A BEAUTY FOR INSPECTOR WEST

This book is an excellent piece of nostalgia. Inspector West and his assistant, Turnbull, have a love/hate relationship throughout their investigation of the deaths of one beauty contest winner after another just before the final pageant. Many plausible suspects are each laboriously eliminated. Steve Hodson skillfully portrays each character realistically and believably. Hearing the reasoning of the police throughout the case is a special treat for procedural fans, and Hodson's delivery keeps this from becoming tedious. The story also presents an outstanding picture of the challenges met by police, particularly when they had little technology to assist them. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]