THE EVIL THAT MEN DO

A retired Chief Constable and his American spouse are enjoying the beauties of a holiday in the Cotswolds when they stumble upon a body.

Despite Alan’s Nesbitt’s unofficial status, he and Dorothy Martin are no strangers to sleuthing (A Dark and Stormy Night, 2011, etc.). So it’s no surprise that while they’re staying in a B&B in the picture-perfect English village of Broadway and enjoying hiking the countryside, they find a body in a quarry. The couple becomes concerned about Paul Jones, a young fellow guest who seems to be in fear of something. Hoping that he has nothing to do with the death of the seemingly blameless farmer, Dorothy decides that they must investigate when Paul vanishes. The sleuths meet Jo Carter, who claims to be an old family friend of Paul, and eventually learn that the young man, under a different name, is a budding pop star whose family once had to go into hiding to escape from a particularly nasty and abusive ex-husband and stepfather. Paul recognized him but has no idea what name he may be using or whether he even lives in the Cotswolds. Although Paul is eventually found, Jo disappears. Has she too become a victim? Renting a cottage as a base for exploration, the couple takes in a lost and starving dog, who provides a handy excuse to visit outlying farms looking for Jo. Although the police are searching, Dorothy is the one who faces the greatest danger.

Anglophiles and series fans will forgive the fact that Alan and Dorothy spend a lot more time extolling the beauties of the English countryside than solving the crimes.