cover image Deadlocked

Deadlocked

Richard Hunt. St. Martin's Press, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-312-13461-7

The classic locked-room mystery meets modern technology in this second American appearance of Detective Chief Inspector Sidney Walsh (Death of a Merry Widow) and his team of Cambridge, England, police officers. Not only is the room where Dr. Arthur King's body is found locked and bolted, but the dead man's entire house is guarded by a seemingly impenetrable computerized security system with cameras everywhere. Possible suspects abound: a wife embittered by the victim's womanizing and paranoia, a disappointed lover, fearful workplace rivals and an animal-rights group that threatened King because of his laboratory's research. To complicate matters, Arthur King, a fanatic King Arthur buff, was murdered with a replica of the sword Excalibur. The Cambridge coppers pursue these leads doggedly, eventually setting a trap that puts unflinching Constable Brenda Phipps in harm's way. The solution is appropriately complex, although careful readers may spot clues missed by the police. Walsh and crew are an unassuming lot, who, like the understated British wit of this series, exert a steady appeal. (Dec.)