Marjorie Eccles, Killing a Unicorn

Killing a Unicorn

Marjorie Eccles

Dunne, Jan 2005, $22.95, 224 pp.

ISBN: 0312324111

Fran Calvert is taking a walk on her husband's family estate when she finds the corpse of Bianca (Biba) Morgan near a refreshing waterfall. Fran knows that Biba and her nine-year-old son Jasie were brought here by Fran's brother-in-law Chip. Reflecting on the deceased, Fran realizes she also knows almost nothing about the victim. She also worries that her spouse, architect Mark, is nowhere in sight and Jasie is missing.

The family, led by the matriarch Alyssa, clings to the belief that an outsider killed Biba. Inspector Dave Crouch and Sergeant Kate Colville investigate the death and quickly find ties between Biba and the third son, international cello star Jonathan, and Mark; they believe an inside job. As the cops dig deeper into the family, the pretense of upper crust affinity begins to unravel as each Calvert has their own agenda.

This English cozy is an enjoyable police procedural that combines insight into a family through the investigation. Fans will appreciate how cleverly Marjorie Eccles reveals her cast, especially the hidden roles they mask from others while the two police officers strip away their veneer. The who-done-it is a terrific homicide investigation that also serves as the background to a deep family drama.

Harriet Klausner