British crime novel in which characters become people and place becomes part of the story.
Acting Chief Inspector Beatrice Stubbs represents Scotland Yard at a police conference in Portugal. Her task is to investigate a rumour, a ghost, written revelation about European intelligence agencies – and find out who is behind the book.
It’s not a dangerous mission, so he invites his family and friends for a holiday. Days at the conference and nights at the villa should be the perfect work-life balance. Until one of his colleagues is murdered.
An eclectic alliance of international detectives is formed to find the killer. But are they really on the same side?
Meanwhile, tensions rise in the holiday home. A clash of egos tempers the atmosphere and, when a five-year-old boy goes missing, the idyll turns to hell.
From the streets of Lisbon to the docks of Porto, from Parisian cafés to the green mountains of Gerês, Beatrice realises that trust can be a fatal mistake.
Each book works as a stand-alone novel.
If you like Donna Leon, Patricia Wentworth and Ann Cleeves, you’ll love Bad Apples.
«Murder at a crime conference, family fireworks, and all the ingredients for a fast-paced adventure.»
Francis Guenette, author of the Crater Lake series.
