Review Author Tom Oliver is one of the tutors at a writers' workshop in rural Shropshire. Although his novels have been only modestly successful, he's at least a published writer, which is what is required by the workshop organizers. Much to his annoyance, though, Oliver finds that his co-tutor is Catherine Wooley, a poet who once criticized his books. Still, the week proceeds smoothly and even produces a potential romantic conquest for Oliver. But a week after the workshop concludes, Oliver hasn't arrived home. Detectives Salt and Kavanagh are assigned to investigate, and what at first seems to be a simple "misper" case soon turns into something that looks more like murder. But, if so, what's the motive? Yes, Oliver could be mean, pompous, competitive, and extraordinarily jealous of young writers, but is that enough to provoke murder? A smoothly written, solidly plotted British police procedural that fits comfortably into the surprisingly large niche of writing-conference-and-convention mysteries. --Booklist, 1st September 2009 About the Author
