Blues in the Night - Dean Parrot, #1

A woman is brutally murdered in the woods of the quiet French countryside. Retired British policeman Dean Parrot sets out to catch the murderer but is blocked at every turn. French police are certain they already have their man, though Dean is not so sure. When thugs appear in the night to persuade Dean he should give up, he becomes even more determined. Yet he has three good suspects who fit the bill and have no watertight alibis.
His search takes him through a web of seedy nightclubs, underground vaults and shady investment companies. As details of the victim's personal life begin to unravel, Dean finds himself ever more bewildered by the complexities of the case as well as falling into imminent personal danger.