Silvermeadow: A Brock and Kolla Mystery

By Barry Maitland

Two Cases. One location. The first case, a girl gone missing, seems a decidedly local affair. The second, the return of a violent criminal who had fled the country, instantly attracts the interest of Scotland Yard and Detective Inspector David Brock.

When he learns that his longtime nemesis, the amphetamine-juiced killer and thief known as “Upper” North, may have surfaced, Brock assembles his team and summons Detective Sergeant Kathy Kolla. Their manhunt centers on Silvermeadow, the supermall on the outskirts of London where North was spotted. Brock and Kolla camouflage their search for North by taking on the case of the missing girl—a mall employee. They lie in wait, hoping to catch North before he can strike with a new crime. Yet what should they make of rumors of other young girls disappearing from Silvermeadow? Is there a predator on the loose within the apparent safety of a carefully orchestrated aura of order and control? Very quickly, the mall itself—and its colorful cast of characters—becomes key to the dual investigations. This is Maitland at his cunning best.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing
• Release date: May 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781611459227

Barry Maitland

Barry Maitland is the author of several mystery novels featuring D.C.I. David Brock and Det. Sgt. Kathy Kolla, including All My Enemies, No Trace, and The Raven's Eye. Born in Scotland and raised in London, Maitland lives in Australia. His work has been a finalist for the Barry Award, the John Creasey Award, and the winner of the Ned Kelley Award.

Reviews for Silvermeadow

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another good entry in this fine series. Kathy and Brock find interesting friends and a girl's death leads us into the lively world of the modern shopping mall. Other crimes ensue and a grand finale shootout bring the story to a very satisfactory conclusion.

[librarian1204 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Second book I have read in this series. Still very much like the characters and the ending was fast paced and exciting. Lots of threads that are pulled together in the conclusion . I did feel that it dragged in parts but I will stay with this series.

[amf0001 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kathy and Brock have worked together before, but I haven't read those books and you don't really need to, to enjoy this one. Silvermeadow is set in a fantasy giant super mall, complete with volcano that goes off every hour, to everyone's enjoyment. It also has had a girl go missing, and end up in the recycling compactor, crushed. Was she the first girl? Have there been others? What is going on at Silvermeadow? An enjoyable, easy to read dective procedural with nothing earth shattering in writing or concept, and with the fatal flaw of having the villian explain way too much at the end (any normal villian would have just killed the copper, not spoken about every crime he had commiteed for 20 minutes until help could come!) I would describe it as a cozy read, the sort of thing you're happy to have on holiday because it's highly readable but not so engrossing that you don't want to go out and see the sights...

[pgchuis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am reading this out of order, because I read on in the series while I waited for this book to arrive.I thought this had the most coherent plot of all the instalments I have read so far, although Bren's part of the plot (looking for North) is largely forgotten about for most of the story. Thankfully Kathy's ordeal at the end (and there always is one!) was not as horrific to read about as the next book made it sound in retrospect.