Rotten Apples

Willow King #5

by Natasha Cooper

From the author of "Festering Lilies" published to critical acclaim When a beautiful art historian dies in her house in Chelsea, one theory blames the Revenue for driving her to suicide, and part-time civil servant Willow King is sent in to investigate the tax inspectors. While she is working on her report, Willow narrowly escapes being burned to death. Not all the tax inspectors are so lucky, and Willow's assignment turns into a murder hunt. As she battles with the dramas of her private life and the dangers at work, Willow confronts some very unpleasant realities.

Genres: Mystery

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

aka N.J. Cooper, Kate Hatfield, Clare Layton, Daphne Wright.

Natasha Cooper was Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association in 2000/2001. She reviews books in THE TIMES, THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT and the NEW LAW JOURNAL. She is the author of, among others, FAULT LINES and PREY TO ALL.

Reviews

[Denise Spicer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Willow King mystery has her investigating the practices of the Inland Revenue. Her husband Tom gets shot and is hospitalized while Willow continues her work during the course of which she makes a daring action-packed escape from a burning building. Includes interesting characters, dialogue, red herrings, and descriptions of London.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry, a bit pretentious, but fine otherwise. Mild to moderate swearing.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

BEWARE:
I DON"T FLAG SPOILERS. BUT THEN I DON'T PUT MY MY REVIEWS ON ANY FEED.

I myself prefer Cooper's Trish Maguire to her Willow King. But I'll read any Cooper book I can get my hands on. The writer is so sensitive to nuance - of character, of language.

Though I'm not keen on how Cooper titles her King novels, I am starting to get the gist. It's usually adjective + noun that refers to a food or growing thing. (e.g., Sour Grapes, Bitter Herbs). The titles are, to me, more superficial or trite than the books warrant.

I can detect Cooper's cleverness in this book, which is based around a possibly mundane topic - tax collections.

The story combines a tax mystery with a mystery involving a teen boy who's mother has recently either been murdered or commited suicide.

Both Willow and her police husband get seriously injured in the book, during different incidents.

It seems unlikely that Willow's personality would have her allow needy strangers into her home but that is in fact what she does at one point (while hubby is unconscious for days "in hospital," as I think the Brits say.)

Even though I like Maguire better, I think Willow seems suitable as Cooper's first forays into fiction -- as Willow, too, has moved from a desk job to novel writing.

[Jussi · Rating 2 out of 5]

story line wasn't bad and the author knows her craft as writer. unfortunately her tastes are very specific. this book faced up to every cliche in the genre of pretty-smart-girl-in-a-man's-world mysteries and in the genre of daydream-of-life-in-a-quirky-but-immaculately-tasteful-mews-home romance. and lost.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun cozy mystery concerning a tax scandal, civil servant unrest and a mystery shooting.
Gentle and interesting story, my first by this author. I will read more but this one lacked any addictive turn paging and was relaxed and a smooth steady adventure.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willow King is mystery solver, civil servant in England, writes romances. Checks into a tax audit of an art historian who committed suicide.
Pretty good.

[Delores Alger · Rating 1 out of 5]

skimmed

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The names of many of the characters are fun--Fydgett, Profett, Scoffer.

[Laurie Stoll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book. Not my kind of book/story.