From Publishers Weekly
In British author Cooper's gripping sixth mystery to feature ambitious barrister Trish McGuire (after 2003's A Place of Safety), Trish joins the prosecution team in a class-action lawsuit against one of Britain's largest food-store chains. Trish finds she has more than a professional interest when she and her friend, Insp. Caro Lyalt, are victims of food poisoning. With Caro in hospital, Trish undertakes her own investigation of the meat trade, with one of the members of the class action as cohort. She also takes on Kim Bowlby, a young child in Caro's protective custody. With the men in her life vacationing on the other side of the world, Trish is free to carry on a flirtation with the Head of Chambers, who may have something more serious in mind. The suspense builds, as Cooper deftly interweaves the several plot lines. Is the person whose help she enlists in looking into the meat trade as trustworthy as Trish supposes? What terror keeps Kim mute? Anglophiles will enjoy the glimpses of the Inns of Court and the British civil court system, though some may scratch their heads at the more obscure British legalese (e.g., "to take silk"). More attractive and sympathetic than Insp. Jane Tennyson of Mystery! fame, Trish is a natural for adaptation by British TV. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Barrister Trish Maguire is working a case on a no-win, no-fee basis. Her clients are a group of small food producers who contend that they were cheated by supermarket giant Furbishers Foods. The producers were led to believe they had lucrative contracts with Furbishers only to find the terms changed after they expanded their businesses to meet the projected demand. Will Applewood, the most vocal plaintiff, enlists Trish's help to prove that bad meat from Furbishers is reaching consumers. Trish is sympathetic until she begins to wonder if Will's obsession with the cause has affected his judgment. While trying to win her case, Trish, who formerly worked with abused children, is also asked to interview a young girl, the possible victim of abuse by her stepfather. Details of the English court system, child-protection laws, and the meatpacking industry add to the story. Trish is a principled, sympathetic character, and this fast-paced mystery, the sixth in a series, finds her in good form. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Why did investigative journalist Jamie Maxden die? The coroner says it was suicide. The case is closed. Only one man fights to reopen it. Will Applewood is sure Jamie was about to expose a scandal that would shame the British food industry. But Will is notorious for his conspiracy theories. No one listens to him. In despair he turns to his barrister, Trish Maguire.
Felled by food poisoning in the middle of Will's case against a huge supermarket chain, Trish is ready to believe any story about dangers lurking inside the pretty packaging of the food we eat. Even though she has more than enough to do already with the trial, an attempt to save a child at terrible risk, and plenty of emotional complications of her own, she agrees to help.
Will's campaign takes her deep into the countryside, revealing a world that seems quite different from the metropolitan life she knows. But human nature doesn't change---whatever the environment.
Moving between the ravishing landscape and the grim depths of the inner city, trying to save lives and sanity, inexhaustible Trish is driven into a crusade---both personal and professional---that combines excitement, drama, and agonizing human tragedy.



From the Inside Flap
Praise for Natasha Cooper

A Place of Safety
"A dark and savage story with a deviously clever plot, convincing and complex characters, and a shocking climax."


"Cooper's subtle social comment on the finely drawn class distinctions of London's professionals will fascinate British mystery lovers."


"This is a series that has grown markedly better with each book. The characters are as fascinating as the story."


Out of the Dark
"Dark and compelling, with mesmerizing plot twists, a compassionate but tough-minded heroine, and a surprise ending."


"A tale of suspense and substance."


"A suspenseful, literate outing."




About the Author
Natasha Cooper, an ex-publisher, past Chair of the Crime Writers' Association, and lifelong Londoner, sets her novels in the city that she loves. In 2002, she was shortlisted for the Dagger in the Library, an award that goes to "the author whose work has given the most pleasure to readers." She regularly speaks at crime-writing conferences on both sides of the Atlantic.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Why did investigative journalist Jamie Maxden die? The coroner says it was suicide. The case is closed. Only one man fights to reopen it. Will Applewood is sure Jamie was about to expose a scandal that would shame the British food industry. But Will is notorious for his conspiracy theories. No one listens to him. In despair, he turns to his barrister, Trish Maguire." "Felled by food poisoning in the middle of Will's case against a huge supermarket chain, Trish is ready to believe any story about dangers lurking inside the pretty packaging of the food we eat. Even though she has more than enough to do already with the trial, an attempt to save a child at terrible risk, and plenty of emotional complications of her own, she agrees to help." Moving between the ravishing landscape and the grim depths of the inner city, trying to save lives and sanity, inexhaustible Trish is driven into a crusade - both personal and professional - that combines excitement, drama, and agonizing human tragedy.

FROM THE CRITICS

Paula Woods - The Washington Post

Cooper's thorough research is enough to turn readers against both chain food stores and processed meat forever, and her insights into the nature and motivations of her characters are often compelling.

Publishers Weekly

In British author Cooper's gripping sixth mystery to feature ambitious barrister Trish McGuire (after 2003's A Place of Safety), Trish joins the prosecution team in a class-action lawsuit against one of Britain's largest food-store chains. Trish finds she has more than a professional interest when she and her friend, Insp. Caro Lyalt, are victims of food poisoning. With Caro in hospital, Trish undertakes her own investigation of the meat trade, with one of the members of the class action as cohort. She also takes on Kim Bowlby, a young child in Caro's protective custody. With the men in her life vacationing on the other side of the world, Trish is free to carry on a flirtation with the Head of Chambers, who may have something more serious in mind. The suspense builds, as Cooper deftly interweaves the several plot lines. Is the person whose help she enlists in looking into the meat trade as trustworthy as Trish supposes? What terror keeps Kim mute? Anglophiles will enjoy the glimpses of the Inns of Court and the British civil court system, though some may scratch their heads at the more obscure British legalese (e.g., "to take silk"). More attractive and sympathetic than Insp. Jane Tennyson of Mystery! fame, Trish is a natural for adaptation by British TV. (Oct. 29) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

British attorney Trish Maguire (A Place of Safety) represents a group of small food producers in a suit against a giant supermarket chain, but she will only get paid if she wins. When two people connected to one of her clients are killed, she investigates his trustworthiness. Pleasantly dark, psychologically intense; for fans of Claire Curzon and Val McDermid. Cooper lives in England. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews