An under-gardener arrives at work only to find a window kept open and the front door unlocked, both highly unusual considering the habits of the owner of the house. Upon investigation, he indeed discovers the owner - dead, a bullet hole in his forehead. This discovery sets into motion the detective skills of DCI Hennessey and his team, carrying them all the way from York to London, and the unsavory world of career villains in the Big Smoke…. The most recent Hennessey and Yellich story is quite short, but complete with the usual characteristics of Mr. Turnbull’s writing, which exemplifies the solid, step-by-step nature of police work. There’s a bit to be learned here, too: for example, that a “cut throat” defense is one in which two or more people are accused of a crime, but only one could have actually committed the crime and as long as each person denies doing the deed and points the finger at someone else, no one will be convicted for fear of convicting an innocent person. Interesting, no? As usual, recommended! ( )

Cold Wrath by Peter Turnbull is #25 in the series featuring Detective Chief Inspector George Hennessey and Detective Superintendent Somerled Yellich. However, it reads well as a standalone. On a summer morning, in the village of Millington, a gardener finds his employer Anthony Garrett shot dead in his home named The Grange. It falls to Hennessey and Yellich to solve the murder of the secretive and reclusive victim. What stood out for me in this murder mystery is the old-fashioned style of writing: the wordiness used to especially describe all characters involved. I found it to be charming and interesting. This being my first experience with this series, I look forward to reading more books by Peter Turnbull. Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )