The Russian Wife (Brock & Kolla #14) by Barry Maitland

I read this book in a day! It’s got everything! The Russian mob; several murders; police corruption; art fraud and more!

Barry Maitland is an Australian author who lived for many years in London working as an architect. His knowledge of architecture and London makes the reader feel like they are with the characters as they traverse the busy city. I loved all the detail relating to art forgery and fraud and learnt a lot (but not enough to pick a forgery if needed!). I wasn’t familiar with the German artist Kurt Schwitters whose work play a pivotal role in the plot, so did some research to enlighten myself. I love a book that leads me down the proverbial rabbit hole and broadens my knowledge base.

DCI David Brock and DCI Kathy Kolla now work for different departments, and Maitland’s plot cleverly weaves together the different cases they are investigating. These characters are well developed, and although this is the fourteenth book in the series, it stands alone and doesn’t require the reader to be familiar with the earlier installments.

A cracking pace makes this book a real page-turner. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group