A local businessman disappears during a meal shared by old friends. When he is later found dead, DI Munro must cut through a densely-woven web of deceit to find out why.The Carduccis and the Buchanans have been best of friends for years, but simmering under the surface are long-held jealousies and disagreements that only the criminal affairs of the men have kept at bay.When, during a meal, Angus … bay.
When, during a meal, Angus Buchanan steps out of the house to fetch a bottle of wine from the car and subsequently disappears, the police are quickly informed. But when the most likely explanations are ruled out, detectives Munro and West are called upon to investigate possible foul play.
When Buchanan is later found, having suffered a violent death, pathology rules out natural causes and it becomes clear that a terrible murder has occurred.
Faced with the lack of real cooperation from the parties involved, who are clearly protecting their nefarious business interests, the man responsible for Buchanan’s death is found relatively quickly. But when he pretty much laughs in the face of the detectives’ accusations, Munro and West realise that there must be much bigger fish to fry.
In an investigation that takes them as far afield as Oslo, Norway, and into the past of a troubled Polish man, Munro’s dream of a tranquil life in the countryside is further put on hold, and the ever ravenous Charlie West, must continue to battle the ways and mores of a Scottish backwater without losing her cool.
With more red herrings than a Norwegian fishing boat in the sunset, DUPLICITY is a highly entertaining cosy Scandinavian-style murder mystery that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a gripping read where guessing the identity of the murderer is key.
DUPLICITY is the fourth novel by Pete Brassett to feature Detective Inspector James Munro and Detective Sergeant Charlotte West. The books can be enjoyed as stand-alone titles or as part of a series. The full list, in order of publication, is as follows:
1. SHE
2. AVARICE
3. ENMITY
4. DUPLICITY
5. TERMINUS
6. TALION
7. PERDITION
8. RANCOUR
9. PENITENT
10. TURPITUDE
All these books are available with Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.
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219 pages
5 stars
This is a delightful, yet twisty little story.
When DC Dougal receives a call about a missing man, he is on the case. The man went missing at a dinner party when he went out to his car to get something.
When DS Charlie West and semi-retired DI Munro show up, Dougal is delighted to share the load.
It doesn’t take long to find the missing man. He is dead – murdered – in the back seat of a taxi.
What follows is a light-hearted (if one can say that about murder), chase around. There are four friends who may be involved in nefarious doings. What happened to Mr. Buchanan, the dead man?
As the investigation goes on, the number of suspects grows.
Mr. Brassett writes so very well. This is a book for those who want a gentle, relaxing read. Maybe a break from reading hard driving thrillers, or whatever the preference is.
DI Munro is a gem. I really like him, Charlie and Dougal. Poor Dougal will get a girl eventually. The book has touches of humor here and there which lightened the read even more. When I want something a little lighter to read, I grab a Pete Brassett novel.
Absorbing!
Wow! What happened? He was a good guy …. or was he? More suspects and discoveries on every page.
Excellent English detective story.
I enjoyed this book very much. Peoples concern for each other, quirks of humour, natural seeming twists to the plot. A lovely book. I hope to read more of this lovely author.
GREAT READ!
I like this series. I wish that I’d started at the beginning of the series. Some of the stories are very related.
Good story enhanced by by the environs of Scotland. The characters are quite good, enhanced by their Scottish brogue and wit. Particularly enjoyed the team effort of the police involved, working in harmony throughout the procedural and in some cases being friends and best buds. The twists keep you guessing until near the end.
This book was about a man who was selling drugs at his business. He was planning to escape to Norway using a dead man’s identity but the illegal immigrant taxi driver killed him. He was also having an affair with his partners wife and using her hair salon as a drop site for the drugs. His partner in the drug business was the manager of his partner’s restaurant.
A great read, difficult to put down.
Brassett is always a good read if you like British police procedurals, which I do.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though many of the Scottish idioms and words were not familiar to this American. I usually figured them out by context and often found them very humorous.
The detectives were charming, the culprits clever and the case complex. I received it as an ARC and and this is my honest opinion. Karla B.
I loved hearing the Scottish dialect in my head as the characters conversed.
Very unique and twisted story. It was enjoyable reading.
The characters and the plot are the best! I enoyed reading this book. I enjoy this series!
After awhile, the duplicity gets to be a little to much
this was another “one-more-chapter” book, hard to put down.
I have read several of Mr Brassetts books and have enjoyed all of them. His plots are very interesting and I really enjoy the characters and their interactions. I especially like that his plots and language are clean and that I can recommend them to anyone and not be concerned that they might be offered by them.
This author is quickly becoming my favorite! Great, shorter stories that don’t get bogged down in “minutia”
Good procedural with strong plot