Faithful unto Death is the fifth book in Graham’s Inspector Barnaby series and the only one so far that I didn’t remember from the TV series. Like some others, it gets to Barnaby slowly and murder even more slowly.
Neighbors wonder at the disappearance of Simone Hollingsworth, the beautiful wife of wealthy Alan Hollingsworth. It’s unlike her to have missed two appointments one afternoon and fail to show up for bell practice. Yet, no one really knows her. She flits from one activity to another and stays home alone while her husband works. In her absence, Alan is missing work and turning into a wreck. But when Barnaby acts on a report, Alan says his wife has gone to visit her mother, and Barnaby seems unwilling to go further even after learning her mother is dead (which I found odd). Meanwhile, the whole village thinks Alan murdered his wife.
Brenda Brockley, the girl next door, has a big crush on Alan, and when he goes off unexpectedly, she follows him to Heathrow Airport. There, someone spots her.
Then Alan apparently commits suicide, but something tells Barnaby otherwise. It begins to look like Simone was kidnapped and Alan was trying to ransom her.
In the meantime, Brenda still isn’t home. Eventually, she is found dead in the Heathrow parking garage, apparently hit by Alan’s car. And where is Simone?
I had an idea I knew what was going on in this one, but Graham convinced me I was wrong, and then she turned the tables again and it turned out I was right all along! Pretty good trick!
As usual, the characterization is really good and the plot complex. Another good one for Graham.
