The Killing of Katie Steelstock

(Spoiler warning) Most of the way through, I really liked this book and found it compulsively readable, but I really hated the ending. Katie Steelstock, a local young woman who has become a success on British TV, is killed after leaving a local dance. Charlie Knott, a capable but ambitious Scotland Yard superintendent (bucking for Commander) is put in charge and accumulates evidence pointing to Katie's (supposed) ex-boyfriend, an erratic and immature young journalist. Despite a few loose ends, Knott persuades the prosecutors to bring charges against him. However, other evidence seems to point to an unpleasant newly rich local bigwig, and ere are also links to a highly skilled but morally dubious photographer who also ends up dead. A show more zealous young police sergeant pursues the case against the bigwig, but just as he seems to have secured the critical evidence against him (a typewriter --shades of Alger Hiss), there is a sudden sharp plot twist and the killer turns out to be --the zealous young police sergeant himself. {personally I am never a fan of abrupt last-minute plot twists, though at one time they were fashionable, and this one in particular seemed extremely arbitrary, and came close to violating the No Ackroyd rule -- that is, the villain should not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has shared. Strictly, the book is 3rd person so we are not given the sergeant's thoughts,. but portions of the investigation are basically seen for his point of view. Also, his initial plot effectively involved framing the young journalist, and yet he later goes to great lengths to clear him, which I find incredible. We are given a sort of explanation for this --he likes the journalist better than the bigwig --but if he didn't want the journalist involved, why involve him in the first place? In addition, in contrast to Black Seraphim, in which almost everyone comes out all right, in this case several other characters end up badly. In particular a young boy who is prepared to testify to a homosexual encounter that provides an alibi for the journallst commits suicide, and at the end the journalist, having escaped trial for this murder, shoots and badly wounds the sergeant, so at the end both face serious charges. Definitely not a happy ending. show less

Nice, tight police procedural. Ending was a real surprise -- he had me right up to the end. Love Michael Gilbert! See my full review at: http://livritome.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/the-killing-of-katie-steelstock/

a little long is my only criticism. totally surprised by the ending. shows the chaos a murder can bring.

fairly certain I have read this - in California - not available MCL but requested copy from Blackwells when they can find one and put one on Biblio wishlist: Biblio it was - and I do not remember one word of this - I do still know the scene I was looking for - the hunt is on ...