Ex-BBC, ex-civil servant Ed Stonax is killed in his own flat, seemingly whilst interrupting a burglary. The victim's daughter has flown all the way from New York only to be confronted with the dead body of her father and DI Bill Slider is brought in to investigate. The murder looks like a simple burglary-homicide, but with the added complication of the victim's VIP status, DI Slider is under pressure to solve the crime and catch the perpetrator. The more the homicide team looks, however, the more suspect the burglary motive becomes - only the victim's wallet, watch and mobile phone appear to be missing.

Whilst working on the case, Bill is trying to get married and has other problems; his fiancee, Joanna, heavily pregnant is still working around the UK and he has become a target of death threats from a convicted criminal, one who has escaped and is at large. Juggling the case with these personal issues only serves to make his job harder, but also makes him a more vulnerable and therefore more likeable character.

This is a nicely crafted read with characters who have some depth, but do not follow the path of the stereotyped bitter, single, drinking detective and stupid sidekick so popular in current police procedurals. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is well versed in writing in a range of different styles and GAME OVER mixes the police procedural with a spattering of romance. She weaves several plotlines together to meet with a satisfying set of results, which are not only contemporary, but also feel very British. This is a book which will draw you in and keep you interested and lightly prods some issues current in Britain today. I wait to see what Ms Harrod-Eagles will take on next.

Amanda Brown, England
December 2008