The Devil to Pay
An Inspector Green Mystery
-
-
4.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $6.99
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
Impetuous, exasperating Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green returns and unwittingly puts his daughter, a rookie patrol officer, in the line of fire.
“For those who like a solid classic mystery with added character, Inspector Green is perfect.” —Globe and Mail
Sidelined to administrative duties, Inspector Michael Green misses the thrill of the chase. So when his daughter Hannah, now a rookie patrol officer, responds to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance in a wealthy suburban neighbourhood, he is intrigued. Both husband and wife deny a problem and, despite Hannah’s doubts, no further police action is taken, but Green encourages her to dig deeper on her own. When the husband disappears and his car is found at the airport, the police conclude he is simply fleeing an unhappy home, a floundering law practice, and a mountain of debt. Until a body is discovered.
While Green’s old friend Brian Sullivan investigates the victim’s work and family, Hannah is haunted by fear that her actions precipitated the murder. On her own time, she begins to dig into questions that linger at the periphery of the case. What has happened to the family dog, which disappeared the same night as the husband? And who is the odd, solitary young Ph.D. student who was researching ducks near the murder site? Her relentless search for answers leads her into the countryside, straight into the path of danger. And another body.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this pulse-pounding mystery, dogged determination runs in the family. Officer Hannah Pollack is the daughter of Inspector Michael Green, a living legend among Canadian detectives, which is why she’s hell-bent on proving herself. And, being every bit her father’s daughter, she doesn’t let a little thing like her dad’s direct orders get in the way of her intuition when it comes to investigating a murder. Barbara Fradkin uses this compelling father-daughter dynamic to fuel her thrilling crime novel, set in Ottawa during the tense early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Striking a perfect balance between a detailed police procedural and nuanced character development, Fradkin delivers a totally engrossing read. With its gripping ethical dilemmas, The Devil to Pay is a murder mystery you won’t want to put down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Early in Arthur Ellis Award–winner Fradkin's well-constructed 11th Inspector Green mystery (after 2014's None So Blind), 23-year-old Police Constable Hannah Pollack, a rookie, and her coach officer, Rick Geneva, are called to a domestic disturbance at the luxurious suburban Ottawa home of Edward McAuley, a successful and ruthless personal injury lawyer. Both McAuley and his wife, Kristina, claim there's no need for alarm, and Rick is quick to agree. Hannah, however, believes that Kristina may be the victim of spousal abuse. She goes to her father, Insp. Michael Green of the Ottawa Police, for insight on how to proceed. Green, who four years earlier was transferred out of Criminal Investigations and into the "stifling, paper-choked tomb of court security," jumps at the chance to help her. Then Edward goes missing. Is he escaping his financial difficulties, or is he the victim of foul play? The stakes rise as Hannah fears her intervention may have led to the man's disappearance. The sensible Hannah consistently acts in credible ways, even as she puts her career—and life—in jeopardy. Fans of character-driven police procedurals will be satisfied.
