Verdict Unsafe (Lloyd & Hill)

McGown keeps on getting better and better with each new installment in the Lloyd/Judy series. Her character development for her key characters is very good (along the lines of Elizabeth George). She does a really good job with the new characters in each story too. This book keeps you guessing until the very end, and like all good British procedurals, has two or three story strands that come together at the end. In this case there is a freed rapist that got out of jail on a technacality and we know it won't be long before he rapes again. There is a very likeable pimp that appears to be doing some double-dealings, a murder and there is a string of burglaries. We have more suspects for the rapes and burglaries than we know what to do with - and lo and behold - one of the suspects (for the murder) is Judy herself. Judy and Lloyd's relationship advances to another level in this book, and it's probably about time too. Also, they get a new boss who appears to be caught in a sexist timewarp. Very good stuff!

At first I wasn't sure, whether I liked this book or not, because it started of in a way that is rather untypical for Jill McGown. Having a little knowledge of the English legal sector myself, I found the court scenes convincing but wanted McGown to go on, to get to the real story. Well, I can only say that this is clearly one of the best books by Jill McGown. You won't be able to guess who committed the crimes and McGwon is fantastic when it comes to portraying different characters. Chief Inspector Lloyd and Judy Hill have become close friends of mine. A must have.

In East Midlands, the Stealth Bomber has raped four women. Detective Inspector Judy Hill believes that the police have finally caught the culprit, Colin Arthur Drummond, who confesses to Judy that he committed the cr imes. Beyond the confession, the case appears to still be open and shut. There is DNA evidence linking Colin to the victims and two witnesses have fingered Drummond as the rapist. So why is Drummond wandering the stree ts a free man eighteen months later and Hill under police suspicion? ...... Colin starts to follow Judy as he hints that she will be his next victim. He also stalks some of his previous victims. Adding to Judy's concern is that the internal affairs folks have launched their own investigatio n on the original mishandling of the Drummond case by the police with Hill being their intended target. Only her lover and superior, Inspector Lloyd believes Judy handled things above board in accordance with acceptable police procedures. With an obvious rapist on the loose and on her back, and her own peers openly accusing her of error, what's a police officer to do? For Judy the answer is simple: stop Drummond from succeeding with h is next rape whose target appears to be Judy Hill, a police officer under siege from all sides but still determined to see justice served. ...... VERDICT UNSAFE is a very good English police procedural that is the eighth Lloyd and Hill mystery novel. Judy is a superb professional, whose exploits are always fun to read. Readers need to bear with this book becau se it starts a bit slow, but when it takes off, it rockets. Jill McGown provides her audience with a complex and interesting novel that is a great addition to a fantastic series. ......Harriet Klausner