Definitely Deceased (Inspector Alvarez Novels) - Hardcover

Jeffries, Roderic

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0727857304 ISBN 13: 9780727857309

Publisher: Severn House, 2001

Synopsis

Alvarez was reluctant to help Miguel Munar, suspected of smuggling. And trouble did indeed blossom. There was the man who had to be identified if Munar were to escape arrest, but he had vanished; there was the headless, handless corpse which was found in the mountains; there was the lady whose amatory pursuits were legendary, but not confined to legend...

About this title

About the Author

Roderic Jeffries was born in London in 1926 and was educated at Southampton's School of Navigation. In 1943 he went to sea with the New Zealand Shipping Company and returned to England in 1949 where he was subsequently called to the Bar. He practiced law for a brief period before starting to write full time. His books have been published in many different countries and have been adapted for film, television, and radio. He and his wife live in Mallorca, and have two children.

Reviews

The prolific Jeffries returns with yet another polished tale featuring Mallorquin policeman Enrique Alvarez, last seen in The Ambiguity of Murder (2001). Miguel Munar, related by marriage to Alvarez's cousin Dolores, is suspected of smuggling. Munar lives in another jurisdiction, yet Alvarez finds himself delving into the case, though he would rather ignore it altogether. The price of domestic harmony with Dolores is an investigation that could get him in trouble later with his superiors. There's a possible witness who could clear Munar, if only Alvarez can find the elusive man. When a headless, handless corpse turns up, Alvarez suspects he may have found his missing witness. In the meantime, Alvarez's long-suffering superior, Salas, with whom he communicates via exasperated phone calls, has decided that another police officer, Inspector Fuster, will take over the case. Since Fuster and Alvarez prove to be chalk and cheese, Alvarez has to exert himself as never before to outwit the ambitious Fuster, who would like nothing better than to show Alvarez up for the slacker he often seems to be. Jeffries cleverly depicts the Mallorquin temperament and attitudes toward life, foreigners and current events. As usual in the author's work, the pace is deliberate, the path to the solution is serpentine and Alvarez is suavely charming as he doggedly pursues justice.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Inspector Enrique Alvarez of Llueso, Mallorca, faces a serious situation. His cousin Delores wants him to help her cousin Miguel Munar, who is suspected of smuggling. To do so, however, could cause Alvarez no end of trouble from his disagreeable boss, Superior Chief Salas. On the other hand, if Alvarez doesn't comply, who knows how long Delores will continue to punish him with bad cooking? After the final indignity--cold sandwiches with dayold bread--Alvarez can bear it no longer and visits Munar, who implicates an anonymous Englishman with a limp, who promptly turns up dead. Thus begins the twenty-fourth installment in this acclaimed and highly entertaining series starring the slowmoving, brandyloving Alvarez, the island of Mallorca, and its resident English expatriates. As usual, an excellent plot and crisp characterizations make for lively reading. Fans will be particularly intrigued this time by a surprising development in the inspector's personal life. As we've said before, the only thing that could make this series better is if Jeffries would include some of Delores' recipes. Stuart Miller
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Severn House
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0727857304
• ISBN 13: 9780727857309
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 250