Vanished

DS Jack Warr is investigating a brutal murder that he knows could have been prevented if only the old woman’s story had been believed. Avril Jenkins was an eccentric woman with a colourful and dubious past. Her husband left her the house and his art collection.

Avril claimed to have been stalked by a lodger, Adam Border. But there is no sign of Adam … anywhere.

When the team starts to investigate, they discover a drug lab and marijuana growing in the glasshouse, but no one suspects at this stage that Avril was any the wiser. The team must hand that side of case over to the drug squad, who seem intent on the larger picture to the detriment of Jack’s team.

All the while Jack is trying to play his part in his own wedding, whilst his wife to be’s boss is trying to involve her to help out his troubled daughter (with Jack’s help). She causes more trouble than it’s worth for Jack and when she winds up dead, Jack is top of the suspect list.

There are some turns that don’t seem to make any sense at the time and the story goes on a lot longer than perhaps it should, but still an intriguing read if you have the time.