Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Loyal Disloyalty
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Jeffrey Ashford
Class/Genre: Mystery Police Procedural Psychological Suspense
St. Martin's, Jan 1999, $20.95, 189 pp.
Persons live in fear when it becomes obvious that a serial rapist preys upon them. Apparently, the assailant entices individuals into his car, subsequently drugs them, and sexually attacks his victims. Eventually, the rapist adds murder to his vicious activities. However, one person manages to escape from his clutches and provides the police with a description of her assailant.
Richard Adeane recognizes the computer-enhanced picture as being eerily close in likeness to his former brother-in-law Thomas Walker-Jones, a successful businessman. Richard's judgment leans towards making an anonymous call to the police since he also knows some other information about Thomas' sexual pleasure that his ex-spouse told him in confidence. However, he temporarily defers action as he struggles with his conscience. He knows he must soon decide whether to betray the vow he once made to his ex-wife because of the strong possibility that Thomas is the culprit that the police are trying to find.. Either way he goes, Richard knows the price will be a bitter bite out of his soul.
LOYAL DISLOYALTY is an extraordinary novel, especially through the first part of the book. Up to that point, the story line is incredibly fresh, introspectively intriguing, never slows down for a moment, and rates an A++. The latter part of the book is also a well-crafted English police procedural that readers will immensely enjoy, but scores an A- even as though it is much better than most sub-genre entries. Jeffrey Ashford remains one of the best mystery novelists on the market today and his current work will draw his loyal fans back awaiting his next terrific tale.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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