A Claudia Valentine mystery. Mark Bannister is writing 'the bestseller of the century'. But when he's found dead at his computer he seems to be the victim of a murder so perfect that Claudia Valentine smells a rat - and wants it caught. Witty, wry and fast-paced, The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender is a thriller with a twist and a crime novel which brilliantly evokes the sleaze beneath the surface of a city's glittering facade.