Suspicious Minds: A Harry Devlin mystery [Paperback]

Martin Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1993

A second story of murder and mayhem featuring Liverpool solicitor Harry Devlin, hero of "All the Lonely People". The wife of Devlin's best client, Jack Stirrup, has vanished without trace. Then Stirrup's daughter and her boyfriend also go missing, and Devlin becomes embroiled in a murder hunt.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Fans of Harry Devlin will be happy to see that the Liverpool lawyer with an unquenchable hunger for justice is at the top of his form. The wife of one of Harry's richest clients, Jack Stirrup, has disappeared. Despite his misgivings, Harry agrees to look into the case, but the waters are soon muddied by the disappearance of Stirrup's daughter. Is Stirrup the victim of some nasty plot, or is he a double murderer? And what connection, if any, does a vicious rapist known only as "The Beast" have with the disappearances? As usual, Edwards nails the mixture of ambition and weariness that is central to Harry's character; unlike many legal-thriller protagonists, Harry is not a top-of-his-field attorney but rather a partner in a rather undistinguished little practice. An excellent entry in this increasingly popular series. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group) (April 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553404865
• ISBN-13: 978-0553404869
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,236,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin Edwards is an award-winning crime writer whose fourth and most recent Lake District Mystery, featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and Daniel Kind, is The Serpent Pool, published in February 2010. Earlier books in the series are The Coffin Trail (short-listed for the Theakston's prize for best British crime novel of 2006), The Cipher Garden and The Arsenic Labyrinth (short-listed for the Lakeland Book of the Year award in 2008.) He has written eight novels about lawyer Harry Devlin, the first of which, All the Lonely People, was short-listed for the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger for the best first crime novel of the year. In addition he has written a stand-alone novel of psychological suspense, Take My Breath Away, and a much acclaimed novel featuring Dr Crippen, Dancing for the Hangman. The latest Devlin novel, Waterloo Sunset, appeared in 2008. He completed Bill Knox's last book, The Lazarus Widow. He has published a collection of short stories, Where Do You Find Your Ideas? and other stories; 'Test Drive' was short-listed for the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2006, while 'The Bookbinder's Apprentice' won the same Dagger in 2008. A well-known commentator on crime fiction, he has edited 16 anthologies and published eight non-fiction books, including a study of homicide investigation, Urge to Kill .In 2008 he was elected to membership of the prestigious Detection Club. In his spare time he is a partner in a law firm and blogs daily at 'Do You Write Under Your Own Name?'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting English investigative tale, February 4, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - Suspicious Minds: A Harry Devlin Mystery (Hardcover)

In the Liverpool area, more because of Detective Bolis' interest in him as a prime suspect, Jack Stirrup of Stirrup Wines asks his solicitor Harry Devlin to learn what happened to his wife Alison, who vanished. Harry begins making inquiries as he tries to trace Alison's last known steps though he wonders if his client simply disposed of an unwanted spouse. As he begins making progress, the investigation takes a bizarre spin when Claire, Jack's daughter from his first wife, also turns up missing.

At the same time, Harry looks into the Stirrup family; The Beast stalks Liverpool raping women. While Harry finds himself attracted to advocate Valerie Kaiwar whom he meets at the Law Courts, he ponders if there is a link between the missing Stirrup females and the Beast as he starting to believe the rapist is somehow involved.

This is an interesting English investigative tale that stars a likable hero struggling with a case in which his client seems to be hiding things, the cops wants him to stay out, the prime culprit appears to be a rapist, and worst of all he is in love. All of this and more blends nicely together into a delightful whodunit that will please those readers who enjoy the star to be of a skeptical suspicious mind trusting no one including his heart.

Harriet Klausner