A Spider in the Cup: A Joe Sandilands Investigation    by Barbara Cleverly Order:  USA  Can Soho, 2013 (2013) Hardcover, CD    Reviewed by Bob Walch If you have enjoyed Barbara Cleverly's previous five novels featuring Joe Sandilands, you might not be too thrilled with this one. A bit muddled, this outing is, sadly, not up to the high standard Cleverly set with the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard's earlier investigations. The corpse of a woman with a missing toe and a gold coin in her mouth has been found on the banks of the Thames. While Joe has to investigate this case, he's also charged with keeping tabs on an American senator who is in London for a conference addressing the current international economic downturn. Things are getting a bit testy on the continent with Germany's militarizing and the rise of a controversial politician named Adolf Hitler. As Joe tackles both these assignments it soon becomes apparent that the dead woman and American politician are linked. What's more, it appears that Sandilands has stumbled into a bit of a nasty conspiracy that has potential international repercussions. Like a small stream that meanders through the British countryside, this story moves a bit too slowly and has a tendency to stagnate along the way before it finally reaches its conclusion. As conspiracy tales goes, this one also gets low marks so I'd not recommend venturing into these slow moving waters. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews