The Not Quite Perfect Murderer

August 30, 2021
At the start of British author Duffy’s labored 23rd outing for Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard (after Gillard’s Sting), Det. Chief Insp. James Carrick of the Bath CID needs help. Fortunately, he can turn to his friend Patrick Gillard, a retired army officer and late of MI5, who now works as an insurance investigator and part-time operative for the National Crime Agency, and Patrick’s formidable and beautiful wife, Ingrid, who also works for the NCA when not writing “bestselling crime novels sprinkled with a little romance.” Carrick is concerned because the Baker gang, a band of “dedicated mobsters,” has acquired a so-called sponsor, a powerful, wealthy, and mentally unstable man who once ran an organized crime network in London. Then, 12-year-old Damien Baker is strangled, his battered body dumped at a building site. Not long after that another strangling victim is found in a nearby quarry. Patrick and Ingrid link the deaths to a series of robberies involving the Bakers. Convoluted backstories slow the action, which involves inept criminals, an unlikely instance of highly accurate shooting, and a colossal coincidence that leads to the novel’s resolution. This one’s strictly for series fans. Agent: Vanessa Holt, Vanessa Holt Ltd. (U.K.).

August 1, 2021
A married couple with a dangerous past struggles in vain to keep a low profile. Patrick Gillard and his wife, Ingrid, are leading a quiet life in a small English village while Patrick investigates insurance claims and Ingrid writes crime novels. Their friend DCI James Carrick of the Bath Criminal Investigation Department is looking into the murder of a teen whose death may be tied to a gang of hapless robbers who break into houses and high-end shops, steal valuable pieces, and leave a trail of dead bodies. Patrick and Ingrid, MI5 veterans who now do part-time jobs for the National Crime Agency, have just the skills needed to help Carrick, who's broken his leg playing rugby. But do they want to make themselves targets of yet another criminal gang? In Patrick's case, the answer is yes, for he finds his insurance work boring except for his latest case, which involves a rich man who blames his gardener for damage to his car. The gang members are mostly offspring of the dim Baker family, all of them rumored to take orders from a wealthy crime boss. As Patrick works to pull together the threads of the criminal tapestry, he's surprised to learn that his insurance case may be part of a bigger picture. The pair's unusual background and complex personalities add interest to the workmanlike way they go about solving crimes.

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October 1, 2021
Duffy's latest mystery brings a series twist for married crime-busting duo Patrick Gillard and Ingrid Langley. When Bath Police DCI James Carrick (featured in Dark Side, 2014) is injured, Patrick stands in, leading the investigation of a young boy's strangulation. At the same time, a band of violent thieves with the backing of a wealthy Londoner leaves its latest heists with sadistically murdered victims. As Ingrid, a renowned crime novelist, leans into writing, Patrick must rely on a rookie from Carrick's team, and the resulting partnership offers fresh energy and witty banter. Duffy crafts a deliciously tangled story of thievery and a rampaging psychopath (upping the stakes with off-scene bloodbaths) and also delivers plenty of humor around class differences. While previous adventures are mentioned, this episode offers an ideal entry point for the popular Patrick & Ingrid series; readers who prize complex plotting and label-defying protagonists will be pleased.

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