Death In Profile

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The genteel façade of London's Hampstead is shattered by a series of terrifying murders, and the ensuing police hunt is threatened by internal politics, and a burgeoning love triangle within the investigative team. Pressurised by senior officers desperate for a result a new initiative is clearly needed, but what? Intellectual analysis and police procedure vie with the gut instinct of 'copper's nose', and help appears to offer itself from a very unlikely source a famous fictional detective. A psychological profile of the murderer allows the police to narrow down their search, but will Scotland Yard lose patience with the team before they can crack the case? Praised by fellow authors and readers alike, this is a truly original crime story, speaking to a contemporary audience yet harking back to the Golden Age of detective fiction. Intelligent, quirky and mannered, it has been described as 'a love letter to the detective novel'. Above it all hovers Hampstead, a magical village evoking the elegance of an earlier time, and the spirit of mystery-solving detectives. Guy Fraser-Sampson is an established writer best known for his series of Mapp and Lucia novels which have been featured on BBC Radio 4 and optioned by BBC television. This is his debut work of detective fiction, and the first title in the Hampstead Murders series.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

When the body of a fifth female victim of a supposed serial killer is discovered in the tony North London environs of Hampstead, DCI Tom Allen, an old-style copper who relies on gut instincts, is removed from the case and replaced by a "set of new eyes" courtesy of DS Simon Collison who's been fast-tracked by virtue of his academic credentials. It's his job then to mold the remaining team members, deal with the tabloid press clamoring for a solution, and thwart Allen, who unofficially continues his own parallel investigation. Collison puts his reputation at risk when he acquires the services of an inexperienced profiler who channels Dorothy Sayers's famous fictional sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey(!). There are in fact several references to Golden Age authors and characters, and, overall, despite its focus on serial killing, this mystery by the author of several Mapp and Lucia novels (Au Reservoir; Lucia on Holiday) has a decidedly old-fashioned feel. The investigative team, meanwhile, are flawed individuals who make frequent mistakes obvious to any veteran Law & Order viewer. That might be enough to cause some readers to cry, "Faugh!" and toss the book across the room. Verdict Anglophiles and lovers of Golden Age mysteries will savor this brisk police procedural, loaded with plenty of red herrings and chockablock with incident and character. This is the first of a promised, and promising, series.-Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Fraser-Sampson, the author of the nonfiction The Mess We're In: Why Politicians Can't Fix Financial Crises, blends the grittiness and authenticity of modern-day police procedurals with the style of golden age detective fiction in this entertaining but flawed first volume of the Hampstead Murders series. North London police officers struggle to identify and apprehend a serial killer who has been terrifying the Hampstead populace for nearly 18 months. After Supt. Simon Collison assumes command of the floundering investigation and turns to an amateur profiler for help, suspects are soon identified-but internal leaks, a love triangle among team members, and a bizarre mental breakdown (the profiler believes he's Dorothy L. Sayers's fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey) threaten to derail the arrest and prosecution of the elusive killer. An impressively knotty story line and numerous references to the style and wit of golden age detective stories compensate for two-dimensional characters, particularly the investigators. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.