Harry Devlin, Liverpool lawyer, having been introduced in the outstanding All The Lonely People, one of my favourite recent reads, is back for another outing, this time named after an Elvis song. One of his clients, Jack Stirrup, is suspected of murdering his wife – despite the lack of a body – and Harry isn’t completely convinced of his innocence either. But then Stirrup’s daughter also disappears, and, when a body is discovered, Harry is determined to get to the bottom of the mess.
He’s also contending with a nascent relationship with a young barrister, but suspects her of having an affair with her boss. And with The Beast, a sexual predator with a penchant for animal masks, stalking the streets, Liverpool (well, mostly the Wirral) isn’t the safest place to be…
So far, everything I’ve read by Martin Edwards has been outstanding. Really top-notch stuff. I’ll prove it, just check out… oh, hang on. I haven’t got a tab for my reviews of Martin’s work. Have to do something about that. In the meantime, click here for an index. In the meantime, The Hanging Wood, the only unread entry into the Lake District series, sits on my shelf waiting for a special occasion to be read.
Right, where was I? Oh, yes, everything so far has been outstanding. So, it’s grossly unfair when I criticise this book for merely being good. I feel really stupid writing that sentence, but it’s unfortunately how I feel. But the book is only disappointing due to the fact that it wasn’t as good as the others that I’ve read.
I’ve heaped praise on weaker books that this one, when there hasn’t been a level to compare them too, so let’s make this clear from the outset. This is an involving mystery, with a great, if flawed, central character, with some decent twists and turns. So what’s the problem?
Well, I found the central theme – suspicion, for those of you very slow on the uptake – less involving than the loneliness that pervaded the first book, and, at the end of the day, the resolution of the mystery is fairly straightforward with a culprit that I didn’t particularly care about.
Having said that, there are some lovely touches here, not least in the capture of the killer. There are a number of touches that show that Harry is not the world’s greatest detective, not least his disastrous confrontation with someone. The Liverpool background adds an extra resonance to someone who knows some of the places mentioned – indeed, it’s fascinating to me, as I’ve only known Liverpool since its redevelopment, and this is set before that.
So, overall, a good book. Not Martin’s finest work, but still a very good read. Looking forward to the next in the series.
In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel 
Puzzle Doctor – I’m very glad you liked this one. Of course I’m biased because I’m a fan of Edwards’ work. That said though, I do think this is an involving mystery. As you say, such good characters and Edwards really does do a terrific job with setting the atmosphere and the context.
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Martin’s books are definitely on my TBR pile for 2013 – I’ve managed to tie myself up in knots with various challenges this year, which have been fun but tyring especially as I try to complete them before the year is out) – but next year I am going to devote a lot more time to catching up with all the good suggestions for new authors I’ve been accumulating – thanks, as always.
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After a month of only new authors, it’s been great having a favourite authors month instead. Got a feeling it might go on for more than a month…
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[…] In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel Spoiler Free Reviews of Fair Play Detective Fiction Skip to content HomePaul DohertyHugh CorbettThe Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother AthelstanAmerotke, Chief Judge of ThebesThe Journals of Roger ShallotThe Canterbury TalesThe Ancient Rome MysteriesMathilde of WestminsterAlexander The GreatKathryn SwinbrookeOther Historical MysteriesAlys ClareAriana FranklinSteve HockensmithMichael JecksBernard KnightPeter TremayneSir Henry MerrivaleClassic BibliographiesAgatha ChristieEllery QueenSherlock HolmesChallenges2012 ChallengesThe Mystery Tour of the USAThe Author ← Suspicious Minds by Martin Edwards […]
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[…] until the end… and this one is “only” very good. It’s a similar problem that I had with Suspicious Minds by Martin Edwards. I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if I’d not read All The Lonely People or the […]
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This is a very fair review, if I may say so. You may be interested and amused to know that my own feelings about this particular book have veered around over the years. When I first wrote it, I felt very happy with it but later I felt I hadn’t developed the culprit’s character in enough depth. Later still, I re-read it and felt it was pacier and better than I remembered. It’s hard to assess one’s own work, and perhaps my own changing feelings illustrate this and also bear out your verdict.
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You put your finger on my concern about the culprit, Martin. I didn’t want to spell it out that clearly, as it would make it plain who isn’t the murderer. Still, as I said, there’s much to like here.
I am curious, which of the Devlin books are you most proud of – apart from All The Lonely People, I presume? I’m going to read the rest in order, but I’m interested in which ones to look out for.
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Thanks for the review. I’ll have to read this one.
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[…] Suspicious Minds […]
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[…] Five in the Harry Devlin series, preceded by All The Lonely People, Suspicious Minds, I Remember You and Yesterday’s Papers. It’s a series that I’ve enjoyed immensely so you […]
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[…] most of the Harry Devlin posts don’t get much traffic – there’s also All The Lonely People, Suspicious Minds, I Remember You, Eve Of Destruction and Waterloo Sunset. Well-constructed mysteries with a strong […]
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[…] Suspicious Minds […]
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