Power of One, The (A Rina Martin Mystery, 3) - Hardcover

Jane Adams was born in Leicestershire, where she still lives. She has a degree in Sociology, and has held a variety of jobs including lead vocalist in a folk rock band. She enjoys pen and ink drawing, martial arts and her ambition is to travel the length of the Silk Road by motorbike. She is married with two children. Her first book, The Greenway, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award in 1995 and for the Author's Club Best First Novel Award.

At the start of British author Adams's suspenseful third Rina Martin mystery (after 2008's Fragile Lives), Rina, who once played a PI in a TV series and now runs a B&B in the resort town of Frantham, spots a motor yacht turning in circles in the bay. A coast guard boat comes to the rescue and tows the yacht to shore. Aboard are two men, both shot to death. One of them is unidentified, the other is the boat's owner, Paul de Freitas, a computer game software developer, who shared a cliff-side mansion with his brother and sister-in-law. The guests at Rina's B&B, who include a magician and others connected to the theatrical world, lend support as Rina turns sleuth, while her policeman friend, Det. Insp. Mac McGregor, casts a disapproving eye on amateur interference. Industrial spies and government agents, some of them bogus, raise questions about what de Freitas was really up to at his factory at an old army base. Miss Marple fans will find a lot to like. --Publishers Weekly, 20th July 2009

Redoubtable amateur sleuth Rina Martin is back in another Miss Marple-like mystery. When two men are found shot execution-style on a yacht floating in Frantham harbor, it creates a sensation in the sleepy British seaside town. DI Mac McGregor heads up the case. One of the dead men is local businessman Paul de Freitas, but who is the other victim, and why the send-a-message execution? Paul's company, which he ran with his brother, Edward, and sister-in-law Lydia, manufactures computer games--not exactly a highrisk business. But someone wanted Paul dead, and it's up to DI McGregor to find out who and why. Of course, Mac can't run an investigation without Rina Martin poking her nose in, and while her interference is sometimes annoying, she has amazing intuition and has helped Mac solve difficult cases in the past. This one, though, seems particularly tricky, especially after two "government agents" get involved. Fortunately, Rina saves the day with a bit of skulduggery and a little sleight of hand. A pleasantly entertaining read in this popular and engaging series. --Booklist, 1st August 2009