Roderic Jeffries

British art dealer Oliver Cooper lived an apparently idyllic life on sun-soaked Mallorca, until he abruptly disappeared. Low-keyed, cognac-nipping, but always sharp-witted Inspector Enrique Alvarez is called upon to investigate the disappearance. Cooper is presumed dead and thought to have been considering suicide, but his car was abandoned and no one can find the body. Alvarez has just decided that suicide is out of the question when Cooper's body...

Inspector Alvarez is rudely awakened from his afternoon siesta by a phone call reporting the death of one Senor Picare. On arrival at the Picare villa, it seems his grieving widow is passed out in bed and the housekeeper, Rosalía, is the one dealing with the police and comforting the young maid, Marta, who is devastated by the death of her employer. It soon becomes clear that Senor Picare may have promised Marta - and other young women - more than...

Inspector Alvarez likes the quiet life, away from the disapproving gaze of his boss, Superior Chief Salas, and the antics of Mallorca's expatriate community. So he is not inclined to become too concerned when Bevis Ogden, a wealthy British man, reports the disappearance of his attractive young wife, Sabrina. No doubt she has found a younger, possibly wealthier, alternative and left for greener pastures. However, the discovery of a body at the bottom...

When there is nothing to choose between accident, suicide, or murder, motive is the only clue...A rich Englishman is found dead at the foot of a steep wall of rock in Mallorca. Was it an accident, suicide or murder? Inspector Alvarez thinks only motive will provide the answer. But he quickly discovers the dead man can be linked to just about every other English person on the island - including Mary, the dead man's niece and heir to his fortune, to...

When the body of retired Bolivian diplomat Guido Zavala is found floating in his swimming pool, Inspector Alvarez finds evidence that points to foul play. Though the Inspector would rather be sipping a brandy in the shade, he begins to look for suspects. As Alvarez digs further into Zavala's past, he quickly uncovers a history of dubious acts that had left Zavala with numerous enemies-each with plenty of motive to see him dead. There is Jerome Robertson,...

"It seems impossible: to find a man who stole half a million pounds from among thousands of tourists, with only a visual description. And not only does Alvarez have to do it, he also has a female dragon to contend with - Raquel Rexach, Dolores's old and much disliked schoolmate, whose jewellery has been reported stolen. Alvarez likes the quiet life, but even he cannot foresee where this investigation will lead."--The publisher.