No Trace: A Brock and Kolla Mystery

This was a superb, twisted, engaging thriller that held me from page 1, as I'm always on the lookout for new mysteries. They provide the sorbet in the feast of my reading banquet. I plan on going back and reading the entire series, much as I did with Peter Robinson.

As a lover of mysteries, British ones in particular, I can honestly say that this is one of the cleverest and best-written ones that I have ever come across. Combining the art world with wonderful character studies, Maitland has created a true tour de force.

Barry Maitland's "No Trace" is a haunting and powerful police procedural featuring Detective Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla. Brock and Kolla are members of a Major Enquiry Team looking into the disappearance of three young girls: Aimee Prentice, Lee Hammond, and most recently, Tracey Rudd, the six-year-old daughter of Gabriel Rudd, a controversial contemporary artist. Rudd lives in Northcote Square, a London neighborhood known for its cutting-edge artists and art dealers. Maitland does a masterful job of juggling an enormous cast of colorful characters. Betty Zielinski is an apparently disturbed woman who lives near Gabriel Rudd. Although she claims that she has pertinent information that could help the police, no one is willing to pay any heed to "Batty Betty," as she is known in the square. Len and Bev Nolan, Tracey's grandparents, despise Rudd, whom they blame for the suicide of his wife, Jane, who was also their daughter. Fergus Tait, Gabe's art dealer, is an opportunist who encourages Gabe to immediately transform his grief into a new work of art, as he did after his wife's death. Weeks pass without any leads. Suddenly, a series of homicides raises the stakes for the investigators. It soon becomes apparent that a serial killer is loose in Northcote Square. Could these murders be related to the abduction of the three little girls? Brock has his hands full dealing with these high-profile cases, especially since his superiors are breathing down his neck and pressuring him for results. Maitland slowly builds up tension as Brock, Kathy, Detective Inspector Bren Gurney, and the rest of the team desperately look for leads. "No Trace" is one of the most dark and complex thrillers of the year. It has crisp dialogue, sharp descriptive writing, excellent depiction of police procedure, and deliciously sardonic humor. Maitland touches on a number of compelling themes and develops them beautifully: the selfishness of great artists, the political jockeying for power among law enforcement agencies, and the price that dedicated detectives pay for their devotion to duty. The author skillfully demonstrates that some apparently normal human beings are so cruel and insensitive to the pain and suffering of others that they commit horrific acts with little or no remorse. The plot becomes more and more intricate until it culminates in a breathtakingly clever and surprising, if not entirely realistic, finale. Still, Maitland pulls it off, and "No Trace" is itself a minor work of art.

In London someone abducts the six years old daughter of artist Gabriel Rudd from their home leaving NO TRACE at all of a struggle. Little Tracey is the apparent third victim of the kidnapper; of the first two girls, one is dead and on is barely alive. Detective Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla head the investigation into the serial kidnapper case, but emphasize the importance of concentrating on rescuing the child. They are both appalled by Gabriel's reaction. Known for his work the "Dead Puppies" that gruesomely depicts the suicide of his wife five years ago, the abduction inspires him to begin a project depicting Tracey's kidnapping as the center of his upcoming exhibition of his works. He becomes a suspect with the motive being to recapture his moment of fame while he obviously had opportunity and the no struggle hints of someone the girl knows, but the two cops also look at other individuals in this closed bohemian artistic society. The strength of this superb British police procedural resides with the support cast as Barry Maitland vividly describes the artist community, who to the two cops seem offbeat especially the victim's father. Readers will be fascinated in a macabre way with Rudd's reactions as he sees his daughter's danger as an exploitation opportunity, which has the audience wondering if he is that unfeeling, the culprit, or the ultimate capitalist. Harriet Klausner