Old games by Fiona Hardy

When private investigators Teddy and Alice are tasked with finding the ashes of a famous tennis player, Perry Perrineau, who has been dead seven years it is understandable that the player’s husband, Suneet Prasad, wants a discreet investigation out of the public eye. The urn containing his ashes disappeared during a party at their luxurious house on the Mornington Peninsula to celebrate the unveiling of a statue of the celebrity.  As Teddy is still recovering from being shot in the shoulder and Alice’s sister had been hired in a security role at the party, Choker, their boss might have thought it a suitably routine job for the friends, but it turns out to be far more dangerous. Their investigations begin with those attending the party and they find a growing list of suspects, from the sculptor who likes to incorporate something personal into her creations and the fanatical tennis fan, to his mother, fiercely protective of her son’s celebrity. No strangers to violence the pair travel up and down the peninsula pressuring suspects to give up their secrets about Perry’s life and death. This is the sequel to Unbury the Dead and I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read that first. I found I had to refer to my notes to see who the many minor characters were and there seems to be a considerable backstory unrelated to the plot. Bursts of violence seem a bit pasted-on for effect, especially the gunshot which triggers the traumatised Teddy. I am not familiar with the setting but was not left with a sense of place. Those who do know the Mornington Peninsula and have read the previous book may well enjoy this one.

Themes: crime investigation.

Sue Speck