Number 4 in the DI Munro and DS West series by Pete Brassett, Duplicity, weaves a labyrinth plot of lies, deceit and bold-faced cunning.
When retired businessman Angus Buchanan, steps outside during a regular weekly dinner party with his wife and closest friends, a couple with whom he shared business and personal interests, to fetch a bottle of wine from the car, the police are called.
When a body is found in the back of an abandoned cab, having died a horrible death, and the victim is carrying identification that doesn’t seem to be his, Munro and West smell a rat, particularly when certain connections to the Buchanans’ and their friends become apparent.
When more disappearances happen and bodies appear, and the major parties never mind the main suspect in the crimes not only evade and lie but don’t seem to understand what co-operation means, curmudgeonly Munro and West have no choice but to plough on to get to the bottom of the deceptions and duplicity, discover the motivation for the murders and maybe then, the real culprit.
Clever, with some excellent characterisation, this instalment is probably my favourite so far. From a small Scottish town to Oslo, from past to present, this is a fun read with an excellent cast of regular characters and some interesting new ones thrown in for good measure.
