Lawrence, David – THE DEAD SIT ROUND IN A RING

[LJ Roberts]

THE DEAD SIT ROUND IN A RING (Police Proc-London-Cont) - Poor Lawrence, David – 1^st book
Thomas Dunn Books, 2004-Hardcover

Detective Stella Mooney takes on the case where four people, two men and two women, have been found sitting in a ring, all dead. Three are quickly identified and classified as suicides, but the fourth person was murdered and is unknown. But Stella also needs to worry about a problem with vodka, terrible nightmares, her attraction to a newsman and a relationship she no longer thinks she wants.

I generally like the tough, gritty, can-handle-anything character, particularly a female. But Stella is so unrelentingly dark as to be oppressive. Thankfully, she is in therapy, which offers the only hope of my continuing the series because I read first for character. The book is well written but, without a single spark of light, I did not enjoy this book as much as I might have done.