Part of Dalziel & Pascoe, book 5
First published 1990
Detective Peter Pascoe sits uncomfortably in the darkness of the Calliope Kinema Club, watching what appears to be pornographic entertainment in the upscale Wilkinson Square venue. His superior, Yorkshire police superintendent Dalziel, insists everything happening at the arty cinema club operates within legal bounds. Pascoe remains unconvinced. His dentist has examined the footage and declares the injuries to the pretty actress are genuine, not theatrical effects. Real blood and broken teeth suggest something far more sinister than performance art. When the Calliope's proprietor dies suddenly, what seemed like questionable entertainment transforms into a murder investigation. Pascoe and Dalziel must navigate the murky world where pain and pleasure intersect, uncovering the deadly desires that drive people to kill. The case forces both detectives to examine the thin line between legal vice and criminal violence, as they pursue a killer who uses the cover of adult entertainment to commit murder.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, police-partners
Setting: Calliope Kinema Club, Wilkinson Square, Yorkshire
Period: 20th-century
336 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell
Content warnings: explicit-sexual-content, violence