All these years after his wonderful first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Jeffrey Archer is still one of the best storytellers in the business. The fourth book in the William Warwick series wasn’t quite what I expected,
And, I’m going to say right upfront, if you want to read this series, and haven’t yet read Turn a Blind Eye, the third in the series, there are major spoiler alerts in this review. There’s no other way to discuss the major investigation in the book.
Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick of Scotland Yard is actually on a cruise to New York with his wife, Beth, when James Buchanan, grandson of the chairman of the Pilgrim Line, asks to query him about being a detective. Buchanan hopes to be Director of the FBI someday, although his grandfather wants him to take over the shipping line. When there’s a sudden death on the cruise, Warwick uncovers the killer.
But, the focus of the story is actually back in Europe. Although, Warwick has been tasked with heading up a small Unsolved Murders Unit, he’s still focused on his archenemy, Miles Faulkner, criminal financier and art collector. Faulkner was supposed to be dead, but Warwick suspects otherwise. He brings a small force to show up at the wedding of Captain Ralph Neville to Faulkner’s widow, Christina. Neville never shows up, but with the help of a Spanish police lieutenant, and Warwick’s second-in-command, Ross Hogan, they uncover the hideaway in Barcelona where Faulkner/Neville has gone to ground.
While putting Faulkner away for life has always been Warwick’s intention,Detective Inspector Ross Hogan has another goal. The audacious cop, who had been undercover for three years, is determined to take down the criminals responsible for the four cold cases assigned to Warwick’s team. And, Hogan has nerves of steel when he’s determined.
Over My Dead Body was an enjoyable book, and the attempts to arrest Miles Faulkner were entertaining. But, in this case, DI Ross Hogan was the one who added the spark to the book. His adventures kept the story flowing, and kept the reader tuned in to learn his next target. As always, the intimate details of Warwick’s family life are enjoyable, but, it’s Ross Hogan who brings this book to life.
Jeffrey Archer’s website is http://jeffreyarcher.co.uk
Over My Dead Body by Jeffrey Archer. HarperCollins, 2021. ISBN 9780008474270 (hardcover), 384p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher who hoped I would review it.
