A Cast of Vultures

London book editor Samantha Clair is used to juggling cranky colleagues, needy authors and epic hangovers from launch parties. But on a morning when she's dealing with all three, Sam gets drawn into a neighborhood mystery on her market run: a missing man, a burned-out building (possibly a case of arson) and a possible drug-dealing network. Never able to leave well enough alone--much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, police inspector Jake Field--Sam begins investigating. Judith Flanders delivers another whip-smart plot in her third mystery featuring Sam, A Cast of Vultures.

Readers of Flanders's previous novels (starting with A Murder of Magpies) will recognize Sam's supporting cast: her irritatingly competent mother, Helena; agoraphobic neighbor Mr. Rudiger; and multitalented assistant, Miranda. (Despite his professional interest in the case, Jake fades into the background for much of this installment.) Sam's wry first-person narration and her compulsive nosiness drive the story--landing her in a few sticky situations, but drawing her ever closer to the mystery's solution. Flanders, a social historian, also uses the plot to explore several facets of modern urban living: knowing one's neighbors (or not), the ins and outs of property and tenants' rights, the problems caused by gentrification and the issues facing at-risk youth. (Sam's friend Sam, a local unemployed teenager, comes through for her in surprising ways.)

Witty and thoughtful, with a twisty plot and engaging characters, A Cast of Vultures is Sam's most entertaining adventure yet. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

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