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vesper1931's review
medium-paced
4.0
A client of firm SSM, Edinburgh based lawyers, has died, a suicide according to the police. If it was a suicide the estate goes to charity. The family obviously disagree. First year trainee Stewart Scott is sent with ex-detective Sebastian Dakar to investigate.
An entertaining mystery
An entertaining mystery
pgchuis's review
4.0
Stewart, a trainee lawyer, is asked to accompany an investigator looking into whether Major Robertson's death was suicide or murder. The police have concluded that it was suicide, but under the terms of his will (Stewart's firm are the executors) in that case his estate goes to charity. The family, is therefore anxious to prove it was murder so they can inherit.
I enjoyed this novel, with the whimsical investigator Dakar, who is a sort of self-help guru, but was once a (possibly unscrupulous) police officer and the hapless Stewart. The first few chapters were a bit of an exercise in how often the word "shite" could be used (and I don't usually notice language of that sort) and I got a bit tired of "ken" too; the narrative and dialogue flowed best when the emphasis was not so much on being Scottish.
I had a few questions:
1. How did the firm and the family come across and agree on Dakar?
2. Was one towel sufficient to dry up half a bath's worth of water?
3. Did the Major really not notice that Carl was a different man?
4. Why did the Major write his will in this fashion?
Nevertheless a good read.
I enjoyed this novel, with the whimsical investigator Dakar, who is a sort of self-help guru, but was once a (possibly unscrupulous) police officer and the hapless Stewart. The first few chapters were a bit of an exercise in how often the word "shite" could be used (and I don't usually notice language of that sort) and I got a bit tired of "ken" too; the narrative and dialogue flowed best when the emphasis was not so much on being Scottish.
I had a few questions:
1. How did the firm and the family come across and agree on Dakar?
2. Was one towel sufficient to dry up half a bath's worth of water?
3. Did the Major really not notice that Carl was a different man?
4. Why did the Major write his will in this fashion?
Nevertheless a good read.
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