Martin Edwards. The Cipher Garden.

The Cipher Garden

Martin Edwards

Poisoned Pen, Nov 2005, $24.95, 266 pp.

ISBN: 150582063

Though Detective Chief Inspector Hannah Scarlett knows her current assignment is an exile for screwing up the Rao trial, and she would rather not be head of the Cold Case Review team, she is proud of the good stats supporting their efforts. A tip-off comes in, that claims Tina Howe killed her spouse a "plantsman" Warren using his scythe as a grim reaper in the garden of customer Roz Gleave. Hannah notices the reaction of her Detective Sergeant Nick Lowther of relief. Though they have little new to go on, Hannah decides to reopen the investigation, which she notices upsets Nick, who was part of the original investigation.

At the same time, the police begin making new inquiries. Historian Daniel Kind decides to look into the strange garden by his cottage. He hires landscaper Peter Flint, Warren's partner, to obtain insight. As the police homicidal case and the historian's curiosity connect, Hannah and Daniel seek the truth, even as a fresh murder occurs to keep everything concealed.

The Howe cold case investigation is one of the best police procedural of this always exciting series, as a still in exile DCI Scarlett wonders why DS Lowther fails to use his poker face to hide his feelings with every newly discovered clue. While probing for clues, Hannah wonders who Nick is protecting, and whether he and others suppressed evidence when they first investigated the case. Fans will appreciate this particular who-done-it because of the moral dilemma that the heroine expects to eventually face at the end of the inquiries.