British Detectives, Hard-Boiled 

Reginald Hill's offbeat private eye Joe Sixsmith is off by bus to Wales with his church choir group to compete in the Llanffugiol Choral Festival. On the way, and possibly lost, they come upon a summer cottage in flames, and Joe surprises everyone (including himself) by dashing in to save a woman trapped inside. Joe escapes with minor injuries. The woman, whose identity is unknown, is not quite as lucky. The owner of the cottage secretly engages Joe to discover who the woman is. Unbeknownst to her husband, the man's wife also hires Joe to find out if the young woman is actually her husband's lover, as she suspects. Adding to the confusion are a multitude of curious individuals - a suspicious policeman, a patronizing headmaster, a drug dealing student, and a gang of disaffected locals bent on sabotaging the festival. Joe is intent on uncovering the truth during his weekend stay, and his investigation reveals crimes that have remained buried for years. Written with both humor and verve by the author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series, readers will enjoy this next installment of Joe Sixsmith's adventures as much as they did its predecessors. - from Amzon