Review: A Spider in the Cup by Barbara Cleverly

A Mysterious Review of A Spider in the Cup by Barbara Cleverly. A Joe Sandilands Mystery.

Review summary: This is an intriguing mix of history and murder mystery. The time frame of the book, during the Great Depression, forms a backdrop to the storyline which contrasts the style and effort of its lead character with another man, one he must align with to solve the crime. A solid entry in this series, one definitely worth seeking out. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

A Spider in the Cup
Barbara Cleverly
A Joe Sandilands Mystery
Soho Crime (August 2013)

Publisher synopsis: At dawn one morning in 1933, an amateur dowsing team digging the banks of the Thames for precious metals unearths the body of a young woman with a missing toe and a priceless gold coin in her mouth. The case falls on Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard Joe Sandilands' turf, but he's been given another assignment — and a very high-profile one.

London is hosting a historic global economic conference to try to solve the global Depression, and political tensions are running very high, as very influential participants are starting to take positions allied with or staunchly against the rapidly militarizing Germany. Sandilands' job is to protect and keep an eye on the visiting American senator Cornelius Kingstone, right-hand man to President Roosevelt, throughout the conference.

When a strange set of coincidences link the river bank body to the senator, Joe realizes his assignment is much bigger than he'd thought, and that Senator Kingstone is caught up in a very dangerous game — one that might cost not just one but thousands of lives.