However, the tie becomes irrelevant when someone murders Selina. The police lean towards Judith as the prime suspect. Only Fransesca Wilson, wife to one of the police officers, thinks the restaurateur is innocent. When Richard apparently commits suicide, the police close the case. Fransesca and Judith still believe a killer is free.

TO DIE FOR is an interesting British police procedural that fans of the sub-genre will find very entertaining. The story line moves forward at a rapid pace even though the motive behind the criminal activity is not revealed until late into the novel. Though the prime plot involving the investigation seems relatively light and scanty, the various subplots add much depth and expeditiously tie back into the main tale. Janet Neels continues to provide intriguing and complex relationship who-done-its.

Harriet Klausner

As the newly promoted chief detective superintendent, McLeish is called in to investigate the death of a man who was launched into eternity, found hanging from his kitchen ceiling while wearing women's underwear. The case is sensitive in a number of ways: the victim was co-owner of a company selling time-shares to its hotels in Majorca and being investigated by the Fraud Squad, and one of the suspects is a member of Parliament.

But William Price's proved timely for a number of other suspects as well. The payout from his life insurance policy would keep the police away and save the business that threatens to sink his wife and business partner. It would also his two sons' trust fund that he raided to pay bills for expensive houses, a yacht, and other perks.

All of this would not have involved Francesca, except that Annabelle, the girlfriend of one of the sons, checks into the women's shelter where she's working. As she's counseling her, she also becomes involved with the shelter's attorney, a handsome young man who sparks a number of conflicting feelings in her. McLeish is tempted on the job as well when a former flame is charged with investigating the company.

"A Timely Death" has the possibility of turning into a very hot book, part soap opera, part mystery, but we end up with a cool, conventional story that doesn't seem to make much of an effort to distinguish itself. Francesca's estrangement from her husband due to his long hours seems shallow and unconvincing, and makes her a unlikable lead. Left to his own devices, John is a cipher, meaning the suspects have to carry the load. Only the Annabelle's growth as a character, the competent doctor dealing with her bullying boyfriend, gives "A Timely Death" its emotional power.

Spousal abuse and adultery runs alongside the red thread of murder in Janet Neel's latest in her series about the British detecting duo of Francesca Wilson and John McLeish.

As the newly promoted chief detective superintendent, McLeish is called in to investigate the death of a man who was launched into eternity, found hanging from his kitchen ceiling while wearing women's underwear. The case is sensitive in a number of ways: the victim was co-owner of a company selling time-shares to its hotels in Majorca and being investigated by the Fraud Squad, and one of the suspects is a member of Parliament.

But William Price's death proved timely for other suspects as well. The payout from his life insurance policy would keep the police away and save the business that threatens to sink his wife and business partner. It would also boost his two sons trust fund, which he raided to pay for expensive houses, a yacht and other perks.

All of this would not have involved Francesca except that Annabelle, the girlfriend of one of the sons, checks into the women's shelter where she's working. As she's counseling her, she also becomes involved with the shelter's attorney, a handsome young man who sparks a number of conflicting feelings in her. McLeish is tempted on the job as well when a former flame is charged with investigating the company.

"A Timely Death" has the possibility of turning into a very hot book, part soap opera, part mystery, but we end up with a cool, conventional story that doesn't seem to make much of an effort to distinguish itself. Francesca's estrangement from her husband due to his long hours seems shallow and unconvincing, and makes her an unlikable lead. Alone, John is more cipher than character, forcing the suspects to carry the load. Only Annabelle's growth as a character, as the competent doctor trying to escape an abusive relationship, gives "A Timely Death" its emotional power.

This is not a good book. Janet Neel can write--although I prefer a little less elitist style, but her characters don't develop.

I did get a laugh, though, over Neel's description of the characters in this novel as middle class (remember, they're the ones sending their children to an expensive boarding school because they are so busy and important that they can't watch them themselves, even with the nannies they've got at home.

I didn't guess who did the deed--maybe it was Neel's strategy to give us such a lot of unpleasant characters that we wished they'd all go to jail. And were we supposed to be so contemptuous of poor Catriona? Lucky for me I didn't go to school with Neel.

Not Recommended.

(...)

The main thread of the plot unwinds at Faraday Trust, a progressive British boarding school, where the arts and individuality are cherished and nourished. As the end of spring term approaches, so do signs of trouble. The Trustees of the school have asked the headmaster to step down because weak test results for university admisssion are hurting enrollment. Several members of the staff are vying to succeed him. Catriona Roberts, an underachieving, unhappy sixth-former is causing problems for her fellow students and for the staff -- which includes both her step-parents. Her death at a London party attended by many of the staff, her biological parents, and several of her classmates proves to be murder rather than suicide.

Chief Inspector John McLeish (whom I take to be a regular fixture in Mrs. Neel's novels) has connections to the school and to several of its students through his wife Francesca, a musician and college administrator on maternity leave. McLeish and Francesca are present at the party and he is ordered to take charge of the investigation into Catriona's murder despite an obvious conflict of interest. He and his team work desperately to solve the murder before the suspects disperse at the end of term. Refreshingly, the case is not solved either by clever detective work or by having the sleuth recklessly put himself in harm's way, as so many mystery stories are these days.