Death’s Bright Angel by Janet Neel (Constable, 1988), the first of seven books about Detective Chief Inspector John McLeish and Francesca Wilson, a civil servant in the Department of Trade and Industry Ministry, won the John Creasey New Blood Dagger for an interesting mix of commerce, music, and murder.
When William Fireman, Purchasing Manager at Britex Fabrics, was killed on a London street one night, everyone assumed it was a mugging gone wrong. His wallet and his watch were taken but the ferocity of the killing set it apart from the usual entries on the crimes list. McLeish feared a perpetrator who wielded a hammer would kill again and looked at the case harder than he might otherwise.
While talking to Britex officials, his path crosses that of government economic analyst Francesca Wilson, who is part of a ministry group examining the long-term viability of Britex, which was foundering. Sparks fly instantly and a significant part of the story addresses their romance.
McLeish learns quickly that his new interest is part of a close-knit musical family and dating her involves all of her brothers, which leads to some funny scenes, particularly when he is trying to take her to dinner and at least one brother expects to accompany them. Then one brother is a newly minted recording star and the asides about his fans and the expensive baubles that go along with stardom are also amusing.
The actual mystery and its unraveling are well done. I found the background and analysis on ministry support to economically faltering regions informative without being overwhelming; the descriptions of corporate boards who receive fat salaries for no real reason is still unfortunately accurate. The characters are lively and entertaining, especially the brother with new-found fame who sees no problem in wrecking the luxury vehicle given to him by his recording company.
For classic crime and police procedural readers; fans of white collar crime might also like this book, which has been reprinted under the title A Fatal Blow.