What do You think about The Malcontenta (2000)?
DS Kathy Kolla has been seconded to the countryside from the Met. She isn't having an easy time of it as her superior officer doesn't seem to care for her. She is assigned to look into an apparent suicide at a local health resort. She doesn't seem to feel that this was indeed a suicide but her investigation is stopped when her superiors interfer and close the case. In desperation she turns to DCI David Brock and he eventually starts looking into the case on his own time.This is a very good mystery. Plenty of suspects and motives to choose from. Good secondary characters, well thought out plot and a satisfying ending. Will definitely be reading more in this series.
—Mike Gabor
Author Barry Maitland simply possesses too much talent. Thanks to him, I completely neglected so much that I had to accomplish over the two days that it took me to devour the 348 pages of The Malcontenta.The suspense builds from the first few pages. Sergeant Kathy Kolla, physically if not mentally recovered from her experience in The Marx Sisters, visits Detective Chief Inspector David Brock of Scotland Yard at his London home. Kolla, spending a year on special assignment in an unspecified county in English's South, reveals to Brock the details of an investigation into a suicide at a health farm. She's certain that the death was no suicide, and that her superiors -- for some reason(s) -- have launched a cover-up. On the sly, Kolla and Brock continue looking into the death. The suspense will keep you glued to the book -- while everything and everyone else -- must wait till you savor the last page. You won't want to miss The Malcontenta; just tackle the novel when it won't disrupt your life too much! And be sure to have the next novel in the series, All My Enemies, near at hand. If you're like me, you won't want to wait long before catching up with Kathy and David again.A special thanks to my Goodreads friend from Down Under, Magda, who provided me a list of Australian authors that aren't to be missed. Maitland is a jewel I likely would not have experienced without you!
—Ivonne Rovira
Somewhat odd approach in this book considering where the series eventually goes. The book is in three parts, with the first being Kathy narrating to Brock the difficulties encountered in the murder case so far, the second Brock alone going undercover (with only mixed success) while another crime is committed, and finally Part III is Brock and Kathy working together to tie things up. You can tell in this book (#2 in the series) the author is still trying to figure out his characters and their relationship to each other. Brock seems to be a bit older here than in some later books, and Kathy is living in surprisingly spartan conditions for a Detective Sergeant, but both points play nicely into this particular tale. It is a very good, enjoyable mystery, unusually told.
—Mike
