Publisher’s blurb:   When Detective Inspector Michael Joyce is called out to a potential murder scene early one Sunday in Stevenage, it’s immediately clear to him that this is not the usual Saturday night stabbing; the victim is a middle aged man in a suit and tie. With no identification on him, it is only by meticulous detective work that the police establish his identity – a Military Policeman based in Germany.

Eager to find out what the man was doing in Stevenage, DI Joyce goes to his base in Paderborn to search his flat with the local Military Police. What they discover there takes the investigation in a whole new direction, as they realize that the murdered man was not on a case at all, but was engaged in serious criminal activity himself.

With his father dying in a hospice with terminal cancer, and a dead, rogue Military Policeman on his hands, will Joyce cope in his pursuit to find out who the murderer is, and how will he handle the revelation of a secret that his father’s been tormented by since the war? 

A British police procedural mystery set in Hertfordshire, “The Paderborn Connection” was a relatively short novel with an intelligent and interesting plot.  The characters were well-rounded and the setting well-described.  It provided a clear understanding of the minutiae and tedious aspects of police work.  I enjoyed the relationship between Detective Inspector Michael Joyce and his wife, as well as his relationships with his co-workers.  However…  that is everything positive I can say about it.

The rendition of the story let it down.  The word ‘whilst’ was overused to the point where I’m sure there were are many instances of it as there were pages in the book.   The dialogue was stilted and repetitious.  The editing was poor, with letters missing from words and missing words, incorrect use of quotation marks etc.  These editorial blunders, along with the anticlimactic ending, deterred my enjoyment of the novel and detracted from the book which restricted it from reaching its full potential.

I wish to thank Troubador Publishing via NetGalley for providing me with this novel in exchange for my honest review.

William A. Newton was born in Leicester, England.
He has been married for over 45 years and has three daughters and four grandchildren.