Clean Cut by Lynda La Plante is the third book in her Anna Travis Police Procedural series. This entry was an intelligent, intense and complex story involving Anna, her boss and lover James Langton, and an assorted group of detectives assigned to work various murders that eventually all become entwined. The case involves illegal immigrants who constantly change names and documents making it very difficult to apprehend them.

Due to a vicious attack, the case becomes very personal for Langton and by the end of the book, their relationship is in tatters and Anna fears that he has crossed the line in his quest for revenge. This is definitely a book that deals with dark subject matters as the investigation uncovers the smuggling of people, sexual slavery, drug trafficking and the molestation of children, as well as a multitude of grisly murders.

I did find the book was a little long at over five hundred pages but as the plot was composed of a number of connected story-lines there was a lot of information the author had to pass on to the reader. Although this series is not for the faint-hearted, I mostly enjoyed this thought-provoking, visceral read and plan to continue on with the series. ( )

CLEAN CUT by Lynda La Plante is the 3rd book in her Anna Travis Mysteries.
The plot points are gruesome, brutal, soul-numbing, appalling atrocities. The investigation is very detailed and intricate, with many intertwined suspects. It does get confusing at times.
Details include multiple murders, decapitation, machete-hacked limbs, rape, prostitution, child molestation, child neglect and torture, illegal immigration and its effects on society and the criminal justice system, racketeering, illegal imports, drug smuggling, poison, voodoo, extortion and revenge. (Did I leave anything out? It is hard to believe the brutality and criminality of people sometimes.)
The tension and suspense - intense.
The characters of Anna Travis and James Langton are in torment - for many different reasons. Their emotions are not quite put at ease, even at the end of the case. ( )

Complex plot, interesting characters, definitely not a cozy. ( )

Completed 2/2, 9th book of year, rating 4.0 This is third in Anna Travis series, have read 1-3. Rather complex storyline, lots of bodies, who killed who, and why. Deals with people trafficking, illegal drugs, child abuse, voodoo, vigilantism. Langton is injured and Anna nurses him back to health. She is involved in another case working for another DCI but eventually she is working for Jimmy. Very interesting, well told, somewhat difficult to keep all the links and timings straight but the author arranges detailed summaries repeatedly which kept things straight for me. At the conclusion though, Anna and another team member do not see the final solution the same way, lines are drawn, and an enemy is made. Rich in police procedural stuff, as well as prison settings and procedures. But I was bothered but a couple of things - how did a critical item get smuggled into the prison? Why wasn't the prosecution involved in all the interrogation once the suspects were jailed, and finally, is there any male out there as much an ingrate as one principal character? - I don't think so. I think both La Plante and Sophie Hannah sometimes misfire on their characterizations of men.... ( )

Ruthless illegal immigrants involved with murder, prostitution, kidnapping and voodoo makes for a charged page-turner. An insightful look at a British Murder Squad's procedure for joining two different unsolved cases, which forces DCI James Langton and Detective Anna Travis to set personal issues aside (as if they could) and concentrate on getting the bad guys, whoever they may be. Now that I'm a fan of Lynda LaPlante's writing talent (I picked it up because I was already a fan of 'Prime Suspect'), I look forward to the previous cases in 'Above Suspicion' and 'The Red Dahlia'. ( )