"I don't like the sound of him or his murky little world one bit".
The Murky World of Timothy Wall by Ian McFadyen is a gripping crime thriller which combines page-turning edginess with an in-depth portrait of a police team, with its own tensions and rivalries.
This is the 9th book in The DI Carmichael series. I have reviewed the previous book in the series, Blood on His Hands, last year, and was excited to get re-acquianted with the grouchy Inspector, who is known for his abrupt manner of phone conversations and his no-nonsense attitude.
Timothy Wall, a Private Detective, waves his secretary Faye good bye, and asks her to leave the front door open as he is expecting a new client coming later. Faye is surprised, as there is no appointment booked for the evening. She hurries out of the office to meet her boyfriend, not knowing that this is the last time she'd see her boss alive.
When his body is discovered a few days later, Inspector Carmichael is on the case. Carmichael and his team of detectives begin to unravel a web of shocking revelations and baffling contradictions related to the personality and life of Timothy Wall.
His secretary believes him to have been "a really nice guy. Very friendly, very sociable and a really good boss". Wall helped some of his customers for free, and was actively involved with the Rotary Club, which supports good causes.
But as it happens, this really nice guy has kept a record book of all his partners from the last thirty-odd years, with scores against them on looks, personality and sex. Not so nice then. The more the team dig into the victim's past, the more unsavoury and creepy his behaviour could be described. Yet Timothy Wall also did a lot of good deeds, and despite changing his girlfriends regularly, most of them still hold fond memories of him.
With a whole record book to choose a possible candidate set on revenge from, is Wall's death linked to one of his numerous previous relationships? Or is his death linked to an existing or historical case?
"Carmichael still couldn't work out what sort of man he was. He was clearly a man who could charm people; his engaging, sociable, and friendly manner often enduring after relationships had waned. And he was more than capable of demonstrating kindness... But, in addition to the red book, there was also evidence of a less attractive, almost sinister side to Timothy Wall. The solitary gambler, the philanderer and maybe a secret heavy drinker, too".
The dynamics of the team of detectives is under strain, as DC Lucy Martin is back, and she is intent on showing her mettle. Lucy and Carmichael have a history. On one of the trips abroad they had a brief fling. Their ways have parted, but now that they have to work together, it's not easy for either of them. Lucy is prickly and petulant, and doesn't want to do the tasks which she believes are beneath her status.
She is also at loggerheads with DC Rachel Dalton, the new team member. "It seemed so different there now, with the steady, dependable Cooper not around and with Rachel, the young pretender, hanging on Carmichael's every word, the whole atmosphere in the team had changed from what she'd remembered..."
Rachel thinks highly of her boss, "She loved it when she worked closely with Carmichael, as although he could be demanding at times, occasionally moody and often extremely hard to please, he was the best inspector by far at Kirkwood, and as good a mentor as she could hope to have".
As Carmichael and his team search for answers, it becomes clear that the world of Timothy Wall is murky indeed.
The Murky World of Timothy Wall is a well-plotted police procedural, with engaging characters, a narrative energy and a wry sense of humour.
This is the series that is worth following.
This post if part of the blog tour. Many thanks to Ian McFadyen, The Book Guild Ltd and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!
Purchase Links
Book Guild – https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/book/302/The%20Murky%20Wall%20of%20Timothy%20Wall/
Bookshop.org – https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-murky-world-of-timothy-wall/9781913913441
Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-murky-world-of-timothy-wall/ian-mcfadyen/9781913913441
Book Depository – https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Murky-World-of-Timothy-Wall-Ian-McFadyen/9781913913441
Author Bio –
Ian McFadyen grew up in Lancashire, the setting for the Carmichael series of detective novels.
Having studied marketing at Huddersfield University he had a 30-year career in sales and marketing with leading global companies in the electronics industry before switching full-time to writing.
He has published eight books in the Carmichael series so far, several of which are available in large print, two have been translated and published in Italian and two in Czech. He lives in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
Social Media Links –
FB : Facebook.com/ianmcfadyenauthor
Twitter : @ianMcFadyen1
If you like the sound of this book, now you have a chance to win one of 5 paperback copies of The Murky World of Timothy Wall.
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