Deep Sleep [Paperback]

Frances Fyfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1993

Because he is out of town when his overbearing wife dies suddenly in her sleep, Pip Carlton initially escapes any suspicion of foul play, but apprentice pharmacist Kimberley Perry suspects otherwise as she begins to investigate. Reprint. AB.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Equal parts probing character-study and taut psychological thriller, this stylish mystery from Edgar-nominee Fyfield ( A Question of Guilt ) examines the dark heart beating beneath the civilized British exterior of a desperate criminal who nearly manages the perfect murder. While recuperating from an operation in London, beleaguered Crown Prosectur Helen West is catching up on her files when a police inquiry on a closed case gives her pause. Although the cause of death of 46-year-old Margaret Carlton, a pharmacist's wife, was officially deemed natural causes, the local constable was in enough doubt to alert Helen's office. According to her husband, Mrs. Carlton had acquired "the habit of sniffing chloroform to induce sleep and/or well-being," and one night she overdid it. Or did she? The constable's inquiry bothers Helen and she begins her own investigation of the chemist husband, his nubile assistant, the assistant's ex-husband and a neighborhood junkie--all vividly realized individuals. Helen's policeman paramour and partner in detection, Geoffrey Bailey, seen in Not That Kind of Place , begs her to let matters rest this time, but she cannot. As the novel races to its climax, extraordinary revelations unveil human nature at its worst. Mystery Guild selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Fyfield's well-textured prose, psychological detailing, and fully human characters once again ( Not That Kind of Place , LJ 3/1/90) form a fully satisfying English mystery. Lawyer Helen West, newly out of hospital, and Detective Chief Inspector Geoffrey Bailey become interested in the "accidental" chloroform poisoning death of a chemist's wife. Denizens of the chemist's London neighborhood include a policeman's estranged wife and insecure son as well as a docile but shrewd drug addict, so opportunities for psychological conflict abound. Tensions reach a snapping point with another murder, a bomb threat, and assault. Absorbing and crafted with care, this deserves attention.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Pocket Books (Mm) (March 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671735470
• ISBN-13: 978-0671735470
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,519,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delighted There's More To Read, July 18, 2001

By 

S. Wheeler (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deep Sleep (Audio Cassette)

This was the first Fyfield I've read and I was delighted with it. Bailey and Helen are likeable, human, and I've seen them on TV! Just kidding, but I remembered when I started reading the book that the characters had been in a segment of Mystery!

Fyfield did a great job describing the area and the personalities of her characters, including Caring Carleton, who was enough to make your blood run cold.

Good all around why'd he done it!