Jim Kelly writes crime novels and I have read and reviewed a few in the past (see here and here). Death Wore White is the first in a series featuring DI Peter Shaw who is paired with DS George Valentine, who is older than Shaw and has a grudge against his boss. This book reads like a novel from the Golden Era of crime writing and has a convoluted plot.
A man is found dead in his van after being stuck in a snow storm. A tree has blocked the road so that no cars can proceed further. The road is a deserted one, by the North Norfolk coast, and all the cars in the traffic jam are there because they have been diverted off the main road by a road block and associated signage. The problem is that the road closure was fake and that the unbroken snow shows that no one else has joined the drivers in the traffic jam – it is, effectively, a locked room puzzle with a limited number of suspects. What happens, however, is that other murders occur which may or may not be linked to the first death.
This is a very clever premise for the story and it leads to a frustrating investigation for the police who have to delve into the past of everyone in the traffic jam and look for links with the dead man. The solution is, necessarily, a complicated one and you do have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief but the author explains things well and all the loose ends are tied up.
I enjoyed this book and the puzzle that the police had to solve, despite how contrived it is. The two police officers develop a grudging respect for one another and work together without too much drama. I would read others in this series if I see them.
Anne Is Reading 