him and Alma to get rid of Lydia. Things get tricky though when a woman's body is found in the water and Inspector Dew (Walter) is called on to help figure out who the murderer is.
First off, I disliked Walter and Alma. I was actively rooting against them. Of course I ended up laughing though because for all of their machinations, things keep getting worse for the pair. And I have to say that Lovesey did a good job with the secondary characters since they feel like they came out of a Christie novel at times.
I did enjoy the writing and it resembled Agatha Christie a bit, though I have to say that Christie is more able to get me into people's heads. For some reason I felt slightly apart from Walter and Alma throughout the book. This is the main reason why I gave this book four stars.
The setting of this book is 1920s Europe. We have a lot going on during this time period and we hear about real life things like Dr. Crippen, Charlie Chaplin, the sinking of the Lusitania. This was a nice murder mystery on a boat and definitely reads like a golden age mystery.
I thought the ending was quite clever and thought that Lovesey did a great job with this. For those who knows what happens with the real Dr. Crippen and Inspector Dew, you can guess at what eventually happens to all parties.
May 6, 2020
Murder! Shipwreck! Romance! Comedy! This book is a creepy, intelligent, delightfully fast-moving ride.
If I ever wanted to set foot on a trans-Atlantic ship (which I most certainly do NOT!) I'd think twice after reading "The False Inspector Dew." The frightening storm-at-sea scenes would have been enough to put me off boats forever, had I ever been "on" them (which I wasn't.)
If I ever wanted to set foot on a trans-Atlantic ship (which I most certainly do NOT!) I'd think twice after reading "The False Inspector Dew." The frightening storm-at-sea scenes would have been enough to put me off boats forever, had I ever been "on" them (which I wasn't.)
December 5, 2021
The False Inspector Dew is a very good book of its type. What type is it? Neo-historical detective fiction dealing with the 1920s, mystery in a confined location (ocean liner), humor, good characters, good plot and maybe more.
It’s complicated to describe, but starts with the sinking of the Lusitania, develops in London in 1921, involves many true figures such as Captain Rostron (captain who rescued passengers from the Titanic), the Crippen murder characters including Inspector Dew, and a fun cast of imaginary characters such as the false Inspector Dew who advance the mystery.
Lovesey makes no false steps. The characters are fun but never corny and the socio-historic details are spot on.
It’s complicated to describe, but starts with the sinking of the Lusitania, develops in London in 1921, involves many true figures such as Captain Rostron (captain who rescued passengers from the Titanic), the Crippen murder characters including Inspector Dew, and a fun cast of imaginary characters such as the false Inspector Dew who advance the mystery.
Lovesey makes no false steps. The characters are fun but never corny and the socio-historic details are spot on.
April 26, 2015
The False Inspector Dew (1982) is a stand-alone historical mystery by Peter Lovesey, known as well for his historical mystery series starring Sergeant Cribb and Bertie the Prince of Wales, a modern series with Peter Diamond, several other stand-alones, and short stories. My first introduction to Lovesey's writing was his Victorian series with Sergeant Cribb. These are delightful historical novels with fine plotting and a good deal of fun and humor. I had heard of the Inspector Dew novel for years--it is a Golden Dagger award winner and has been featured on various "Best of" lists. Julian Symons has described it as “one of the cleverest crime comedies of the past few years" in his book Bloody Murder. And it is quite clever and entertaining, indeed.
The book takes place primarily in the early 1920s--with a bit of background filled in with scenes from the sinking of the Lusitania. Alma Webster, a romantically-inclined woman of 28--full of romantic sensation novel plots and no real experience with the opposite sex, falls madly in love with her dentist. The dentist, Walter Baranov, is married to a demanding, self-centered actress and comes to appreciate the unswerving devotion of Miss Webster. There is just one obstacle to their grand passion--Lydia Baranov. When Lydia announces her plans to give up the stage in England for an imagined career in the growing American film industry...and that those plans involve Walter leaving up his dentist practice (which she paid for) and joining her in America, Walter and Alma hatch a plot to remove the obstacle.
Lydia sets about selling the dental practice and their home, packing up their belongings, and booking passage on the Mauretania, but Walter tells her he refuses to go. He then books his own passage under a false name--choosing by a quirk of humor to sail under the name Walter Dew, the name of a retired famous Scotland Yard Inspector. Alma, who fortunately resembles his wife, will sneak aboard and stand ready to take Lydia's place once Walter kills her and stuffs her through a convenient port hole. Things seem to have gone smoothly--Lydia is gone, Alma slips into her shoes, and Walter prepares to spend the voyage in the obscurity of second class. But then their plans fall apart...a woman's body is spotted in the water, a couple of card-sharpers get involved, "Inspector Dew" is called upon to help the captain and his crew get to the bottom of things, and someone takes a potshot at the "detective" as he does his best to live up to his namesake's reputation. Lovesey provides plenty of twists and turns as it seems that few people on board the Cunard vessel are really who they seem to be. It will be a clever armchair detective, indeed, who anticipates the final twist.
This is a terrific, near-perfect mystery in the traditional mode--it has everything: murder, ship-board romance, small-time crooks, mistaken identity (several), and a closed set of suspects. Lovesey expertly sets the reader up for certain scenarios and then, with a quick flick of the wrist changes things up in the most logical manner. He also seems to be having a great deal of fun playing with all the standard tropes of both detective and romantic fiction--from the passion of the romance-obsessed Alma to the Inspector who isn't really an inspector to the doting mother who's bound and determined to marry off her daughter. ★★★★ and a half stars for near-perfection.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
The book takes place primarily in the early 1920s--with a bit of background filled in with scenes from the sinking of the Lusitania. Alma Webster, a romantically-inclined woman of 28--full of romantic sensation novel plots and no real experience with the opposite sex, falls madly in love with her dentist. The dentist, Walter Baranov, is married to a demanding, self-centered actress and comes to appreciate the unswerving devotion of Miss Webster. There is just one obstacle to their grand passion--Lydia Baranov. When Lydia announces her plans to give up the stage in England for an imagined career in the growing American film industry...and that those plans involve Walter leaving up his dentist practice (which she paid for) and joining her in America, Walter and Alma hatch a plot to remove the obstacle.
Lydia sets about selling the dental practice and their home, packing up their belongings, and booking passage on the Mauretania, but Walter tells her he refuses to go. He then books his own passage under a false name--choosing by a quirk of humor to sail under the name Walter Dew, the name of a retired famous Scotland Yard Inspector. Alma, who fortunately resembles his wife, will sneak aboard and stand ready to take Lydia's place once Walter kills her and stuffs her through a convenient port hole. Things seem to have gone smoothly--Lydia is gone, Alma slips into her shoes, and Walter prepares to spend the voyage in the obscurity of second class. But then their plans fall apart...a woman's body is spotted in the water, a couple of card-sharpers get involved, "Inspector Dew" is called upon to help the captain and his crew get to the bottom of things, and someone takes a potshot at the "detective" as he does his best to live up to his namesake's reputation. Lovesey provides plenty of twists and turns as it seems that few people on board the Cunard vessel are really who they seem to be. It will be a clever armchair detective, indeed, who anticipates the final twist.
This is a terrific, near-perfect mystery in the traditional mode--it has everything: murder, ship-board romance, small-time crooks, mistaken identity (several), and a closed set of suspects. Lovesey expertly sets the reader up for certain scenarios and then, with a quick flick of the wrist changes things up in the most logical manner. He also seems to be having a great deal of fun playing with all the standard tropes of both detective and romantic fiction--from the passion of the romance-obsessed Alma to the Inspector who isn't really an inspector to the doting mother who's bound and determined to marry off her daughter. ★★★★ and a half stars for near-perfection.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
August 1, 2008
Most of my mystery reads get four stars when they're really really great, possibly b/c I am a genre fiction snob/self-hater but also b/c I think five stars should only go to perfection. So, yes, there can be five-star mysteries, YA novels, etc., but how often is something perfect? This is one of the perfect mysteries. Double-twisted plot, period shipboard mystery, wonderfully rich but economical language. I have to re-read this one.
January 13, 2020
An amusing little murder mystery in the style of a 1920's Golden Age mystery, written in Peter Lovesey's unique humorous style. Bodies appear to be dropping all over a steamship travelling from Great Britain to America, and card sharpers are thick as thieves (see what I did there?).
July 8, 2023
Outstanding mystery/crime novel! I had the opportunity to hear Peter Lovesey give a talk at Bouchercon a couple of years ago and was blown away by his humor and sheer cleverness. Both traits shine forth brilliantly in this stand-alone novel. Highest recommendation!
March 10, 2024
What a crazy mystery!
August 7, 2017
Found at a book fair, the 1982 Book Club Edition in pristine condition. The cover alone is worth admission depicting attack on a woman.
This is a well constructed comic crime book with exaggerated characters at every turn. The setup is the disastrous sinking of the Lusitania in Ireland and the fate of some of the survivors as they converge on a trip years later to America on the ship, The Mauritania. The cast includes a murderer aboard, another planned murder, a shooting, card sharks trying it on with the naive, deluded young woman who imagines she is a character in one of her romance novels and the masquerade of one man as a famous retired Scotland Yard DI, Inspector Dew.
I actually appreciated the description of the Lusitania sinking more than the frivolous interactions that seem to be part of books about the 20's. It's just not my favorite era.
This is a well constructed comic crime book with exaggerated characters at every turn. The setup is the disastrous sinking of the Lusitania in Ireland and the fate of some of the survivors as they converge on a trip years later to America on the ship, The Mauritania. The cast includes a murderer aboard, another planned murder, a shooting, card sharks trying it on with the naive, deluded young woman who imagines she is a character in one of her romance novels and the masquerade of one man as a famous retired Scotland Yard DI, Inspector Dew.
I actually appreciated the description of the Lusitania sinking more than the frivolous interactions that seem to be part of books about the 20's. It's just not my favorite era.
July 6, 2025
Such an enjoyable read. Funny characters, fun setting, clever plot devices, great twist at the end. Exactly what I wanted for the holiday weekend. No notes!
April 27, 2024
An incredibly clever plot along with interesting characters and a sense of humor made for a delightful read.
June 5, 2021
Not sure why I had not read this before but very glad to have remedied the omission.
Great fun, excellent puzzle and well-written. It is an especial joy for lovers of the Golden Age classic detection novel. Surprises abound and the reader is kept constantly in a state of wonder about the abilities of the author.
Highly recommendable.
4.5 stars.
Great fun, excellent puzzle and well-written. It is an especial joy for lovers of the Golden Age classic detection novel. Surprises abound and the reader is kept constantly in a state of wonder about the abilities of the author.
Highly recommendable.
4.5 stars.
August 20, 2023
This may be my all-time favorite mystery. The plot moves along at a rapid pace, the characters are well-written, the multiple overlapping mysteries are interesting, and the protagonist shows really clever development over the course of the book. Interestingly I only found this author’s other books middling but this one knocked it out of the park.
December 14, 2016
Lovesy is quickly becoming my new favorite British suspense/mystery writer. A master of the staggering ending, he creates characters who are both quick-witted and witty.
"Dew" is set mostly on one of the huge Cunard liners in 1923. A pretty straight-forward murder plot is hatched between a dentist and a woman who is besotted with him, involving the dentist's wife being tossed overboard after she is tossed off with a bit of chloroform.
Once we board ship, however, all bets are off. The intricacies of the plot, the many characters who aren't what they seem, and an acerbic wit make this book a new classic in the "impossible crime" genre. Highly recommended.
"Dew" is set mostly on one of the huge Cunard liners in 1923. A pretty straight-forward murder plot is hatched between a dentist and a woman who is besotted with him, involving the dentist's wife being tossed overboard after she is tossed off with a bit of chloroform.
Once we board ship, however, all bets are off. The intricacies of the plot, the many characters who aren't what they seem, and an acerbic wit make this book a new classic in the "impossible crime" genre. Highly recommended.
October 1, 2017
I had finished the Inspector Diamond series by this author and was looking around for his other work when I came across this one. The synopsis sounded interesting and certainly different to the usual crime novels.
Even though I have come to appreciate the authors style of writing , there is something diferent in the way he tells the story here that is most enjoyable.
The story is a classic country house who-done-it but set aboard a transatlantic liner just after the first world war, and against this background is framed a second story of the False Inspector Dew himself.
I enjoyed the book and the delightful and totally unexpected twist at the end.
Even though I have come to appreciate the authors style of writing , there is something diferent in the way he tells the story here that is most enjoyable.
The story is a classic country house who-done-it but set aboard a transatlantic liner just after the first world war, and against this background is framed a second story of the False Inspector Dew himself.
I enjoyed the book and the delightful and totally unexpected twist at the end.
January 8, 2013
A fun book. This is the second Peter Lovesey novel I've read, and it was quite different from the first ("Bloodhounds"). This one is much lighter - it wouldn't be much of a stretch to call it a parody. It almost had the feel of a 1940s comic-mystery film, and for that reason I think I was willing to overlook some of the coincidences and far-fetched twists, particularly the ending. It may not hold up to scruitiny as a by-the-rules whodunit, but it sure was fun to read. I look forward to more Lovesey in the future.
September 29, 2017
I loved this book. It was well paced, held my interest and I certainly wasn't disappointed with the end. I will be adding this author to my list of go to reads. It was believable (as much as the concept can be) and I thoroughly enjoyed it
February 4, 2018
Very well plotted mystery story, with a strong amount of humor thrown in. There are so many clues thrown in at various times, that it almost merits a second reading. One of the most pleasing books I have read in some time.
January 14, 2020
Well, really...
He may not have been "real", but he did a bang-up job (oops) of investigation on board ship. Just goes to show what can be done, even starting from a wrong recognition. Entertaining read and worthy of my favourable recommendation.
He may not have been "real", but he did a bang-up job (oops) of investigation on board ship. Just goes to show what can be done, even starting from a wrong recognition. Entertaining read and worthy of my favourable recommendation.
December 9, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a quick-read that is well crafted. The characters are fun and the dialogue is authentic and humorous. The only point I would make is there are so many twists and turns that you get a little dizzy and the story at times moves from fictional to incredible coincidences. But Lovesey is a good writer and doesn't go too far astray. Wobble to Death may be another Lovesey book worth looking considering.
Like most mysteries, pay the ticket, strap in, enjoy the ride it will be over shortly.
Like most mysteries, pay the ticket, strap in, enjoy the ride it will be over shortly.
September 27, 2021
FUI TAPEADA
September 2, 2025
A jewel of a story!
September 25, 2017
An excellent mystery story with a very good twist at the end. The characters are very well-written and I did not want to put this book down - I really wanted to see how it would all pan out. I was not disappointed with the ending - although I did not guess the twist - and thought this an excellent read. Highly recommended.
October 14, 2023
So-so period novel set in 1921 yet reads like one written several decades earlier. Far too long set up - necessary for characterization but delays the mystery until half-way through the novel. Amusing at times, with a twisty if pedestrian plot, and an ending worthy of a 7o's comedy/drama.
April 2, 2024
So much fun! If I could give it six stars I would. Other reviewers have described the premise of the plot so I will not plow over that ground but I want to emphasize what a good time this novel gave me. Rarely do I root for a murderer to go undetected but I was with Walter. The humor in the dialogue of Inspector Dew carrying on his investigations was absolutely delightful, his naivety about aspects of investigation of a murder forensics, and questioning was such a puzzlement to those around him yet he triumphed.
February 19, 2024
This was a fantastic mystery made even better by enjoying it on a cruise ship.
July 24, 2012
Lovsey has two mystery series--one I like (Peter Diamond, a orotund Detective Superintendent set in Bath whose brain is the only agile part of his body) and one I did not (an early 20th century policeman whose name I can't remember). But this non-series entry is terrific. The Brits love home grown murderers and one of the favorites real life villains was Dr. Crippen, the mild-mannered dentist married to a harridan who, after years of being hen pecked, chops her up and escapes with his lover by taking a slow boat to New York. Detective Dew buys a ticket on the same ship and arrests his culprits on ship board. The relatively new international telegraph keeps the world electrified by the story. Cut to the fictional story -- the wife is missing, and our detective gives chase--
Lovesey often gives the sense his tongue is firmly in his cheek. The False Inspector Dew reads as though it were written in the 40s: the characters are drawn as wry twists on old cliches, sailing along (literally) in their frothy, and quietly funny, quest for love and bungled adventure. The False Inspector is not what he seems (like many of the characters). Like Chance in Being There, Walter is imbued by everyone else with characteristics he just doesn't have. Lovesey pokes fun at romance (particularly with the wistful and foolish heroine), detection (the ship's officer whom the false inspector displaces is equally as bad a detective as our hero) and finally with plot, which he twists to suit his neat but far fetched needs. The cast springs from the Victorian parlors: the shipboard Johnny, the nearly harrumphing captain, the well heeled family trying to marry off their daughter, the light fingered and lovely shill, and the aw-darn, I-really-liked-him murderer. This is not a slap your knee comedy, but your leg is consistently pulled in a dry English humor sort of way. There seems to be a real, honest to God, genuine mistake in the book, where one character refers to a character by the true name which hasn't yet been revealed. I re-read that part, thinking that Lovesey was having another go at my leg, but no, I think it really slipped through. This is a book best read where you can sit smiling to yourself without anyone asking you what the joke is. I had the sense that Lovesey has read all the old detective novels, and seen all the black and white movies and is having his way with them and us.
Lovesey often gives the sense his tongue is firmly in his cheek. The False Inspector Dew reads as though it were written in the 40s: the characters are drawn as wry twists on old cliches, sailing along (literally) in their frothy, and quietly funny, quest for love and bungled adventure. The False Inspector is not what he seems (like many of the characters). Like Chance in Being There, Walter is imbued by everyone else with characteristics he just doesn't have. Lovesey pokes fun at romance (particularly with the wistful and foolish heroine), detection (the ship's officer whom the false inspector displaces is equally as bad a detective as our hero) and finally with plot, which he twists to suit his neat but far fetched needs. The cast springs from the Victorian parlors: the shipboard Johnny, the nearly harrumphing captain, the well heeled family trying to marry off their daughter, the light fingered and lovely shill, and the aw-darn, I-really-liked-him murderer. This is not a slap your knee comedy, but your leg is consistently pulled in a dry English humor sort of way. There seems to be a real, honest to God, genuine mistake in the book, where one character refers to a character by the true name which hasn't yet been revealed. I re-read that part, thinking that Lovesey was having another go at my leg, but no, I think it really slipped through. This is a book best read where you can sit smiling to yourself without anyone asking you what the joke is. I had the sense that Lovesey has read all the old detective novels, and seen all the black and white movies and is having his way with them and us.
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