I would like to thank Netgalley and Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd for an advance copy of No Spoken Word, a short police procedural set in Manchester and the seventh novel to feature DSI Jeff Barton.
Maria Taylor is shot execution style in her organic fruit & veg shop and no one can explain why, although all her friends appear to be withholding information and her partner, Sylvia, is missing. It is up to Jeff and his team, including new civilian recruit, Louisa Pilkington, to unravel the truth which has to be read to be believed.
The investigation is fairly cursory as Mr Menon prefers to concentrate on his characters and their unconventional lifestyles. It is strange in a police procedural to see characters being so candid to colleagues about their personal life, especially with Louisa who is a stranger to them, but it adds to the charm of the novel.
No Spoken Word is an unusual novel and it is easy to criticise it - crazy plot, a left wing bias in the social commentary and socially inappropriate conversations - but it has a charm which is difficult to categorise and it held my attention throughout as I itched to know where the plot was going. If you are looking for a straightforward police procedural this may not be for you but if you are looking for something a bit more quirky then this will suit nicely.