Review: Another enjoyable Fitzjohn mystery!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2014
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Fitzjohn had been called back from leave; he’d been in London for a good while and felt relaxed and refreshed. Though nothing could make up for the death of his beloved Edith, coming back to tend to her orchids in their glasshouse at the rear of his cottage gave him a measure of peace while putting the day to day problems of the surrounding world away for awhile.Meeting up with his nemesis Chief Superintendent Grieg had a negative effect until he learned he was to be seconded to Kings Cross Police Station in the centre of Sydney and accompanied by Detective Sergeant Betts – the body of a prominent businessman had been found in Sydney Harbour that morning; Michael Rossi appeared to have met a violent end, and Fitzjohn was determined to discover how and why it came about.As Fitzjohn began his investigation, he met Charlotte Rossi, daughter of Claudi Rossi who had died three years previously – Claudia was Michael’s twin sister. He also met Esme Timmons who was Michael Rossi’s aunt – was the burglary at her home connected to Michael’s death? From Sydney to the Hunter Valley vineyards and back again, Fitzjohn and Betts were dogged in their determination. And when the lies and deception began to rise to the surface, their grim satisfaction was gradual – but could they discover Michael Rossi’s murderer before he struck again?I thoroughly enjoyed this, the third in the DCI Alistair Fitzjohn mysteries, set in Sydney and written by Aussie author Jill Paterson. The gentle twists and turns, the ease of reading and the compulsion to keep going to the end has been the same in each one. My only observation in this one is minor editing issues which in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I have no hesitation in highly recommending each of Jill’s books, and though each is a stand-alone mystery, I would suggest starting at the beginning to get to know the characters.