Cambridge Blue-Alison Bruce

Cambridge Blue
Alison Bruce
Soho, Jan 2009, $25.00
ISBN 9781569475201

In Cambridge, England, although only twenty-five year old, Gary Goodhew is proud of his promotion to detective constable; however some of the veterans at Parkside Station think the still untainted kid is too young. Gary may be an optimist but he also is a realist; he knows he will need to prove himself to his peers, who expect him to fall on his youthful face.

His chance arrives when a female corpse is found on top of garbage bags in Midsummer Common. He is assigned the lead. After sifting through garbage, he begins to follow clues into the victim’s life and family seeking to learn why she was murdered and especially the reason of dumping her as if the killer threw out the garbage.

Although very typical of the British police procedural, CAMBRIDGE BLUE is an entertaining whodunit starring a likable dedicated cop with a need to prove he belongs. Goodhew keeps the tale brisk especially in the latter half as he methodically follows every lead. Fans will enjoy his efforts to solve the complex case even as readers will try to beat him to the punch as Alison Bruce provides all the clues in plain sight.

Harriet Klausner