Wycliffe's Wild Goose Chase

While strolling along the seashore, Wycliffe discovers an old service revolver on the beach, with one shot fired. Then an antique dealer is found shot to death in his home and his brother is missing, and it is up to Wycliffe to figure out how each of these things are connected, or not…."Wycliffe’s Wild Goose Chase," by W. J. Burley, is the 10th in this long series, written in 1982, but it feels like a completely different era. For example, there’s a comment about a female police officer who was hired just because of “the equality requirement,” but she turns out to be a pretty good copper anyway; and the final solution to the crime has to do with attitudes no longer considered normal in the civilized world. I still enjoyed the show more story, and continue to like Wycliffe as a character, although he’s a bit crabbier and more impatient than usual in this outing, so I wouldn’t recommend reading it as a stand-alone. You’ll like it better if you’ve read the previous nine novels, or at least some of them, before tackling this one. Mildly recommended. show less

[2006-05-18] Wycliffe is indeed sent on a wild goose chase, with a "murder" that he rapidly realises probably isn't quite what it appears to be, but that involves him in much chasing about before the case can be closed. Not a lot really happens when you look hard, but the plot carries you along easily enough, and there are some nicely drawn characters. It's now on my Amazon wish list as a reminder to buy it at some point.