What a horrible cover design!
Anyway, as usual with Barnard, this is a somewhat unusual mystery. And unusually for Barnard, he keeps the bloviating under control, so things meander along quite nicely.
The solution to the mystery, though, leaves more than a bit to be desired. It’s not a cheat, exactly, but… just not terribly exciting.
OK, next I should read something less mysteryish.
A Murder in Mayfair (1999) by Robert Barnard (buy new, buy used, 3.54 on Goodreads)