Book Review: The Meanest Flood

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

The Meanest Flood     Amazon US PB Amazon UK PB Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada PB
John Baker
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Sam Turner # 6
Orion 2003

As flood waters threaten to engulf the city of York, Sam Turner is startled to discover that he is suspected of murder - and more than one death, at that. Women he once held dear are being found stabbed in their homes, and circumstancial evidence points to Sam.

As in earlier installments in this series, the reader knows who the murderer is, but the motive for the crimes remains obscure. Sam and his colleages in his small detective agency must first of all protect Sam from prosecution and secondly unravel the truth of the ominous events while staying one step ahead of the police. Meanwhile, waters continue to rise and homes and property are threatened.

Action moves from York to Norway, to a perilous crossing of the North Sea, back to York. Baker's engaging cast of characters from earlier books return, joined by a mother-daughter pair who become crucial to the eventual solution almost in spite of themselves.

Baker's trademark combination of wry humor and mounting suspense provides a satisfying one/two punch. For US readers, it's worth the effort to seek out books by this British author.

Woodstock - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM