Hireling's Tale (Worldwide Library Mysteries) [Paperback]

Jo Bannister (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

When the body of a woman is found in the locker of a narrow boat, the police are totally perplexed - she is naked and her body could only have entered the boat from a great height. Donovan and Liz dig into the young woman's life and locate a friend of the victim who may hold clues to the killing.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bannister deftly examines the dedication and determination of three types of hirelings--a prostitute, an assassin and a British police officer--in this eighth, expertly crafted entry in her Castlemere, England, series (Broken Lines, Forecasts, Feb. 22, etc.) . When a prostitute falls from the roof of a hotel, the police aren't sure whether it's accident, suicide or murder. But when they see her brutally beaten body and learn of the incredible amount of heroin in her system, they realize they have a savage murderer on the loose. Since an international business conference was taking place in the hotel at the probable time of the woman's death, Detective Superintendent Shapiro hones in on the conference's organizer, Philip Kendall, for information. The DS fears that the killer will hire an assassin to stop those who know his identity, and, indeed, someone shoots at Kendall. Then Shapiro is seriously wounded protecting the man from a second shot. Since Kendall protests that he knows nothing about the woman's murder and can't understand why anyone would want to kill him, the investigation seems to be at a standstill--until the dead woman's friend, who has been in hiding, phones to say she was with the victim while she was being beaten. Quirky Detective Sergeant Donovan is sent to pick up prostitute Maddie Cotterick so that she can identify her friend's killer. But they, too, are followed by the persistent assassin. Will Donovan be able to deliver Cotterick into the hands of his superiors, or will the assassin prove to be an inescapable instrument of destruction? Bannister pours on the tension as the ill-equipped Castlemere police force battle for justice in what seems to be a no-win situation. (Dec.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Castlemere (England) detectives Shapiro, Graham, and Donovan face a tough case: a murdered prostitute with ties to a local international business convention. A character-based police procedural from an expert.
Copyright 1999 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: 256 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373263775
• ISBN-13: 978-0373263776
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,884,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Un-Put-Down-Able Action and Mystery!, July 12, 2001

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SF Dawn "SF Dawn" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hireling's Tale (Worldwide Library Mysteries) (Paperback)

Just when you think you've reached the plot's climax- ZAP! - another cliffhanger moment hits you out of the blue. Plus, you get a theme that repeatedly brings you up short. This edition of author Jo Bannister's Castlemere Mystery is top drawer. Don't miss it!