The False Inspector Dew

“Absolutely riveting . . . A masterpiece. I defy anyone to foresee the outcome.”—Ruth Rendell

The year is 1921. A passionate affair between voracious romance reader Alma Webster and her dentist, Walter Baranov, has led to his wife’s murder. The lovers take flight aboard the Mauretania and the dentist takes the name of Inspector Dew, the detective who arrested the notorious wifekiller Dr. Crippen. But, in a disquieting twist, a murder occurs aboard ship and the captain invites “Inspector Dew” to investigate.Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster

Praise for The False Inspector Dew

CRIME WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER WINNER
CRIME WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION DAGGER OF DAGGERS SHORTLIST
ONE OF H.R.F. KEATING’S 100 BEST CRIME & MYSTERY BOOKS
ONE OF THE TIMES’S 100 BEST CRIME NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

“An airy, intricate maze of criminal secrets and switched identities . . . aboard a luxury ocean liner crossing the Atlantic circa 1921.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“The sort of book that ought to be a bestseller and deserves to be.”
—The Times

“Absolutely riveting . . . A masterpiece. I defy anyone to foresee the outcome.”
—Ruth Rendell

“Oh what a lovely crime this is.”
—The Washington Post Book World

“Brilliant . . . Stunning.”
—Evening Standard

“An extraordinarily clever, fascinating novel . . . Compulsively readable.”
—The Week, Best Books

Praise for Peter Lovesey
 
“I have long loved Peter Lovesey’s books . . . A creative, courageous and gifted writer.”
—Louise Penny
 
“Lovesey is a master of the crime novel.”
—Sara Paretsky
 
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
“A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.”
 —Entertainment Weekly
 
“Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising.”
—NewsweekPeter Lovesey (1936–2025) was the author of more than forty highly praised mystery novels, including the Peter Diamond investigations and the Sergeant Cribb investigations. He was honored with the two highest awards in mystery fiction, Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and the Cartier Diamond Dagger of the Crime Writers’ Association, as well as many other international accolades. He lived in Shrewsbury, England.