Wheel of Fire

Bonner’s so-so sequel to 2017’s Deadly Dance offers a familiar tale of murder and greed. Imposing Blackdown Manor, for generations the home of the Fairbrother family, is aflame when the firefighters arrive. Aware that at least two people are inside, they watch in horror as the house explodes. The charred remains found inside are later identified as belonging to Sir John Fairbrother, the family patriarch and the idiosyncratic chairman of Fairbrother International, and his nurse. The repercussions from Sir John’s death set off a wave of panic at his company and bring together his estranged children: Bella, a savvy investment banker, and her wastrel brother, Freddie, who has spent years soaking up the sun in Australia. The fire is ruled to be arson, and suspicion falls on caretaker George Grey, who, right on cue, gets himself murdered. Det. Insp. David Vogel of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s Major Crime Investigation Unit and his team follow a predictable path to the unsurprising twist ending. Those expecting a distinctive police lead and more than serviceable prose will be disappointed. [em]Agent: Toby Peake, Peake Assoc. (U.K.) (Jan.) [/em]