MURDER IN THRALL

An unlikely pair of detectives bond over a case as complex as it is dangerous.

Scotland Yard newbie Kathleen Doyle can’t understand why Chief Inspector Michael Acton, hereditary peer and public school graduate, chose her of all people to help him solve the murder of a trainer at Kempton Park racetrack. Fresh from Limerick, Doyle has a reputation for being able to spot a liar. Her youth and inexperience, however, get her into trouble time and again. First, she bashes two unmarked cars, forcing her to commute to work by subway. Then, an informant named Danny Capper lures her into a tack room and bolts, shutting the detective constable inside. When she comes unglued at the scene of an apparent murder-suicide, she’s sure she’ll get the sack. But Acton soon reveals that it’s not just her intuition that appeals to him; it’s also that little mole at the nape of her neck. Pretty soon, he’s showing her moves that aren’t included in the CID handbook. Doyle is overwhelmed by his interest but makes it clear that she doesn’t want to jeopardize her job. Clearing up the Kempton Park case, as well as the other murders that flow from it, seems the surest way to keep her career on track. But what connects the trainer’s murder to the killings of Capper’s mistress, a couple in Somers Town and a forensic pathologist? And will her possessive chief inspector let her take the risks that are necessary to solve the crime?

Cleeland’s series debut focuses on the unorthodox love story. Here’s hoping that detection catches up with passion as the Acton and Doyle series moves on.