The Verge Practice

From the backstreets of Barcelona to the sophisticated world of international architecture, this fast-moving mystery cements Maitland's reputation as a writer of intriguing and thrilling crime.;Following the murder of his young wife, Charles Verge, world famous architect and head of a very lucrative London practice, disappears without a trace. After four months of dead-end investigations, Chief Detective Inspector Brock and his team are called in to achieve the impossible: to find fresh leads and overlooked clues and to finally put an end to the much-discussed Verge mystery. Was this a crime of passion and has Verge escaped to Spain, or even Sydney, as the public sightings suggest? Or is Verge already dead, a victim of the murderer? From the suave world of international architecture to the backstreets of Barcelona, the only thing missing is Verge himself. In their own often unorthodox style, Detective Chief Inspector David Brock and Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla manage to unlock the secret that has perplexed and intrigued both the police investigation and the public imagination.'Barry Maitland is a master of mysteries.'- Los Angeles Times Book Review'More, please, Mr Maitland.'- The Washington Times'Maitland does a masterly job keeping so many balls in the air while sustaining an atmosphere of genuine intrigue, suspense and, ultimately, dread. He is right up there with Ruth Rendell...'- Australian Book Review on The Chalon Heads'Maitland gets better and better, and Brock and Kolla are an impressive team who deserve to become household names.'- Publishing News In "The Verge Practice," Kathy Kolla and David Brock, Scotland Yard's superlative detective duo, take on a puzzling case in the posh world of big-name international architecture, and it has them chasing red herrings and hopping fences from London to Barcelona. Charles Verge, a powerful, cutting-edge architect, has disappeared into the blue, leaving behind his firm; his beloved--and pregnant--daughter; and his young and very dead wife. The case is stalled, and, after months of fruitless searching leaves the authorities desperate to save face, Detective Chief Inspector Brock and Detective Sergeant Kolla are called in. All of London is abuzz with questions about the high-profile case, which will send Kolla and Brock to some less-than-scenic locales in Barcelona, and back to their own stomping ground--where suspicion of internal corruption comes much closer to home than they would like. As the investigation uncovers a dizzying web of possible suspects--including an ex-con gardener, a sinister doctor, and the missing Verge himself--it will reveal more than one crack in the shiny windows of the Verge practice's sleek facade Charles Verge doesn't turn up for a meeting with the Chinese delegation with whom he's negotiating to build an important new public building. Why isn't here there? Because he's on the run after stabbing his partner and wife, Miki Norinaga. Or is he innocent? His sulky daughter, ex-con gardener, and Spanish artist neighbor are all convinced he's innocent; his imperious mother proclaims from her wheelchair that he's dead, murdered by the same killer; and the only indication that he's still alive is hundreds of dubious sightings of him across Europe