Rooted in dishonour - Christina James

The fifth novel in the DI Yates series

Eighteen-year-old Ayesha Verma disappears from her home in Spalding just a few days after her parents have introduced her to the cousin they've arranged for her to marry. There has been a nation-wide police campaign to raise awareness of 'honour killings'. Conditioned by this, DI Tim Yates and Superintendent Thornton are convinced that Ayesha has been murdered for refusing the arranged marriage. Tim throws himself enthusiastically into preparations for a trip to India to interview the cousin. He first travels to London to visit his rather louche old friend, DI Derry Hacker, at the Met. Hacker introduces Tim to DC Nancy Chappell, an unconventional expert on honour killings.

When Tim arrives at King's Cross he thinks that he hears the voice of Peter Prance, a confidence trickster whom he last encountered when he was investigating the murder of Kathryn Sheppard several years before. He's unable to follow the man because he's suddenly taken ill.

Tim's wife, Katrin, has just returned to work as a police researcher after the birth of their daughter Sophia. DC Juliet Armstrong, who is far from convinced that Tim is right about the reason for Ayesha's disappearance, arranges for Katrin to meet Fi Vickers, a social worker who helps women to escape from forced marriages and violent male relatives. She hopes that Fi will introduce Katrin to some of the women in her care so that Katrin can build a picture of the likely circumstances of 'honour killings'. Juliet herself is feeling aggrieved because she thinks her career is going nowhere. Tim and Superintendent Thornton have announced their intention to appoint a Detective Sergeant to the team, but Juliet is convinced that she won't get the job.

DI Hacker arranges dinner in a restaurant for Tim with a 'surprise' guest, who turns out to be Patti Gardner, the SOCO who was his girlfriend before he met Katrin. Derry is called away to a reported gangland beating shortly after they've begun to eat. Tim remains
deux with Patti, escorting her back to her hotel at the end of the evening. There he's taken ill again, and is so incapacitated that he spends the night in Patti's room. The victim of the gangland beating has been spirited away by the men who attacked him, but from Tim's description Hacker is convinced he is Peter Prance.

Katrin has received a visit earlier that evening from Margie Pocklington, a teenager working for her child-minder. Margie asks Katrin to employ her as a full-time nanny, and when she gets a cautious response flounces out of the house. Next morning, she fails to turn up for work. She has vanished.

Juliet Armstrong is convinced that Ayesha's and Margie's disappearances are linked. She has begun to investigate when Tim returns to Spalding earlier than expected, with Nancy Chappell in tow. He puts her in charge of the investigation while he is in India. Sparks fly.