REVIEW
Dead In The Market by David Williams
HarperCollins £14.99 (0 00 232589 6)
This highly enjoyable and deftly executed tale by David Williams is a fine example of the modern British police procedural in the traditional mould.
Chief Inspector Melvin Parry and his sidekick Sergeant Gomer Lloyd become involved in the case when nurse Pansy Watkyn is murdered during the Saturday morning rush-hour in Cardiff marketplace. The murder takes place under the very noses of countless people, but there are apparently no witnesses who can help.
The motive? Blackmail seems the most likely but of course the answer isn’t as straightforward as first thought. Among the bevy of well-fleshed (particularly Gomer!), and often hideously human characters, David Williams has produced an amusing and entertaining glimpse into the all too often pedestrian reasons for murder. Chief Inspector Parry is an attractive character, who isn’t averse to a bit of old-fashioned action in order to catch his man. A good read. (EAL)