Publisher's Weekly
Simpson's sixth story about the admirable British Inspector Luke Thanet involves the murder of Steven Long, possibly by Harry Carpenter, whose wife and child have died after Steve caused their car to crash. But the detective's methodical habits lead him to question others with reasons to hate the murder victim: his former wife and her new lover and Steve's younger brothers. Only his twin, Geoffrey, has a kind word for the deceased troublemaker. Although facts on the siblings' background provide Thanet and his partners with diverse avenues to explore, the case is at a standstill until the inspector adds two and two and gets an odd total. There is, in effect, a triple twist in the solution.